Vanderpants Oz Tour

Don’t even know where to start with this one. All I can say it was definitely the toughest day i’ve had on the bike in my touring experience and can say that I was humbled and it was Mawson Trail = 1 – Adrian a big fat ZIPP. I was beaten mentally and physically. I thought that I had prepared by checking the maps, talking to a couple of guys that had previously completed the Mawson and checked the elevation. I was set with 5 litres of water and 75km’s to do – pretty easy right?? welllllllll NO I wasn’t prepared at all. I’ve had a lot of hard days on the bike before and I would say I have a fair amount of grit your teeth and just get it done mentality in me but today was not the case. Generally I can have a really tough day and still enjoy the views but today, the mawson beat me and here’s how.

I knew it was going to be hot on the trail with no shade and lots of water required. So I stocked up 5 litres and it was a nice morning and easy going for 10km’s then it started to get really rocky. I love that because it makes me feel i’m on a real adventure in the middle of nowhere and i’m really doing it. I was riding past some beautiful scenery and through LOTS of dry river beds. At time it felt like I was in the middle of butt end nowehere and it felt good to be actually doing this trail all on my own with my own mind and body. I was travelling along fine but really slow. The part from Hawker to Rawnsley station is REALLY rocky and technical, it was corrugated the whole day plus the headwinds, flies, approx (and no joke) 50ish river crossings that you have to walk through with huge rocks (my ankle was fatiguing from a fracture early in the year) and little to no shade. I think due to the massive amounts of rain – it made the roads really bumpy too with all the water flowing down everywhere creates these bumps in the road – all day. Below is a film of a downhill and even they were slow – if you look close I start the vid half way down

As you can see it’s pretty slow like the whole day. AMAZING views though and so picturesque. I knew that I had two choices of camping near the end of the day so all i knew is that I had shade and water at the end of the day. About half way through the day I got lost too. How did I do that I hear you say – well….my garmin said left, the mawson sign said right so of course I trusted the mawson sign……I rode along that for about 30 minutes and I didn’t see anymore signs and I was in rock hell on what seemed to be like someones property with what I thought was too much fencing with no signage. I decided to zoom out on my Garmin, find the trail (5km walk as the terrain was too rediculous to ride on) and get back to the trail – the correct one haha

After finding the trail I farmer came past (one of two cars I saw today) and we had a quick chat – he said he owns all this land in which I said thanks for letting us ride it – it’s so beautiful out here. We exchanged a few more words and he said If i wanted to swim in his damn I could. So nice but it was getting hotter and I knew time was a ticking to get to campsite plus it was stinking hot

I was about half way and so was my water – I did keep in mind that I need some for cooking and spare JUST in case there was none at the campsite. The flies were crazy – enough to get you commited to an asylum if you let them get to you – the heat was nuts and it felt like every pedal stroke was hard work and the concentration required all day to ensure you’re taking the right and least resistance kind of path was taxing. I was averaging 12kmph and that’s all fine when water isn’t an issue – i can do it all day if you know you have water.

Moving along – I finally got to my campsite after riding through some more amazing Flinders

Well the guys I spoke to who said the campsite was here and my maps said the same (stating water and shade) was not to be found. I had run out of water by this point (well 500mls left) which I was sipping just to keep the mouth moist. I saw the heysen trail on the map about 3 km’s away and thought it’s possibly a little up ahead on the trail as it’s common to have a hut right on the trail. I was debating that orrrrr head to rawnsley (3 hours away) – I decided to head for the Heysen. Obviously when the views are amazing, this means MORE HILLS. I was pushing my bike up lots of hills for 3 km’s – proper struggling and wondering what if it isn’t there. I was walking through dry creek beds with dead kangaroos everywhere thinking ‘where the hell am I’.

the campsite was nowhere to be found and that’s when I went silent and I know then that it’s action mode. I’m not silent very often (lol) but when I am I know it’s ‘action mode and grin and bear it mode’. It was 4pm and stinking hot (about 35) and I had been sipping for two hours by this point – I knew it was silent action mode because I had stopped sweating (not a good sign).

It wasn’t panic stations because all in all I had 3 hours to ride and even if the park was closed – i’ll be banging on doors for water. You know i’m really needing water when you start getting cold when it’s so hot and you’re not sweating. I couldn’t get over how hard I had to work through this part of the terrain and how much water I needed. I felt a bit silly to be honest with all my touring experience.

