Update - February 2008

This is just really a quick pictoral update.

Training hit a bit of a slow-down when I had to take a week off after a shin injury got infected. A rock made a deep hole in my left leg after a whitewater-death-insane-life jacket/wetsuit/helmet wearing tubing expedition on the Umgeni at Hilton College Estate. The rest actually did some good.

Tim Witfield kindly included me in the logo of the Ultimate Ultra-Marathon, Hill2Hill which takes place in September. Jason Stark took the awesome photo.

Underberg Training – 2nd February – 4th February 2009

I set off on a solitary mission up to Underberg at 6 on Monday morning to stay in our cottage at Bushman’s Nek and do some training. First up was a ride into Lesotho via Sani Pass. I have always been drawn to Sani Pass and I love the beauty and enormity of the climb. My love must be due to some flaw in memory recall, because the 8km climb at a gradient of 10% up to over 2800 meters, over a stupidly rocky and rough surface, can only be described as brutal. It does have a special beauty though, and I hope they never get to tar the road as planned. From there it was into Lesotho and over another brutal 5km climb aptly called Black Mountain (reaching 3200 meters – where you can’t breathe!). I rode down the other side of the hill a bit, and then it was back over and down the massive descent from the top of Black Mountain to Sani Pass Hotel (3200 meters – 1700 meters). About 2:50 up, and 1:10 down! 4:40 for only 84km – but with 2400 meters of ascent.

In the evening in was dinner and recovery at our rural, isolated little cottage, and I dutifully drank some red wine to assist with the recovery process.

Day 2 I rode from our cottage to the Bushman’s Nek border post (about 15km away) and got the necessary permit and passport stamp to go into the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg\Sellabathege Park and Lesotho. The trails in the park were lots of fun as they wound next to the scenic Ngwangwane River. The trail then started climbing rapidly and I had to carry my bike over lots of the rougher sections. I was lucky to find a Basotho horseman in his blanket who led me on the trail to the top of the mountain range, and the outer edge of the park. Him, his 2nd horse and grey donkey where great companions, chasing away a rather scary and large group of baboons, and all amazing adept at climbing rocky slopes I had never imagined a horse could summit. After a brief stop at the lodge at the top (a definite high altitude training spot for the future) and a quick look at the awe-inspiring view, it was down some adrenalin pumping singletrack all the way to the bottom. My Garmin 305 saved me and I used it to follow the route I had come up on, as this time I was without my tour guide. After a quick check in at the border post and refuel at the local farm store, it was back to the cottage after another long 4:40 of awesome riding.

After another great evening by the fire at the cottage and swim at the river, it was back to civilisation early Wednesday morning with some good altitude training in my lungs.

Sani Pass

Top of Sani Pass

A rocky switchback on the trail

My Basotho trail guide

A rather high and rocky section of the trail

Sani2C Dry Run – Day 1 and 2 – 30th – 31st January

Mike and I, and our super-second Phili, drove up to Underberg at 4:30 in the morning to be there for the start of the Sani2C dry run starting a 6am. 6am SHARP turned out to be 7:45 sharp, but the early morning wait (without any coffee) turned out to be a good bonding session for Mike, Phili and I (searching to get a positive out of waking up at 3:30 in the morning!).

The first day was ridden at a very leisurely pace and there was a group of about 25 of us including, Nick Floros (course designer, my Imana partner and general Hardman), Glen Haw (Sani2C visionary and creator), Roger Mann aka Super-Sloth (co-creator with Glen and phenomenal athlete) and Craig Stone (Mike’s Sani and Imana partner). The course was still without its finishing touches (Nick hasn’t gone over it with his tweezers yet), but it was still leagues ahead of any other course in the country. Glen, Nick and Roger’s dedication, creativity and attention to detail will always make Sani a course designer’s benchmark. The singletrack was amazing, especially with the addition of new “twin-track” which has two tracks running parallel in most of the old sections, creating an awesome dual slalom type race between opponents on the two tracks. Supposedly the tracks were made to alleviate congestion (which they certainly will do), but they are way more exciting than that. It’s an exciting dual as your competition gets ahead on his track, and you dice him to come out of the next corner ahead. Nick raced Craig, and I raced Mike just behind them, and we had a story to tell after each section and a discussion as to which was fastest line. Epic fun.

I don’t want to tell you too many more secrets, but expect more great things from day one. The day wore on and Craig and I rode ahead to Mackenzie Club and chilled in the Grass waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive, and then off to a 5 star meal at the Haw’s house courtesy of Mandy and Jabu.

Day 2 was another early start (though not quite 3:30!) and we got going at about 6:05. Some more “twin-track” started off the day. Murray’s Meander is a new addition to the singletrack start of the day, and is a true engineering feat, a track cut into an almost vertical slope covered in indigenous bush. I do not exaggerate when I say that if anyone falls off it, they have got about a 200 meter fall. At least they will have unreal views on the Umkomaas Valley on the way down.

The awesome long singletrack section down trough Nick’s Pass was a bit muddy, but still special as usual. Mike managed to win a battle with a fence, all but destroying it, with only barbed wire puncture marks and severe bruises to show for it... he had to be pulled out by Roan Exelby.

The rest of the day was completed at a good tempo, with myself, Mike, Road and Craig riding up front. We arrived after 5 hours at Jollivet Farm after another great day in the bushes. Sani2C promises to again raise the mark for Mountain Bike races around the country and I look forward to another awesome event.

Start of Day 1

Umkomaas Valley

Murray's Meander

Mike and his gate

Barberton Ultra-Marathon - 24th January 2009

Baberton is always the first Marathon of the season, and is a good tester of early season form and a showcase of all the new teams and compo. This year the race for the Elites had been converted into an Ultra-Marathon, comprising of the 75km and 45km back to back, for a massive 120km with over 3000 meters of ascent – the longest mountain bike ride I’ve ever done. Craig, my mum and I drove up the day before in the Diesel (or Nuclear Power?) Jeep Patriot and ate all we could possibly find to fuel ourselves for the next day’s epic ride.

The race started off surprisingly fast for a +5hour ride and it felt more like a Cross Country start for me. I really struggled up the first part of the first massive 15km\100meter ascent climb riding in about 25th place. I came right before the top and moved past a few groups, pulling myself into about 12th or so. I just tried to conserve energy towards the end of the first lap and found myself in a nice group including Jock Green and Reneir Belligan for the last 45km loop.

The last loop was almost as bad as the first 75 with another 15km or so climb that never ended. I managed to drop the group by the top of the climb (although Francios Theron came steaming past me, as he usually does near the end of a long ride). Reneir joined me again in the last undulating 20km, but I managed to lose him up a sharp little climb. At 10km to go my shifter went, leaving me in my biggest gear in the back, but fortunately the hills weren’t too severe and I held out for 8th place. I was very satisfied with the result given the huge compo (it just seems to get bigger every year) and was very happy that I still felt strong in the last few kilometres.

Up front Max Knox took the win in emphatic style, with his DCM team mate Jacque Janse Van Rensberg in 2nd. 3rd position turned out to be very controversial with Brandon Stewart being disqualified due to a “switching” incident which involved him and Kevin Evans on the course. Kevin was moved into 3rd. Craig was also having a great ride before two punctures ended his day.