Windy 'the Wild Coast'

Today was a further test of the teams newly acquired riding skills as we rode the undulating coast.


Riding up steep cliffs and descending down steep valley sides and river crossing has left us speechless and totally exhausted.


We stopped for a break at a beautiful bay. What a view!


The last ten km's including the notoriously difficult minefield so called because of the numerous bolders were ridden in darkness.


We are overnighting at the famous village 'Hole in the Wall' named after the cliffs nearby.

Visit to the local school

Today was our rest day but we did not rest.

First job of the day was doing the dobie (laundry to you landlubbers).

Next up was a visit to the Gojella Junior School were we deliver and installed blackboards and solar panels and provided taxi rides to the kids on our bikes.


The school choir sang for us which was fantastic.



Gold Team were very prominent in all the activities and it would remiss of me if I did not single out Alex and Max plus Gary from Blue Team for their work in actually installing the solar panels.

I took on a supervisory role: risk assessment; demarcations; tea breaks and dispute resolution.

We also serviced the bikes and made adjustments and repairs.

All in all a very busy day.

Tomorrow we we have another demanding day ahead of us although rumour has it there will be a race arranged on the local airstrip and a wheelie school.


More people from Enduro Africa 2008 team.

The Irish contingent......Mickey and Kevin.



Constandinos from Cyprus.


Everyone calls him Costa because they can't pronounce his name and he met up with other participants in the Costa coffee bar at Heathrow!

Very Wet Day!

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Leaving the Morgan Bay for a new adventure!

First obstacle of the day!


The ferry crossing at Kei Mouth.

We have crossed the Kei River into the Transkei.

Now the pace slows up because of the roads and the terrain.

We have been warned there are lots of animals and children on the roads so we need to be careful.

The Transkei was an independent state under the Apartheid Regime and fell behind in development terms.

So now it is about 40 years behind the rest of South Africa.

It is also notably hotter and very humid.

We keep being told to hydrate. It is a challenge in itself to carry enough water.









River crossing in the Transkei.








Look at this Transkei panorama view!


Just climbed out of the valley bottom successfully I might add to see this amazing view.


River crossing no. 4 today.



I made this one and one other but I have had two dunkings.
I am wet and tired.

Today was just the toughest part so far.

What started with a ferry crossing into the Transkei ended with us riding in total darkness in all mighty thunder storm.

The lightening was streaking through the sky all around us and rain drops so large they stung your face.

But that's a fraction of the pain we went through.

The descent and ascent into and out of the Qora Gorge was unbelievable.
Words fail me.



Gold Team all made it through but Red Team lost a guy through dehydration.
That's all the news I have so far.

Green, Blue and Orange Teams were still coming out the gorge when the storm struck and I don't envy them their ride to the Kob Inn Hotel in Quigney (www.kobinn.co.za).

We have earned our rest day!

The only guys who won't be taking it easy are the mechanics who must now repair our distinctly secondhand looking bikes!


By the way,

I'd like to introduce some people in my team.

Max and his dad Alex from Edinburgh.


Grandad Pat who was awarded the "Spirit Award" yesterday.


He is 68 and still going strong!

Sisters sledge!


They are sisters Cora and Stephanie.

From Katberg to Morgan Bay

Short break after gold group all complete early morning climb stage from Katberg.


We are in the Amatola mountains, it's full of wonderful view of high country, cliffs and indigenous forests.

This is a panaramoic view from the road up to the ominously named Hogsback.


The name of 'Hogsback' comes from the high rocky ridge looking like a bushpig's spine.

It's 10am we have been riding for 2 hours, so far no problems.

We are doing 280km today ending up in Morgan Bay.



Fuel stop in a town called Alice.






In Alice we are welcomed by local kids!



After long ride, we arrived safely in Morgan Bay!

This is a view from my hotel room.


COWS.

That's the abiding memory from today's ride.

Oh and the Green Team being awarded "Dick of the Day" for the second night in a row.

What started with a steep climb up a rocky moutain side;

the ascent and descent of the Hogsback and a truly wonderful ride though a forest carpetted with wild lillies ended with a heard of unpredicatable cows stampeding down the track.

One of the Red team collided with one of same and came off worse.

One of the blue team hit a cow which then promptly fell on her and damaged her spine.

She is fine and recovering in hospital.

Unfortunatley the cow had to be put down (No. There are no sexist jokes in this!).

Green Team where a mess today, getting lost and split up so much so they were still arriving as Gold Team celebrated well into their fourth beers in the bar at the Morgans Bay Hotel.

It was dark and raining as the last stragglers arrived but Gold Team is still in tact and Pat - the grandaddy of all the participants - was awarded the "Spirit Award" for his steady and dogged progress.

My body is still sore but only a couple of minor crashes today.

Having a great time!

Looking like a secondhand!?

Spotted this on the fence where we stayed last night.

Would not have slept if I had known!


TOUGH.

That's the only word to describe todays 250 km ride.

Red group lost 3 riders one with a broken arm.

Blue group lost one also.

Gold group - my group - suffered two spectacular crashes both unfortunately involving me.

However, I am still in one piece, and so is the rest of Gold Group.

My bike is however looking a bit secondhand!

The ride today was fantastic.

Mountain passes and deep ravines and not forgetting that the day began with the climb up the 60 degree hill we descended last night.

We are overnighting in Katberg.

Not sure what tomorrow will bring except of course aching bones and muscles.

First ride on Honda CRF230!

We rode into a stunningly beautiful lodge, Mansfields, near Port Alfred after 10 hours in the saddle.

Most of the roads were dusty as hell - made up of gravel and sand with enourmous potholes which the CRF copes with ease.

No one fell off.

There are sixteen riders in Yellow Group (gold as we've designated ourselves for obvious reasons!) ranging from Pat who is 68 and Max who is a stripling at 21.

All of us coped amazingly well with the varied and testing terrain which culminated in a descent down a river bed at 60 degrees.


We lunched at the Schotia Game reserve and were given a 30 min tour in a landrover and in that time we disturbed a huge male lion who was slumbering in a bush; saw Ostrich and Wilderbeest; Zebras, Giraffes and two massive Rhinos.


We are lodging by a river in an open bunkhouse - 10 of us.

My bedroom is on the hill!

Alex from Edinburgh has already declared he snores like a chainsaw (interesting analogy) but somehow I don't think it will matter as we are all well and truly cream crackered.

I suspect there will be more than one of us dreaming of the epic rides to come.

If today was a taster of how tough its going to get then we will need more than a good nights sleep.


Just had Poike for dinner!

A poike pot is a cast iron pot that you can use over a fire or a gas stove, and cooks beautiful stews.

Just Arrived in Port Elizabeth!

After a gruelling 26 hours travelling we finally arrived at the Summerstrand Hotel on the seafront in beautiful Port Elizabeth.

Outside as we arrived were around 90 brand spanking shiny red Honda CRF230's each with a riders name on the front.

Mine was located right outside the hotel door and I found it within seconds as if that was our destiny!


I have been allocated to Yellow Group.

We meet for the welcome dinner and briefing at 1930 hours.
Just time for a quick shower.

Breakfast is at 0700 and the ride departs at 0800.
An early night beckons.

I am sharing a room with Kevin Lydon from Co. Galway.
I hope he does not snore!