I hadn’t eaten because I knew that if I did I wouldn’t be able to stomach it and it would just come up. I also needed water for cooking so there was no way I was just going to camp when I was so dehydrated with no water. So on went my game face and action mode was set in.

After an hour I made it to the road and ONE car went past and I flagged it down (with my water bottle hahahahah). The lady stopped and I asked for water in which she had a cold 500ml bottle. At that point it felt like 500ml was anough for an ant – in hindsight I should’ve asked for a lift but I was so excited for water I thanked her and knew I was 2 hours away from rest and water.

Onwards I went – of course the headwinds were still crazy in your face and it was all uphill. I said if I see another car – i’m getting a lift…….of course no more cars hahahaha

Those two hours were the longest of my life and my body was definitily packing up – I could feel that i’ve never had to dig this deep before….SAS training had nothing on this hahahaha still no panic because I knew where water was I just had to get there which from your sofa seems so easy huh – yeah I thought so too – until a mix of things happen and bang – you don’t. Harsh trails, hot weather, headwinds, non existent campsites, corrugations out the wazoo, flies, hills, no shade and miscalculating water, dehydration and you have yourself a a nice mixture of things to challenge you

The lights went on front and back – shirt off – grimace on.

I FUCKN MADE IT – yewwwwwwww i had to walk the last pissy little hill to what I saw was lights on in the restuarant which is 1.5km’s from the caravan park. I walked in, the whole place turns around and looks at me – I nod and head to the counter – the guy takes one look at me and no word of a lie – fills up my bottles with COLD WATER, grabs two solos from the fridge – hands them to me and quietly says ‘don’t tell the boss, I can see you need this – on the house mate’ – My mouth was so dry I couldn’t even say thanks – I had to clear my throat and attempt it again.

I walked back outside and slammed those drinks so fast and tears ran down my cheeks which was unexpected. I think because I was all in action mode for a while, the weight of the day and how hard it was really hit me.

I think if i was lighter (no tent and sleeping gear) today would not have been a problem – but that’s the thing with loaded touring – you don’t mind going a bit slower to take it all in – just take more water hahahaha.

I suprised myself at how much today beat me – I’ve done harder longer days end on end – just one of those those mixtures of things plus the harsh terrain I think – I’ll bag this one down as ‘what doesn’t kill you’ kind of days.

After i slammed lots of water and solo I was so sick hahahahah I walked in and thanked the kind man so much and he said that his house is near the caravan park and fill up all I need – how bloody kind is that…..

There was no way I could eat but I managed some chips which i poured A LOT of salt over to replenish a small amount back hehe and put two of my hydration tablets in two litres of water and sipped that slowly for a few hours. I managed to at least peg my tent down and without putting the poles up I layed down and looked at the stars but they were moving a little (not good) so I kept drinking and I fell asleep on TOP of my tent until 3am in which I then felt a lot better. I downed a lot more water and ate some sultana cake and a muesli bar and was feeling a lot better. I set up my tent properly and jumped in and just zonked until 830. I’m ok with being truly beaten once in 15 countries of touring – i’ll own that 🙂

Woke up today feeling so much better – it’s 35 degrees today – no riding for me – there’s a pool here and i’ll be there alllll day if you need me – 75km’s to go until I cracked the Mawson Trail and hit Blinman. Only 75km’s he says hahahahaha

Side Note: I was wondering why (on the small amount of flat road today) why my head was bopping and bocking like a chicken whilst riding – I found out that the rear tyre was placed on incorrectly making a small ‘chicken bokking’ kind of bump – So i had to reseat that properly too – I didn’t notice due to the rocky trails. Must’ve been from when it was replaced – he was in a bit of a hurry.

My front tyre is leaking near the valve too and the brakes are less than desirable. This bike is really supposed to be a city dweller so it’s done well to be honest to do almost complete the pounding of the NZ Tour and the Mawson.

This means I HAVE to buy a new bike don’t I….see the following principles apply with cyclists…..

N+1

N = My current number of bicycles.

+1 = the number I need to have a happy fulfilled life.

Some call it an addiction. I call it normal.

I’m definitily going to get a beast of a tourer next and come back and do it in reverse ‘Blinman to Adelaide’ and smash this beast of a trail once more – face the last two demon days again and smash it.

Thanks for reading peeps – as always – it’s been a pleasure – 1 more day of riding and the Mawson is DONE!!!!!