Dag 10 Elandsberg - Gansvlei

Lekker geslaap, lus vir 'n goeie skof, alles begin goed, wind matig, ry teen 'n lekker pas en dit lyk of dit regtig 'n wonderlike dag vereens gaan wees. Ek is weer op my eie, maar daaraan is ek al gewoont, niemand luister tog na my klagtes nie, in die verte sien ek snaakse wolke< lyk eintlik soos 'n foto geleentheid en ek stop en nee die onheilspellende wolke af......

Spekboomberg onweers wolke

Die duiwel se wind begin weer waai, die reën steek soos bye, die modder byt soos polisie honde, bring my tot stilstand. Ek gooi die fiets eenkant neer, ek is gatvol vir die wind,  ek is gatvol vir die reën en ek is baie gatvol vir die modder, dit hou net nie op nie......

Sit 'n rukkie, rus 'n rukkie, eet ietsie, dink bietjie oor die race, jaag die polisiehonde weg sak die kop en trap dat ek voorkom. Die enigste manier om die warboel te oorkom is blykbaar om klaar te maak en dit gaan nie gebeur as ek my fiets neer moer en op my gat sit nie.

Maak Stuttgaurd in 6 ure, was die fiets, jaag 'n bord sop deur ek gaan De Doorns toe, Amanda waarsku my teen die sneeu op die Schufteberg,  en my informante waarsku my teen Carl Crous  en ek besluit ek sal eerder die sneeu storm aandurf as om die aftog voor Carl te blaas. Ek donner aan, op teen die berg, PJ 'n boer oppad boontoe stop my en sê ek's mal, steeds donner ek aan, hy verstaan nie lekker die diepte van die wortels van kompetisie tussen en Crous nie, ek is mos op die regte pad.

Ek beland pens en pooitjies reg in die middel van my eerste verwoedelike sneeu storm en dis nie lekker nie, die sneeu steek soos bye op die oop plekke, dis vrekken koud, die sneeu vries op die voue van my baadjie, op my fiets enige plek waar dit kan vashou. Van ry bly daar niks oor nie, ek worstel op die grond voort, beur voorwaarts, kan nie 10m voor my sien nie, maar ek beur voort want Crous is op my spoor.

Ek stop by die laaste opstal in die vallei, ek moet nog warm klere aantrek, dis vrek koud, ek vind beskerming in die opstal se stoor, terk alles aan wat ek het, trek die kaart nader om seker te maak waarna toe ek eintlik moet gaan. Ek vra een van die plaaswerkers, hy verwys my na die baas van die plaas, Oom Gawie van Gansvlei.

Schufteberg sneeu storm

Oom Gawie van Gansvlei stop my en weier dat ek verder gaan, ek gaan Rageltjie de Beer se vernoot word. Dis - 7 C, die wind waai die hel uit my, ek is koud en nat, die sneeu vries oral op my en ek betoog, dis 15H00 en Crous is op my spoor ek moet aangaan, het nie 'n keuse nie. Oom Gawie praat iets van die sneeu gaan 'n meter dik wees op die kruin, hy wys my verimpelde bibberende pers hande vir my uit en ek begin wonder. Ek vra Oom Gawie of ek my klere kan was en hy sê dis regso, maar ek moet myself eers in 'n baie warm bad kry voor ek heeltemal opvries. Ek stop toe maar, vat 'n warm bad en besef toe eers hoe na ek aan 'n ontmoeting met Rageltjie was. My klere word gewas, Oom Gawie deel sy wildspastei met my ek hang my klere voor die kaggel op, luister na die draadloos, hoor hoe die passe een na die ander toegemaak word. Verneem van 'n ambulasns wat vasgeval het in die Cradock pas oppad na mense in nood, en ek, ek dank die Here vir die beskerm engel wat hy vir my gestuur het !!!

13 Days down

13 Days down and we take a look at the finish

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Since the race for first is really hotting up, I’ll do my best to try and see what’s possible for our two frontrunners in the upcoming days.

Andrew will be following a final plan of sorts for sure, he’s in the Western Cape for starters. Between him and a hidden but extremely important dam wall lies 400km of mostly moderate terrain, but he’ll be looking into the west and oncoming weather of varying difficulty.

