Today was forecast to be hot, so yesterday I plotted a route to cycle, and got all my gear ready for the morning.
I ran my route past Ruffian, and took a look on Google Earth.
The plan was to leave home at 06:00, cycle up Mountain Drive, then head across to the Highlands road, and take some single track around to near the airport. I figured it would be about 3hrs and 30km.
The day dawned windy but I figured it would keep the temperature down, so I munched breakfast happily and set off at 06:00 sharp.
Despite the headwind, Mountain Drive went well. I had the place to myself (I keep think it is Saturday though, and forget people work normal hours). Then I headed across to the Highlands road, which I have only driven once.
Not long after hitting the gravel, I almost fell off my bike from laughing- I went over corrugated gravel. And you know when you just sort of relax your mouth and sound comes out as you go over bumps. That happened. I found it hilarious. So I cackled my way along the gravel, soaking up the views.
Now, while Ruffian gave me directions, I failed to seek clarification on them..
I read: dam wall, go east, ridge.
So that’s what I did.
Then I got to an electric fence.
So I reread the instructions.
Dam wall, ridge, east.
I got them in the wrong order.
So I was on the ridge, in the wrong place. I checked Google and decided to head west along the fence thinking I would reach the track I was meant to have been on. Instead of just turning around and following the track I had come up. Idiot.
West was thick shrub. 1.5km took about an hour. My corrugated laughter was a distance memory. My legs were burning from cuts. I picked up bits of path created by animals and hoped the little burrows/holes in the grass were made by rodents and not snakes. I wondered if the fence really was electrified and considered throwing the bike over so I could cycle on the gravel between the wind turbines. At one point I heard something zap. Glad I didn’t test the fence. Or try throw the bike over.
I eventually reached a low stone wall thinking yes! End of the electric fence! Nope. I considered throwing my bike down the mountain.
Eventually I gave up and went down the ridge, back to the track.
I had to negotiate a barbed wire fence and chose the bit with the least-rusted barbs.Managed alright though.
I then tried a different path and reached a big ditch. Screamed profanities. And went back the way I came. Which included going up a freaking steep hill with a headwind and no shade.
I was back on the corrugated gravel and managed to entertain myself again. But by now I was hot, tired, sore, and starting to get dehydrated.
Fortunately I now had a tailwind most of the way home.
So, 40km and 4.5hrs later, I got home. Covered in cuts and sand and with half the shrubs in my socks.
The epsom salt bath was... fun.
But hey. A productive morning.
Topic: My African Dream (Read 224437 times)
