Text and photographs by Melvi & Gerhard Viljoen
Source: This article was taken from the March 2011 issue of Ride Magazine – Free 2011 Ride Guide
Preparation: We got hooked on the whole cycle-tour idea after borrowing a Bob Yak trailer from our friend, Juan at Mason’s Bike Inn in Stellenbosch.
After two experimental overnight trips – one to the Theewaterskloof dam and another to Vermont (Hermanus area) we attempted our first 7-day trip in 2009. This time, we planned a ten-day Karoo-based trip – for the wide open spaces and the favourable weather!
I have listed everything we took along; some of it unnecessary and some rather unusual. It is interesting to see how people differ on what is essential. I photocopied our daily scripture readings so we could discard them day-by-day, and the electric toothbrush and charger were non-negotiable on my husband’s side, while I wasn’t compromising on the vitamins. We weren’t likely to eat many “greens” on the trip. We planned to camp in the evenings.
The two-man tent was a tight fit, but since we packed everything in waterproof 68L Roughtote plastic crates, it was manageable. In fact we only ended up camping for four of the nine evenings, but kept the budget to a modest average of R94 pp/night. Where possible, we chose accommodation close to town. After an average of five hours in the saddle per day, you try to avoid extra kilometres!
Our wheels
We didn’t do much to transform our race-ready Mongoose hardtails into pack-donkeys… just had them serviced and strapped on small saddle bags. Full suspension or even just more comfortable saddles might have been a good idea! Gerhard’s trailer weighed approximately 30kg and mine around 20kg. We thought they’d get lighter along the way, but somehow, the gaps were always filled – often with extra food.
Our bodies
We cycle throughout the year, and possibly our general fitness carried us through, but the tour was a bit tougher than expected. We would have liked to train more
specifically for this trip, but we have day-jobs and it just wasn’t possible. We trained for approximately eight and a half hours per week, and in the weeks just before our tour, this tapered to about six and a half hours per week.
We started the ride in Montagu so that we would not have to contend with Cape Town traffic, tar and petrol vapours. We planned to leave our Bantam with family for the duration of the tour, but several of our hosts mentioned that they would not have minded offering this service.
Day 1 – Monday 11th October
Montagu to Warmwaterberg Spa
Time (Total) 5h 45min
Time (Ride) 4h 32min
Distance 95.8km: 75.9km cycled + 20km “game drive”
Climbed 1200m
kCal 4539(18 973kJ)
Time up pass (Ouberg) 53min
We woke to a dark, cloudy sky with heavy winds raging outside. Before we reached the top of Ouberg pass (990m), it rained! We couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed at the “dry” Karoo weather! After approximately 55km, we reached large gates with “Stop” and no entry signs at the border of Sanbona Game Reserve. According to our map we were on a public road, but fortunately the guard arranged us a lift – a 20km game drive through the reserve, where we spotted giraffe, kudu, springbok and a baboon!
The wind was behind us when we remounted, and I lost our slops on one of the steep downhills (badly secured, but not by me!) At Warmwaterberg Spa, we opted for a caravan due to the weather. “Towerkop” was an interesting-looking blue number, but quite decent inside! Number one on our list was to soothe the tired legs in the Roman baths. I felt guilty about the cubic metre (or more) of water we used in the drought-stricken country, but was assured that grey water from the resort is diverted to farmlands and not a drop is wasted.
The resort shop had no tuna, so we had pilchards with our Tuna Mate. Later we dined at the resort restaurant – large portions of lasagne and vegetables for only R50… Bargain! After dinner, my husband was dismayed to discover that I had forgotten half the electric toothbrush. Fortunately I had a manual backup, but he was not impressed with me! Friendly peacocks roam the resort, and they scream like babies, but we slept so tight we didn’t hear them…
Day 2 – Tuesday 12th October
Warmwaterberg to Van Wyksdorp
Time (Total) 5h 26min
Time (Ride) 5h
Distance 91.2km
Climbed 800m
kCal 4531(18 939kJ)
We left a very cold Warmwaterberg shortly after 07h00 to pass Ronnie’s Sex Shop on Route 62.1 had wanted to leave a pair of knickers there, but unfortunately the place was still closed! We took the Brandrivier road and then briefly rode on the R323 before turning off to Muiskraal on an undulating road with a few steep hills. Along the way we met a fanner, who informed us we were 26km from Van Wyksdorp; and for once it was true! When we reached town, we set up camp at Sandrivier Bird Sanctuary, along the river.
