Category Archives: Stage Details

Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 43: Flores

Ruteng to  Bajara
Date: 10-11-2014 Time: 07:21 h Σ Time: 250:17 h
Distance: 135 km Σ km: 5010 km Temp: 19/43 °C
Up: 2265 m Σ Up: 62021 m Down: 2178 m
Calories: 2911 kcal Σ kcal: 116723 kcal  
Conditions: Hot and very scenic. Roads perfect, except a 2km section, where Cristiano’s ants did not finish the polishing.

Another long, hot and tough cycling day. After yesterday’s 3200m up, we had ‘only’ 2200m elevation gain, today! However the ‘Big W’ wasn’t less of a challenge. It’s 25 km and 1200m final climb to Bajawa at the end of the 135 km stage, required the last energy reserves. The morning started with a quick 500m climb over a 1350m shoulder, followed by an endless (35km) downhill to sea level. What a relief for the legs, still recovering from yesterday’s workout. Several stops to enjoy the scenery and to take some photos slowed down my descend. Temperature climbed into the 40th Celsius, by the time I arrived at lunch, which was setup on the peek in the center of the W, to allow for an easy continuation before the final climb. Getting around the corner opened the view of the Indian Ocean and a giant volcano on the east side of the island. Camelbak and bottles were refilled in the last village before the ascend to Bajawa. Sulis waited with extra water at some point of the climb. My legs felt still strong and progress on the hill was faster than anticipated. At the 110km mark at already 500m I was passed by the van, which stopped around the corner to set out the ‘sweep’. Chelsea was the ‘lucky’ winner to attack the climb from this point, as the slower riders did not continue after lunch or finally got on the van at the foot of the climb. I continued my pace and reached the top at about 4pm. Bucket shower and a good dinner completed the day.

Tomorrow is an easier day to Ende, from where we fly over to Kupang on Timor. Only 1100m of climbs and more than 2000m of downhill. 3 rest days will give the body enough time to recover for the final 3 days in Timor and Timor-Leste before we head off for Australia and leave the Indonesian mountains behind …

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Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 42: Flores

Labuan Bajo to  Ruteng
Date: 10-10-2014 Time:

08:05 h

 Σ Time: 242:55 h
Distance:

129 km

 Σ km: 4875 km Temp: 20/44 °C
Up: 3283 m! Σ Up: 59756 m Down: 2162 m
Calories: 3806 kcal Σ kcal: 113812 kcal  
Conditions: The long feared 3000+ meter of climbs day. Roads mostly perfect and new tarred, but some section broken. Temperatures high in the afternoon. Climbs not too steep. Some windy parts.

Alarm got off at 4:45am for an early start into a supposed to be long cycling day. Breakfast at 5:45 and on the road at 6am. Once out of Labuan Bajo, we spent all day on the Trans Flores Hwy, a mostly good paved and narrow road winding itself through the central mountainous region. The climbs were almost evenly spread between the morning section and after lunch. However, the temperature met its high after noon, with 44°C and no shade available with the sun in its zenith. It was a very scenic ride along the mountain ridges. Slow uphills followed by fast descends. However, there was a negative change in the attitude of some of the Indonesian people. We got the first rocks thrown on us by young kids and bad English expressions yelled at us. Furthermore begging for money and pens is everywhere. However these are exceptions, the friendly ‘Hellos’ still a majority. In Ruteng we were immediately surrounded by scholars, who collected signatures from foreigners in their notepads. So we had an autograph session, at the door steps to our hotel and later on we were accompanied into town by youngsters. They approached us from all sides, wanting to shake hands and ask for our names and country. In most cases they only seem to know 2 to 3 English phrases and don’t seem to be interested in the answers and cannot answer simple questions.

Only 2 more riding days, before we leave Flores in Ende and fly out to Kupang to continue in Timor.

 

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Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 41: Sumbawa / Flores

Dompu to  Sape & Labuan Bajo (Flores)
Date: 07-10-2014 Time: 05:02 h Σ Time: 234:50 h
Distance: 108 km
4 km		 Σ km: 4746 km
4750 km		 Temp: 20/39 °C
Up: 1092 m Σ Up: 56473 m Down: 1087 m
Calories: 2073 kcal Σ kcal: 110006 kcal  
Conditions: A short 108 km riding day to the ferry port. And even shorter 4 km the next day from the Flores port to the hotel. However a 6h ferry ride (calm sea), with a 2 hours departure delay due to loading problems made it a long stage.

