Final team arrives

by | May 22, 2017 | St Francis

Final team arrives and the party is on

Team Flud arrives after 150 hours on the raos

It is almost inconceivable the mental strength the back runner teams on the Expedition Africa must have had to keep going, knowing they were never in the prizes, yet they did. Two teams in particular must be congratulated for their fortitude. Team Cape St Francis team made of two ladies rather than just one as with the rest of the teams, finished late on Friday night after some 134 hours on the road with Team Fluid, the last team to cross the finish line on Saturday afternoon after over 150 hours on the gruelling course of this year’s Expedition Africa.  These are the real heroes of the event for they were not racing for glory but just the reward of achieving what must have seemed impossible at times. But they persevered and finally achieved their goal – to finish.

As written in a previous post last week, it is those who make up the back runners that make events such as this the success they are. Be it the Comrades, the Dusi, King of the Kromme or a community fun run, they don’t make up the numbers; they are the heart and soul of these events.

With the ending of this fantastic event many locals will be left with a void in their lives for a few days for there is no doubt it captured many of our lives for seven days. So many joined in by volunteering their services by manning the many control and transition points on the challenging course through some of the wildest and beautiful parts of the greater Kouga. These volunteers must be thanked for without their help this event could never have been the success it was. Camped out in the cold of night waiting hour after hour for the next team also must have had them wondering what they had gotten themselves into but they too persevered and stuck to their posts.

A word of thanks must got out to Stephan & Heidi Muller for bringing Expedition Africa to our region and for brightening our lives with such an exciting and prestigious event. Almost a year in the planning, their organisational skills are quite honestly, incredible. The logistics of planning and running such an event are quite simply mind boggling! Moving kayaks and cycles from one transition point to another in time alone was amazing.  So too was their reporting on the progress of the teams with their live tracking and continuous stream of news on social media. To see some of the great video of the event go to the official website expafrica.live.

Tired bodies and no doubt minds, gathered along with volunteers and locals to celebrate the event  at Cape St Francis Resort for the Prize Giving on Saturday evening.

First prize and free entry into the AR World Championship to be held in Colorado, United States later this year were, if you don’t already know, Team Skylotec Adventure from Sweden  with second place going to Team Thunderbolt AR from Australia and in third, the leading SA team, Team Nevarest Jabberwok.

Fasie Malherbe added to the occasion with a surprise where he offered a team voted for by the other competitors, a choice of a 10-day holiday for 10 people at any one of his properties – Cape St Francis Resort, Casa Malcampo situated in the small fishing village of Tofo, in Mozambique or Villa Tapenade in Croatia. The teams voted Team Cadena Challenger from Mexico as the lucky recipient of the prize.

Thankyou Stephan and Heidi for bringing Expedition Africa to our shores. It is an event that will live long in many of our memories and certainly many of us will be glued to social media next year when you repeat the event for the fortunate community of the Namaqualand Coast.

Expedition Africa Finish Line in site

by | May 17, 2017 | St Francis

Expedition Africa Finish Line in site

It is almost inconceivable that some of the teams that just 72 hours ago set off along the beach at Cape St Francis on the epic 500 kilometre Expedition Africa will soon be crossing the finish line at Cape St Francis Resort. To travel 500 kilometres by kayak, foot and bike  in just a little over three days seems  implausible yet a few of the teams will achieve just that in a few hours time.

Waiting at T9 at the Gamtoos river mouth yesterday morning to see the first teams complete the long 25 kilometre haul by kayak down the Gamtoos I had a chat with race organiser Stephan Muller  about the progress of the race. Interestingly he explained the front runners had lost significant time early late Monday night and early yesterday morning having had to traverse the course in the pitch dark. Asked if this meant his prediction of the finish time would be a lot later than anticipated, he explained it was very much swings and roundabouts. What was time lost in the dark would mean that these teams would now traverse a section of the race intended to be done in the dark on daylight allowing them to catch up those lost hours.

Standing on the banks of the Gamtoos one of the group assembled at T9 spotted movement on the river. Straining old eyes I finally spotted a spec in the distance that ever so slowly drew closer and closer. Finally looking no worse for wear Thunderbolt AR, an all Australian team landed their kayaks, carried them up the steps of the jetty and set them aside for collection by the race logistics team to collect. Now one would expect them to rush to the inviting spread of the refreshment table but not so, they immediately set about preparing for the next leg, a run to T10 in Jeffreys Bay, showing almost no evidence that they had just covered some 300 gturling kilometres in just over 53 hours with virtually no rest with Bernadette Dorman, the lady member of the team (pictured below) looking as ‘fresh as a daisy’.

Bernadette Dorman

Bernadette Dorman, the lady member of Thunderbolt

Whilst all the attention is naturally on the athletes, thought and thanks must be given to the many, many volunteers for without them giving so freely of their time, this race would not have been possible. Some of these volunteers have been at their posts at control points through the cold nights and long days waiting for the very last team to pass their station before packing up and no doubt heading for home, a warm shower and a good sleep. Well done and thanks to all those who gave of their time.

Thought must also be given to the amazing logistics team that brought this amazing event to the Kouga region but more on that in a later post.

Bu the time you read this there may be a change in the standings but at present Team Thunderbolt leads narrowly from Team Skylotec with East Wind and Nevarest Jabberwok  a distant third. It appears from the liv tracking that the two leading teams have finished the final cycle leg and are heading on foot for the daunting sand dunes of Oyster Bay.

