Read the latest Kargo MTB Team newsletter by clicking here.

You can also get the latest news by following Kargo Mountain Bike Team on social media:

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Read the latest Kargo MTB Team newsletter by clicking here.

You can also get the latest news by following Kargo Mountain Bike Team on social media:

Twitter: @KARGOPROMTBTEAM
Facebook: Kargo Pro MTB Team
Instagram: kargo_pro_mtb_team

Read the latest Kargo MTB Team newsletter by clicking here.

You can also get the latest news by following Kargo Mountain Bike Team on social media:

Twitter: @KARGOPROMTBTEAM
Facebook: Kargo Pro MTB Team
Instagram: kargo_pro_mtb_team

Read the latest Kargo MTB Team newsletter by clicking here.

You can also get the latest news by following Kargo Mountain Bike Team on social media:

Twitter: @KARGOPROMTBTEAM
Facebook: Kargo Pro MTB Team
Instagram: kargo_pro_mtb_team

In November 2014 one of our mountain biking buddies, Don Hunter invited some friends to join him in celebrating a significant birthday by cycling in Mashatu during August 2015. Don organized the trip through Cycle Mashatu who were superb, but first things first.

The invite from Don read as follows: “You are hereby cordially invited to my birthday party on Saturday night the 22nd August to be held wherever we happen to be in the wilderness of Botswana. To make sure that you all make it, there is going to be a luxury coach laid on to take you most of the way and bring you back home again. Unfortunately there will be some cycling involved, under your own steam, to get all the way there, but that is your own affair.”

As always, there were a few rules, 22 to be precise but no 13 was the one I think that made our trip so successful and so special. It went like this: “The following will not be tolerated: whining, complaining, grumping, sulking, glaring, huffing, puffing, fighting, spitting, hitting, hair pulling, causing bodily harm, tantrums, feet stamping, wailing, shrieking, teeth gnashing or head banging. You are required to play nicely with each other.” And that is how it was.

On 19 August 2015, at 21:00 our luxury bus with 22 party revelers on board with their mountain bikes, kit and passports pulled out of the La Lucia Mall parking lot and headed to Mapungubwe Game Reserve in Limpopo where we spent our first night

Here are a few photos of Mapungubwe which include our very comfortable chalet, the view from our chalet and from the view site looking over the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers where South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe meet. In Mapungubwe amongst other animals we saw elephant, zebra and klip springer and some magnificent birdlife

On the morning of 21 August 2015 our luxury bus took us to the Pont Drift border post where we met Claire, our host from Cycle Mashatu, assembled our bikes, went through customs and crossed a very dry Limpopo River once described by Rudyard Kipling in the Elephants Child as, “the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees”, and into Botswana

After going through customs we were taken by our host, Claire, a qualified game ranger, to meet our guides, Joe and Max, also qualified game rangers with immense knowledge of the bush, wildlife and bird life, have lunch and a briefing of what the next four days were going to be all about.

After our briefing we were split into two groups for the 25 kilometer cycle to Mashatu Camp on the Botswana bank of the mighty Limpopo River. It was a quiet ride with a few sightings of zebra, elephant, black backed jackal and some beautiful bird life

The first day’s riding started out beautifully with the first group following Joe and the second group behind Max with Claire doing the sweeping should anyone of us fall behind or decide to wander off on our own into the Mopani forest. It was all going well, some great sightings of elephant, zebra, impala, black backed jackal, giraffe, wildebeest(gnu), hyena and baboon coupled with some beautiful birdlife – khori bustards and lilac breasted rollers to name a few, Joe also pointed out leopard spoor quite close to the camp. Then it all happened, we were cruising through a rather rocky patch of single track when Nigel decided it was time to have a proper wipe out, didn’t quite get the corner right with a not so spectacular result and a buckled front wheel and a few roasties for his efforts. He was duly rewarded with the monkey but yours truly was to be recipient of the self same monkey when he did a not so elegant dismount in a pile of elephant dung a day later