Looking back from Prince Albert(SS19) it’s a big ride up the Swartberg Pass and then down into Die Hel/Gamkaskloof(SS20,87km). Up Die Leer and it’s a stroll of sorts to the Vintage farmstead at Rouxpos(SS20, 70km). Some soft sand will slow your way to Anysberg Nature Reserve(SS22, 80km). Through the plains and dropping down to Montagu(SS23, 77km) where there is some actual traffic. Chop through the Cogmanskloof and come round the back of MacGregor(SS24, 58km) before jumping over the ridge to the elegant retreat of Kasra(SS25, 25km). The last big ride is past Brandvlei to Trouthaven(SS26,84km). Ending it off with a big portage(read bundu bash) and popping out near the Hugenout tunnel one scales the Du Toitskloof pass before Diemersfontein(Finish, 66km).

The final stage of the Freedom Challenge is in many ways its toughest. It goes through an ‘out the way’ valley that has really been put on the map by the race. The Holsloot river runs past Rawsonville and not much further flows into the Breede. The riders are looking for the source of this river as they follow it uphill into this valley called Stettynskloof (regarded as a swear word by many past participants). The final Support Station Trouthaven(SS26) is up this valley

There is a time gate at the Stettynskloof damwall, and riders may only pass it between 10pm and 8am. It is a contentious issue, but is there mainly to prevent people from getting stuck in the kloof overnight. Many a racesnake has eyed this 8am cut-off from as far afield as Gamkaskloof as the rest of the trail can and has been done in darkness. We start looking at time in terms of hours and not days, as sleep becomes a non-essential luxury.

Andrew will have as his first goal a finish on Saturday 27 June, and will see 8am as his target. Any earlier and he could sleep at Trouthaven or get going up the kloof.
He has roughly 36 hours of riding time from Gamkaskloof(SS20) to the dam wall, and about 50hours in which to do it. That’s probably going to have some 2/3 hour catnaps on the way. Forget about even drying your clothes. This is easier said than done, and is similar to his massive day in the Baviaanskloof, but then carrying on further.

His second goal will surely be to beat Tim James’ 2008 record of 14 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes. The cut-off for that is looming 6:15pm, on Saturday. However, one would have to probably get to the dam wall by 5am to have a crack at this target.

However he’ll know only too well that another potential challenge follows about 3 days behind him, and his tired body will have to get to the finish as soon as possible to secure overall victory in the 2009 Race. That will be his third goal, the one he can’t fully control (short of laying thumbtacks along the route!).

Tim James has the luxury of knowing what he has to beat. However he can’t sit back and wait for the news, as he has to keep a pace up anyway. He has very kindly stopped in at Doringrivier last night, which puts him on the same timeline as Andrew who was there three days ago. He will most definitely not go all the way through to Willowmore, but should be able to catch up to Andrew’s time on the next day. In a one on one race, Tim probably has the edge right now, but there is still a lot of terrain still to go. The weather factor is huge as well, and will definitely play a part in this piece.

Tim had stated a 12 day finish as a goal. That would be coming in on Sunday. Once again, that’s roughly 65hours of riding in 72 hours. With the weather being what it is, we’ve probably seen that plan fall away. A Monday finish would still see the current record dropping by a full day. A Tuesday finish and we could have a photofinish with the three day lag (assuming Andrew gets in on Saturday).

All I can really say, is watch this space!

Dag 9 Romansfontein - Elandsberg

Trek laat weg by Romansfontein weet nie of ons oor Aasvoëlberg mag gaan nie, die duiwel se wind waai weer en die groep kan nie by hou nie. Ek vind my weereens stoksiel alleen, hulle het iewers gaan hoor of hulle oor die berg mag gaan en of hulle 'n ander pad moet neem.

Sneeu of Aasvoëlberg !!!!