Someone must have removed the fast gears of yesterday’s long distance ride. Somehow I was going on real slow motion … well, mostly on purpose, as my DLR was again in the handlebar bag. I was riding with Henry again, which meant a lot of stops to enjoy sceneries, get drugged from the infinite numbers of different green you see and inhale the smells of the fruits and veggies of the fields. A longer stop a ‘Little Las Vegas’ and a school made the day. No hurry, as we stay directly at the ferry port over night, with a scheduled departure at 9am the next day. I even stopped at a sea salt field and harvested fresh ‘Garam’ for Hanns, who is always in need to ‘spice’ up his food. Eric, Gerald, Stirling and I got the VIP ‘Dance Room’ suite for the night. Don’t envy us, it was a basic accommodation. No toilet seat, but a showerhead and a bucket. Stirling reserved the only available bed for himself. We 3 got so-called mattresses, which were as thin as a bed sheet and indescribable filthy. Thus we had to call Danu, our driver to get access to our camping gear and unroll the thermarests and sleeping bag liners. Late breakfast at 7am, as the ferry is supposed to leave at 9am earliest (we will find out later why there is no real schedule). An ‘undefined’ German in the group spread rumors the night, that there is no beer allowed on the ferry, and luggage will be inspected (like in Sudan). In the morning brain cells were spinning wild to create ideas how to smuggle beer on board and keep it cold during the 6+ hours ride. At the end it was harder to access the beer in the van than to get it wrapped and on board, as the vans were parked so tight that one had to climb over roofs of cars and seats of motorcycles to get to them and eventually get to the bags with the ‘smuggled’ goods. Even after the beer was finished the Smugglers were taking all efforts to remove the evidence of their ‘wrong doing’ and they distributed the empty bottles in all available trash bins on board. Unloading the ferry was much easier. We were first in, thus going first out. 4 km to the Hotel and back to paradise at the beach, which unlimited beer and bottled wine. 1 Rest day in Labuan Bajo, before we will have the longest climb of the tour – 3200m accumulated for the day. No scuba diving this time, no mountain hiking. I developed another cold at the last 2 hotels with AC. Luckily the aircon time is soon to be over and tenting is on. No more room sharing, compromises, etc. I’m master of my own comfort!

The ferry left with 2 hours delay at 11am. Loading was not as chaotic as the Aswan ferry to Wadi Halfa, but also a nice game to watch. Bicycles and motorcycles where shifted around to use the available space as efficiently as possible. A huge truck with a generator hardly made it around the corners and over the humps into the hull. Smaller vans were coming, unloaded and left again. Then there were 2 huge trucks, pilled up to the sky. It was immediately obvious, that they exceeded the max. height and had to be partially unloaded from the top of the stack. No idea, why these trucks are not measured the night before and made ready to fit. Everyone lines up as early as possible, since there is only 1 ferry a day, and once full, you have to wait another day.

Good news. My phone situation will improve. I get a new S4A in Darwin from Canada, delivered by my TdA fellow riders Ursula & Rae, who will join the tour in Australia. And there may be a chance to reincarnate my ‘brick’ at a phone clinic in Darwin, too. Thanks to my Doomsday fellow David, who researched the address for me and is  also prepared to join us in Darwin.

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Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 40: Sumbawa

3 Comments
Sumbawa Besar to  Dompu
Date: 06-10-2014 Time:

07:38 h

 Σ Time: 229:48 h
Distance: 192 km Σ km: 4638 km Temp: 20/39 °C
Up: 1505 m Σ Up: 55381 m Down: 1467 m
Calories: 3402 kcal Σ kcal: 107933 kcal  
Conditions: Perfect road conditions, efficient peloton, nasty head and cross winds.

The longest cycling day (by distance) of the Trans-Oceania. We had to make a decision:

  • Either ‘sleep with prostitutes’ in a less than basic place, get food poisoning or even worse
  • Or add another 20k to the original 172km and end up in a supposed to be cleaner and better place.

The decision was easy and we agreed on a 192 km day. The strong riders, who would be able to finish 172 km would also make the 192 km, whereas the riders who only ride half a day could decide from where the begin, lunch or refreshment …

I decided to stay lightweight this day, DLR, extra clothes, … left in my daily bag. Only the necessary water, food and GoPro was loaded. Angry Bird got to ride a van.

