Join the Global Wheeling carbon reduction crew that will cycle to Earthdance 2011 in the Western Cape, South Africa and help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the gathering and in the process highlighting the bicycle as a positive tool in the battle against climate change.

 Half price tickets to all cyclists that saddle up for the initiative. Join the 2 day ride from Cape Town to Rawsonville which will see us tackle the infamous Du Toitskloof pass on day 2 of the ride.

 The ride will start at Cape Town, Civic Centre, gather for 9am leaving at 10am on Friday the 23rd and will be completed over 2 days, being guided by Kayden Kleinhans, environmental activist, adventurer and founder of Global Wheeling that has clocked up over 31 000 km’s across 4 continents by bicycle. Thanks to Superlok Afrika, there will be a sponsored support vehicle (bakkie) to carry luggage, equipped with first aid kit and tools to fix any mechanical problems on route.

The ride is one way, so please arrange with friends and festival attendees to assist you in getting home after the festival.

 Day 1 will see us ride from Cape Town to Paarl where we will camp over at a campsite for the night and chill around the fire sharing stories. (+-70 km)

 Day 2 will see us packing up our campsite and tackling the infamous Du Toitskloof pass and down into Rawsonville closely followed by Nekkies the venue for Earthdance 2011 where we will arrive on Saturday afternoon. (+-60 km)

Total +- 130 km

This is an Eco Charity bicycle ride that aims to raise enough money to plant one tree for every kilometer we cycle to the festival we urge cyclists to get their employers, friends and family to donate, sponsor and support their efforts to help raise funds for the cause.

 R500 gets you a spot on the crew which will cover your ticket to the festival which is reduced to half price, an experienced guide and bike mechanic, one nights camping in Paarl, a support vehicle and a couple hundred bucks donation towards the trees. The first 10 cyclists to register will also receive a Global Wheeling T-shirt

What you’ll need for the challenge:

 - A bike in good working order

- Camping gear for the stay over in Paarl

- A positive attitude

- Adequate clothing for unpredictable weather (sun protection recommended)

- Pocket money for snacks and drinks on route

- A lift home after the festival

- R500 to secure your spot

All welcome, the more the merrier.

Non cyclists are more than welcome to join us at the campsite in Paarl on Friday night, feel free to bring good vibes, food, drinks and musical instruments, the reduced ticket rate however applies to cyclists only.

Contact Kayden regarding a spot on the crew

Kayden@globalwheeling.org

(+27) 720102675

Charity registration number # 080-828-NPO

Crossing five countries through Europe and fifteen across Africa, the Global Wheeling initiative reaches the halfway point of an attempted 40 countries conquered solo through four continents on a bicycle. This eco pilgrimage, a quest to highlight the environmental plight of our time, a protest against global warming and accelerated climate change as the ride outlines the huge benefits the bicycle has to cover great distances whilst treading lightly on the planet. A long an arduous road through some of the planet’s most volatile countries has now reached the end of phase one.

Crossing into Mozambique and tallying up country number twenty after 11 months of below zero temperatures, desert sand storms, civil war and countless sleepless nights in bushes, jungles and forests in faraway lands. Reaching this milestone feels a strange combination of fatigue, pain and satisfaction.

Phase two of the ride will commence next year which will see, South, Central and North America crossed on my trusty steed “Little MS Sunshine”. In the interim I will be back in my home town of Cape Town, South Africa planting loads of trees, trying to secure some bigger sponsorship for phase two and nursing my left knee which is due for surgery after all the wear and tear it’s been subjected to over the last year.

The Global Wheeling website is lined up for a facelift and changes are imminent prior to commencing phase two, I will also be working closely with Warren Wilmott the man behind Baked Ginger Productions as we enter into the editing of HD footage and production of the Global Wheeling Documentary.

Stay tuned in for some fantastic new angles on the project as it benefits from being on home soil for a while…

Leaving Kwazulu Natal and South African soil was somewhat emotional as I had become quite fond of the intense natural beauty and diversity of the province, my exit however would be a magical one. Heading towards the Golela border crossing roughly 30 km from Pongola and flanking the gorgeous Jozini dam, I was stopped in my tracks a mere 6 km from the Swazi border. Two rather statuesque figures blocking my path to country nineteen and the Kingdom of Swaziland. Bidding me farewell before leaving the Republic and what felt like an acknowledgement for efforts two magnificent looking creatures stared me down, gave me a little nod, and slowly wondered off into the bush as if to say well done.

