Transkei Adventure - Kei Mouth to Wild Coast Sun

 Ooh now I have a taste for these adventures.  Having found the magic cycling pants (https://indola.co.za) that save my butt from chafe and pain.

This adventure was put into my world earlier on in the year by Attie.  He often has these multi-day adventure rides and I have had had FOMO on more than one occasion.  Doug and I were so keen on doing this one together and we racked our brains to see how we could sort Kayla out so we could go.  Sadly this was not to happen - the time we were to be away was too long to leave her.  I got to go as Doug had his  special time at AfrikaBurn.

The year was a whirlwind for me of busy and intense work but I stayed steady with weekend rides and gym sessions.  I seemed to have kept a lot of my fitness from the Karoo adventure last year.  The 6 weeks before we left I kept on getting sick.  It started to work on my head as I was losing out on valuable training rides and multi-day riding. I went for a jet-fuel vitamin drip and it had an instant effect on my body so I did another one a week later and I was ready..... sort of.....

The one really good thing I had done was the stair climber at the gym with a 12kg sandbag on my shoulders.  I really had no idea how much this was going to benefit me.

I met the other riders that Attie had invited at a ride at Hennops.  I was so far behind them all - they were just so fast and capable but I just stayed steady in my head.... after all I am used to being at the back.

We set off in 2 cars on Wednesday 03 July.  Attie, Pam, Jeffery (the dog fur-child) and Mish in one car and Ronelle, Theuns and myself in another car.  We drove down to Attie and Pam's beautiful home in Munster. 

We were collected on Thursday morning by the Singletrack Adventure crew and then went to the Wild Coast Casino to collect the other cyclists.  I always get so shy when there are a bunch of new people so kept to myself.  It was a loooooong trip through the Transkei about 10.5 hours.  We were all fed-up of travelling and very relieved to get into Neptunes Cove in Kei Mouth.

Day 1 - Neptunes Cove to Kobb Inn - 50kms, 6:26 moving time, 8:50 total time, 1080m elevation

The day welcomed us with a beautiful sunrise and a chilly start.  Breakfast was had, coffee gobbled and lunches packed.  We rode down to the Kei River and this was the start to waiting for our transport across the river (river crossings are slow). We crossed the river and set off down the beach.  The sand was compact and the reflections so beautiful. We carried our bikes over rocks and bounced our way over the cattle paths.  My Silverback bike is a hard-tail and good golly these paths were super bouncy. I had to hang on tightly to not get tossed off my carbon steed.  I called them ba-doink ba-doink paths.  I absolutely LOVED this day.  I was confident, strong, capable.  I easily picked my bike up and put it on my shoulders to cross the rivers or go across the rocks.  I managed the sand really well and was often near the front of the group.  I bought a bead necklace from a lady eeking out a living on the beach.  I turned around to see her doing a happy dance on the beach.  I had paid her R50 and when I rounded a bend I saw there were 3 little kiddies there and wished I had paid her R100. 

There was a very strong wind and for the 1st time in my entire time cycling it was a tail wind the whole way - whooohooo what a treat!

  I am not sure how many rivers we crossed each day.  Some we waded through (sending a guinea pig first to see how deep the water was and how strong the current was) and others we got into row boats or canoes. Any rivers where we got on the taxis was a slow laborious process especially if it was one canoe and 16 riders!

Snack time (Again)

Kobb Inn is this little hotel with a great bar overlooking the sea.  The rooms we stayed in were about 100m from the ocean. The shower was huuuuge with hot strong water - bliss.

https://www.kobinn.co.za/ 

Day 2 - Kobb Inn to Haven Hotel - 37kms, 5:08 moving time, 7:07 total time, 923m elevation, ave speed 7,7km/h

The wind had been howling all night and sunrise heralded in another beautiful dawn. The rooms are so close to the sea and the waves were huge and thumping. I was very relieved this was not a sea paddling event!

The distances are so deceiving and even the elevation (on paper). There are many sharp hills and they were very sapping. 

Beach reflections

The end was a river crossing and a hill to ride up (of course). I happily sat in the bar and chatted to random strangers while most watched the rugby.  Dinner was a real treat - muscle soup, oysters, prawns, calamari - schlurp, yum.We stayed in rondavels and there were horses and donkeys wandering around and little bugger monkeys - seeing what they could steal. The little bar and restaurant were quite 80's-looking and it had a long history having been 1st established in 1922. 

https://havenhotel.co.za/

Day 3 - Haven Hotel to Bull's Inn- 27kms, 3:12 moving time, 4:55 total time, 425m elevation, ave speed 7,3km/h

We were visited in the morning by a couple of donkeys and horses.  They tried to come into the room!! 

