The POINT2POINT Challenge
- NEW! The Experience
- The Challenge
- Rules & Getting Started
- En Route
- WALL of FAME
- …
- NEW! The Experience
- The Challenge
- Rules & Getting Started
- En Route
- WALL of FAME
The POINT2POINT Challenge
- NEW! The Experience
- The Challenge
- Rules & Getting Started
- En Route
- WALL of FAME
- …
- NEW! The Experience
- The Challenge
- Rules & Getting Started
- En Route
- WALL of FAME
POINT2POINT Challenge MTB Solo (!) - another successful Challenger's account - Anthony Haynes - 14 Oct 2023*
*see footnote...
The start to my Challenge was a little harder than expected.
My family and I had visited the Cape Point National Park several days earlier and so I wasn’t keen to pay for the whole family to drop me off at the Cape Point lighthouse again.
So, I said my goodbyes to the wife and kids and started my bonus ride to the start with a head wind of about 30km/h. Not the best start to a Challenge like this but my mood soon changed when I turned at the lighthouse and then had a massive tail wind to blow me back out the Cape Point National Reserve!
After Redhill there was a small decent to Lewis Gay dam where the tar ends, and the wildlife begins. My first encounter was with a tortoise who was crossing the sandy trail.
Once you emerge you hit the tar again and make a fast transition on tar past Sun Valley towards Noordhoek where you pass the beautiful Cape Point Vineyards.
The traverse across the mountain range above Constantia had been hit hard by the recent heavy rains and several areas were damaged by landslides. One of which had scoured the mountain face and left a scar of mud and broken trees in its wake. A little climbing with the bike on the shoulder helped navigate safely over these areas.
The decent down to Constantia was a bit technical in some areas but once you hit the single track it becomes a smooth rollercoaster which is a welcome relief after all the climbing.
I then took a long break at Peddlars for a burger, coffee milkshake and several litres of water before setting off again to meander along the green belts and parks that connect the suburbs of Constantia, Silverhurst and Bel Ombre.
By the time you get through Bel Ombre you hope your body has recovered enough and refuelled enough because the big climbs pile up after this point. You climb rocky jeep trails above Cecilia forest and Kirstenbosch Gardens to decent down through Newlands Forest.
The ride up around Rhodes Memorial is part hike/ride in some areas and the gradient is unforgiving. Just know that if you stop peddling at any point and put your foot down, you’ll battle to get peddling again because of the steep gradient and loose gravel.
When you pass below the Blockhouse and turn the side of the mountain you’re greeted by a fantastic view of Lions Head and the city below. Thankfully as well, your ass gets some rest as you hit the tar road which passes the Table Mountain cable car here.
Now it’s a quick decent down and around signal hill where you follow the Sea Point promenade along the Atlantic all the way to the Greenpoint lighthouse.
A quick high 5 to the Greenpoint lighthouse sign and my epic adventure is done. The only problem is my family were comfortably watching the Fiji vs England world cup rugby match, so I had to Uber home.
The ride from the lighthouse, out the national park and up Redhill was pleasant.
I only had to slow down in one area to avoid Baboons who were sunning and grooming themselves on the tar road.
Several friends had warned me to be careful around the Redhill township as they’d heard storys of the residents being quite aggressive towards riders in the past. On this occasion I was only greeted by the vibrant music emanating from several shacks.
From Klein Plaas dam to Ocean view was the only portion of this ride where I questioned whether doing this ride solo was a good or bad idea because once on the plateau you don’t see any signs of life and the warm weather had my eyes darting across the single track looking for basking snakes.
In one area the fynbos had covered the trail.
I ploughed through and ended up being caked in yellow pollen. The trail was tough going here because you spend most of your time riding in white beach sand which saps your energy.
Now the hard work starts as you climb the jeep trails of Silvermine.
This is a climb that will stick in my mind and legs for a long time. Once you reach the summit you traverse across the front the mountain range with a view of Constantia below.
It was at this point when I was dropping down to get back on the route that I came across the biggest puffadder I’d ever seen in the wild or captivity. Its head was the size of a tennies ball. Thankfully I was able to keep 10m clear of it a all times as it climbed the jeep track which I was decending down.
* Although we would discourage anyone attempting the POINT2POINT MTB Challenge solo, we glad that you made it through safely and are super grateful for your detailed account , Ant.
Thanks!
The P2P Challenge Team!
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