I organized a small group (Gerald, Eric and me) to stay together, form a peloton and share effort to break the strong wind. However Eric was again late for breakfast and didn’t join us until our first Coke stop at 62km. Soon after Gerald and I left we run up with John and Paul, who joined us and we cruised along with a remarkable pace. 80km to lunch in less than 3 hours. After lunch, John left the peloton, but Shirley and Dan joined in. Soon the 2 afternoon peeks were reached and the final downhill to the hotel was a treat. Riding time less than 8 hours, with little more than 1 hour of stoppage time made it one of my shortest days on the bike. However the hotel was less of a standard than we expected after long sequence of upper class accommodation since the last basic hotel in Sumatra. For the new riders it was a first disappointment. Imagine how the brothel 20km back must have looked like …

 

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Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details

Stage 38: Lombok

1 Comment
Senggigi to  Maroak
Date: 04-10-2014 Time:

05:02 h

 Σ Time: 217:22 h
Distance: 108 km Σ km: 4337 km Temp: 10/36 °C
Up: 1168 m Σ Up: 53506 m Down: 1159 m
Calories: 2073 kcal Σ kcal: 102269 kcal  
Conditions: All day along the north coast. Very scenic

The coastal road is very scenic. A thousand hidden beaches, all different awake in the morning sun. The evening rain the day before had washed away the dust and all plants where shining even more colorful than before. I was riding ‘sweep’ with Andreas. Only 108km today, thus a relaxed day, at least for me. We did a short offroad trip to the steep cliffs. Passing through a village I heard real good drum music. I stopped and pulled over to the other side of the street and was immediately invited to join the ‘party’. A family was celebrating something, I could not find out what exactly, but the whole village was obviously invited. Vegetables and meat was cooking in large kettles and open fires and men and women were busy preparing more food. Soon Andreas found me and we both spent about half an hour to listen to the drumming and have kopi (coffee) and small talks. 40km into the day and already 3 hours passed. Time to make some speed and cover the remaining distance to lunch. After lunch the colorful ride continued. Red chili was being dried on foils along the road. The final 10 km to camp I took an alternate route that was displayed on my Garmin. Instead of staying on the main road I decided to make a left turn through the village and follow a secondary road along the coast. This road soon turned into a bad dirt and gravel road, but through a very scenic urban area. Some local ‘boys’ on there motorcycles wanted to convince me, that the road does not lead me to where I want, but I insisted to believe my Garmin map and continued through fertile fields, banana plantations and lava rock terraces. Buffalos, cows and goats were already in the stables or still grassing on the fields. Women were returning from work carrying tools and goods on their head, before I arrived in our  basic camp with amazing good food. While we had dinner, to men were busy to rewire the electric installation to get our rooms electrified.

 

stage-38Lombok: Ferry Port to Senggigi

Sections, Spice Island Hopping, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 37: Bali / Lombok

Ubud to  Senggigi (Lombok)
Date: 02-10-2014 Time:

02:56 h

 Σ Time: 194:20 h
Distance: 70 km Σ km: 4229 km Temp: 10/36 °C
Up: 300 m Σ Up: 52038 m Down: 454 m
Calories: 1363 kcal Σ kcal: 100196 kcal  
Conditions: Easy cycling. Short stage to the ferry port, and an easy continuation on Lombok, along the coast. Roads are good, narrow but still divided by a line.

I was asked to ‘sweep’ the group onto the ferry, this day, to allow the TdA staff to organize the ferry boarding of the vans. I am usually anyhow at the tail of the cycling group or behind the sweep, after my first photo stop, thus it didn’t make a difference to me.

