Mountain Massacre

[Still Riding]

This past weekend saw some hectic riding at Four Rivers Outdoor Centre near Champagne Castle.

 

[Still Riding]

180 riders started, including one woman in a black sportsbra, who encouraged the other riders to do the best :imaposer:

 

[Still Riding]

One brave survivor at the foot of Hill One

 

[Still Riding]

Hill One took the ablest rider about an hour

 

[Keith Barbier]

:spitcoffee:

 

[Still Riding]

The weekend was hilarious. One rider got stuck on top of a hill and a passing farmer walked up and with the help of 30 piccanins pulled him down. Another on a new Freeride ran out of petrol when his fuel injection gasket leaked, so a Marshall persuaded him to let him take a shortcut to the nearest petrol place, which happened to be across a neck visible in the far distance. We say this Freeride haring up the neck at about 80, with the Marshall, as guide, still on the back, and thought, man, that guy is going for it. Later we took the same shortcut and found the road was a eroded cattle track with dongas and holes about 2m deep all over and the Freerider was going as fast as it could go to save his life Then the chief Marshall later told us the Marshall complained he didnt get his guide money

 

[Crossed-up]

Shew! Looks like you guys had a hectic time!

 

[katana]

Looks like fun though  :ricky:

 

[Still Riding]

The weekend was really fun. My son and I booked campsites and got there to find all 180 other riders had descended on the place at the same time, and had parked all over the place, the organiser said, camp anywhere that you can. I like camping, the city veneer soon falls off. At this event, the veneer fell of very fast.
The announcer called for a psychiatrist to help with one competitor who had problems. He was complaining about something or other :imaposer:
I was too intimidated to put on my gear (I'm 64) until I saw the lady with a sportsbra and elbow guards, pants and a helmet. If she can ride like that, I said to myself, I can ride too! :laughing4:
So I put on my gear and set off. My 310 Husky smokes my son's KTM300 that has been ported :imaposer: (Its' the gearing)(he doesn't like me to tell anyone) and I zoomed up a really steep hill to find a field of gem-squash size rocks in a eroded section. Bit risky for a lone rider. So I turned back. But my son should have waited for me - he got stuck on top of a hill - couldn't go forward, couldn't go back, until a passing farmer on his bike who was using the cattle paths at the base of the hill, parked his bike and walked up to help. With 30 piccanins and a 30m length of mountaineering rope they pulled him out.
Most riders apparently turned back at the first hill.
Only 22 finished.
The average rider was extremely fit. At prize giving two of them did something wrong and the announcer said, "50 pushups each" and in a flash they were on the ground putting out 50 pushups.
My friend, who didn't finish, told me before the race, "On Monday I did 6,000 skips and on Tuesday I ran 5 kms so my dog was tired, and I wasn't, my broer, I'm going to crack this race!!!". It's his mudguard in the first photo. He got so cross when I asked him where he was, I was waiting at Hill One for him to crack the hill,  :lol8: but he wasn't cross for long, he's got a very good heart :ricky:
The terrain, mostly very eroded cattle paths, or just veld, and kraals, was brilliant for the ride.
The announcer kindly invited me back next year, and when I said I would use a gps and go round the rocks, he laughed, and said, "You're welcome!!"

 

[Keith Barbier]

:imaposer:  :imaposer:  great

 

[trevorwb]

The section of downhill in yr first photo was treacherous .My bike actually got away from me and did it on its own.

 

[ianhogg]

Congratulations on making it Trevor. I had a feeling you'd juggle your work commitments to make it happen and keep the flag flying! After all, one of us has to do something stupid. Ian