Reaching the border crossing, I flagged down a passing vehicle which was entering South Africa to enquire about a decent spot on the other side of the border to pitch my tent. The day nearing its end and nightfall round the corner the brain clicks into survival mode mapping out different possibilities for safe and secure shelter for the night. The driver of the vehicle turned out to be Digs Pascoe, CEO of the Space For Elephants Foundation www.space4elephants.org which was in the area doing some conservation work regarding the protection of rhino and the implementation of anti-poaching measures. I would soon find myself at the mercy of great hospitality joining their bush camp in the reserve for the night to be awed by stories of some rather accomplished wildlife conservationists and fell asleep to the sound of hippo’s wading in the stunning Jozini dam.

Swaziland beckoned and the crossing of the border instantly bringing a sense of calm as the tiny Kingdom exudes an unmistakable sense of serenity, this little African gem home to a pace that rarely surpasses second gear. I would follow the road northwards crossing the eastern half of the country towards the town of Big Bend where I would find a place to pitch my tent for the night. E 50 (50 Swazi Emalangeni / $7) secured me a patch of grass and a hot shower in the back yard of a bar, a bit of a steal considering campsites in neighbouring South Africa demanding double that figure and rarely that close to the pub.

English speaking Swaziland affording the opportunity to purchase the local African paper and do a bit more than just looking at the pictures. Bringing a wry smile to my face on more occasions than once, catching some rather peculiar adds and notices we rarely find in larger more established countries.

Over the flatlands and up the demanding 6 km climb into the great little town of Siteki, Swaziland never disappointing as I often found myself on beautifully quiet roads in stark contrast to the rest of the continent where you constantly find yourself battling for life and limb as large badly driven trucks force you off the road and into the bush on a regular basis.

It seems the smaller African nations finding a way of creeping into my heart and reminding me why I love this continent, they seem to hang on to the true beauty of this part of the world and avoid the temptations of urbanisation and the greed, envy and corruption that so closely follow, in turn undermining the real magic this continent offers. On that note Swaziland I salute you for remaining a warm, gentle authentic slice of Africa.

Leaving the below zero temperatures of the Lesotho mountains and making my way back down to the coastline of Kwazulu Natal would bring about a serious change in weather conditions. The subtropical warmth of the province, a welcomed ally as I continued to tally up the miles on my quest for 40 nations traversed on 4 continents to highlight the bicycle as a positive tool in carbon reduction and a fantastic weapon in the battle against climate change.

Through Pietermaritzburg where elevations were now less than 1000 meters above sea level, I set my sights on Durban, South Africa’s 3rd largest city. By the time I reached the coast, conditions were a lot more favourable and the long lonely nights in the tent were again becoming a bit more bearable, picking your spot to camp however would be a bit trickier as wildlife in the province is plentiful.

Kwazulu Natal hospitality so far the finest in the land as I would find out first hand, receiving well wishes, cold beers and warm beds on more than one occasion. The battering that my body and my bike took whilst tackling Sani pass has rendered my camera somewhat disabled and has taken on a mind of its own choosing when and if it wants to work, another casualty of the Global Wheeling saga.

The North Coast of Kwazulu Natal being rather fruitful on the media side of things as interviews with local papers, the Courier, Mercury and Observer all taking a shining to the cause. Great to see the South African public showing interest in the cause, and its appreciation for the efforts shown in more ways than one as sponsored digs at B&B’s have been plentiful in this warm part of the nation.

Swaziland is on the horizon country 19 looms and the halfway point of the journey at the twenty nation mark will be realised once crossing the Mozambique border and is now becoming a reality. I envisage crossing into Swaziland in the next 2-3 days through the southernmost border gate a mere 30 kilometers from Pongola with a healthy 14 650 km on the dial.

Cycling up the East coast of South Africa always lent its big beady eye on Lesotho, a landlocked island of mountains nestled amongst the Drakensberg. Lesotho’s claim to fame, its lowest point, the highest lowest point of any country in the world, a daunting fact for any cyclist especially one carrying 35 kg’s of luggage.

The rolling hills of the Eastern Cape giving way to Kwazulu Natal and the Underberg which lay at the foot of the Sani pass and the gateway to Lesotho. Night time temperatures now well below zero as forecasts suggested -5 for the day I chose to tackle the infamous unsealed climb which reaches a heighty 2873 m above sea level.

I set up base camp 25 km from the summit and decided to set off for the lofty challenge at roughly nine o’clock in the morning. Waiting for the chill to burn off slightly and the frost to subside somewhat before putting my body and my trusty two wheeled steed “Little Ms. Sunshine” through the paces.

