71 Days from being on the start line of the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan, I was lining up again for an Ultra, this time in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa for the inaugural Rhino Run. This was exciting, my first time on the African continent, a journey into the unknown, this is what I love, this is what I seek.
I had spent almost a week in South Africa acclimatising to the new land and culture. A stunning morning greeted the racers down by the beach on the 21st of October and we were off at 6.22 am. I had my distances between resupply and a bit of info on what would be available, but as this was the inaugural race, I had little to reference, I didn’t care, I knew this would be an adventure to remember. I got into my rhythm, riding at a good pace as I chatted with other racers here and there.
Before starting the Rhino Run I decided that I would sleep a minimum of 4 hours every night. In past races I ve sometime been very erratic with sleep strategies, sometimes it works out and other times it backfires badly. I wanted to see if remaining consistent with sleep times would have greater benefits.
After 323kms, and after a solid climb out of Calitzdorp, I set up camp for a decent sleep after a wonderful days riding through some spectacular terrain.
I was rolling before 4 am and could see lights ahead of me, other racers to reel in as the sky slowly brightened to reveal more magical South African lands. This morning was my most social day of the race as I chatted with the Masaka boys Kato and Waswa, Sofiane and April. During the afternoon and into the evening I was riding a little bit with Josh Ibbett. At about km 670, I decided to pull over and laid out my bag for a sleep under the stars in a roadside orchard.
I was moving again in the morning darkness and I was feeling good, passing Josh as he was packing up his sleep system. A nice climb and fast descent brought me to Franschhoek, I did not stop as I was determined to ride on to Stellenbosch before resupplying. I was entering the suburbs of Stellenbosch under spectacular skies as the rising sun put on a memorable show. I had a huge feeling of gratitude come over me, to be here in this new land on this adventure. I was present, completely in the moment and loving it.
Nothing much was open except for a petrol station, a bikepackers most common resupply point. Limited vegan options, very average coffee and a staff member with no smile made it a disappointing stop after such a great early morning ride. Josh rode in, we chatted briefly before I set off again out of town and into the hills.
I really enjoyed Bainskloof Pass, a sealed road with a perfect gradient and amazing views looking back to the Cape Wineland’s.
The Cederberg section is dry and vast with no re-supply options, although there are a few Lodges. After riding many hours in the darkness I eventually pulled over to set up camp just off the roadside after 975kms
The morning brought what felt like a long drag on dusty roads to Clanwilliam, the outskirts here showing harsh living conditions in the rubbish-strewn slums. Things changed as I rode into the centre of town, as children made their way to school, I looked for a place to buy food. Clanwilliam is a relatively large town, I found a supermarket for supplies and decided to have a rare sit-down meal at a cafe, this was a morale booster and the coffee was good. I was ready for the next section!
As I enjoyed my sit-down meal and re-set I checked the tracker to see that Jimmy Ashby was not too far up the road and Abdullah and Benky were tearing it up at the front of the race. I was happy with where I was, feeling good and sticking with my plan of sleeping at least 4 hours every night. I was about 180kms off the front of the race at this point, and the next section was a tough one with little or no resupply, I wondered could the leaders keep up this phenomenal pace.
Resupply points are more important than ever here as options diminish through long remote sections and unfortunately, I arrived too late to Calvinia for anything to be open. I fancied to sleep in a bed that night and I rode around some streets looking for a possibility, after a bit of faffing around and a couple of phone calls, a very kind lady offered to check me into a room sometime after 11 pm. A hot shower and a comfy bed after 4 days of tough riding was heaven. I wasn’t prepared to wait until the shops opened the next day so I rode on into a beautiful sunrise and some rugged roads to Loeriesfontein.
I was wild camping again some 50kms before the small town of Springbok, stopping before midnight to rest up. I rolled into Springbok on day 6 of the Rhino Run, much too early for the shop to be open but thankful that the service station was open. This next section of about 200 km to the Namibian border was tough. It was remote, with sandy sections on rough roads with very hot temperatures. Throughout this race, water was scarce so carrying up to 8 litres was necessary.
I knew there was a couple of service stations just past the border, so I pushed on. The border control was frustratingly slow, and comical at times, even though it was super quiet. I re-supplied as the sun went down and rode on northwards into a new land under dark skies punctuated by a carpet of stars. I rode 70 odd kilometres before setting up my tent for a few hours rest.
