EXPLORE
Passing the challenge – cycling through the Garden Route’s 14 passes In George, in the Garden Route, 20 people of all fitness levels, some of whom have not been on a bicycle since school, took on what could be considered their most ambitious challenge yet – three months of training culminating in touring through 14 passes, over 400km of some of the toughest terrain, in just nine days. Lockdown has been a long, difficult road for many. It has forced us to think about what makes life worth living, encouraged us to reconnect with friends and family and pushed us to rediscover the great outdoors. But how do you combine all these things?
A bicycle tour with friends
Gerhard and Sandra de Clercq came up with the idea of doing a bicycle tour with friends through the Garden Route. It would be a different sort of adventure – 10 married couples of all shapes and sizes, all in their fifties, many of them not having used a bicycle since their school days, and in no way interested in roughing it. The aim? To mix physical exercise with luxury and lots of fun. If anything, it would be interesting! The Garden Route was chosen due to its beautifully maintained mountain bike trails, making it an ideal place to explore with friends. The tour was based on the majestic mountain passes found all over this area, many of them built by Thomas Bain. 72 | September 2021
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