The dawn was a riot of pinks and purples which moved into oranges and then yellows. 

This was definitely an easier day (relatively speaking). My appetite was starting to go crazy. I just kept on putting food in my face and lunch today was a lekker roosterkoek and jam.  What a treat to eat what I want without a shred of guilt!   

And speaking of food .... dinner was more fresh seafood. Another divine muscle soup and fresh bread, oysters (and I did not hold back... I checked who wasn't eating oysters and then did so on their behalf!), crayfish, fresh fish... I am sure there were some carbs.... The bar was more than adequate, which of course is essential.

This was a fishing/diving lodge and there was an ocean safari being run from there where they take their guests out to where the sardines are and dump them overboard.  You know... to commune with the sardines and the various predators.  Aaaak there are people madder than I am who perhaps don't value their limbs as much as I do!

Bull's Inn caters for the fishing and diving folk.  It seemed to have a real hodgepodge of rooms and rondavels and a couple of cute donkeys.

https://www.bullsinn.co.za/

Day 4 - Bull's Inn to The Anchorage - 31kms, 3:43 moving time, 6:17 total time, 998m elevation, ave speed 8,3km/h

Another night with hectic winds - my nerves! So about 1.1kms out of the start I had to push my bike but that being said the rest of the day did not have too many portages or hectic things but it did have some insane hills on the road.  The wind was also blowing from the west so it frequently sent my front wheel skidding side-ways and when I turned into it I most certainly felt it!! On some of the steep downhills on the roads I would try stay on the side of the road away from the steep downs in case I lost a battle with the wind!

Gareth (our tour leader)

We went passed the iconic Hole-In-The-Wall. We actually waited about an hour at the river crossing for the tide to drop as it was too deep to cross. With the wind it was also flippen freezing so we all stripped to minimum clothing when we crossed so that not all our jackets and shirts etc would be wet. 

This was one of those river crossings where the bike is on my head and my back-pack on top of the frame. It is hard to carry the bike this way and balance against the current and slippery rocks. I slipped near the end of the crossing and whacked my knees on the slippery rocks but at least I kept bike and backpack dry (and carried my own bike).

We got into The Anchorage Hotel early afternoon. This little hotel seemed quite faded and little sad, however it had an excellent bar and we got ourselves a bottle of Rupert and Rothschild red wine (the ONLY bottle of wine there!)

https://www.wildcoast.co.za/umtata-mouth/anchorage-hotel

Day 5 - The Anchorage to Kraal Eco Lodge - 40kms, 5:17 moving time, 8:10 total time, 1145m elevation, ave speed 7,6 km/h

So this day was a very brutal day for me.  Maybe the fatigue, the aching muscles, all the climbing. I lost my sense of humour BUT I didn't cry! I did a lot of positive self-talk and I even let Gareth push my bike part-way up a hill.  This is really huge for me. I very rarely ask for help and often don't accept help when I am offered it. So in a weird way I am really proud of myself for getting help. The last part of the ride would just not come to an end and there were so many steep hills and valleys and more hills....

I had to take a moment when I arrived at the Kraal and have a recovery drink. I was less able to be sociable on this night and headed off to bed earlier.  Much of my recovery comes in stillness and quiet.

Vroeg in the môre        

The Kraal is a lodge in a cleft between 2 hills facing the sea.  It had many nooks and crannies and stairs! It was so quaint. Various pizzas were served for dinner which were delicious and a real treat.

https://www.thekraal.co.za/

Day 6 - The Kraal to Cremorne - 41kms, 4:26 moving time, 6:04 total time, 932m elevation, ave speed 9,3km/h

This was an easier day today - we even cycled on tar - what a novelty! We passed through Port St John's. It was a little odd being near so many people and lots of cars and traffic. There had been an oopsie with accommodation which Gareth had to resolve on the move and he did so quietly and without a fuss. And we ended up staying at Cremorne Estate.  Again, I need to note the bar was excellent! The group is a bit more cohesive now and not so much split into our little groups. I enjoy the camaraderie and stories and jokes.