Day 2 was epic. It started out gently enough and as we rounded a corner we were greeted by congress of baboons and a herd of impala running around madly. Suddenly they all scattered except for one impala which suddenly dropped. Joe, our guide, went to inspect the stricken animal to find it had been caught in a snare. We all gathered around while Joe removed the snare and Mark suggested pumping its heart and in a matter of two or three minutes of Joe pumping the impala kicked out, got up and bolted into the undergrowth. Joe, you are a legend

After the impala was rescued we continued on our way and were riding through some dense Mopani forest when Joe signaled to turn back and fast, we were about to cross paths with a rather unhappy jumbo

Jumbos seemed to be the order of the day, we had some great sightings and a rather hairy few minutes in our camp after the ride. We were all relaxing with a cold one, Mark had gone for a shower when one of the group called us to the have a look at large bull elephant who had wandered near the kitchen. It all looked pretty harmless, most of us got our cameras and were taking photos, then he started getting closer, despite the kitchen staff’s best efforts to send him on his way by banging on lids. About this time Mark finished his shower and started back towards the safety and camaraderie of camp, we shouted for him to stay in the shower but he heard “Change showers” and ran barefoot through the thorns for the “safety” of the other shower. Suddenly the elephant saw Mark and decided to take an interest in him and Joe, who had earlier received legendary status enhanced his reputation even further when he came to rescue again and a rather disgruntled elephant lumbered off into the bushes while Mark full of thorns scuttled back into the camp.

Then it was party time. We all enjoyed a few sundowners around the fire listening to three great speeches by Dave Bristow, Don’s best mate of 53 years, Don’s wife Shirley and Don himself before getting stuck into a magnificent dinner prepared by the appropriately named Baker, Sadie and the kitchen crew. They had also secretly made two delicious chocolate cakes.

Day three dawned bright and beautiful and after a hearty breakfast headed off into the bush toward Mmamagwe We saw a lot of game on the ride including a giraffe which had just given birth, unfortunately we did not get to see the baby.

At Mmamagwe we were given a wonderful history lesson from Joe about the ancient civilisations that had lived in the area and the fact that you can still find artefacts from those bygone eras and then Piet and Dave gave us a great overview of the geology of the area.

From Mmamagwe we rode to the camp where we would spend our last night to find we would be sleeping in a boma under the stars – awesome. Baker and Sadie prepared a magnificent dinner which included two whole fillets braaied – barbecued – on the open coals.

After some great fireside conversation it was time to climb into our sleeping bags and enjoy a good kip under the stars. During the night we were woken several times by lions calling, hyenas laughing and baboons foraging. Over breakfast our guides said the lions were probably 500 metres to a kilometre away so there was no need to feel concerned.

After breakfast it was time to head to the border post and say farewell to our wonderful hosts. On the ride Joe pointed out the lion tracks which were about a kilometre from the boma and near the border post we had a had a great sighting of a large herd of elephant with their young close to the road.

Back in South Africa our luxury bus was there to meet us and take us back to Mapungubwe for the night before the drive back to Durban. Around the fire it was said more than once how awesome our cycle trip was and that we’d all do it again soon.

We have roped Brandon into our team as a possible signing for 2016. He is the current U16 SA champ as well as High School champion and has a bright future in the sport of Mountain biking.