If you can take a bit of time off work or are in the Cape St Francis area this afternoon, it would be great to gather on the Wildside or near the lighthouse to cheer these amazing athletes home.

Team Skylotech (Sweden) approach the old Gamtoos River bridge

Team East Wind (Japan)

A wave from Team East Team East Wind (Japan) as they pass under the old Gamtoos River Bridge

Expedition Africa opening eyes

by | May 16, 2017 | St Francis

Expedition Africa opening eyes to the beauty and history of our area.

Following Expedition Africa has not only been a rather interesting exercise in managing one’s social media activity but also renewed this scribe’s interest in the beauty and history of an area where I have roots dating back to the 1800’s. Although aware of these roots I really never paid much attention to the history of the Gamtoos valley, wonders of the Baviaans or indeed the entire surrounding area. That was until Expedition Africa that has made me so much more aware of just what an amazing area we have on our doorstep.

The short article on Expedition Africa ‘s website yesterday on the natural phenomena of the Bergvenster natural arch created by natural weathering of the Enon conglomerate and the manmade Philips Tunnel, the first tunnel scheme in South Africa certainly piqued my interest to start exploring a little more. https://fireflyafrica.blogspot.co.za/2013/11/phillips-tunnel-in-hankey.html

Although Natal born & bred I have ties back to the Gamtoos area where my great grandparents must have farmed (I wonder if I can make a land claim) and where my grandfather CJE ‘Charlie’ Smith’ was born. Schooled in Cradock,  Charlie went on to play cricket for the then Transvaal earning his Springbok colours at Wanderers against Australia in October 1902.

But I digress so back to the race.

The ‘dark zone’ in the Baviaans was always of major concern to the organisers and it seems for good reason for one of the leading teams. Skylotech. The Swedish team, one of the favourites for top honours had an encounter of an African kind when they came face to face with some buffalo. There was no danger as a patrolling buffalo watch team were there to intervene and the Swedes were able to continue unscathed but with a story to tell their childern and grandchildren in years to come about their encounter in the African bushveld.

Several teams managed to get through the dark zone before it was shut down to ensure team safety so those who beat the clock certainly have a huge advantage. Thunderbolt (Australia) seems to have grabbed the lead from Skylotech (Sweden) with East Wind (Japan), Nantes (France) and the leading South African team Nevarest Jabberwock in hot pursuit.  The leading teams will have started Leg 8 by the time you read this post. Leg 8 sees the teams having to do some rope work before getting back onto their kayaks for a paddle down the Gamtoos. No doubt we will see the leading teams jockeying for position over the next few hours. My money is on the Swedes starting the run ahead of the Aussies on the run into Jeffreys Bay.

To see the route that Expedition is following there is a very informative video on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaM9D3NZh4k

that will give you a better idea of where they have come from and where they are going when read with the live tracking http://www.kineticgear.org/gps-tracking/

 

Flag Ceremony

by | May 11, 2017 | St Francis

Flag Ceremony – not to be missed

A not to be missed event is the Flag Ceremony on Cape St Francis beach on Saturday (13 May) morning where the teams competing in Expedition Africa will fly their flags. Starting on the beach in front of Cape St Francis Resort at 11:00am the flag ceremony will then continue along the beach to the Cape St Francis Lighthouse and environmental project at SANCCOB.

Heidi Muller of organisers Kinetic Events explains that as the African adventure racing organisers have chosen to assist SANCCOB in their work with endangered African penguin and other sea birds. “The competing teams will be introduced to the invaluable work done by SANCCOB and get the opportunity to adopt a penguin. Thereafter teams will each lay a stone into the Expedition Africa landmark, which will be part of the event’s legacy. Another unveiling will take place thereafter, marking of Seal Point as the south eastern most point of Africa”.

The flag parade offers a perfect opportunity for locals to see the athletes before they set off on their gruelling adventure on Sunday morning 14 May 2017 at 7:00am. The venue of the start is being kept secret but SFT will endeavour to bring you more on the start as soon as the information is revealed so spectators can gather to support their chosen team.

According to Muller the race explores the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the largest of its kind in Southern Africa.  The 225 000 hectare mega-reserve boasts unspoiled, rugged mountainous terrain featuring spectacular landscapes exposing athletes from far and wide to an entirely new kind of beauty. For the first time in the history of Expedition Africa there will be a “Dark Zone” along one of the hiking legs, as teams will not be allowed to travel during night. This is to ensure the safety of the teams as they will traverse though an African Wildlife area.

Worth noting from Heidi’s comment above is the mention of a “dark zone” where teams will not be allowed to travel at night. Other than the dark zones competitors apparently forego sleep and often continue through the night in their quest to finish in the shortest possible time.

So next week, whilst snuggling under your duvet tracking your favourite team on your phone, tablet or laptop, give a thought for these intrepid adventurers, even if they are a bit crazy, as they navigate through unknown, unfamiliar terrain in the dead of night.

Keep up to date as the race unfolds including tracking the teams – visit Kinetic Events website, the Expedition Africa organisers, at http://kinetic-events.co.za/Events/Expedition-Africa.

See you at the flag ceremony!

More on Expedion Africa on St Francis Today

Expedition Africa - Team Cape St Francis

Meet Team Cape St. Francis Resort from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

Meet Team 3 Dutchmen and a Lady from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

Meet Team 3 Dutchmen and a Lady from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

 

 

Meet Team Ubhejane from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

Meet Team Ubhejane from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

Meet Team Ecobound from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans.

Meet Team Gone Racing from South Africa. They will be at Expedition Africa 2017 Baviaans

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