ExpAfrica: The last morning

This final morning of Expedition Africa has been packed with excitement. I’ve been at T6 – on Sterkfontein Dam – since yesterday late afternoon and at night the wind and rain came in making it a cold, cold location. We woke up to rain too as it had continued throughout the night.

Teams continued to come through – off the cycle leg. Team Energy, who I spoke to this morning, said they came through around 20h00. I heard from them that the deadline for getting on to the water had been moved and that teams could head out before sunrise. This change was made by Stephan as he was watching teams out on the hike and seeing how they were moving. Ugene Nel, from Energy, said they’d decided that with the cold and wind and seeing what was happening out on the hike that they would be safer joining the other teams for the cycle to the finish this morning.

And this seems to be a good decision.

But Warriors, on the other hand, they only got on the water at 03h00. Heidi and Stephan have told them that they’re only here until Monday morning as they have to get back to Jo’burg… so the team best come in before then.

From what I can tell most of the teams who got on to the water around sunset seem to have slept out at T7, continuing after sunrise. This would have been Castle Lite and Black Diamond – can’t think who else… Olympus got going earlier and they spent time at T7 but didn’t camp. They pushed on.

This morning Fox on Fire, who also camped with Black Diamond and Castle Lite, got back on the water this morning to return to T6 – instead of starting the hike. May be a good decision; albeit a tough one to make when you’ve been out for a full five 24-hour days and the end seems so ‘close’. Close is relative ‘cos that hike, while ‘short’ is an absolute bugger.

I was delighted to see Pure Adventures at T6 this morning too. Hano said they had a good and steady 18-hour cycle to the transition and they’re all fine and well. They got in before midnight.

At 6am the teams that had spent the night at T6 were off on their bikes on an easy, direct road cycle to the finish. Spirits were good even though it was raining.

The group split with Merrell Denmark and Beast of Ballyhoura in front. Soren and I got ahead of the cyclists, driving into thick, thick fog where we could barely see 20-metres. We parked at Little Switzerland to wait for the cyclists to emerge from the fog. My buddy Fred, back in Jo’burg, was keeping tabs on tracking and we were on the phone – he was keeping me in the loop with team locations.

“They should be almost with you,” he said as we saw shadows clarifying. Soren was out on the road in a flash!

The route went down Oliviershoek Pass – lots and lots of fog. And then, we dropped below the clouds and the landscape turned magnificent. Beautiful light, rain-soaked fields and a smooth, open tar road stretching ahead.

Back at the hotel we waited. Merrell Denmark came through first and as my new ‘adopted’ team, I was delighted. Travelling with Soren, their photographer, we’ve been midfield and so we’ve spent the most time with teams here and, of course, with Merrell Denmark. I wore my Merrell Buff, given to me by the team last night, to welcome them home.

And then the Irish. Such beautiful accents and a lovely team. Really good to have them here too. They came to South Africa for warm weather and flat terrain. They got neither. But what they did get was a take-home racing experience that they won’t soon forget. They’ve made mistakes, they’ve slogged in the mountains but they’ve absolutely loved being out here. Today’s rain had them feeling completely at home *grin*

I had the fortune of rogaining last year on their turf and I can say with conviction that even though they got some chilly early-winter weather here, it has still been warmer (during the day especially) than their summer! Irish folk, you’re never going to live that rogaining weather down.

And then we’ve had Pure Adventures, Charnas and Rusty and PennyPinchers in too on bikes.

I get totally teared up seeing teams arrive.

And then RedAnts – coming off the hike. Last night and this morning Fred was tracking them walking along cliff edges. On the phone he was saying, “Watching the track I thought RedAnts were going to kill themselves last night! It looked crazy.”

They’re here. Phew!

RedAnts’ Cobus van Zyl is the husband of Cindy, who has been running HQ. I’ve phoned in many times over the past week to ask Cindy for updates on teams when we’ve been out team hunting. She’s been watching their progress – remaining calm as she’s watched them searching for a way down. She’s understandably relieved to have him back.

And now we wait. Next in… maybe Olympus? Their tracker hasn’t worked for ages. Indabushe are blazing, WCAD are coming through and also Castle Lite and Black Diamond.

I’m ready to have my friends home now.

Photos by Soren Nielsen (photographer for Merrell Denmark) – these beautiful images will give you an idea of where we’ve been.

• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4 & 5
• Day 6

Gremlins – earlier on the race I was typing Powerbar plus their old sponsor’s name (as per my list). They’re only Powerbar. And it seems I’ve been typing Castle Lite with the ‘proper’ spelling of lite (i.e. light), which is isn’t. I haven’t been able to check messages but will catch up in the next day or so – thank you for your comments. Doh! Long days, little sleep, slow connections (2G, if lucky!)… bam. Sowwy.