Brandon will be racing in the Kargo Outfit for the remainder of 2015 season.

https://vimeo.com/128973190?from=outro-local

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And so it came to pass that Day 3 of the Sani2C flew by in a whizz, like two little Angry Swamp Birds on Red Bull and Vodka. Actually, I think we were on Vodka and Red Bull. My apologies for the late update but alas my phone got wet and ruined (but more of that later). The downside for you all is that typing on a PC means many more words. 
Twas yet another magnificent day in the KZN midlands as we soared through the canelands of the interior, down towards the stunning beauty of that hidden coastal gem, the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. A few steep climbs challenged the Birds but mostly, it was epic downhill racing and single-track through the lush, indigenous forests so green and dense it resembled a scene from Lords of the Rings (talking of which, we all were very impressed that Mottram survived the long 3 day ride with his … ailment. Give that man a Bells … and an adult nappy). The Angry Swamp Birds, John Ross and me, let it be said for the record, gave it horns and dominated the day again, much like the pounding Wildebeest, unashamedly doing the dirty, that we passed in the Reserve. I suspect that the soundly rodgered Team Roundhouse Snap, Milton John Osborn, and the Crossmans must have felt a bit like that lady Wildebeest as they sipped their afternoon beers last night. The gentleman in me prohibits me from wondering if that’s how Team Lactic Acid, Lee Macpherson and Robin Gowlding felt as well. After three days and 295km of hard riding, through some of the hilliest and most challenging terrain of our cycling lives, it was perhaps inevitable that one of us would have a mishap. And we did. 294.9km into the race. Or, to put it another way, 100 meters from the finish line. The floating bridge (all 600 meters of it) swayed and drifted across the Scottburgh Lagoon like a famished crocodile awaiting a little Angry Bird. It was, mostly, maneuvered with all the skill and style for which the Angry Swamp Birds have become renowned until Philthy stood up on his pedals to acknowledge the rapturous applause of the masses like the conquering heroes the Birds had become. On such a narrow unsteady surface it was to prove a fatal mistake as the sagging bridge steered my little birdy wings into the water. Elegant it was not. Done with no style at all. Executed with all the finesse of a Game of Thrones slaughter. And beheaded I nearly was as first I face-planted onto the bridge, followed by my elbow and then my shoulder, before plomping into the murky depths of the lagoon still attached to my drowning mount. Painful it was. Blood flowed. Embarrassing, most definitely. It was an ignoble way for this Bird to end his race, resembling in that short space of time, less the soaring Fish Eagle of yesterday, but more the regurgitated carcass of the croc’s last meal. It also means no photos from today’s stage as the phone was ruined. But the video was kindly supplied to me so here it is for your benefit and enjoyment … and my eternal humiliation.
Finish we did, though. As soon as I had rescued and remounted my steed and chased after my loyal and caring team mate, John, by now far in the distance, determined as he was to uphold the Fish Eagle image of the Birds that so many of you have ingrained in your minds. We crossed the line together, hands held high in the victory salute so deserved of our efforts. A total team time of 16 hours 31 minutes, with which we’re very chuffed being our first stage race and considering that 3 months ago, I didn’t have a mountain bike and John didn’t have any talent. A remarkable performance by John, it must be said, whose sporting achievements thus far in his adult life have been limited to motorbikes, bikram yoga and pie-eating. I wouldn’t normally tell you the times of the other teams, not being much of a bragger as you know, but since you’ve all asked: Roundhouse Snap staggered into 2nd place in 18h12 (yip, that’s 1h41 later, one hour and forty-one minutes slower, or, to put it another way, almost 2 hours behind. You could also say 101 minutes behind but I think 1 hour and 41 minutes sounds more …. official). Anyway, the Crossmans were next in 18h51 (comprehensively but graciously dethroned from their 2014 victory), and then the amazing team of ladies, well the two tarts, Lee and Robin, of Lactic Acid in about 20h05. Solid performances by all and sundry and congrats to us all, I say (it’s easy to be magnanimous when you’re the winner). John and I absolutely loved the event. All we need do now is convince Doug to let John take 18 days off for Joburg2C and the Cape Epic next year and for me to win the lottery to afford the entry fees.
If any of you are even toying with the idea of doing this race, don’t be a Rolf Harris …. stop fiddling! Get to the start line, for this truly is the most remarkable event, with superb organisation, great food and booze, excellent camping and ablutions and truly, the most beautiful scenery in the entire damn world. And it really is do-able … even on a training regime of yoga and pies.

