Whoop Whoop! On Sun, Dec 25, 2011 at 10:40 PM, Adri Vd Westhuyzen < [email protected]> wrote:
> ** > Incredible place Mankele... Wowie. Morning mist in a valley that reminds > you of Jurassic Park. Mountainbike heaven on earth! > ...And nice people too. > > Thankyou Carine for a thorough report! Signature also to the weekend was > good food.. Burgers, jaffels, roosterkoek, Skurwe Abrahams, boeries, thai > chicken potjie, waterblommetjie bredie.. all talent within the team! And > songs on the rides.. Adapted Christmas songs mostly and the odd Jack Parow > line. > > :-))))))))) > Whoop whoop! > > Merry Christmas everyone > > ------------------------------ > *From: * Carine <[email protected]> > *Sender: * [email protected] > *Date: *Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:51 +0200 > *To: *darkanddirty<[email protected]>; > tshwane-adventure-racing-club< > [email protected]> > *ReplyTo: * [email protected] > *Subject: *[D&D-chat] Mankele: Join the Joyride > > Mankele: Join the > Joyride<http://cyclingwith.blogspot.com/2011/12/mankele-come-join-joyride.html> > > > <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHFagkXAtMo/S8W8dLnCKzI/AAAAAAAAAIs/jATi3lFmFSA/s1600/xc-route.jpg> > > Mankele \*Man'ke'le*\ > *(adj)* Superlative degree of huge: big grin, huge grin, makulu grin, > Mankele grin. He had a Mankele grin on his face after they avalanched > downhill. > *(interj)* An exclamation of extacy, usually after a specifically > technical or fast piece of singletrack. Mankele, but that was a good ride! > source: *Adri's Dictionary of Montainbiking terms* > > The first time I experienced the Mankele-grin was after the inaugural > Mankele-Sudwala marathon way back in > 2007<http://cyclingwith.blogspot.com/2007/08/singletrackminded.html>. > Afterwards I vowed to go back there to explore at leasure. > > Years later I criss-crossed the tracks on foot, this time during an > adventure race. The morning after the adventure > race<http://cyclingwith.blogspot.com/2010/04/lost-in-da-bush.html> (while > all other sensible adventurers were sleeping or recovering) team Lickety > Split explored the > singletracks<http://cyclingwith.blogspot.com/2010/04/mankele.html> > . > Again I vowed to go back to explore at leasure. > > When Team Clueless finished the 3 > Towers<http://cyclingwith.blogspot.com/2011/10/clueless-at-3-towers.html> and > experienced the Mankele-grin again on all the faces around us, we knew it > was time to share the Mankele Secret. > > Quick-quick we identified a few friends, a weekend, a campsite and a menu. > Game On. > > The first few car-loads of people and bikes arrived on Thursday evening > before the Reconciliation long weekend. They pitched tents in rain while > the left-behinders frantically baked last-minute muffins. On Friday morning > the early-arrivers tested their bikes on the orange tracks while waiting > for the last carloads of people and bikes. > > The weekend followed a pattern exploring different coloured bike routes, > lazing around in the sun around the swimming pool, eating, tubing and more > singletracking. > > The camping kitchen is well-equipped with kettles, stoves, a fridge, a > microwave, sunlight liquid and basins. > The bathrooms are kept clean and we had no issues with hot water. > There's 2 swimming pools, a small shop, powerwash for dirty bikes and > outside hot showers if you'd prefer to shower with your bike after a > particularly muddy ride. > > Some notes on some of the tracks: > Orange <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_orange.php> - I didn't get to do > the full route this time, but it's the cross country track and sufficiently > technical without being too intimidating. About 8 km of good fun. Includes > a climb to get the heart rate up. > Yellow <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_yellow.php> - This is supposed to > be the beginner route, but two search parties couldn't find it. When we > asked the guide for instructions, he frowned and asked why anyone would > want to ride a beginner route. Indeed :D > Green <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_green.php> - A fair amount of > climbing with some excellent rewards through the bushtunnels. The stuff > Mankele is famous for, and the reason why we went there. > Blue <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_blue.php> - Around 5 km of moderate > tracks, with optional techincal loops. An excellent track for night-riding, > albeit a bit short. Add a bit of pink to up the night-distance. > Pink <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_pink.php> - Don't be fooled by the > short distance. It includes a descent climbie and some seriously cool > flowing singletrack. > Red & Purple - I didn't get to ride these the weekend, but from the grins > on Mummy Man, Nadine & Donovans' faces, it was some good riding. > Black <http://www.mankele.co.za/trails_black.php> - The best parts, but > not for beginners, and possibly not for night-riding. The hardtail managed, > but it probably would have been a bit quicker (and safer) to tackle those > trails on the Trance. > Fourcross-track and kiddies track: great for riding with the kids, > night-riding, testing other peoples' bikes, and adding a bit of distance > and smileage. > Tubing <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMunvuoJRt0&feature=email> - Tubes > are included in the camping fee; collect them from Christopher at the gate. > Make sure he pumps them. Small (slighlty deflated) tubes seem to be quicker > on the river than the big ones. Remember to lift your bum in the rapids! > > All the cycling routes are well-marked (except the yellow, which we > couldn't find.) > > Batteries properly recharged. Life is too short to not have a Mankele > weekend every now and again! > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "DarkAndDirty" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/darkanddirty?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "DarkAndDirty" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/darkanddirty?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DarkAndDirty" group. 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