Heading up the pass on a mountain bike would have made a lot more sense but the touring rig I have become so intimate with over the last 14 000 km’s was as keen to conquer the pass as I was, and I thought it just plain rude not to give her the opportunity to notch up a serious off road accolade on her quest for global domination.

The first 17 of the 25 km’s on a rigid front fork was a bumpy battle to say the least but still manageable. Once I passed through the South African border post at 8 km’s from the summit the true colours of the infamous Sani pass started to shine through. What started off a manageable incline became so steep at sections of the climb I struggled to get traction on the loose surface, the heavy gradient coupled with my semi slick touring tyres made for a tough day at the office as I attempted to conquer this African giant on a road bike.

Being passed by four wheel drive vehicles carrying small tour groups to the summit I soon realised the flash photography was not aimed at the majestic scenery but rather a dread locked man on a bicycle battling nature with all his mite. Sections of the road completely frozen over I had to pick up the bike and carry it over slippery surfaces that threatened to send me to a tumbling death in the valley below.

Once I reached the summit after roughly 5 hours of grit and gravel I made my way to the Lesotho immigration office, the gentleman behind the counter suggesting that I didn’t need a stamp if all I intended to do was conquer the pass and head back down, explaining to him that after the last 5 hour battle on a bicycle I ‘’ needed ‘’ a stamp, he chuckled took one look at my mud covered bike and with a big warm Lesotho smile stamped my tattered passport.

After a couple of celebratory drinks at what must be one of the highest pubs around I embarked on the descent, a downhill challenge that would see me break 2 spokes, slash my front tyre on a jaggered rock and burst 2 inner tubes, arriving back at base camp well after dark but just in the nick of time to scribble down 1 X suspension shocks on my Christmas hit list, shortly followed by 12 hours of pure uninterrupted sleep. 

A week to celebrate as I reached 14 000 Global Wheeling km’s plus a previous 16 000 before the charity drive began, rounding off 30 000 carbon free kilometers on a bike on four different continents. Back down to the coastline of Kwazulu Natal and the shores of Durban in search of warmer climes and the route north east towards Swaziland.

It seems the relentless rains refuse to abate as Grahamstown plays host to a soggy national arts festival. The village green closed for the day as the saturated soil makes it virtually impossible for traders to navigate the conditions. My gear getting soaked from the bottom up as the ground turns to mud and the moisture climbs up through the bottom of the tent, waking up in a brown puddle accompanied by the shivers, not my idea of a successful nights camping.

Tacking away from the coast the altitude gradually increasing with each next stretch of tarmac, Lesotho on the horizon and conditions in the Eastern Cape have been a serious challenge as the elements and altitude saddle up to fight the progress of the ride.

Arriving in King Williams town after weeks of rain I fancied a hot shower and a good scrub, popping into the information Centre in search of a backpackers lodge resulted in a sponsored nights’ accommodation at the Bougainvilla guest house, a huge thanks goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Spiers for putting me up for the night. Eastern Cape hospitality was far from over as I was very generously offered a second spot for the week in the ultra-friendly Portside Inn in East London, to top it all off I received packed sandwiches on the way out, again many thanks to Mervin and his angel of a wife that made my stay in East London a warm and well fed one.

Once again bidding farewell to the coast I followed the N2 north east past Komga and down into the Kei river valley where I set up shop at the local police station. A night I won’t forget in a hurry as my lightweight inflatable mattress gave up the goast and the below zero temperatures in the valley kept me up all night as the cold attacked me from the bottom up, no longer afforded the one inch of air that plays such a vital role as a buffer from the ground temperatures below.

Crawling out of a frost covered tent at sunrise, I was greeted with smiles as the police officers on shift were currently reading the published Global Wheeling article in the Daily Dispatch, East London’s local rag. 101 questions straight off the bat on a frosty, fatigued morning in the Kei river valley would give way to a 15km climb out the gorge, one way to warm the bones.

Into the old Transkei, rolling hills and fluro green rondawels the order of the day, past Butterworth and into the town if Idutya where I lay my weary bones down in an unutilised maid’s quarters for the night. From Idutya to Mtata, home of Madiba himself where night time temperatures dropped to a chilly 1 degree but staying alive on the roads of the Transkei my biggest worry at the moment. And still Lesotho and the infamous Sani pass at about 3000 meters above sea level calls my name, thermals packed.

Cycling through a South African winter was never at the top of the agenda when the initial route for the Global Wheeling bike ride came to fruition, unfortunately the refusal by Nigerian consulate officials to grant entry to Nigeria, forced the ride to be rerouted, now rolling up the south eastern corner of this diverse continent to negate the countries lost on the west, the global wheeling eco charity bicycle ride is reminded of just how harsh this part of the world can be during the heart of winter as storm after storm is navigated along the infamous garden route.