]]> https://antonymoller.com/phillies-chronicles-sani-to-sea-2015-day-3-14-may-written-by-phillip-burring/feed/ 0 295 https://antonymoller.com/phillies-chronicles-sani-to-sea-2015-day-2-written-by-phillip-burring/ https://antonymoller.com/phillies-chronicles-sani-to-sea-2015-day-2-written-by-phillip-burring/#respond Sun, 17 May 2015 09:39:00 +0000 http://antonymoller.com/?p=290

Let me type this now. Whilst the euphoria is racing through my veins like little red blood cell versions of the Angry Swamp Birds. Today, Day 2 of the Sani2C MT…B race is surely, undoubtedly, indisputably the most insanely stunning, beautiful wow wow wow stretch of MTB riding you could ever hope to ride. 40km of immaculately manicured singe track roller coaster nirvana. The views, the gorges, the mighty Umkomaas river racing through KZN like an aqua doppelganger of the Angry Swamp Birds, the soaring eagles (who are, as you will all recall, so reminiscent of that awesome cycling team of yesterday’s stage, the Angry Swamp Birds), the indigenous forests, the lunar landscape of burnt forestry land, and then the searing heat in the river bed plains of the river, fraught with the 2 inch thorns of the acacia trees. All of which is just the evil foreplay as the tortuous infamous wicked Nandos Hill looms large for km after gradient km. As tortuous a hill on the body as a Nandos extra hot flaming peri peri burger; just the sort of free chow one longs for after 60km of riding through Africa. A little birdy (not an Angry Swamp Bird) tells us that the Team Roundhouse Snap rent boy, Milton John Osborn, deposited his burger on the banks of the Umkomaas shortly after leaving Camp Nandos. You may have gathered that the Angry Swamp Birds dominated again. Milton and Mottram flopped in an hour later, still moaning and whinging about the superior racing tactics of the Birds, like Alex Ferguson complaining about the one penalty decision that went against him in his career. The Crossman team suffered a sidewall blow out (allegedly) and we haven’t yet seen the Lee Macpherson and Robin Gowlding team (mainly cos they haven’t made it to the bar yet). John Ross today dug even deeper, put up his hand even higher to be counted and looks as fresh as the steaming moist cow patties that littered the valley floor. He did suffer but he seems to relish that. We now sit basking in the glory of two stage victories with a bottle of red. The campsite is serene and inviting with each row of tents set amidst the orchards of this Highflats farm. In his defence Milton looks dapper. Gay but dapper. Motts is in bed. We still haven’t seen Lee and Robin. Or the Crossmans.

And so day one of Sani2C draws to a sun baked close, the teams all showered, fed and boozed. Philthy cunningly paid two local ladies to carry his team’s boxes t…o the tent in the sort of executive decision making process that’s made Angry Swamp Birds the team they are. Massages have been booked for my stalwart riding partner John Ross who definitely dug deep, and put up his hand to be counted. He did collapse in a heap though so he probably wasn’t the last man standing. What a day of riding, without a doubt the most amazing route. The Angry Swamp Birds soared like eagles, Roundhouse Snap, Milton John Osborn, got dumped but are paddling out again with hopes and dreams, the Lactic Acids, Lee Macpherson and Robin Gowlding pedalled like women possessed and the Crossmans stuttered in perhaps saving themselves for tomorrow as Jen had to carry her ailing husband over the line. There’s no doubt it hurt and it’s very possible the Swamp Birds have shot their bolt. Or have they? Johnny had a little halfway rub down reminiscent of Hilton 1986. The nostalgia may see him home. There’s now a stiff wind blowing through the camp, there’s a stiff drink in my hand (and let’s hope that’s the last stiff thing in our tent). Milky is now playing fingers to see who buys the next round (there may well be more of that in the Roundhouse Snap tent later). Well that’s it for a while.