Adventure and Travel

Moody skies and chicken pies on day four of Tour de Braai

· By Bike Hub Features · 0 comments

The fourth day of the Tour de Braai followed a seventy-eight kilometre route from Rooiberg to Riversdale via Garcia Pass.

Departing from the beautiful Rooiberg Lodge we soon hit some punchy climbs which had me questioning my over zealous approach to the prior evening. In the distance we could see the cloud covered Langeberg Mountains signaling a sturdy south east wind which toyed with us throughout the day.

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As we made our way toward the mountains the fast rolling roads and occasional tail wind guided us along swiftly. The stark landscapes of the Klein Karoo hold a unique beauty which we been in awe of through the week. The riding pace today in particular offered ample time so soak in the surroundings.

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At the forty-five kilometre mark we joined the tar R323 which links Ladismith and Riversdale. With the change in surface the steady ascent of the Garcia Pass began.

The pass was built as a gateway between the coastal region and inland Klein Karoo in 1877. The climb from the Ladismith side was roughly twelve kilometres long with the first six of those a gently rising approach. A head wind made for slow progress, but also gave time once again to admire the beauty of the surrounding mountain range.

Atop the pass we were rewarded with incredible chicken pies from Delish Restaurant in Heidelberg, fresh out of a roadside fire oven. Along with a sampling of braaied steak with Chimichurri sauce and a dash of Chenin Blanc.

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Bellies full and bottles recharged we set off down the fun, twisty descent for the final sixteen kilometres towards our second last overnight stop in Riversdale.

To find out more about the Tour de Braai visit the website: http://braai.com/braaitour/tour-de-braai/

The next tour takes place in May 2018.

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