Gamkaberg Nature Reserve is in the heart of the Karoo, between Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp. It’s a smallish reserve that we’ve never been to before, so we decided to visit. There are no cycling trails, but there is a 4×4 trail that ‘experienced and fitter cyclists’ can tackle. We discovered that it can also be tackled by stupid cyclists, such as us. ‘It looks like it goes straight up the mountain’said I, when Nige pointed out the trail that can be seen from the campsite. Oh well, we’ll find out. And off we went. Turns out, it goes straight up the mountain! A clear sign that a 4×4 track is steep is when there are sections that they concrete, because otherwise the 4x4s (with engines) can’t get up them. It was horrendously steep, and I walked quite a bit of it. I felt a little better, but not much, when Nige couldn’t even ride sections of it. The concrete sections were very, very steep; the less steep sections were loose and rocky. Coming down was almost as frightening as going up. The stats on our gps showed afterwards that we rode a total of 13km, with an elevation gain of 581 metres (bits of that, at either end, were pretty flat, and the second half was all downhill!). The average gradient on the climb was 25%! No wonder I couldn’t ride it! We did the 13km at a blitzvinnige average speed of 5.3km/hour.
The next day, we took a different approach: we rode outside of the reserve, in a big loop past the Calitzdorp Spa and back. 40km, with an elevation gain of just 214 metres, and a very much higher average speed!
Live and learn. Maybe. I keep looking at the track up the mountain and start wondering… next time, could I make it further before I walk?
