We met at 7am at the Total petrol station on the edge of town, organised our bikes and set off on the descent to Mandevo, 15kms down the hill, and then turned around for the long tough climb. Matt was first up the hill with Mario Eisbein a minute behind and Mario Pasta a few metres behind him. Jan and Carlos arrived at a more leisurely pace. The descent and climb had taken us an hour.
Jan & Carlos arriving in Namaacha
Refuelling in Namaacha
Once we'd refuelled we set off on a loop of Namaacha town which started off with a steep descent on less than optimal asphalt and then a series of steep climbs, which splintered the group once more. The air was clean and with hardly any traffic or people, we thoroughly enjoyed the cycling. We met up at the turn-off to Monte Ponduine and cycled up to the entrance. The area belongs to TDM and has been fenced off, with a nice red sign indicating mines! Fortunately we'd be sticking to the road though. With us was Carlos Sales, and with the excuse of scouting routes for the All-Africa games in 2011, got the guard's permission to climb to the top.
Some fatigue after the Namaacha loop
Only 3 cylcists attempted the venture, and with gradients of up to 17%, there was good reason to wonder at their sanity. Matt, and the two Mario's set off and immediately the problem of the climb was apparent.. Even getting on the bikes on such a steep incline is difficult, especially with cleats. But off we went at painfully slow cadences. I felt my front wheel lift off the ground a few times in the steeper sections. However we eventually made it up to the top, and were treated to a wonderful view of the low-lying hills around Namaacha and Swaziland and South Africa, where Mt Ponduine borders.
Summiting Mt Ponduine. Maximum gradient 17%
With our photos taken by an Alcatel employee, we were off on the descent, and no easier than the climb. The centerline of the road had been cut five cm wide and at least half a metre deep for a new fibre optic cable, and the mounds of sand on the sides made negotiating the descent tricky. By the time we'd managed the descent our rims were smoking from the heat. Still, we felt good at having made it up, whether cycling or walking...
Descent. Notice cut in the road
Descent. By now the rims were smoking
After another obligatory photo session we were back onto the loop road and towards our cars at the petrol station. For the record Mario Sauder made it to the top first, with Matt a close second and myself a distant third. Overall we'd managed around 1200m of climbing for the day.. not bad for a morning's worth of cycling. I am sure we'll include Mt.Ponduine and the Namaacha loop in many future rides.
Entrance to Mt.Ponduine road
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