The 2016 Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge and Trail run took place on the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of April, Seamus Allardice was there to take in the trails, the pool party and the amazing Arabella Hotel and Spa.
Leaving Stellenbosch on Friday afternoon things didn’t look bright for the weekend. The rain was torrential with roads flooding, raging storm water drains popping man-hole cover lids in Somerset West and traffic coming to just about a stand-still (as it does in the Cape at virtually every excuse). Driving down to Arabella with my girl friend Tarryn de Beer we were hoping that the weather forecast would prove to be correct – the rain was predicted to blow over by Saturday morning.
Torrential rain and mild flooding in Somerset West.
On Saturday morning I awoke to cloudy by rainless skies. In fact it looked like perfect bike riding weather. Especially as route director Lance Stevenson had warned us to expect sandy conditions in the Hottentots-Holland Mountains above Kleinmond. So all the previous day’s rain had actually come to our rescue.
How’s that for a sunrise?The A Batch riders gathering for their 8am start.If you look carefully you might spot a familiar face or two. The men’s race in particular was super competitive with the likes of Erik Kleinhans, Dylan Rebello and Adriaan Louw taking part.Back in B Batch it was pretty competitive, as it always seems to be. A Batch know they’re fast. C Batch are there to have fun. B Batch make up for a lack of speed with intensity…Paul Valstar doing his thing…After a tough climb up Highlands road and an even tougher one up a 4×4 track entrants to the TotalSport Challenge won’t remember fondly we were treated to amazing views over the Overberg coastline.Another one of the view…I rode for a bit with Reinette Geldenhuis, before she stopped to wait for a friend in a later starting group and take in the views without the risk of missing an erosion donga in the jeep track.Water point one atop the first climb came after around 15km.After a brief stop to give Matt Eagar, the boss at Bike Hub, a CO2 bomb (he was testing a bike and the soft casings on the Racing Ralph tyres it was fitted with just weren’t coping with the rocky terrain) somewhere in the deep south of the Elgin Valley the climbing started again.The climbing was pretty tough from kilometers 25 to 28, but as I’d been dropped by the racing ladies (Miss’s Burton and Williams in particular) I wasn’t too phased about taking it easy and taking some photos.Pretty rocky and very loose. Line choice was key and a full suspension bike helped.Where we came from, and views across the scorched pine plantations to the evergreen orchards of Elgin.The first sight of the Overberg where the finish line at Wildekrans Wine Estate awaited.More climbing…
From the top of the final climb, just after the second water point at 32km the route got really interesting. It dropped towards the finish along a rocky and at times treacherous road which made photography all but impossible from a moving bike. Then when we leveled out again my back decided it had had enough and started to spasm, so I wasn’t much in the mood for photos. So I’ve had to call upon the professional works of Tobias Ginsberg to help tell the story.
Pretty rocky and not the kind of trails where you want to be doing 45kph with one hand of the bars and while trying to take a photo over your shoulder with a brand-new smart phone. Even if it was insurance who bought it for you.The generally rocky descent was interspersed with sandy sections like this one. Just to mix it up a bit.Finally we reached a new, cut-especially for the Arabella Challenge, section of singletrack. It was pretty sandy in places too, but the still damp soil meant it rode like a dream (as long as you stayed on the hard packed line).Then it was on to Wildekrans with a teaser of the trails which awaited on Stage 2.And a bridge over nothing towards the finish.Crossing the line I got my bike washed, parked in the bike part and made a bee line for the Wildekrans Wine Tasting room. It’s a must visit for any vino lover, mountain biker or not.Kathy Crabbe and Nicola Collins look for a place to park their bikes.From Wildekrans, wine in hand, we were shuttled back to the Arabella Hotel and Spa for the Saturday afternoon pool party. And what a jol that proved to be. But what happens at Arabella stays at Arabella so I won’t divulge any gossip.Click on the Map to view my Arabella Challenge Stage 1 ride in more detail.
