Training Log Archive: nmulder

Final leg of the race, from Cedar Falls TA, over the Kougaberge and then into the Tsitsikamma Mts and the only CP before the Finish.

Left the lodge and went up the Waterkloof gorge following the Waterfall hiking trail. Got cliffed out and after numerous attempts had to backtrack back down to the bottom of the kloof. Lost 4.5h doing this. Restarted the climb over the first mountain ridge at 7am daybreak. A few hikers shared some food with us and we refilled at a hut. Then up and over, climbing up to 1400m, which was one of the lower parts of the range.

Dropped down into the first valley and aimed off to the east to pick up the Klein Graslaagte spruit. Ended up kloofing down this (rockhopping), which was a good option vs climbing the 2nd mountain range.

At the junction with the Dwars River, we started climbing over the 3rd range. Got to 1200m height before descending down to Luiskraal Farm, which is now abandoned. Then followed their driveway for 10km. Slept for 1h just after the ruined farm and then again for 10 mins shortly after crossing the tar road at Langkloof. Then the final climb up a peak (1258m) before dropping down into the finish at Lauterswater.

We were the only team to finish. Antimatter got to the start of the last trek, all the other teams spending a long first night in the fynbos on Stage 3.

Total bike stats:
Tm - 13:55:17
Dst - 145.97
Av - 10.4
M x - 42.4

Picked up wetsuits and PFDs (for the bikes) for a MTB kloofing leg.

Down the Kouga River and up a side stream. A few cold swims including a couple of long ones. Bikes took a bit of a pounding.

In a lodge at the base of the Baviaanskloof Mts

Technical MTB climb out of the lodge and up into the Baviaanskloof Mts on a 4x4 track. About 32km of it before a spectacular descent at sundown and onto the Baviaanskloof Pass road. Then west to Cedar Falls TA.

Slept 1.5 hours in TA in a toilet block.

Vasbyt 100-hour race organized by Tweet

Raced with Team Cyanosis with Mac, Tracey Campbell and Darren Berry

Started the race in Natures Valley. Only 4 teams and no real competition for the win, so it was going to be about surviving the course and getting great training experience out of it. Started with a 3km beach run to the Groot River mouth with team Plett (Bubbles), SKOI (Saffey) and Antimatter (Ugene). Then up the river, which soon became proper kloofing. Had wetsuits. Finished with a tough rope climb out of the gorge into T1.

Plett there ahead of us. Closed a bit of time on them.

Along the passes tar road. Caught and passed Plett before the next TA.

Another quick one. Were given a flask of Obies each to carry for the race.

Got out of TA quickly before Plett saw us. Then went east along the south face of the Tsitsikamma Mts, first on a track, then through Knysna Forests. Lovely light green going until we hit the Elandsbos River, then turned up the Mangold se Pad.

The track slowly got poorer and poorer, almost disappearing after we crossed the Tsitsikamma Trail. When it disappeared we hacked around a bit to find it, then gave up and hacked through fynbos down to the river, then kloofed up it until we got back into indigenous forest (Bloubos). Got dark just as we got to the upper edge of it, but it was then a straight uphill hack in the dark over the cliffs until we got into the main saddle of the mountain range. Picked up a zig zag track here down the other side in TA2.

Hot food.

Easy MTB ride along district roads. Slept 30 mins along the road where it was warm.

Fourways Gardens loop

Flew to CT for Vasbyt 100-hour race on south coast.