Enduro Africa 2007 - The Captain's Log

Day 1 – Arrive in Durban
Met at Heathrow with big group of cautious bikers. Cramped flight but got some sleep. Landed at Jo’burg in the pouring rain! Quick flight to Durban into the sunshine, then transfer to Salt Rock Hotel for a great welcome… 70 shiny, new bikes, branded and on parade, including one in reception, with Enduro Africa banners dotted around, rooms all sorted, then a warm welcome in the bar and restaurant. First riders briefing (Orange team, with Mike, our Napoleonic Leader and Anton, sweeper and super-mechanic), easy day tomorrow… So Stuart gives us his ‘Enduro’ rendition of Mustang Sally… genius.

Day 2 – the ride to Leisure Bay (258km)
Early start with a sore head and still yawning… a swim in the tidal rock pool (with 12 dolphins out at sea, past the rock-fishermen) sorted that. Drums with breakfast and send-off with a police escort.
Tarmac ride past airport and Zimbali Lodge onto the M4 for 30km’s then dirt trails.
Breezeblock huts scattered on hills, on to first water break by the industrial papermill.
Then ride across “Remegen” bridge (lookalike) to more sand trails and rocks, with rolling hills and views. Lunch at KFC (!), then tarmac roads through Ramsgate to Margate(!). Bridges over big river gorges with sandbanks at river mouths.
Staying in chalets, dotted around a park, with swim in the big breakers in the sea – salty tumble-dryer, but invigorating.
Some beers and braai in the evening, with Mike taking a swim (“Where’s the English DEFENCE”). Early sleep – hope my boots don’t give up the ghost!

Day 3 – The “Low Road” to Mboti River Lodge
Breakfast with the monkeys around the swimming pool. Talk of ‘severe storms’. Turns into a hellovaday!
A few K’s of tarmac, then onto dirt tracks and up the hills. Stopped to gather the groups, then a ‘victory circuit’ around a school with kids cheering… really moving.
Up first steep incline, then down dusty track to riverbed. Then climb 1 – rocky, tight and steep – keep the power on – trust me it’s steep! Crowd formed at the top to watch us chucking the bikes around! Took two hours to get us all up the hill. I fell once but made it OK.
Sweeping, winding dirt roads for many miles to stunning valleys. Down to river bridge then “High or low road?” choice. I went “low” (we’re here to ride...) and got a fistful of adventure… (the rest went up the hill and off to the waterfall.)…
24 of us went through gorse tunnels and ploughed fields on the side of hills and riverbeds to hills 2, 3 and 4. Dear god.
Hill 2 – straight and steep with slippy shale / slate, constant spinning, keep it pinned. I made it up 80% then stopped.
Hill 3 – Boulders (no, really) and a tight route. Lots of bashing of bike baseplates and levers but fought it to the top.
On top, we helped others up and waited for group, but saw lightening storm in the distant!
15 mins later it started – rain then lightening, thunder, hailstones (like gobstoppers) and more rain.
Hill 4, slippy and muddy – got halfway then back-wheel clogged with mud… walked the bike up and helped others. 3 made it, rest walked bikes up in torrents.
No wet-gear (muppet0, so rode to hilltop and sheltered under eaves of a hut. Then 500 yards to someone’s house for a beer sheltered from the storm. 24 beers and lots of wringing out. Then 40kms of cold, dark, wet to Mboto River Lodge – sanctuary.
ALL STILL GOING.

Day 4 – Easy riding to Hole in the Wall Inn.
Fast ride on dusty, winding hills of the Tanskei. Easy ride, with lots of speed. Stopped at Port St Johns for lunch at the NEWS café. Patched up the bikes and swam in the sea (next to 30-a-side beach football game. With thanks to our sponsors…including:

Day 5 – Biggest day…
Up at 6am, riding at 7. The Hole in the Wall viewpoint…
Then down (near-vertical) boulder field and up rutted hill with lots of “offs”. More hills and river crossings (3 or 4) – I’d have got the river if not for that pesky out-crop – lying in the river with foot trapped under the bike.
Opted for the high road, with lots of dust and good riding – one massive wobble when I hit a boulder and “fish-tailed”. Another wobble, I was overtaking then came across a “ploughed field of ruts” – just hang on. Down to Kob Inn for rest day and bike checks – oil, tyres, brakes.
Day 6 – Best day ever…
Start after rest day…visited the school near Kob Inn, where Enduro Africa teams are sponsoring desks and chairs for the school.

