Adventure Quest Africa (2)

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Leg 10: 55km Bike

Cindy Van Zyl / 03.09.2002See All Event Posts Follow Event
T9 – PC11: Witmoss – Reservoir
We have passed the 400km mark and ahead of us lay more snow and ice-capped mountains and a relentless 28km ascent. Of the climb I remember little; one’s mind has a way of blocking out harmful memories. But from what the team tells me, there was little else but a black jeep-track, freezing cold, the slow grind of gears and the gnashing of teeth.

We left the jeep-track and for the umpteenth time had to boulder-bash our bikes straight up a sheer mountain. My legs felt like lead. The boys were way up ahead and a bad mist was rolling in. Walk on Girlfriend, walk on!

At the top of the mountain we cycled along the ridge, left our bikes and climbed the remaining 30 meters to clip PC11 at the reservoir. The wind tore at our clothes and our core temperatures were plummeting fast. We estimated temperatures of between minus 15 - 20 degrees Celsius. And from the bitter cold and the Soutie’s twisted mind was born the ‘bare claw’: the frostbitten adventure racer’s version of a rude one-finger sign.

PC11 – T10: Reservoir – Grootbos
Nothing else mattered than getting off the windswept mountain as quickly as possible. But fortune was not on our side. As we started the cycle my second de-railuer twisted itself into a sad angle and I was left with the remnants of two gears (with the gearing ability equivalent to that of my grandfather’s dik-wiel fiets).

By now our brakes were filed down to the metal and we had to keep all our wits about us negotiating the boulders, mud and deep water-troughs on the insane downhill. The Soutie’s gears were also playing up. And after the tenth fall due to mud-logged cleats, he momentarily lost his laudable sense of humour and hurled his undeserving bike into the bushes. Three minutes later the bike had its revenge as it catapulted the Soutie crotch-first onto his handlebars. The unspoken Jabberwock rule in these situations is to cycle by undeterred and to admire the spectacular view in the opposite direction.

With a mere 25 km between us and the final leg of the Quest, we put our hearts and last bit of energy into the cycle and arrived at Grootbos two hours later, still in 8th position.

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