Bike Camp – Jindy 2007
Day 1 – The Warm-up
I’m undecided if it is dedication or stupidity that drives one to get up at 4am. Was I committed, or should I be; that was the question? Ben arrived on time, and off we drove through fog, rain and darkness to our destination – Jindabyne.
Many of the team had stayed in Jindy overnight, and were holding back getting their gear on anticipating we might not be riding given the conditions. Ben said “pigs arse”, or something equally as colourful, as we all saddled up and headed to Dalgety and Berridale. The cloud was hanging low and the morning remained dark. Misty rain kept us covered up, and we all descended the big Dalgety hill cautiously. What goes down must come up!
The fast guys/gals continued on past Dalgety to Berridale, whilst Ben had the rest of us turn back. My two early morning coffees had me arguing that I should continue on. (This was the same caffeine hit that contributed to my talking the whole way. Jon Howse swears his ears were bleeding.) Complete rush of blood to the head of course, as when we hit the big Dalgety hill on the way back, I realised how very wise the decision (to turn back) was. The gradient of the first 200m was the worst I’ve every tackled, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to drop and run over my glasses in the first 20m. I stopped, picked them up, hit the tarmac trying to get started again, and cursed the rest of the way. Alyce on the other hand did a beautiful remount halfway up, and championed to the top – Super Star!
Funny Moment #1 – We were waiting at the top when a 4WD pulled over. Out popped JR, shaking hands and retrieving his bike out of the back. JR looked pale, as the 3 passengers dressed in camouflage were off wild-goat shooting. I took no part in the rhetoric likening JR to an old goat, wondering how he made his escape – some people are cruel. Of course we’d all like to extend our gratitude to the Milat brothers for bringing JR back safely.
With Ben heading back to Canberra for Rhiannon’s wedding, most of us (I won’t mention names) walked down to the lake for our 3pm swim.
Funny Moment #2 – Danni showed up in a full steamer, wetsuit bonnet, gloves and booties. She looked like a cross between Biggles and a super-hero (Rubber Woman). Hopefully there is a photo, as no amount of elaboration can describe this sight!
Kirra led us all in a stretch/Pilates session at 5pm, which was spot on. I’d like to extend my thanks to Steve and Graham for not wearing their mardi gras Skins to this session.
As for Saturday night, I think many eating establishments in Jindy were frequented and there were no arrests – not in Jindy at least…
Day 2 – The Epic
This day started with me introducing the girls to the wonders of chamois crème. We all know the chamois crème rule, don’t we girls! In the car park a very animated Ben was relaying his story from the night before of chasing a robber down the road in his jocks. He was clearly tired and running on adrenaline. This was not the day to piss-off the coach! The weather provided a sharp contrast from the day before. Crystal clear and crisp.
My personal approach for today was to face it head-on, and get it over and done with. Over 80klm on the road and 20klm on foot was going to be a huge feat for me, and I knew I couldn’t spend the morning telling anymore Brokeback Mountain jokes. I took off quickly and sat on the back of the fast bunch for 6klms, and another 4klms with Brook. Then I was on my own. The next 30 klm were nothing short of magnificent. The climb, the weather, the views, the serenity made for a wonderful experience.
At Charlotte’s Pass a quick change and some food, then off onto the mountain. Brook and I headed off together and both quickly realised that running up and down such steep rocky hills was not going to happen. We mastered the art of walking and climbing quickly. We were out there for 3 hours and covered 22.5klm (Bobby Harlow dragged us up Kossie for a photo opportunity). Brook and I were like kids in the school ground – I swapped one of my muffins for half her salt and vinegar chip sanga. Now that’s bonding. I was lucky to run into my family who had done the walk from Eagle Nest. There were so many wonderful things on the mountains to see, and it was nice to have someone to share it with – thanks Brook.
The ride back down to Jindy was fantastic (with the exception of a couple of nasty hills at the bottom). I managed to crawl back to my accommodation and lined up three drinks; protein shake, OJ and a cup of tea. I laid on the bed unshowered and couldn’t move. The only muscles working were the ones at the side of my mouth – I was smiling.
Dinner with everyone at the Bowling Club was all about quantity not quality. Sincerest apologies go to the elderly gentleman who I tackled for the last portion of cauliflower and white sauce. I hope the hip replacement goes well.
Day 3 – The Finale
At 6am the thunder and lightening were nearly as loud as the rain. It was coming down, and I naively text Ben to ask if we were riding. We were riding. Our modified course back up Barry Drive took us straight up hill. I don’t think there was any blood in our brains yet, let alone our legs. In Ireland they’d call this a “soft” day; in Australia we call it “pissin’ down”. We rode out for over 50 minutes, and turned around once the first of the fast crew passed us on their way back. Bikes these days don’t have mud guards, so there was a lot of wet road crap being swallowed for anyone not on the front.
My legs were screaming and all my jokes had dried up (oh the irony, being it was so bloody wet), until…..
Funny Moment #3 – Was it the delirium from the pain or was Danni’s bum foaming? Two balls of soapy foam were forming on either side of the rear of Danni’s chamois. Now there can be one of two explanations for such phenomena; either Rabies in humans produces foaming in a different orifice from a canine, or the rinse cycle didn’t work. This was the funniest thing I had seen in a long time, and I laughed so much I didn’t have anything left to ride with.
We were on the home stretch and the Coach pulls up beside Steve Baker. A few words later and Steve took off like a shot. Brooke yelled “all aboard the Steve Baker” express, but I missed the train. We are all left wondering just what Coach said to Steve.
We all got back safely to the carpark, well almost. Graham had an altercation with his jacket and the jacket won. No broken bones – a huge relief.
An apple turnover with cream (yes fresh), and a coffee as we said our farewells. We did it! Thank you all for your humour, encouragement, advice and camaraderie. It was truly an excellent adventure (ref: “Bill & Ted”).
Footnote: The logistics of being able to do what we did are difficult. The responsibility of looking after a large and diverse group of riders is huge. A big thanks to Ben who didn’t miss a beat. He knew where to be and when, and enabled us to participate in this adventure without the hassle of carrying too much, and worrying about our possessions and personal safety. Any man who will take on a golf-club wielding bandit at 4am, is definitely a man who you want covering your back at Bike Camp.
P.S. I ain’t no pussy roadie!
Jo