Day 13: Gegun – Kleinpoort
Around 1130pm I was startled awake by noises in the house, then I heard the tick, tick, tick of a bike freewheel and the rustle of a waterproof jacket. “I should really go say hello”. I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Martin Dreyer is course record holder for the Freedom challenge and probably many other extreme endurance events and a bit of a sport celebrity in SA. He’d started this year’s FC seven days behind me in the last batch and he was now in Gegun at the end of my day 12. Yes, in five days. seven days faster than me on a route that was taking me 12-14 hours a day of giving everything I had. Like I said earlier, I suspect he’s an alien. Whenever I think about people like Martin who are so much more talented than me I assume or hope that they are a dick head like many other focussed top sports(wo)men. Its easier to accept it that way 🙂 But, as usual I was wrong.
Again just after 3am I heard him rummaging around “he’s had less than three hours sleep, bloody hell”. I had to meet the man behind the alien. As my bedroom door creaked open I heard “is that the famous Shane Little?” I chuckled, “is that the infamous Martin Dreyer?”. I filled the coffee pot and we spent half an hour chatting while he was force feeding himself and packing, only briefly asking me to shut up while he tried to memorise the narrative for the next section. Much to my disappointment Martin is far from a dickhead and actually a really nice guy. He spent longer getting ready than usual, eager to hear my stories as much as I wanted to get the low down on his current record breaking ride. I suspect he was happy to have a little human contact for a change just like I was.
“Well done breaking the Race to Roads record?” “it was stupid, I burned all my matches doing that, It took a couple of days to recover from that and it messed up my schedule meaning riding in the coldest part of the day and messing my plan up”.
“You didn’t sleep long, whats your sleep plan?” “I try to take 5 hours off a night, 1 hour food, admin, maintenance 3 hours sleep then 1 hour breakfast and prep. If I’m running behind I sleep less”
I rest my case…friggin alien. Martin went on to finish the ride 14 days faster than I did and break his own record. The half hour with Martin was such a pleasure. I doubt there are many sporting events where two people at opposite ends of the ability spectrum can reduce their world to a conversion over a pot of coffee even for just 30 minutes. Thats one of the many special things about the FC.
At 0412 on a cold morning in Gegun Martin insisted on a selfie as he left, he was now the 2017 Freedom Challenge trail breaker and my nav instantly became easier…….
I had breakfast and more coffee leaving an hour later, getting up early certainly had advantages. At the first wall I climbed over I found Martins sunblock, later at a gate his rear light. I guess thats one way to travel light 🙂
Just after daylight I encountered my first 3m high game fence. I was so busy working out how to get over it I almost didn’t notice the sign.
The ride through the game park was interesting, not too much wildlife but its always a pleasure to see warthogs and giraffes running. I almost missed the turn off at the dry river bed but the lack of a bike track told me I wasn’t following Martin anymore. If only the whole trip had been this easy 🙂
The view and lunch at Toekomst were stunning, it took every ounce of will power to move on, it was still only 11am, just maybe I could make it to Kleinpoort before dark? route looked fine, no portages, not so much climbing, easy life, just 90km of cruising and a gentle climb up the Gwaas valley and I’d be there. If only I’d known.
From Toekomst to Darlington dam was fine, just the usual gravel, corregations etc, nothing to write home about. On paper and as you look at it the 20km up the Gwaas valley doesn’t look too tough either, you don’t read about it in blogs like all the main portages but what a cheeky little bugger it is.
It was warm, rideable and a gentle climb. So far so good, but it just keeps on going and the gates keep coming, Including a couple of game fences, which are quite tiring to climb over when you’re alone. To finish the perfect cocktail, a sneaky headwind.
By the time I was at the top of the valley my water had run out. I thought to stop at the farm at the turn off, but the huge Rhodesian ridgeback dissuaded me. I struggled on a little thirsty, thinking “it should be flat by now then down hill”, “only 28km to go, how hard can it be” It was quite flat and my 26″ bike wasn’t liking the corregations and potholes that day.
As it got dark I still had 20km to go, and I started feeling really tired, my legs went on strike. I pushed up a hill then carried on riding. I started zigzagging across the road, felt dizzy and sick….” Fuck I’m bonking, I never bonk.” I quickly stopped the bike and sat down, managing not to puke…..”Keep those fluids in young man”.
The next couple of hours were predictably tough and miserable, walking up anything that wasn’t flat, carefully cruising down hill, cycling slowly on the flat. Neck, shoulder and back cramped or sore, wrists so sore I could hardly brake (only the second time I regretted having a rigid fork).
“Never, ever complain” “Being on holiday is great isn’t it mate” My body was broken but at least my mind and moral were still working just fine. I’ve gotten myself into enough tough spots over the years to know I’ll get out in the end, patience, hard work and a good mindset can overcome most things. I rolled into a dark and deserted Kleinpoort some time around 7pm.
“There is also an emergency stop in Kleinpoort which must be pre-arranged via the race office – the large white house on the left just beyond the shop/garage”.
“All the houses are white, which one is it” After a bit of checking out a garage, slaughter house then shed I found a drive to a much bigger white house(I guess you spot it straight away if you arrive in daylight). I spent another 15 minutes looking for a key which I couldn’t find and the house was deserted. “Am I stupid or what, the key must be here, race office have confirmed they know I’m coming” I felt stupid for phoning, but I was getting cold and needed to organise some food and water, I’d finished both three hours ago.
When I finally got through to race office I got a whole list of “have you looked here have you looked there” they meant well but in the mean time I was thinking” Of course I fucking have, this sucks, I’m cold, hungry and tired, I don’t need this shit” Then the circus started. Race office phoning the owner, him phoning me with a whole list of “have you looked here have you looked there” In the mean time me thinking” Of course I fucking have, this sucks, I’m cold, hungry and tired, I don’t need this shit” but staying very polite. The owner phoning the cleaner then me again, meanwhile race office phoning me again, by now my phone almost dead. Then the owner realising he’d forgot to tell the cleaner to leave a key out. Owner phoning me again a half dozen times to say sorry. Owner asking gardener to come down and force the door, didn’t work. More phone calls then the gardener driving 20 minutes from town to pick up cleaner to come into town to open up. While he was gone I started getting dizzy again.
“ooh dear, I’m just going to have a little sit down next to this wall before the lights go out” lights out, lights back on, another 20 minutes wait in the cold then the nice lady opened the house up. Which still needed to be sorted out from the previous guests that had left that morning. Poor cleaning lady dug out her private stock of coffee and tea for me, I must of looked rough. I asked where the food box was “no food box” apparently the owner had forgotten to organise that too. The nice cleaning lady found some left over food in the fridge and some milk and bread for me. I said I’d be fine and wanted her to leave so I could sort myself out. She showed me the the room with the one bed that still had fresh bedding (not that I cared) and left. Luckily there was hot water so I was in a warm bath in minutes and soon felt better. I rummaged through the cupboards and freezer and found half a kilo of frozen bacon.
There are worse ways to finish a day than having a hot bath and half a kilo of bacon butties. The day was saved, I was once again in bed with a full belly and tired legs, the way all the best days end. I’d knocked out almost 280km in two days and caught up a day, with plenty of potential for a double up later in the trip, I was still looking good for a 24 day finish and the other batches where still on the other side of the Gwaas valley.
I’d finished my toughest day on the Freedom Challenge, only 11 toughest days to go.
Gwaas. ‘Nuff said.