Soon I was riding again as the morning light danced on the jagged mountains. I enjoyed my first morning in Namibia and after some hours I rode into the important resupply town of Rosh Pina. I loaded up on water and food and then got a new SIM card for my phone. This was a process in itself and took longer than I would have liked.
A long sealed road stretch through the Namib Desert eventually brought me to the small settlement of Aus. The service station looked closed but there was a few guys next door in a small room. I pretty much emptied the shelves of crisps and Water before they casually mentioned there was a hotel around the corner. I could not resist my second sit-down meal of the race, in amongst a couple of groups of German tourists.
I was once again riding into the darkness knowing I had a 200km plus stretch through some remote desert. Some welcome tailwinds had me gobbling up the kilometres initially, but this did not last and soon the need to sleep overcame me. The next morning was so spectacular, as the desert changed colours before my eyes.
The now infamous D707 Road took me close to 9 hours to get through. It was painfully slow at times with deep sand bringing me to a complete standstill at times. Another aspect that I had not encountered before was corrugations hidden in the sand. I would be gaining speed and going faster and then all of a sudden would hit these momentum killers, sometimes falling over into the hot sand. I was regretting that I hadn’t pushed on last night in the cooler temperatures, as now I was out here in the midday sun with very little options for shade. All there was to do, was push on, this was my hardest day of the race!
Like a desert Oasis Betta camp appeared, shimmering with the promise of cold drinks, I rolled in exhausted. I ordered pasta from the quiet Cafe/shop and proceeded to consume litres of various liquids, attempting to quench my thirst. I was revived and replenished and was ready to greet the evening as the sun began to drop and the amazing desert pastel colours dazzled me once again. After dark, a vehicle pulled up with a couple inside, after chatting briefly they told me they lived close by. I think they were a little confused as to why I would be riding after dark out here. Sadly I was riding through, what I imagine is a beautiful park under darkness with only my K Lite beam shining ahead.
I continued on, suddenly surprised by the noise in the bush, turning on my headlight revealed a large number of Zebras scampering up a hill.I spooked them as much as they spooked me. I was feeling good, even after the gruelling day, I pushed on for my only all-nighter of the race, arriving at Seisriem before 6 am, meaning nothing was open. My biggest concern was water, I was starting to get low. I had about 85kms to get to Solitaire so I pushed hard to get there before the temperatures rose. Once again the sunrise was spectacular. Herds of wild animals grazed in the distance. Oryx, a large antelope with long spear like horns were plentiful, and very impressive as they galloped across the parched terrain.
Solitaire was a very welcome and necessary resupply. I was motivated and with 265kms to the finish at Windhoek, I knew I was heading into my last night on this spectacular course. I knew there was a lodge just off course but was unsure if I was too late to get food and water. I rode in, it seemed quiet, and the reception was empty but I walked in through a few doors. I found some people around a large outdoor dining table. It was the managers and some guests. They had some food left over that I devoured as they told me tales of Abdullah and benkys visit the previous day. I left the lodge probably after 9 pm with hopes of pushing through to the finish. Unfortunately, less the 2 hours later I was swerving on the quiet gravel roads struggling to keep my eyes open. Sleep was necessary and probably the best idea as the next section would bring some bigger hills rising to over 2,000 meters.
The last 150km were certainly not fast as the hot sun once again ensured I was drinking litres of water to stay hydrated. Eventually, the city of Windhoek was visible in the distance and I was filled with gratitude to be near the end of another amazing adventure. Some local riders joined me for the last km through the suburbs and the media crew was following in their car. To my surprise, a small crowd had gathered at Christuskirche, a historic church in the heart of the city and the finish line of the inaugural Rhino Run. Abdullah and Benky were there, visibly coming to terms with life off the bike, after they had pushed each other to the absolute limit at the front of the race at a remarkably consistent pace.
This was an incredible adventure firmly etched in my memory, the course brought me through such magical terrains, I rode solo for the most part but the locals I met were super friendly and welcoming. At no point did I feel unsafe.
From a race perspective, I was happy, coming into this not that long after the Silk Road Mountain Race, I just wanted to enjoy it and finish it. I felt good throughout the race, of course, there were low points and some emotional rollercoasters, but nothing I was not used to. I rode relatively conservatively, especially with my sleep plan of sleeping at least 4 hours each night. Maybe I could have pushed harder and slept less, who knows? I do know that in the end I was not destroyed
Ultra-distance bikepack racing is a constant learning for me, especially when tackling new countries and cultures and the Rhino Run has been another deeply enriching experience.
9 Days 8 Hours 49 Minutes
