Did the reverse of the Tramonto/Geelhoutboom circuit this morning - it was another gorgeous day out there - and yes, I even occasionally took a break from staring at my tire tread to enjoy the scenery! Didn't any snakes on the road today, though there was a little brown house snake waiting for me when I opened up the garage door...
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Got my chores done (which included sending my mobile phone off for warranty repair, so no photos likely for a while...), so it was time to get my ol' war horse of a mountain bike (I swear, sometimes it feels like the brakes are permanently on....) and do a bit of training in advance of the GR300Lite at the end of the month.
I figured I'd head up Morrison Road towards Glentana, then on the gravel roads out towards Jonkersburg, then over towards Blanco before hitting Tramonto at Geelhoutboom. I've done a slightly longer variation of this route before, but it's been a few years. Anyway, in case you were wondering, it turns out it's exactly 30 km to Tramonto. The wind is usually stronger in afternoon, and today was no exception - I seemed to be facing the 30 km/hr winds no matter what direction I was in - nothing beats uphill climbs into the wind for working out the legs! Incidentally, Tramonto's worth a visit on the bike or not - they have a nice little cafe (indoor and outdoor seating) - and NLR Wines has a tasting room there where you can sample some great wines. Not for me today, I'm afraid - time to push on or I won't make it home in time for dinner! I took a quick walk/hike up to the old Great Brak power station the other day - it's an easy walk - just over 10 minutes to get there - maybe 15 if you go at a more leisurely pace. It's a great spot for a picnic if you're looking for a short but scenic outing (and remember, you're enjoying it because it's pristine and beautiful - so please, please, please leave it that way for whomever comes next by packing out your rubbish - there aren't any trash bins there).
The trail head starts at the end of Willow Road, near Beatnix Leatherworks - just climb up and over the steps, then stick to your left (don't follow the hiking sign that points to your right - that is also a lovely hike, but it takes you along the other side of the river, so you'll miss the power station). Click on the image below if you'd like to see the full "workout" on www.sports-tracker.com - there are a few photos uploaded as well. |
AuthorTheIsland@GreatBrak features the occasional blogpost in between braaiing and beach walks - stay tuned or drop me a line. Categories
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