The Freedom Challenge
Blazing Saddles in the Drakensberg
Charlotte Danby / 18.06.2009
Over the weekend early race leader, Andrew Barnes from Pietermaritzburg, followed up his 85km run in the inaugural Duzi Trail Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg by then setting out into the interior of southern Kwa Zulu Natal with Australian ironman Dave Barr.
Three days later, approaching the escarpment of the Maluti Drakensberg Barnes broke away. Since then he has not let up. Riding alone through the settlement of Rhodes he then headed up the valleys of the Sterkspruit. The following day he took on the portages of Kapokkraal, Slaapkranz and Bonthoek before picking up the track ridden by General Jan Smuts and his commando when they entered the Cape Colony in 1901. Rather than pushing on deep into the night, as was expected, early on Thursday evening he stopped for the night in the shadow of the Hangberg, near Jamestown.
“Whilst my head wants to push on my legs simply will not�, he said. Whilst Barnes is experiencing considerable fatigue he has not had to endure t he hardships of that commando which battled through sleet and extreme cold. It has been sunny weather in the Stormberg. Barnes is now headed off the Drakensberg escarpment and into the Great Karoo. At this stage he is a day ahead of the schedule maintained by 2008 winner Tim James in his record-breaking ride.
Tim James himself was part of the last group of riders to leave Pietermaritzburg, departing on Tuesday morning. Since then he has shown every intention of bettering his own record and beating Barnes. He reached the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve after riding continuously for 16 hours in the process covering 206 kilometres and climbing 5600 kilometres. After sleeping he then pushed on off Swartberg and into the valley of the Umzimvubu, arriving at the Masakala lodge 3 hours faster than Barnes did. From there he pushed on into the night to arrive at the Malekhalonyane lodge near midnight.
From there it now must be seen whether he can take on the 4 kilometre ascent of Lehana’s Pass that climbs 1000 metres up the face of the Maluti Drakensberg escarpment to arrive at Rhodes in a day. If so it will put him ahead of Barnes’ early pace.
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