It is a lovely, rustic campsite with gas showers and bush-feel flush toilets located between the trees. For lunch we had our Back Country freeze dried lamb and vegetables. It was tasty, but the spongy lamb squares take some getting used to. In the quaint little town we saw a coffee shop (only open for weekend trade) but were able to buy some reasonable food at the two local stores. In general, we went to sleep quite early in the evenings but here I was woken by the sound of bulrushes crunching in the river. I thought something(s) large was sneaking up on us – all the sounds are exaggerated by the acoustics of the two-man tent! Since we had seen many game reserves on our way (easy to spot by the high fences), I was thinking “hippos?!?” We sat for a VERY long minute, debating what to do. Eventually Gerhard decided to investigate. He grabbed my Petzl and pepper spay before peeking out of the tent… The light bounced off 16-20 pairs of cow eyes! Hearts still racing, we went back to sleep as the beasts chomped away around us.
Day 3 – Wednesday 13 October
Van Wyksdorp to Redstone Hills
Time (Total) 5h 30min + 1 h 26min (6h 56min)
Time (Ride) 5h 48min
Distance 54.2 + 20.4 (74.6km)
Climbed 1225 + 255 (1480m)
kCal 5897 (24 649kJ)
Time up pass (Rooiberg) 1h14min
We started early in freezing cold (3°C). Soon we came upon yet another game reserve -Assegaaibosch. The gate wasn’t closed, but after some close encounters on our 2009 tour, we dialled the number on the board to hear if any of the wildlife might find us appetising. Only once we had reassurance of a safe passage did we proceed. The 30km climb to the top of Rooiberg pass (838m) seemed never-ending.
The road twists and turns in such a manner that you cannot see where you are heading next, nor where the top is. In places the soil was so dry that the road seemed to turn into fesch-fesch – Dakar style! Mmmm, ok, maybe not that bad! After a nice, long downhill, we rolled into Calitzdorp. We bought some groceries at the local butcher and were invited to have our rolls and cold meat with filter coffee at Karoo Rose, where they had some very cute baby tortoises. We headed out of Calitzdorp in the direction of Oudtshoorn; straight into a pumping headwind.
It took us almost an hour and a half to reach Redstone Hills. I wanted to take photos, but Gerhard (who was in front) was desperate to get out of the wind. True to form, the rain started to fall as we pulled onto the farm. My disappointment was curbed a bit by the thought that it is desperately needed. We had lost the flag from Gerhard’s trailer, and now improvised a new one from a plastic PnP bag and some duct tape. For dinner we braaied some Calitzdorp rump and passed out quite early! Most nights we ate Smash for carbs. It’s quick and easy and we still love it.
Day 4 – Thursday 14 October
Rest
We woke up to the sound of rain. Fortunately, we were not camping and our 4-star self-catering accommodation was much appreciated. We had planned to walk to the “eye” (see Redstone’s website), but by 10h00 we heard that the farm had received 20mm of rain (a record for the year). Instead, we spent much of the day sleeping, eating and chatting – which was probably a good thing considering the two days ahead. Petro and Herman Potgieter treated us to a lovely dinner in the evening… true Karoo hospitality!
Day 5 – Friday 15 October
Redstone Hills to Prince Albert via Swartberg Pass
Time (Total) 6h 18min
Time (Ride) 5h 40min
Distance 67.9km
Climbed 1625m
kCal 5341 (22 325kJ)
Time up pass (Swartberg) 1 h 38min
It wasn’t raining when we started our fourth cycling day in freezing conditions just after 07h00 but that was about the only time we weren’t pelted with rain. On the Kruisriver road we passed the Swartberg Nature Reserve, where we saw quite a few animals, obviously not phased by the weather… mainly giraffe and eland. We had already climbed 800m before we even started the pass. Both of us have ridden the Swartberg pass a few times, but this was the toughest we’d ever experienced it! We had to rest a few times on the way up because I was feeling cold and exhausted.
Pulling approximately 40% of your bodyweight behind you up a 1:7 gradient in wind, rain and mud is not for “sissies”. We were thrilled to reach the top (1436m), but didn’t stop for photos because of the cold wind and rain. As we headed down the winding road towards Prince Albert, the skies mercifully began to clear and we now had a tailwind! We deflated our tyres and enjoyed a rapid, safe descent, until Gerhard’s trailer tyre bead decided to climb off the rim, a problem that continued to plague us into the next day. The road was extremely muddy, and we left a trail that looked as if we were ploughing a field.