Sunday morning dawned clear and crisp. We took breakfast at a leisurely pace and then made the long cold walk up to the buses which were picking up riders at the Arabella Hotel’s entrance gate. The bus drive seemed to take ages and by the time we arrived the leaders had started and B Batch was about to set off. With my bike still securely locked up in the bike park it was fortunate that I’d decided to take it easy rather and ride with Kathy Crabbe and Danie Joubert. Danie and I were seeded in B Bach again but Kath was set to start in D so the plan was to start later and have a chilled day in the saddle. Somehow Danie managed to slip off and start with C Batch so that was the last we saw of him until lunch, but it was a fun day of riding non-the-less.
Stage 2 and D Batch is ready to roll apprehensively out onto the trails.
We obviously couldn’t sneak past Paul Valstar without coping some abuse.
A couple of nasty bottle necks in the first 500m later and we were on our way.
All smiles from Kathy Crabbe 1km down the road.
As it started to heat up riders pulled over to remove gilets.
The Wildekrans singletracks are as smooth as their wines.
Up and over a little style.
And onto a berm of barrels.Minion No1. There were 4 riders dressed in Minion suits and they rode together all day taking it in turns to motivate the slowest member of their little party.
Kath heading into the style/berm feature.
Onwards and upwards towards more Wildekrans singletrack.
You can visit Wildekrans for a wine tasting, meal or a mountain bike ride at your leisure – not just during events – so check them out at www.wildekrans.com.
One of the guys from Cycles Direct in Blouberg was riding with a much slower mate and at every opportunity he’d lean over and give his mate a helping hand. It was really cool to see.
Back on the jeep track towards some climbing. Stage 2 was nowhere near as tough as Stage 1 I felt. The climbs were all short and punchy though there was a bit more sand which was a little soft in places having had 30 hours to dry out since the deluge of Friday afternoon/night.
More pretty Overberg views.
This was half way up the main climb of the day. Unfortunately the climb crested in a valley where the road was rough and the lighting was poor so all my photos from that section ended up very blurry.
The route went 4×4 for a bit before the second water point at the Honingklip Brewery.
Analize ter Morshuizen, co-owner of Honingklip with her husband Mark, pulling a taster of their perfect granadilla infused saison. Click on the photo to find out more about Honingklip Breweries.
From Honingklip we traversed a bit of their mountain bike trail before winding our way between olive groves on our way back to the infamous Highlands Road. I’m guessing it’s a lot more fun on a motorbike…
Highlands doesn’t inspire much joy, especially as we were heading away from the Hotel at this point and there was every chance the route director would sneak in a last big climb for the weekend. Especially as he’d never produced a route profile for Stage 2.
Kathy putting the hammer down while I fiddled with my phone trying to get the screen brightness back to a visible level after it turned itself off in my pocket during the ride.
What these two were doing I don’t know. Perhaps removing parts from one bike to get the other going again…
They seemed chirpy enough and didn’t need any help.
One last blast through the fynbos trails.
Fortunately that last climb never materialized.
Rolling into the finish. The Cycles Direct guy and his mate looked pretty chuffed to have knocked off the 44km of Stage 2.
Back to the pool for prize giving (dominated by Erik Kleinhans who walked away with nearly more wine than he could carry) and lunch. The water was too cold for anyone over the age of 13 to swim, sadly.
Stage 2 done and dusted. Click on the photo to check it out in more detail on Strava.
Thanks to Stillwater Sport, Cell C, the Arabella Hotel and Spa, Newsport Media, Wildekrans Wines, Honingklip Breweries, Underarmour, Jacky McClean, Michael Meyer and Alexa Cunninghamfor an amazing weekend’s riding and jolling. The Arabella Challenge is definitely a top class event. The routes are short but tough (or toughish if you’re there more to have fun and not hurt yourself by pushing a crazy heart rate) and some of the trails are really world class. The jeep track sections and the climbs in particular boast amazing views – so that makes up for the rocky riding. The hotel provided a stunning venue and with all the facilities on offer, even if you weren’t staying in the hotel it really was a five star experience.
Hopefully you’ll join me on the start line at the 2017 Cell C Arabella Challenge.
