Limpopo done and dusted
JOBURG – Cycling team conquers three of the nine peaks halfway through their journey.
The father and daughter cycling team has kicked off their journey of conquering Nine Peaks across South Africa and they finished the first leg of their trip in Limpopo.
Bianca Cooper explained that they climbed a small hill on the first day.
“We made the decision to climb Iron Crown on the day of arrival in Heanertsburg so that we could get cracking on the bikes first thing the next day.
“Delighted that we had to cycle back up a hill we just came down at 45km/h. The climbs are less steep from this point but the road is over rolling hills, so you are continuously going up or down. I lost faith at one point and begged nature for a stretch of flat ground. Nature does not oblige.”
At the end of the second day the Coopers rode a distance of 125km.
Day 3 kicked off with a short cycle to the base of Abel Erasmus Pass as the duo planned to ride from Manoutsa to Ohrigstad.
“The pass is not one of our Nine Peaks but it is too steep to get up there on a Buffalo bicycle. We are still sticking to our mandate and not using motorised transport, so we are walking 18km up the pass and collecting our bikes at the top.”
Day 4 on 17 March was interrupted by rain and the team set off a bit later.
“The lovely overcast weather is already clearing by the start and the temperature is heading toward 25. We make decent progress to begin, stopping at a ghost town to take photos. It was probably once a viable stop until the bigger main road bypassed it,” Bianca said.
Bianca explained that there was a bit of a climb on this route. “We had to get off and push in a couple of places where the road becomes too steep. Hopefully, as we get stronger as the tour goes on, these will become less frequent but they will always be necessary at some point on a 25kg single speed.”
Two days passed and the team was on their way to Bronkhorstspruit.
She explained, “The early part of the ride was down a cracking Qhubeka dirt road. Some decent (get off and push) hills but otherwise flat with firm, smooth surface. The scenery is still bush veld but once we get onto the “plateau” it becomes smooth grassland. We get attacked by a pack of hunting dogs but fortunately, the owner calls them back before we get mauled.”
She concluded “We are currently on our way to Hartebeespoort to our third peak.”
Details: Nine Peaks Tour Facebook Page.
