You forgot to mention the Double Black Diamond Downhill after th
eAvalanche :-)
1.8km and over 200m of pure adrenalin exhausting MANKELE inducing
madmadmad downhill insanity!!!
Woooo
hoooooooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooo
............................
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Carine
Sent: 21 December 2011 14:01
To: darkanddirty; tshwane-adventure-racing-club
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/jATi3lFmF
SA/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!
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