Again, mud is challenging, but with a trailer it is super-challenging! Descending through the kloof was beautiful, with rock formations resembling Meiringspoort; but the gravel road adds something special. Upon entering Prince Albert, we headed straight to the OK for lunch, dinner and supplies. Dinner consisted of lamb chops and Smash, with some Hunter’s dry and a chocolate! We had planned to camp at Olienhof, but after the day’s weather, we opted for the chalet instead (quite affordable at R150 pp/night). The weather report on the cell phone, promised no rain and less wind for the next day.
Day 6 – Saturday 16 October
Prince Albert to Redstone Hills
Time (Total) 6h 45min
Time (Ride) 5h 4min
Distance 68.3km
Climbed 1460m
kCal ±5000 (20 900kJ)- the watch cut out along the way!
Time up pass (Swartberg from Prince Albert) 2h 51 min — including tyre trouble
We started this morning feeling good, but then the tyre trouble started again. Gerhard’s trailer tyre was literally climbing off the rim every 1 km or so, and it was quite frustrating as we didn’t know what was wrong. We tried inflating more and then less, but the result was the same… until Gerhard decided to wash the tyre, rim and tube in one of the waterfalls. For some reason, that solved the problem. We stopped at Patat Restaurant for muffins and cappuccino, a rare treat.
Last year the route we took was much more commercial, and stopping for coffee and muffins/scones was an almost daily ritual. On the Kruisriver road (in the Swartberg Nature Reserve) we saw a lot of buck: gemsbok, eland, springbok and red hartebees. We saw the same giraffe of the previous day and I was chased by a mongoose. No, really! He ran after me with serious intent for about 500m, followed by two siblings. We wondered if he had rabies, but a game warden later told us that his brother had been taken by an eagle, and the little guy was very protective of his remaining siblings. Most places we passed, the locals cheered us on.
There was a lot of interest in our trailers, although I don’t think anybody was thinking of using them as we were. When we arrived back at Redstone Hills, we jumped straight into the shower and then we made up our freeze dried beef pasta hotpot. It was better than the lamb we had on Day 2, but “serves two” is relative. We eat for four when we’re touring! After lunch we planned a walk in the Redstone Hills, to take the photos we missed on Day 4, but we couldn’t find the trail and we didn’t look very intently since it was then about 36°C. We had pasta and mince for dinner, with some extra Smash as we thought we’d need the carbs for Day 7, after the double whammy of Swartberg pass on Day 5 and Day 6.
Day 7 – Sunday 17 October
Redstone Hills to Seweweekspoort
Time (Total) 6h16min
Time (Ride) 5h 45min
Distance 80km
Meters climbed 1555m
kCal 5445 (22 760kJ)
Time up pass (Huisriver) 53min Time through Seweweekspoort 2h 21 min
We saw lots of eagles on the way out of Redstone and diced some ostriches along the road. On tender bums, this day was tough! The Huisriver Pass (655m on tar) was easier than we remembered, but this was probably because of all the gravel we had been riding. In a howling headwind, the ride through the Seweweekspoort (1018m) was much tougher and slower than we expected. It was dry in the poort and there wasn’t really any flowing water we could use to fill our water bottles when they ran dry. It was our first visit to the Seweweekspoort, and we weren’t too impressed, but perhaps the terrible wind and scorching sun coloured our view a bit.
The accommodation was further than we expected and we doubled back on ourselves a couple of times in our anxiety, but all of that disappeared when we arrived at Op-Die-Plaas Kamp. They brought us freshly baked bread rolls, jam, cheese and fruit salad, as well as some krummelpap, while we chatted to a mountain biker from Stellenbosch who rode the Seweekspoort race the previous day. The campsite was very rustic, with no electricity, mountain water for drinking and a “donkie” to heat the water for our ablutions. Now for those of you who have never heard of a “donkie”, basically you make a large fire underneath a metal tank containing water and within 30 minutes you have very hot water!
Gerhard and I drank local tap water throughout our trip and never once had any problems. We bought some meat from the Hunlun family for our meals the following day, and later we were very pleased we had done this, but that is the story of Day 9. After our long day in the wind, we went to bed soon after the dinner hit our stomachs and we slept like dead people!
