Day 13 ( 24 May )
Day 14 ( 25 May )
Day 15 ( 26 May )
Day 16 ( 27 May )
TRAIL
Day 13 ( 24 May )
Ryno : Day 13 – navigating beautiful Karoo gravel roads to summit Murch Point , the highest peak in the Northern Cape ( 2156m )
Jock : We got you , Murch Point !
Day 14 ( 25 May )
Jock : ‘ Just another day ’ on our # 9PeaksBike Project .
Ryno : Day 14 … Western Cape , we ’ re coming for you .
Day 15 ( 26 May )
Jock : Aberdeen to De Rust – a beautiful stretch through our beautiful country .
Ryno : Day 15 – Aberdeen to De Rust , planning to summit Seweweekspoort ( 2325m ) in the Western Cape tomorrow .
Day 16 ( 27 May )
Jock : Taking on the final climb today , Seweweekspoort Peak . Been a pretty cool 15 and a half days !
Ryno : Seweweekspoort pass & peak - wow ! What a beautiful way to end this adventure across South Africa – 15 days , 11 hours , 31 minutes . Thank you for sharing in our journey .
9Peaks : These two champions completed their Cycling 9 Peaks today with a successful final summit of Seweweekspoort Peak . Well done Ryno and Jock on your amazing # 9PeaksBike effort , as well as Stephan Griesel for sticking with them . Safe travels home .
Unforgettable Adventure !
Having cycled more than 3000km and hiked or run around 135km , with some 33,000m of climbing in the mix , Jock Green and Ryno Griesel were understandably tired by the end of the 9PeaksBike Challenge , but both came away from the adventure talking about the camaraderie and shared experiences that enriched their journey , and nothing but praise for each other .
As Jock said , “ Ryno is a tough guy . Regardless of what happened , he was back on his bike . He is tough as nails .” In turn , Ryno said he appreciated Jock ’ s support throughout the challenge : “ Jock ’ s mentorship and patience before and during the project were absolutely life-changing for me . I am extremely grateful for the opportunity .”
Amidst the challenges , they experienced so many highlights that will forever remain etched in their memories . For example , Jock described their ride to Murch Point as an outstanding day , exclaiming , “ The weather , the sunset , the mountains just added to this amazing day .” Meanwhile , Ryno reminisced about the first day , filled with excitement and anticipation , and Jock ’ s birthday celebration during the challenge , which added a touch of extra camaraderie to their arduous journey .
In spite of all their meticulous planning , the team encountered many unforeseen challenges along the way , and Ryno revealed a particularly harrowing incident on just the second day , sharing , “ There are unfortunately always risks going into these projects ... We were very blessed that a group of locals came to our rescue when a bunch of guys with knives insisted on liberating our phones , bikes , etc .” Reflecting on the incident , Jock added , “ It was a test of our resilience , but the kindness of the locals saved the day .”
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