RASA 2021 Pietermaritzburg to ….. uhm ….. Romansfontein | By: Tracey Lentin

Day 1 started pretty well. I knew I wasn’t as strong as the rest of the group so I set of at manageable pace with plans to skip the lunch stop and get down to the Umko as early as possible. All went well with only a minor issue involving a bull - until I got down to the river. Having not been there in 4 years and never having done the river crossing before, I first went one way to find the crossing, changed my mind and tried to find the original route only to find myself facing a wall of thick bush with monster thorns. It was getting late and I had no intention of sleeping on the banks of the river so, in frustration, I looked for a cattle crossing and waded into the river heading for the settlement on the other side. The river bottom soon disappeared and I found myself swimming and hanging onto my bike for dear life. Trying to drag the bike through rapids on the other side was quite an exercise but all I could think of was the bitch of a climb to come, up Hela Hela (I’d even dreamt of it). A large owl quietly sitting in the middle of the road cheered me up and I finally arrived at Allendale long after dark and with all my kit soaked. 

A late start on Day 2 to dry kit and recover meant staying at Centocow (interim stop). Good nav and an early start on Day 3 and I arrived at Ntsikeni for a fabulous lunch and good catch-up with Dalo Ngobo. I set off for Glen Edward with plenty of time to get through Politique Kraal with it’s tricky nav. A silly error and I found myself above the kraal with a steep gorge between us. I decided it was best to retrace my steps and was really pleased to see Kemsley and Andrew right where I’d made my mistake. They kindly stayed with me until we were on the jeep track heading off the mountain. I made my way down in the dark and, in my excitement, rode right past the support station. I finally arrived to a warm welcome by Charles and sad news about Sheila’s illness (praying she’s soon home safe). It had been a 16 hour day on the bike but I felt good.

Great weather and a good day’s riding with minor issues in the wattles, no problems finding the farm houses in “my” valley and I arrived at Masakala with light to spare. About half an hour later a rowdy bunch of guys arrived. What a pleasure to have such lekka company after spending most of the first 4 days alone. The next 4 days were a bit of a blur with us battling gale force winds and me desperately trying to match the guys pace.

I arrived at Slaapkranz after dark, completely shattered, and decided to call it a day. I sadly informed race office and my support group that I was heading home. I got up early and said goodbye to the guys promising Richard, John and Steve that I would be there to welcome them in at Diemers. They unfortunately pulled out a few days later due to some serious injuries. A good night’s rest and practical advice from the guru MD and I changed my mind and decided to push on after a day’s rest.

I got an early start on Day 10 but careful navigation through the 2 big portages (my 2014 memories were very sketchy) and I soon realised that I was only going to make Moordenaarspoort that day. I was cruising merrily down the steep, rutted road towards the SS in the dark when I was suddenly launched over the handlebars – my backpack propelling me forward like a guided missile. As I lay on the ground I did what any self-respecting woman does and made sure my face was still intact. Luckily I’d landed head first and my helmet and headlamp took the brunt of the fall. Only after I had confirmed that no facial reconstruction was needed did I noticed the pain in my ankle. Luckily it wasn’t far to the support station and I limped in feeling very sorry for myself. A quick confer with Julia (and FC doc) and I was instructed to ice, ice, ice and that my ankle was going to be unstable for portaging. Regina and Danie were amazing and, after the best shower ever, I was feeling a lot better.

I left early for breakfast at Kranskop where I met Gary and RG then headed to Brosterlea for the night. As the wind departed, the cold arrived and I left a freezing Brosterlea before dawn wondering how my ankle would handle the blockhouse portage. A cold start gave way to a stunning, wind free day and I made good time to Romansfontein after carefully descending the steep portage section. I love the gentle cows and bulls one finds in KZN and EC, so different from the vicious bovines poor unsuspecting cyclists have to deal with in the Cape. They were often my only company for most of the day and we had some interesting conversations as one does on the trail.

I arrived at Romansfontein at about 4.30pm knowing that I would have to head on to Hofmeyer 72kms away if I wanted to make the 6am cut-off. Gary arrived soon after and, nursing an extremely painful abscess in his tooth, said that he couldn’t go on. Three other guys arrived and laughed when I suggested possibly going on. I was then faced with the dilemma of going on alone, in the dark with a sprained ankle to attempt a technical portage that was between me and the cut-off. It was pretty much a no-brainer and I accepted that my ride was done. Being told the following morning that the temp at the farm had dropped to -18deg during the night confirmed that I had made the right decision.

I have had some time to unpack my ride and do the whole woulda, coulda, shoulda thing. I have come to the conclusion that you cannot enter RASA with the only goal being to finish and get a blanket. A blanket is an amazing achievement and I’m pretty disappointed that it has once again eluded me but I had an incredible journey. I met wonderful people, saw places most people never get to see and pushed myself beyond what I ever thought I was capable of. I leave the trail a far richer person. Thank you to all my friends and family for the incredible support xx