“ROUND THE POUND” SATURDAY OCTOBER 6, 2012 AUDAX AUSTRALIA CYCLING CLUB INC SOUTH AUSTRALIA REGION An outback cycling adventure featuring iconic South Australian scenery. Experience the natural beauty of Wilpena Pound (pictured above from the air) and the Flinders Ranges from every angle by circumnavigating the pound. Wilpena – Hawker – Parachilna – Blinman – Wilpena (230km) Shorter options available. Audax riding is generally designed to be self sufficient. You should always carry what you need and always remain cognisant of what you can, and can’t, obtain whilst on the course. This is especially important on a ride as remote as this. The Flinders Ranges are however a very popular tourist area, and this ride will be conducted during the last weekend of the school holidays. There will be plenty of people around who I am sure will be willing to assist if the need arises. The only services available on the ride are at Wilpena, Hawker, Parachilna and Blinman. A supported rest stop will be available at the telegraph monument between Hawker and Parachilna. You will not be bored at any point on the ride, even the flat stretches into Parachilna. The beauty of the Flinders Ranges will always be visible. The section between Parachilna and Blinman is unsealed. It is extremely challenging. Participants are welcome to pool car support to traverse themselves and bikes over this section. It is not envisaged that the organiser will provide car pool support (or at a minimum only for 2-3 bikes, therefore do not guarantee that you have a car pool). The sealed roads however are excellent – smooth surfaces and generally wide shoulders. There are cattle grids on all roads. The grids are like train crossings, except that there are about a dozen rails to cross. When crossing a grid, maintain a steady speed. Faster is better because it will feel rougher the slower you traverse. Do not change direction on a grid and always cross perpendicular to the rails. Keep your weight evenly spread across both wheels by standing to bring your weight slightly forward. Separate notes included on the dirt section. Be prepared if you are going to attempt this. Lighting is essential as is reflective garments. Tourists and other road users will not be expecting bikes on the main roads, although they will treat bikes well. The 200km time limits will be after sunset so dawn and dusk visibility are important. Finally, you will encounter wildlife, especially emus and kangaroos. Kangaroos are pretty benign and most likely seen adjacent to the Wilpena Park. They will also be prevalent towards sunset. Emus however are just plain stupid. They frighten easily and think nothing of running alongside you at 30kmh+ then darting across the road without warning. I don’t think they would attack a cyclist, but the might accidentally collide with one. On my recce ride in April I counted 17 by the time I’d reached the lunch stop. There is plenty to do in the Wilpena area. If you have never been there before, spend at least 4 days discovering the gorges, peaks and wildlife in the park. I plan to climb St Mary’s Peak on the Sunday as a “recovery”. It is probably THE iconic activity in the Ranges, and the views are superb. The local natives request you don’t do it, but it is still available to the public and definitely worth the effort. It is a full day activity. Round the Pound – the ride All rides will start and finish at WILPENA Pound Resort and Campground. There are four ride options available: 200km : Wilpena – Hawker – Parachilna - (car ferry to Blinman) – Wilpena 220km : Wilpena – Hawker – Wilpena – Blinman – Wilpena 230km : Wilpena – Hawker – Parachilna – Blinman – Wilpena 110km : Wilpena – Blinman – Wilpena The 200+ options will all commence at 6.30am, slightly before sunrise. The 110km option will start at 10.30am and hopefully will allow the riders to meet the 200’s at or near Blinman before returning to Wilpena. WILPENA - HAWKER Mt Ohlssen Bagge just before sunrise. Bike parked in cattle grid. DISTANCE 54.5km WILPENA 543m Max Altitude 570m (at 8.5km from Wilpena) HAWKER 320m After a gentle descent out to the main road, there is a gently climb for about 5km. Then it is downhill almost all the way to Hawker. Watch out for kangaroos in the park grounds and for the first few kilometres on the main road. As the sun rises there will be spectacular views of the southern edge of Wilpena Pound. Further in the leg you will pass Rawnsley Bluff, the southern most edge of the Pound. Beyond the pound, views of Elder Ranges, named for the founder of the Elders pastoral Group. Hawker controle will be at Hawker Motors. Store