Ek besluit ek donner alleen voort bo oor die toegesneeude Aasvoëlberg, Sien vir die eerste keer sneeu, soos 'n opgewonde kind wat die eerste keer sneeu sien pluk ek my kamera uit en neem 'n foto. Dis bietjie sneeu, maar dis sneeu ek kan daaraan vat en opgewonde soek ek die Homeyr 100 myl perde uithou roete. Aasvoëlberg se piek is sprokieagtig toegsneeu en as dit nie so hoog was nie het ek daar uitgeklim en 'n sneeuman vir Melanie en die kinders gebou. Sukkel so bietjie om Hofmeyr 100 myl perde uithou roete te kry en ek kan nie die Hemelse vader genoeg bedank toe ek dit kry nie. Ek weet nie hoe hou die perde dit nie, dis 'n berg vol klippe baie, baie ongelykte klippe en op 'n mtb voel dit maar bra kak, ek is maar net te bly ek gaan daar af en nie op nie......

Die duiwel se snerpende wind waai weer, gaan dit nooit ophou nie ? Ek jaag vir die vale, want net voor Elandsberg is daar weer 'n portage en ek is nie lus om weer te verdwaal nie, die paaie is beter en meer begaanbaar, maar jy wonder die heel tyd : " Is ek op die regte pad " Ek betree die Vlekpoort, dis so asof die Karoo voor jou oopmaak, vlakte en vlaktes so ver jy kan sien, hierdie is mos meer my tipe plat wêreld, wêreld waaraan ek gewoond is en wat die verskil in my race kan maak, hier kan ek dalk bietjie jaag....

Die Vlekvlakte

Iewers in die vlaktes het hulle oer oorskot van die mensdom uit gegrawe, is dit dan die beginpunt  van die mensdom wonder ek ?

Ek snel verby Hofmeyr, sal volgende keer 'n pie kom eet, maar nou moet ek jaag vir laaste lig, dis so asof jy die heel dag die son jaag, nie dat die son die pad duideliker vir jou uitspel nie of makliker maak nie, dis net die donker huisves die in jou moer in verdwaal ongediertes. Ek jaag soos 'n besetene die laaste deel van die grondpad net om die vertroosting te kan hê dat ek darem die portage reg begin....

Sukkel baie om die begin van die portage te kry, in die kwynende strale van die son bepyns ek weereens die kaart, bepaal my rigting, identifiseer my landmerke, kry 'n fokus punt in die verte en moer toe maar voort. Dit word donker en ek bliksem deur die een donga na die volgende, my fokus punt 'n nek in die verte, drie koppie aan die regtekant en Elandsberg aan die linkerkant, ver in die donkerte is 'n ligskynsel vermoedelik Cradock se ligte kring en dis vir die skynsel waarvoor ek mik en die een doringbos na die ander trotseer.
Uit die donkernag verskyn 'n jeep track en al waaraan ek kan dink is : " Dankie Here, baie baie dankie dat U my op die regte spoor geplaas het !" en ek volg die jeep track moeiteloos tot by die Elandsberg opstal.

Weereens vind ek 'n veilige vesting,  buite loei 'n snerpende Duiwels wind, daar is nog 6 ryers wat pad soek na Elandsberg, hulle bel my op die sel al soekende na pad, ek probeer verduidelik, die sein raak weg en ek kan maar net hoop hulle vind die plek. Dis 12 uur en ek lê dankbaar in 'n snoesige bed in my eie kamer en wag vir  Klaas Vakie om sy werk te doen.

Blazing saddles in the Drakensberg

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Things are hotting up in the 2300 km 2009 Freedom Challenge non-stop mountain bike race from Pietermaritzburg to Diemersfontein Wine Estate outside Cape Town.

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 the 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 day. If so it will put him ahead of Barnes’ early pace.

Whilst the main drama of the 2009 Freedom Challenge is currently centred on the race leaders, others are playing themselves out in the valleys and mountains of southern Kwa Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape.. The difficulties of Australian Dave Barr, who is battling with saddle sores, has captured the attention of South African inventor Graeme Murray who has freighted one of his customized "Tour de Force" orthoped saddles to Rhodes for collection by Barr, hopefully bring some relief to his blazing backside.