Then straight into “the gorge” with long, rocky down slope and river crossing – a few fallers, including ol’ John… (9 grand-children) who dropped in the river 3 times. On the third time, he walked to the bank, when someone shouted “You forgot your bike” … so he went back and got it – what a hero!

Then the long climb to the top… 300 metres of rocky, steep climb with big chunks. Hot, hot sun and lots of trouble, but we MADE IT!

More rivers, climbs and drop-offs then into deep sand – winding and tricky – keep the power on.

On to the beach for the wreck of the “Jacaranda” and a dip in the sea – sweet, cool refreshment.

Doc and the ambulance picked up Mitch and his broken ankle (but not before 10kms of pain and sand)! He’d got 5 minutes down the road to the hospital when the ambulance turned around to pick up his mate and his broken collarbone! (He hid a ridge and cart-wheeled down the road for 30 yards. Quite impressive. (3rd friend Simon is now looking nervous!)

Aaron had a brief stop, to remove the night adder from his handlebars! Then on the Kei Mouth river ferry with 30 bikes, before heading to Morgans Bay. (As in Captain Morgan, the pirate. Capital M; small ‘organ’.)

Day 7 – Morgans Bay to Port Alfred – the longest day (325km)
A day of desert and forest with some of the most diverse scenery.
We left Morgans Bay with the hotel maids singing as we left (pleased to see us go?). An early puncture slowed us down, with Dave collecting a flying tyre iron on the nose – nice shot, Anton! We then rode on tarmac for an hour in the mist and clouds – Doh!
Then onto dirt roads, with lots of dust for miles and miles (100?). Heading into a lefthand bend, I clocked Stuart had ridden into the bushes…BRAKE! Just in time to see Simon lying in the barbed wire, his bike 20m down the railway tracks. Gaffer taped Simon’s broken wrists (!) then rode on.
Stopped at golf club for drinks and sandwiches (this is surreal); Simon gets proper strapping and opts to ride on for forest stage – brave lunatic.
Then on to forest section near Gubu river Dam (“Turn left; Don’t miss; Follow forest tracks for 32.5km!!” God bless you Merv, you are a hero). Pine trails and lanes with lots of rocks, sandy trails and ruts. Aaron takes a tight corner… and a branch clips his handlebars, throwing him into Mike and breaking his left leg below the knee. He’s smiling and the Doc / morphine haven’t arrived yet!
More dusty trails and tarmac (60kms of each) to Halyards Hotel by the river in Port Alfred. Seven still riding – Me, Stuart (Maddog), Mike, John, Kevin, Warren and Nick – but all here in spirit, with Mitch and Martin back from hospital in plaster. The doc was a bit busy to notice as he rode his Bushlander into the swimming pool… first the lights stayed on(!) then, when fished out, the bike started 30 seconds later. What machines. Honda – the power of African dreams.

Day 8 – The final run to Port Elisabeth
Up early and lots of water, then fast dirt for 100km to safari park. Ride through the gates (not sure if the “Dangerous Game” signs refer to us) and up to lodge – impala, kudu and warthogs. Then drive through park with lions, giraffes and zebras. Lions have been feasting on old rhino but we get a braai at the camp.

Then fast sand (scary – hang on, power on). Then a fast, last blast to Port Elisabeth… don’t want it to end.
We regroup outside PE, then ride as an 80-strong cavalcade into Port Elisabeth, lead by John (grandfather of 9 and conqueror of Africa), with police escort and sirens through red lights waving and backfiring bikes. Sandy crashed twice (after 1500kms off road), second time landing on the guy with a broken collarbone – nice! To the hotel and hearty congratulations. What a rush… We did it!

TRULY AWESOME.