Theuns

Die Maatjies

I do love me a little savanna

The Darling Butcher - Stephen

Cremorne is a holiday resort which was quite big and offers a variety of accommodation options. It was the place that had the least amount of personality for me. It was on the river bank so it was really chilly.

https://cremorne.co.za/

Day 7 - Cremorne to Pumla's Place (this included a taxi ride part of the way) - 27kms, 1:56 moving time, 2:17 total time, 256m elevation, ave speed 14,1km/h

No beautiful sunrise as we were on the river in a valley. This was due to be the hardest day with very difficult portages. I took the decision to take the "chicken route". I was not scared of the portages but I certainly was of trying to keep up with the speedies on the road. So 7 of us loaded up the bikes and ourselves in a taxi (we were just missing the chickens on the roof!). The climb out of the valley via the road was long and steep - whew for being in a car. We were dropped off near the Magwa Tea Estate.  This is near Lusikisiki. Fun-fact - Lusikisiki is an onomatopoeic word in Xhosa derived from the rustling sound of the reeds in the wind.

Attie, moi, Ronelle, Lani, Mich, Theuns, Therese

Stunning trees in the Magwa Tea Estate                       

This was a proper easy day - mainly flat and down.  I do confess the only hills of the day were right at the end and I still had to sneak a couple of little walks in.... shooweee these legs of mine....

The guys that set off for the full day ended up on this mountain which they fought their way up portaging, took wrong turns (?) and went back down the mountain - 5 hours, 3 kms and then they climbed in a couple of taxis, flattened the stocks of a local shabeen and made their way back to us. Some were really not impressed but that is part of the adventure.... sometimes things (like directions and routes) go wrong.

Pumla's Place is made of a variety of cottages and rooms and has uninterrupted panoramic sea views. There were 4 or 5 gorgeous dogs that just loved everyone. There was also a clever entrepreneurial massage lady with her mobile bed. What a wonderful beautiful thing for my sore body.

We were once again treated to oysters. I think I ate about 15 of them with a delicious glass of sauvignon blanc.  A perfect end to the day.

Schlurp Schlurp - properly happy there

Tommie and Theuns solving the world's problems with a playlist and spoek and diesel

There is no website link for Pumla's place but if you google it comes up on various feeds.

Day 8 - Pumla's Place to Vonnie's Rest - 28kms, 4:26 moving time, 6:19 total time, 552m elevation, ave speed 6,3km/h

Gosh the dawn... so dramatic.  We had a couple of big portages this day and again I accepted help.  Yay me! There were lots of ba-doink ba-doink tracks and not a lot of beach riding. The coastline here is really wild. There are cliffs and huge crashing waves. Cathedral Rock looks like something out of Avatar - spectacular, magnificent, wild.

We stopped at a shebeen which was luckily only about 800m from Vonnie's as the Zamelak went down like a home-sick mole.  My Dad would have been so proud of me.

Vonnie's Rest is nestled in a little valley near the Mbaxeni River.  There are little cottages, permanent tents and a camper van that has a structure built onto it.  There were dogs, chickens, cats and a gorgeous fruit and veggie garden. 

No mention of a bar you might ask... but there was the shebeen....

Again no website for Vonnie's but if googles it comes up on facebook and other feeds.

Day 9 - Vonnie's to Wild Coast Casino - 45kms, 4:26 moving time, 6:22 total time, 468m elevation, ave speed 10,2km/h

Last day... mixed feelings... relief, sadness...

We climbed as we started (of course we did!) into a beautiful rising sun with the riders in front of me silhouetted very dramatically.

The last beautiful sunrise

We got separated from Gareth and Clint early on which gave me snippets of anxiety. We kind of rushed along and I suspect missed waterfalls and other goodies. If it was my way I would have done this day a little slower and stopped more, just absorbed a little more instead of the rush. We did link up with them again. The last section on the beach was long and lovely. I took my helmet off - gosh what a liberating, slightly risky feeling that was. My hair was already crazy from being at the coast - this just went to next level cray-cray! Attie, Ronel, Theuns and myself rode much of the last part together and finished together.  

The Capetonians came to Attie and Pam's house for the rugby and a braai so it was great to end the trip with some kuiering. So enjoyed the time with these peeps.

It was a special, rejuvenating time for me.  I had one singular focus each day which was to get from one sleeping place to the next with enough fuel and liquid in my system.  This was all about being in the moment (essential to staying on one's bike) and taking in the moment (s) in all their glory, pain, beauty.  It is a real treat in my life to have these moments and I am so grateful to have the body strength and capability to have these adventures.

I highly recommend this ride/hike-a-bike - but best you make friends with the gym stair-climber and a 12kg sandbag!

Thanks to Gareth and Clint for leading the ride and to Marnitz for the delicious meals.

Great adventure everyone!

Contact https://singletrackadventures.co.za/