I was glad to share this one with two good friends and my daughter who joined as a late replacement. Yet again we were treated to some splendid terrain. But, this was a tough one. Certainly my toughest Full Moon both in terms of physical effort and navigation challenges.
I am truly impressed that almost all the teams – including Bloed en OMO, scored a full house on the CPs. Hats off to the all novice teams. We finished the first hike, which entailed a heavy-breather over a mountain pass, late and consequently completed the paddle leg in the dark. Sodden and battling hypothermia we struggled onto the bikes to be rewarded with a flat tyre 20m from the transition.
The 50 km (+ extra in our case) cycle leg comprised a long energy sapping climb up into the mountains with a hellish night time descent along rutted logging tracks. It also presented three or four tricky bits of navigation at all but one of which we luckily took the correct descision even though group instinct demanded the other path.
The second hike through the night presented further challenging orienteering which we aced with the help of a small miracle or two, whilst the final bike leg to the finish was full of sharp changes of direction but that were nevertheless easy to navigate – daylight allowing us to follow the many bike tracks.
Two things will stick in my memory:
Firstly, there was our struggle to find C13 – a non-negotiable as it was also the gate into the estate containing T3 and TP4. Due to a combination of sloppy copying of data from the master map and not noting that the path had looped back at the end of the descent I became completely disorientated.
In fact I thought I was ‘‘motherless-in-a-shopping-mall“ lost – without any means of finding out where we were in the map other than back tracking all the way back up to CP12 to re-establish a known position. Absolutely nothing made sense and the only cryptic clue was the high voltage power line which I blame for confusing my fancy Suunto compass.
Luckily one of the very few teams still behind us pitched up, also disoriented. Pooling our observations we realised the gate was actually not far off at the end of a side road marked as cul de sac.
Secondly, after some light drizzle during the first half of the night, the clouds cleared up and at one point I looked up at the moon right above us.
It was iridescent – so much so it looked transparent – and really large and close. There could be no doubt that this object that appeared to be hovering just above us was a sphere and not simply a distant yellow disk. Adding to the effect was a small rectangular patch of very luminous cloud – whisp thin in the middle somewhat like a smoke ring- that actually appeared to be positioned behind the moon. The overall effect was of a smoke filled glass orb cupped in cotton wool. It took conscious effort to beat the optical illusion. Then it moved on and so did we.
Earlier I had looked at the southern cross and recalled the words from the Crosby, Stills and Nash song that goes:
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
‘Cause the truth you might be runnin‘ from is so small
But its as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day
I had thought this might be a theme to build a race report around but the moon stole all the inspiration. Instead what kept on coming into my head was another old song of my youth.
Herewith the modified Adventure Racing version:
How many roads must a man walk down
before he stumbles upon the CP?
How tired, wet and miserable must he be
befores he’s allowed to sleep on the sand?
Yes, how many river crossings must be endured
before they’re forever banned?
The answer my friend is blowin‘ in the wind
The answer is blowin‘ in the wind.
Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
before it‘s discovered by a race director?
Yes, how many blisters can two feet have
before there’s room for no more?
Yes, how many ears must a captain have
before he can hear the crew’s lament?
The answer my friend is blowin‘ in the wind
The answer is blowin‘ in the wind.
Yes, how much kit can be stuffed into a backpack
before it bursts at the seams?
Yes, how far can a bike be pushed and carried
before its left under a bush?
Yes, how many miles must a man paddle
before he is able to travel straight?
The answer my friend is blowin‘ in the wind
The answer is blowin‘ in the wind.
Yes, how many times must a map be turned
before it makes any sense?
Yes, how many times must a compass be tapped
before it speaks the truth?
Yes, how many times can a man trust the ropes
before a knot comes undone?
The answer my friend is blowin‘ in the wind
The answer is blowin‘ in the wind.
In closing I wish to apologise to the marshalls at T3 whose boerewors was eaten by Biltong. When we returned from the hike I was, however, glad to see that they had braaied some more. Unfortunately for them, it was liberated by Sputnik under the pretex that this was now T4 and therefore a new opportunity.
Thanks to all for another great weekend.
Team: Bloed en OMO | Author: Abel van der Merwe | Full Moon, 9/10 August 2014, Badplaas
Members:
- Christine Kina Tequila van der Merwe
- Nico Sputnik Labuschagne
- Jan Biltong Bezuidenhout
- Abel Agter os van der Merwe