The demanding climbs and difficult terrain of the trail has taken its toll on other riders. Having left Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday morning, by the afternoon, Mike Roy and Andy Masters, were lost in the dense thicket of a remote valley of the UmkomaasRiver. By nightfall they had become separated. Roy spent the night under the stars whilst Masters was more fortunate, obtaining refuge for the night in a local hut.

Speaking the next morning Masters, who is from the UK, was unusually upbeat. Explaining his mood he said "There I was a complete stranger knocking on someone’s door in the middle of nowhere and I was given a bed for the night. I simply love this country and its people."

Other riders who have gone astray or failed to reach designated overnight stops have similarly benefited from the hospitality and genorisity of rural villagers who have been willing to give them a bed late at night. The oldest rider in the field, 66 year old Gavin Greig, was forced to seek a bed in a local hut when he had failed to make Ntsikeni by midnight.

The progress of the riders in what some are now calling "the Everest of mountain biking" is undoubtedly being made easier by the good weather in the eastern part but with the testing climbs that now lie behind Barnes.

Go till you Blow

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Jamestown 22 June 2009,

The pace is picking up in the 2009 Freedom Challenge non-stop mountain bike race across South Africa. The pace of early race leader Andrew Barnes who left Pietermaritzburg on Saturday 13 June 2009 has been matched by Freedom Challenge veteran and record holder Tim James of Team Squirt riding Scott.

Starting from Pietermaritzburg 4 days after Barnes James put in three monumental days of riding to cover 500 kilometres and climb 11150 cumulative metres to reach the village of Rhodes high in the Maluti Drakensberg mountains, arriving there on Thursday half a day faster than Barnes. Needing to recover from the effort of the previous three days, on Friday James then only succeeded in riding 107 kms up the Sterkspruit river through to the next support station at Slaapkranz in the valley of the Vaalhoekspruit.

On his fifth day of riding and having recovered slightly, he then pushed on through the Stormberg and by nightfall he had passed through the next support station at Vaalbank outside Jamestown and was heading on towards Molteno.

With this nighttime push through towards Molteno James will be building a lead on Barnes who at the end of his fifth day of riding had stopped for the night at Vaalbank. In the meantime, Barnes has managed to maintain a constant pace. Despite regularly pushing through support stations and riding long days, he appears to be riding conservatively. On his 6th day of riding he pushed from Vaalbank passed Molteno and over the Aasvoelsberg to drop into the Great Karoo, stopping for the night in the village of Hofmeyr. The next day he rode through the basin of the Great Fish River and into Olive Schreiner’s Swaershoek Mountains. On Saturday he then took on the Struishoek descent at the back of the Bruintjieshooogte and the rest of the day was spent riding through the plains of the Camdeboo.

It now remains to be seen whether on the one hand James will be able to build on the advantage that he has secured by pushing through Vaalbank and on the other whether Barnes, through securing good nighttime rest, has laid a platform on which he can now start putting in a big push to the finish.

Further back in the field, other riders have at various times sought to push ahead. Mike Woolnough and Glenn Harrison of Snapper Display who are riding the only tandem in the race were amongst a number of riders including single speed rider Andre Britz, Freedom Challenge finisher Francois Riekert and Marnitz Nienaber from the Northwest who pushed through the first support station at Mackenzie in the Umkomaas valley to stop for the night at the Centocow Mission on the banks of the Umzimkulu River.

Northwest mielie farmer Carl Crous persuaded Capetownian Derrick Baard to leave early from the first support station at Mc Kenzie in the Umkomaas valley in an effort to match the early break by his northwest riding partner Nienaber and push through the next support station at Ntsikeni and on towards Masakala outside Matatiele. Their efforts came to nought. In the darkness they got lost in the forests around Donnybrook as a result of which they lost time and were force to stop for the night at Ntsikeni.

Further ahead Shane Harrison and Brett Rheeders pushed through the Malekhalonyane support station and on through Black Fountain. Unable to negotiate the single track descent to Tinana Mission in darkness they were forced to take a cold night’s refuge in a simple stone shepherd’s hut. By the next day they had fallen back into their main batch.
At the end of its first week those riders who have been participating in the Ride to Rhodes which is run in parallel with the Freedom Challenge head home. Ride to Rhodes finisher Brian Squires described his ride as an experience that serves as wonderful to introduction to true trail riding in Africa.

