February 23, 2017
Franschoek to Villiersdorp: Over the Franschoek Pass
We were on the road at about seven o'clock hoping to get over the Franschoek Pass before the heat and wind became a problem.
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The climb to the top of the pass was mostly no problem with no gradient exceeding 10%. The problem was the very strong wind which caused us to stop and get off our bikes at one point because we could not stay upright. On the way up we were greeted by a cycle tourist who farms near Villiersdorp who gave us a gift of apples - just the tonic we needed. She was on her way to fetch her husband in Paarl but stopped and chatted to us for ten minutes or so. She had also spent some time touring SE Asia last year so we had a great time exchanging experiences.
We climbed over 700 meters today without any issues, almost 500 meters of that being up the pass, so it was a good indicator of what condition we are in and has given us some confidence for the rest of the trip.
At the top of the pass we spent some time looking for one of our bogey birds - Cape Rockjumper - but with no success.
Then it was a lovely downhill to the Theeswater Dam and on to Villiersdorp, the last few kilometers being through heavy traffic for a rural road. Here we made a stop at the padstal (a farm stall) at the entrance to the town where we treated ourselves to an Appletizer, a delicious apple tart (this is a major apple growing area) and an ice-cream followed by getting some groceries from the OK Foodstore across the road. Then we cycled down a wonderfully quiet road to the Theeswater Sports Club where we are camping for the night.
The campsite is actually pretty grotty but since we are the only people here, the solitude is great.
Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 132 km (82 miles)
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