opens at 7.30am. There is a general store opposite, but not much quality food on offer. Opposite the B83 highway is a clean toilet rest stop with general tourist information and covered seating and tables. A coffee shop is opposite. HAWKER – PARACHILNA DISTANCE 89.6km HAWKER 320m = max altitude PARACHILNA 147m One descent of about 100m fall in 5km to Hookina Creek Crossing at 19km from Hawker (75km total), otherwise entire leg is flat with slightly perceptible rises and falls. The road flattens and straight for next 17km We will have a supported rest point at the Telegraph Cairn at 97k point off highway on left, 43km from Hawker. View from Telegraph Cairn The ride from the Telegraph stop to Parachilna is very flat with the occasional flood plain creek crossing. To your right will be Brachina Gorge (famous for fossilised creatures in rocks). On the day I rode the course the Leigh Creek Coal train went past on my left. Too many carriages to count. Leigh Creek Coal Train returning to Leigh Creek for reloading PARACHILNA is little more than a rail siding, but it has the world famous Prairie Hotel. Farmers Union Iced Coffee available. It is recommended you settle in for lunch – you will not be disappointed. You can eat Kangaroo and other native creatures, or something more conventional if you are keeping your adventure for the road. Bring your insect repellent – the flies are intense, and you may not be guaranteed an indoor seat. The stake through the kangaroo burger! Outside the Prairie Hotel, Parachilna PARACHILNA – BLINMAN Distance 31.6km PARACHILNA 147m Max Altitude 650m (at 29.7km) BLINMAN 612m This section is incredibly difficult. I have ridden this bike on the Roubaix Cobbles but two things stand out here that differentiate from that experience. The distance and the dust. The road shakes you almost as much as the cobbles, but there is no relent in the first 12 km. And the dust from passing vehicles will choke your lungs. I had to walk all climbs in the last 10km because I could not bring my heartrate when walking below maximum and could not breathe. It took over three hours to complete 32km. Maybe carrying a dust mask would help. It is recommended all entrants organise passage by vehicle over this section. There is no time penalty, however the clock will continue to run. If you do choose to ride this section this is what I think you need to know. Take time to enjoy the scenery and stop as often as you can. Part 1 – 12km from Parachilna to the start of the gorge. The run into the foothills - gravelly and unrelentingly rough This section climbs about 100m in 10km as a long gradual imperceptible 0.5% – 1% incline. I rode a fixed wheel bike with 28c tyres. On the flat I felt the fixie gave extra control, especially in the loose gravel, and also because the power is always being consistently driven. I had no problem with tyre width. Heart rate extremely high due to CONCENTRATION keeping wheel in the smoothest possible line. The road is extremely corrugated however in almost every point there is a smoother line, although often rocky. Keep switching to find the smoothest line. Don’t be afraid to stop when cars are coming as some four wheel drivers are too engrossed in their own self importance to care for a foolish cyclist on this road. Although it doesn’t appear so, the general smoothest run will be the red sand on the extreme edge of the road, because the underlying base is not corrugated. When you do change lines to find a smoother ride, be very direct in your movements, otherwise you risk losing control of the front wheel. Part 2 – The Gorge This section is about 6 km in length, with gradual climbing from 240m to about 320m. This is the scenic highlight of the run to Blinman. There are numerous creek crossings and the road surface between each crossing is better than what you experienced in the first leg. Parachilna Gorge creek crossing – steep entry or exit. There was very little water when I did this. Unless the creeks are flowing, you can get through without getting wet. When we run this in October, it is more likely that there will be running water (I was there in April). The creek beds are moderate sized rounded pebbles, slightly compacted due to road usage, but still quite unstable for a bike. If you ride through water, be prepared to stop suddenly if the water deepens beyond 6 inches or so. There is also one extended stretch of 100m+ contained within a river bed. The entrances and exits from the crossings can be very steep, if only for a short distance. Again be wary of 4WD’s. The majority think they should be starring in their own TV commercial.