Meanwhile the bulk of the field in the Freedom Challenge Race Across South Africa now into the Stormberg. With heavy snows and bad weather forecast they will need to endure cold and wet similar to that described by Denys Reitz in his account of Smuts’ commando in Anglo Boer war.

Dag 8 Brostelea - Romasfontein

Die duiwel het 'n kopwind afgevuur om ons op te donner, as jy baie gelukkig was kon jy dalk 12km/h teen 'n moerse afdraande kry. Ek het so bietjie na die ander manne weggespring, maar vang hulle sommer gou voor die eerste afdraai, die manner redekawel weer om te besin of hulle op die regte pad is en ek laat hulle in hul innige gesprek agter, vorder goed tot by Stromberg.

Was gou die ergste polisiehond modder van my fiets af en val weer in die pad, dis vrek koud en die wind waai my siel uit my uit, stadig maar seker vorder ek teen Stormberg op al soekende na die pad, hier is baie afdraai padjie en toe ek my kry is ek bo in Stormberg ver van enige begaanbare padjie. Nooit gedink die wind sal my gewese 90 kg lyfie kan omwaai nie, sommer 2 keer op Stormberg. Beplanning....... wat's dit ?

Die regte Stormberg Blokhuis

Oor so lang race speel die elemente so groot rol dat enige beplanning vir 'n bol gaan, in die verte in die vlaktes sien ek 'n Engelse blokhuis en ek donner teen die berg af na die blokhuis. Iets sê my ek moes vroeër afgedraai het, gelukkig weet ek, ek is op die regte pad, by die blokhuis aangekom bepyns ek weer die kaart en in die verte gewaar ek nog 'n blokhuis, die blokhuis waar ek eintlik moes wees en so maak ek my eie Freedom zig zag padtjie. Die roete aanwysing praat iets van mik vir die Stormberg Blokhuis, watter een van die twee sal dit dan nou eintlik wees, die versteekte een of die alleenstaande duidelik sigbare blokhuis ?
Dis toe die versteekte blokhuis naby die handelspos........

Die verkeerde Blokhuis.........

Maak 'n wille draai op die Sandfontein plaas, moes blykbaar nie daar afdraai nie, hervat toe maar weer die regte pad, eintlik is dit maklik om die regte pad te identifiseer, soek net die modderigste spoorlose pad jy sal weldrae uitkom waar jy moet uitkom of nie moes uitkom nie, dis so half of moertoe verdwaal verpligtend is op die Freedom.

Die donder wolke pak wees saam en ek durf die laaste 8 km na Romansfontein in die ysige reën aan, te bly om aan Stefanie en Wil se deur aan te klop. Dis so asof die warboel van modderige paaie, die bedrieglike afdraai padjies, die wind en die weer agter jou toegesluit word met die toemaak van die deur, jy betree 'n nuwe wêreld vol warmte, gasvryheid en liefde agter die skanse van die toe deur......

Die race is hard, eintlik fokken hard, jy moet bietjie mal wees om dit te doen, ek dink ek is nou al baie mal, want ek praat nou al self in tale wat ek nie eers verstaan nie.

Beplanning vir more, moontlike temp 1 tot -14, enkel diepte sneeu, beplanning na vandag se 6,6 km per uur worsteling, niks ek gaan net my kop sak en voort donner, hoop ek haal Hofmeyr...

Battered riders battle on

Battered riders battle on

CradockWednesday 23 June 2009

As bad weather sweeps across South Africa riders in the the 2009 Freedom Challenge non-stop mountain bike race from Pietermaritzburg to Diemersfontein Wine Estate outside Paarl are experiencing mixed fortunes.

