My Race2Paarl

Yowzer. The dust has settled and I can now reflect on my race to Paarl, a Freedom Challenge event from Willowmore to Paarl ( actually Wellington).  It's always tough. The usual highs and lows... headwind, some mud, cold, tiredness, sore toes, sore hands and saddle discomfort. Unfortunately bad weather resulted in a route change and we were re-routed around Die Hel via Calitzdorp. But wow, what beautiful scenery especially into Calitzdorp, Rouxpos and McGregor. Lush green fields, ferns, moss, and huge soaring mountains. Water and more water. Overflowing rivers. An explosion of colour and fruitful aromas.

Stettynskloof was, as always, the final big test. It's tough doing this section on your own. The final portage out of the kloof was probably the hardest physical test of my life. I went a bit too left up the climb and the scramble (or crawl) up the 45 degree loose slope, bike on back,  through the trees, was awful. The bike would hook on the trees or get stuck in the thick heather. It was exhausting. The fancy boa thingy on my shoes were broken and my shoes kept slipping off. My only consolation was to tell myself that this was thankfully not the Berg River, and I was NOT IN a K1 canoe stuck in a tree block. I could  just flop down and breath oxygen and there was no risk of drowning or hypothermia. ( PTSD memories  of last years Berg River marathon).

The only way I managed to get to the top was by removing the two wheels and ferrying the bike frame and then the 2 wheels up and down the slope. And then, the final task, one that turned into a brain fart of note, was untangling the twisted chain and figuring out how to re-thread the chain on the jockey wheel! For someone with a spatial awareness type of disorder, this was a test of note.

But, I did it ! I am grateful, tired and happy.

The crawl up out of the Kloof.