As a racer I have a soft spot for tired racers and now on night two they’re tired, haggard and sleepy (and cold).
Two teams, Energy and Indabushe, were lined up side to side like sardines-in-a-can at CP14 (Tugela Rapids), comfortable on mattresses and warmed by a fire in the cosy room. Colourful sleeping bags with their sleep-stilled bodies made me want to walk to each to give the racer a goodnight kiss on their foreheads.
Merrell Denmark arrived while we were there. Chilled to the bone they’d swum multiple times on the paddle stage when their kayaks got stuck on rocks and in the rapids. They proclaimed this night-time paddle section to be their coldest race experience ever. Within 30 minutes they were in dry clothes and ready to join the sardines already fast asleep.
Arriving shortly after midnight at T3, the Spionkop Dam take-out (end of 75km kayak stage), we saw Powerbar attending to a ‘mechanical’ within 100 metres of the transition and then team Olympus coming out of the gate, starting this cycle leg.
Here at the transition, in the boat club clubhouse, three teams are either asleep or preparing to leave. Fox on Fire have readied their bikes and should depart after a sleep. Castle Lite and Warriors are asleep on mattresses. Castle Lite have requested a 02h00 wake-up call from the marshals. Warriors would like to be woken at 3am. We’re waiting for RustProof.
I left the midway camp (T4) around 22h00, minutes after Team Haglofs Silva arrived looking very relaxed and in command. They started the cycle leg at about 13h30 so teams are looking at 8h30 plus for this leg – and Silva had half-half day and night. They’re in for a six-hour compulsory stop at T4, which will be their first sleep since the start. There were hot meals in the oven, just waiting for them and there are hot showers and mattresses too. The midway camp is at an old army base adjacent to the Dragon’s Peak campsite. This lies below the Monk’s Cowl Park gate – teams will be heading up that way to start the second trekking stage. We’ll chat more about this section tomorrow.
They will get their maps for this next section at the transition.
I’ve done the day-walk from the gate up to Dead Man’s Corner, where the trail meets the contour path. It is very pleasant and scenic, albeit an uphill climb (I think there is more than one trail option leading up; not the route the teams will get to take as they have CPs to locate more North). I’ve never been past here but again the teams will be on top of the Berg. I’ve heard that there are two distinct route choices once they get to the one particular CP at Keith’s Bush Camp. There’s a route that is easier going and less tricky but it is around seven kilometres longer. I can only assume that after the Ifidi/Rockeries thing that teams will take the shorter option and just deal with what ever comes their way, even if the navigation will be a little more challenging.
Race director Stephan Muller told me that in this area the teams are at around 2000 metres and that they’ll be surrounded by 3000-metre high peaks. If tomorrow is anything like today (just perfect conditions!) they’ll be in for an exceptionally majestic hike.