Undulating hills were the order of the day as I made my way from the small farming town of Napier in the Overberg, following the 319 from Bredasdorp in search of the N2. The national freeway would deliver me to the gorgeous town of Swellendam nestled at the foot of the mountains, this quaint town would provide shelter from the onslaught of wind and rain that seemed to roll in daily like clockwork to batter my rain jacket and force my bike to wobble from side to side as my panniers caught the gusty winds.

The sea saw of up and down preventing me from getting into any real rhythm, as I spend most days on the garden route climbing long gradual hills then freewheeling down the other side battling the winds and the rain. I would find myself in the town of Riversdale just before the sun retired for its daily shift, my first encounter with good old fashioned country hospitality as a local farmer and fellow cyclist stopped me in the high street just as I was dismounting the bike to do a quick grocery shop for my campfire dinner. A seasoned cyclist and empathetic to the plight of the long distance cyclo tourer that never knows where he may lay his head to rest that night, an invitation of a hot shower and warm bed was extended, I kindly obliged.

Leaving Riversdale well fed and ready to tackle the next chunk of the N2, my new found friends had kindly set up an interview with the Mossel Bay newspaper which intern resulted in a sponsored room in a B&B for the night at the very accommodating Munro Manor guest house in Mossel Bay. I had struck it lucky 2 nights on the trot and the harsh elements were seeming just a little more navigable with my new found luck.

Through George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay making a point of locating the local papers for a quick interview and a brief slot on Port Elizabeth’s Algoa FM spreading the Global Wheeling ideology whilst rolling up the east coast of South Africa has been very much a part of crossing my own country. So after gaining some serious momentum on phase two of this global environmental pilgrimage this week’s blog is published from the very cold and wet national arts festival in Grahams town, 17 countries and 13 146 km on the dial. Lesotho beckons…

Setting off from the family home on the west coast of Cape Town, South Africa felt as if I was going for a leisurely ride in the city I grew up in, the reality however was that I was embarking on phase two of an attempted forty nations to be conquered by human pedal power and this time making tracks up the east coast of the continent. 16 countries and 12 000 km’s through Europe and West Africa were firmly secured over 7 months of ups and downs that saw a tricky but successful solo crossing of the Sahara desert and the navigation of Ivory Coast on the verge of civil war.

A cold wet and windy start to phase two as I snaked around Baden Powel drive and False bay, making my way past Cape Town’s largest squatter camp Khayelitsha in search of the coastal route north east. Cape Town bidding farewell with one of its trademark gusty winter mornings. The names of towns all too familiar making country 17 on the list somewhat surreal as I’ve become so accustom to navigating foreign sounding names in faraway lands

Through Strand & Gordon’s Bay hugging the rugged coastline and infamous whale route of Southern Africa, I would spend my second night back on the road seeking refuge from the harsh winter elements in the broom cupboard of the security office at Kogel Baai campsite a mere 25 km’s outside Betty’s Bay. Unbeknown to me at the time, the broom cupboard that I would call home for the night would leak like a sieve and with hindsight pitching the tent for the night would have been a better call.

Past Pringle Bay and Kleinmond, touching down in Hermanus for the night unfortunately a few months too early to catch the annual migration of Southern Wright whales that helped to put this quaint coastal town on the map. The only problem with cyclo-touring in your own country is that you feel a lot more like a homeless person than an adventurous soul when you pitch your tent in the bushes at night.

Rolling out of the farm town of Napier to link up with the N2 and much acclaimed garden route is next on the agenda, battling rolling hills, strong winds and cold mornings; I forgot just how harsh the Cape of Storms can be.

After the insurmountable brick wall that the Nigerian officials were so adamant on erecting in front of the Global Wheeling Eco Charity bike ride, I was left with no other option but to return to South Africa to regroup.

16 countries under the belt in an attempted 40 to be crossed by bicycle on 4 continents, I was left with that gut wrenching feeling of failure as I landed back in Cape Town. After having overcome deserts, war zones and ill health, only to be taken down by bureaucratic red tape, condolences of “it’s for the best mate”, “you did really well” and my favourite, “at least you tried ” only fueled the fire inside me.

After a few tussling discussions with sponsors and endless hours gazing over the atlas a new route started to develop as I attempt to negate the countries  lost on the west coast of the African continent. Not satisfied with 11 African nations the ride will now be rolling up the east coast of the continent heading through my very own country of South Africa followed by Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.

Due to set off first thing Monday morning… tune back in as the Global Wheeling saga continues.