Freedom Challenge extreme triathlete, Andrew Barnes took the lead from early race leader Tim James of Team Squirt riding Scott when James slowed in the Stormberg. Barnes, who started from Pietermaritzburg 4 days ahead of James, then found his progress from Willowmore through the Moordenaars Karoo towards Prince Albert slowed by driving gale-force headwinds. Worn down by the previous day of riding through the Groot Rivier Poort and up the length of the Baviaanskloof, Barnes battled to cover 90 kms of flat riding directly into the wind. After 10 hours of joyless riding he stopped for the day at the farm Rondawel. On Wednesday morning, with a slight break in the weather, he rode on into Prince Albert and up the Swartberg Pass. By nightfall he was headed towards the Gamkaskloof in the Swartberg.

James, meanwhile, appears to have recovered from his difficult day in the Stormberg and has made good progress across the catchment of the Great Fish River. After stopping for the night at the farm Stuttgart on Tuesday he rode up into the Swaershoek before taking on the Struishoek descent and crossing into the plains of the Camdeboo. The following morning he followed the Voëlrivier down to the Toekomst support station on the banks of the Darlington Dam in the Steytlerville District. He left Toekomst in the late morning. This was 5 hours later than Barnes left there 4 days earlier. It must now be seen whether James can maintain his current pace and take advantage of Barnes’s slow day out of Willowmore to wipe out Barnes’s effective 5 hour lead.

Meanwhile, further back in the field, injuries and adverse weather have caused 20% of the riders to withdraw. Those remaining are soldiering on. Mike Roy, who started riding with his bird book and binoculars, cannot have seen much birdlife in the last few days. Most sensible birds have surely sought shelter from the current cold and cloud. He is accompanied by crocodile fighter, Tim van Coller. Tim, who beat off a crocodile attack when paddling alone down the length of the Zambezi River will surely not be daunted by a bit of rain, wind, cold or snow. On Wednesday they rode slowly up the valley of the Sterkspruit River, 2 days behind the rest of the field, but savouring the experience.

Ahead of them “Two bike” Derrick Baard spent the night in the Rossouw police station whilst not-so-fat Ixopo farmer, Eric Egeland, is riding with Esti du Plessis and Andre Eksteen towards Molteno. Fiona Coward, Doug Kennaugh and Gregg Donnagh left their wool bales on the farm Gouevlei to ride through Molteno and on to the next support station at Romansfontein.


Ahead of them North West mielie farmer and Freedom Challenge veteran Carl Crous has joined forces with Namibians Louis Wessels and Pierre le Roux and Mossel Bay wild man Mark Mitchell to help him hunt down his North West riding partner Marnitz Nienaber. Nienaber left Crous after the two had crossed the Umkomaas River shortly after leaving Pietermaritzburg and, since then, has maintained a consistent lead on Crous.

Nienaber was part of a large group that left Romansfontein on Wednesday morning to cross the Aasvoëlsberg and drop off the escarpment of the southern Drakensberg into the Fish River basin. Included in the group are Derek Hall-Jones, woman rider Estelle Labuschange, Errol Derrick who despite the poor weather is proceeding with far greater efficiency than was the case when taking on the race in 2008, Sean Woolnough and Brett Rheeders. They had joined GIANT rider Siceko Maraneni, a guide from the Maluti section of the Freedom Challenge who set a good pace through the Stormberg before falling back. Presumably they have left the worst of the cold behind them.

Riding well ahead of them are Freedom Challenge veteran Francois Riekert and the Snapper Display tandem duo of Mike Woolnough and Glenn Harrison. The charge of the tandem has slowed considerably in the last few days, partly as a result of the difficulty of hauling a 40 kg bike over the mountain portages of the Stormberg and partly as a result of the acute ITB that Woolnough has developed. As they move through the halfway point in the race, Harrison must be wondering, should Woolnough withdraw, how he can single-handedly get the tandem to the race finish at Diemersfontein outside Paarl.

Ahead of them, early race leader Australian Dave Barr not only seems to be benefiting from his orthopedic saddle but is relishing the sheepskin covering subsequently provided by Stormberg farmer Jim Stretton. Also benefiting from the sheepskin treatment are his co-riders and fellow Extreme Triathletes, Ugene Nel and Trevor Ball as well as big man Steve Honey.

With driving winds and more bad weather moving into the interior of the South Africa the 2009 Freedom Challenge is proving to be a test of physical and mental fortitude.