We woke up to the sound of sheep grazing all around our tent. Many of them had “bells” made from tomato paste tins hanging around their necks – it’s true, ‘n boer maak ‘n plan We had a great farm breakfast with Fritz Hunlun and then we lazed around until about lunchtime when we were treated to a “potjie”. Later, Jonel arrived with some supplies for us from Oudtshoorn (I just gave her my debit card and pin – seriously!) We explored the farm, planning to swim in one of the dams, but the last snow had only melted a few days previously and the cold mountain water changed our minds.
Before supper, we organised our gear, packed our crates and inspected our bikes. The trailers were hard on the brakes, and my front brakes were just about finished. We had expected some wear, but nothing this dramatic and as we didn’t have any spares, I had to made do with the back brake for the rest of the tour. Despite this discovery, it was a 10/10 rest and recover day!
Day 9 – Tuesday 19 October
Seweweekspoort to Anysberg Nature Reserve
Time (Total) 6h 4min
Time (Ride) 5h 28min
Distance 90.4km
Climbed 900m
kCal 4641(19 399kJ)
Thank goodness we got going early (06h24) because the trip was longer than expected. There were plenty of hills to follow, but we started with lots of downhill, which I had to take slowly due to my brake pad situation. The road was very dry and deserted – we saw no signs of life between 20 and 70km mark! Fritz Hunlun had said the Anysberg reserve was 75km away from their farm, and when we saw the 5km board for the turnoff at 70km we were overjoyed.
The gate was unmanned (Cape Nature reservations are paid for in advance) with the distance of two locations indicated: Manager’s residence 7km, Vrede 17km. Somewhere along the way, we’d lost our detailed Anysberg map and now we were not sure what “Vrede” was. Gerhard was very negative at this point, but I was determined to ride to the manager’s residence and hitch a lift on his 4×4 to the campsite… if not sooner. Unfortunately, we chose to camp in the Anysberg on the most deserted day of the year, and the manager wasn’t home. It was another 10km to the office. After 17km on very sandy roads we were relieved to arrive at “the office” AKA “Vrede”! I’d already visualised us camping in the veld between the jackals, barely able to move due to heat exhaustion, as our water was finished. As we entered Vrede, we spotted a cleaning lady who directed us to the newly built campsite barely ten steps away! Each campsite is demarcated with wooden fencing and equipped with a large “Dros-style” table-bench, a sun umbrella and fireplace.
Just behind the campsite a large deck overlooked a very large round cement dam/swimming pool, filled with ice cold mountain water. We spotted gemsbok, red hartebees and a massive eagle. Fortunately, we had decided to bring food along to Anysberg, because we incorrectly assumed that there would be a shop where we could buy provisions. Wood was the only commodity on sale and we could borrow a braai grid, although cooking anything on an open fire in the Karoo is quite a challenge in the afternoon winds. We were so tired that not even the jackals yapping in the distance could keep us awake. We didn’t ride any passes as such this day, but there were some pretty steep inclines demarcated as “Witnekke” on the map. As there was nobody to ask about the name, we assume it has something to do with snow.
Day 10 – Wednesday 20 October
Anysberg Nature Reserve to Montagu
Time (Total) 4h 28min
Time (Ride) 4h 7min
Distance 71.5km
Climbed 665m
kCal 3379(14124kJ)
Time down pass (Ouberg) A very slow 1 h 8min due to overheating brake pads
Just before dawn, we were woken by what sounded like an ostrich-sized owl, perched in the tree above our tent! Fortunately for us, the previous day’s 17km ride was not wasted and we could simply continue through the reserve in the general direction of Montagu (78km away). We were on the road by 06h26, and apparently the early bird misses the buck in this part of the world. Our untrained eyes didn’t spot any serious wildlife through the remaining part of the reserve.
The wind was mostly from the front, and the road was very rough and rocky (certainly 4×4 country). We saw no road signs, and often wondered if we were still on the right road. Down Ouberg Pass we had to stop twice to let my rear brake (well, my only brake) cool down. Ouberg is not the place you want to seize your brakes. As we rode into Montagu we gave each other a high five. We felt awesome and were overjoyed at our accomplishment!
FINAL STATS
Time (Total) 48h
Time (Ride) 41h24min
Distance 639.7km
Climbed 9685m
Overall we rate our trip an A+ with no major bike issues, no injuries or falls and plenty of interesting adventures! We met tons of great people, saw new places and the trip was also a relationship-building experience for us. Lots of people think we are crazy, but we love cycling and can’t wait for a new adventure, already planned for Sept/Oct 2011!
Click here to see what to pack
Related Content
