Over the mountains

This blog post is dedicated to hill climbing on loaded touring bikes. Call it "Hill climbing for beginners"

For your first attempt find someone that will spoil you rotten. Steak, icecream, wine and lots of it. Have a steady course of this over two days with plenty of sleep and hot showers. Wake up late for the ride. Eat more steak, chips and various other breakfast bits. Pack the bags. Crack open a bottle of champagne and you're good to go!

Thanks to our neighbours Pieter and Leon. We've been put in touch with some incredibly welcoming people. It has made the part of the trip very homely and comfortable, and we both really appreciate everyones kindness.

Since leaving Wellington, we have cycled through some incredible landscapes. Landscapes I've seen in a car, but all too quickly and not quietly enough to really appreciate them. Riding up the passes have not been too strenuous. I'm sure the champagne had something to do with that.

Our route has been over the bains kloof pass and the Michelles pass. The third pass we planned took a slightly different twist. Casper and Elizma our hosts in Ceres offered to put our bikes on a huge heavy load vehicle and drive us over the Gydo pass. Thinking about the comical value of having our over loaded bikes tied to an 18 wheeler signed abnormal load. We couldn't miss the opportunity.

Tomorrow there will be no more cheating, its on wards and upwards to yet another pass to a favourite spot of mine. The Cederberg!

7 / 4 / 2015