Day Six - Bush Camp to Hilltop Camp

Distance: 99.27km
Ride time: 6:02
Climb: 770m

Today was a pretty good day. Lunch was at the halfway point (distance wise) of the tour. Marked with a line of PVM drink power. Apt.

Lunch was pretty special. Instead of the normal fare, we had a feast. Cheese (two types!) and crackers. Branson pickles. Pineapple chunks. Cashews and raisins. Passion fruit. Avocado. Marmite. Tomato. Cucumber. Great, great stuff. I am kicking myself that I didn't take a photo, but I was too busy enjoying it.

After lunch and the halfway point, we basically climbed all the way to camp. WIth a real kicker towards the end. I made this a bit more challenging by snapping the shifter cable for my rear derailleur. I rode for a while in the tallest gear at the back, but eventually I cracked and jury rigged it back up so that I was about a third of the way up the cluster. Riding in my granny at the front on the climbs and rough sections meant I was crossing the chain a fair bit and producing a horrible noise, but I didn't want to fool with the system either. When I got to the steep climb at the end, I had to risk it and shift into an easier gear.

About two thirds of the way up the climb, I happened to look out to my right and saw the view. Before then, I hadn't realised how high we'd climbed from the dam. It was neat to see how far away the dam was, and how far below. Definitely a satisfying way to end the day. Oh yeah, we rode over a dam today. African countries are pretty picky about their dams, important bridges and military installations, so we were told not to take photos. No doubt someone has got some good ones though.

The view down into the dam.


The view back towards the dam a long time later.


Dan's Camping Tip: If you take a nap on your Thermarest under the truck and leave your bags uncovered, drape and arm out from under. That way when it starts raining, you'll know to get up and move your bags somewhere that they won't get wet. Also, when you get out of the truck, remember that the door is probably open, so don't stand up and smash your back into it.