Mountain Bike Magazine Summer 2021 | Page 26

BUCKET-LIST

EFORE WE HEAD OUT , Anton gives us a few essential rules . “ In the event of an elephant attack , grab your bike by the top tube , do a 180 , and bike as hard as you can in the opposite direction while I draw a line of pepper spray on the ground . If buffaloes charge , stop in your tracks and whatever you do , don ’ t move . If there ’ s a tree nearby , climb the tree .” This is just the start of our safety instructions . If it wasn ’ t clear to me before , it is now . This is no walk in the park . It ’ s serious . If you ’ ve ever visited a Big 5 game reserve , you ’ ll know that rule number one is never get out of your vehicle . But all we ’ re travelling with is our bikes . And Anton . While Anton is equipped with lots of knowledge , a gun , pepper spray and an air pressure horn , will that be enough if we find ourselves face-toface with a herd of wild animals ? It has to be . There ’ s no Plan B . Welcome to the wilds of Limpopo !
Anton ’ s safety instructions continue : “ If we meet up with rhinos , let ’ s hope they ’ re white rhinos . They ’ re peaceful and relatively harmless . But if they ’ re black rhinos , it ’ s a whole different situation . Stand totally still and don ’ t make a sound . If the rhino seems confrontational , retreat to the nearest bush and whatever you do , don ’ t move . The rhino will stamp its feet , snort and make quite an angry racket . But luckily , its vision is pretty poor , and it won ’ t find you if you keep out of sight in the bush and keep still . And then there are the big cats . The same applies here : stay calm . Do not run or ride away , because then the cat will see you as prey . Retreat slowly , but keep your gaze on the predator . In general , animals are more scared of us humans , and there are rarely confrontations .”
Let ’ s hope Anton is right . He is one of 14 property owners who share the land making up the 27 000-hectare Selati Game Reserve . This private game reserve , located just north of the Olifants River between Mica , Gravelotte and Phalaborwa , is home to a huge array of wildlife . As well as the Big 5 , we can expect to see cheetah , zebra , giraffe and many species of antelope , both large and small . Before we arrived , I ’ d wondered if we ’ d see all these species . But now I ’ m not sure I really want to .
We head off on our bikes . By we , I mean Paul , Zandri , Fränzi , Anton and myself . Paul Ingpen is the reason I ’ m here . As the publisher of Mountain Bike magazine , he regularly features my photo stories . When he called to ask if I wanted to do a biking story in a Big 5 game reserve , I didn ’ t hesitate to say yes . And when he said I should bring someone along , I suggested Fränzi , who has twice been on the magazine ’ s cover . And so Fränzi Gobeli and I found ourselves en route from Switzerland to South Africa . Once there , Zandri Strydom joins our group . The 20-year-old grew up in Nelspruit , so is no stranger to the bush . Plus she ’ s one of SA ’ s most promising young mountain biking talents , having already won national and continental titles . Anton , a passionate mountain biker , adventurer and conservationist , completes our group . Our lives will be in his hands .
26 | MTB | ride of a lifetime