Cycling with elephants through the great outdoors

Claire Keeton rode the 280km Nedbank Tour de Tuli through remote and wild parts of SA, Botswana and Zimbabwe

T is for Tuli Block

Cycling out of the first camp into the northern Tuli Game Reserve we saw elephant dung. No obstacle on a mountain bike. Next we spotted a giraffe and soon after this about 25 elephants with babies appeared in the dust on our left flank.

story_article_left1

When you're on bikes, without rangers, the majestic power of elephants reigns and we veered away. We narrowly avoided riding into the next herd about an hour later as they crossed our path through thick bush. They are one reason the Tuli Block is known as the Land of the Giants; the baobabs are another.

O is for (Great) Outdoors

On this bike safari we rode through Big Five territory with no markers, following our leader who was following tracks on a GPS. We saw only other riders and support crews, apart from a detour to a rural school. A mountain bike must be the best way to get into the bush, literally.

One fall catapulted me into a thorn bush. The tour crosses pristine parts of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area and we rode with our passports. Batswana, Zimbabwean and South African border officials stamped them at informal posts on the largely dry Limpopo River, where the three countries converge.

U is for Unique

This annual event offers the ride of a lifetime - wild and demanding yet luxurious. It's a magic formula which the cyclists enjoyed as much as they did the beers at the end of the day. The terrain was unmanicured and the game unperturbed by the bikes. The riding was brilliant, and frequent refreshment breaks - where cold drinks, snacks and meals were waiting - provided welcome breaks from hours in the saddle.

mini_story_image_hright1

R is for Radical Route

This, like everything else, exceeded my expectations. We rode through mopani bush, under baobabs, over steep and undulating rock and across dozens of sandy river beds. The game trails were surprisingly clear of obstacles, allowing for free flowing riding.

Except when branches grabbed us and we hit dirt. At times we portaged rocky ridges but overall Tuli is flat. Dropping into river beds with thick sand and fishtailing up the opposite bank remained a challenge, even when we learned to ride sand, a survival skill learned on Day One.

D is for Donations

 This ride is the main fundraising event for Children in the Wilderness. The riders pledged R1-million on the final night and raised millions in sponsorship. This organisation teaches children who live next to conservation areas in six countries to protect their heritage and gives them skills and opportunities. Every year the group reaches 2,500 children through Eco-Clubs in schools; as of last year, 5,600 children had attended its camps, run by Wilderness Safaris.

E is for Equipment

Tubeless tyres are compulsory and most of us rode 29-inch wheel bikes. Helmets, gloves, padded shorts and cleated shoes are common. Floyd Dowell from the US rode 280km without padded shorts. My team leader Nathan Billingham fixed my shoe with duct tape and glue when it fell apart. My sunglasses were unfixable.

The list of kit is long but above all, remember duct tape. And ear plugs (see next item).

full_story_image_hleft2

T is for Tented camps

On the eve of the tour we cycled 2.6km from the South African side of the Pont Drift border post into Botswana to the Limpopo Valley Airfield, where about 500 orange tents had already been pitched.

Nights two and three we spent at the gorgeous Amphitheatre Bush Camp below a koppie overlooking the Limpopo River, while nights four and five were at Mapungubwe Confluence Camp on a cliff top with views over the dry Limpopo and Shashi rivers. The communal tent had a festive spirit.

Women are a minority so the men are real friendly. "You all look the same," I joked when one complained I hadn't remembered his name. When the dust was washed off most of the riders were pale, with a few exceptions in the faster batches. In the tented alleys a symphony of snoring (remember the ear plugs?) drowned out the lions roaring but I heard them when I went out stargazing.

mini_story_image_hleft3

U is for Ultra fun team

I chose the slowest batch, Group 18, who adopted the name "A-team" before we had even turned a pedal. The 18-ers were fit riders who just didn't want to race through the bush. Our group of 15 included a range of age groups and nationalities.

One of the two Americans had dehydration and broken ribs which forced him out. We also had a quiet Australian, who rode expertly, and a bubbly Brit, Juliet Lemon. Between us we had 85 falls over four days.

L is for Luxury

On Tour de Tuli we got five-star service including exceptional food, cappuccinos, 32Gi recovery drinks and professional sports massages every day. Our final banquet was topped off with a towering pavlova.

I is for Impalas

We also saw elephants, giraffe, zebras, warthogs, baboons, an eland, duiker and elephant bones and footprints (big and small). One group saw a leopard and there was a kill near our third camp.

• Keeton was a guest of the Nedbank Tour de Tuli run by Tour de Wilderness and supported by Wilderness Safaris. The entry fee is R24,900, which covers everything on tour except drinks. See tourdewilderness.com/tour-de-tuli/

• Peet Correia from BikeBay offers a great service: you can sell your bike through them and get on the bike you want. That's what I did ahead of Tuli when I found a real gem. Call 082-495-3314 or see bikebay.co.za

• Sean Lawrence from The Trailhead bike repairs and coffee shop gave me a two-hour skills session and helped me get the bike ready for Tuli. Call 011-326-1688 or see thetrailhead.co.za

sub_head_start What Kept the Wheels Turning sub_head_end

• 73 hours training over eight weeks, which meant I felt stronger every day

• 6,000+ coffees and hot chocolates, donated with smiles by Bean There Coffee Company

• 1,400+ massages donated by 18 Balancing