It was less than 20 km  from Ubud to the port. A nice downhill leaving the rice terraces behind. A few more temples and lots of big statues were seaming the roads. Ferry boarding was quick and easy and the ride to Lombok not too long. On arrival in Lombok   the ‘Hello Mister’ and friendly faces were back again, compared to Bali, where we were hardly recognized. It wasn’t long that I saw a mosque on the other bank of a river, so I decided leave the main road and cross over a bridge. I local man was immediately alerted, indicating to me in voice and gestures that I was taking a wrong turn. ‘Tida apapa’ (no worries) I replied, “I only take a photo and will be back on the right track” and he was happy to see me return after a few minutes. That must also have been the time when the van and the afternoon sweep passed me. Shortly after I heard drum music from a near village. I quickly turned around into a dirt road and saw that boys were using any kind of plastic canisters as instruments. So I got closer and stopped, getting my camera and GoPro ready. The boys stopped their playing and came towards me, as usual. Big smiles, photo session and a few words later I had them perform their drumming for me. The girls here are more shy, they ran away and hide, when I stop. Maybe I should shave again to look less scary. A had a third stop at a plastic recycling facility. Yes, it is not a joke, they do some recycling. Women are sorting the bottles from big sacks by color, then they are carried over to a mill, being washed and shreddered. The fine grained granulate is said to be shipped to Australia – probably to make fleece shirts or alike. I arrived at the hotel in Senggigi as last. Showered, walked into sunset and had an Italian dinner  in a nice beach restaurant. On my way home I decided to check out scuba diving opportunities for the rest day in Senggigi. I was lucky that a PADI dive shop in town was still open, so I was able to charter a dive boat to the Gili islands for the next morning. Before I returned tired to my room. My sleep was short, because of my French friends, who came at 1am to wake me up and drag me into the Senggigi nightlife.

 

stage-37.1Bali: Ubud to Ferry Port

stage-37.2Lombok: Ferry Port to Senggigi

Sections, Stage Details, Volcanoes & Temples

Stage 36: Bali

Lovina to  Ubud
Date: 30-09-2014 Time: 05:43 h Σ Time: 191:23 h
Distance: 100 km Σ km: 3750 km Temp: 19/33 °C
Up: 1844 m Σ Up: 45768 m Calories: 2399 kcal
Down: 1680 m Σ Down: 44797 m Σ kcal: 89382 kcal
Conditions: Temples + more temples. Excellent ride. Nice breeze with tailwind in the morning. Roads perfect, the 36km climb to the summit not very steep and easy to ride. Lots of sights to visit. The hotel  a real paradise.

What a cycling Day! I was on the road from the first sunray to the last. 10:42 hours elapsed and I enjoyed every second. The riding time itself was only 5:42 hours and my sightseeing and stoppage time almost equally. That was a real cycling expedition instead of racing from camp to camp. From the first kilometer my eyes where scanning for good photo opportunities, as there where so many Hindu temples. All different. Almost every house has its own temple, and then there were the big community temples. I knew this area from a previous scuba diving trip, but only rushed thru in a taxi. Although there was a 35km and 1800m climb in the morning, I was quite confident, that time was no issue to make it through this day. Legs were strong and cycling was easy. I spent 1/3 of the morning climb and the whole afternoon with Henry. The afternoon, after lunch on the summit was special. It could have been easily done in little more than 1 hour, as it was a 40 km downhill. However the scenery was so stunning and ever changing, that you were already out of your pedals by the time you clicked in, because there was something else to inspect …

To be continued in a separate post with photos.

 

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Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 35: Java to Bali

Ketapang to  Lovina (Bali)
Date: 29-09-2014 Time:

03:09 h

 Σ Time: 185:40 h
Distance: 84 km Σ km: 3650 km Temp: 20/37 °C
Up: 353 m Σ Up: 43924 m Calories: 1707 kcal
Down: 348 m Σ Down: 43117 m Σ kcal: 86983 kcal
Conditions: This was a fast and easy cycling day. Short ride to ferry port, short ferry ride to Bali. Flat cycling along the northern coast line, with nice tail wind.
Bali is 1 hour ahead of Java so we had to adjust our watches.

Finally an enjoyable cycling day for those, who don’t like excessive climbing. We all made it onto the 7am ferry that set us over to our 3rd island – Bali, home for 3 cycling days plus 1 rest day in Ubud. Compared to all other riders, I was not in a hurry, although we had to be in the next destination at around 1pm, because we all had to go to the immigration office to extend our Indonesian visa for additional 30 days. I took my time to stop here and there, as Bali is totally different to Sumatra and Java and we won’t stay long on this little island. Although we lost 1 hour due to the time switch, there were still more than 4 hours time to cover for the remaining 78 km. Still a pity, that there was a deadline set, so the options to break away from the route had to be chosen wisely, as I already felt Henry’s breath in my neck. He was the TdA sweep today and took care that everyone made it in time or got on the van. So I had to really make speed between my various stops, to keep him in distance. I wanted to go to the beach and a dive  base, as I haven’t been in this part of Bali, yet. I knew there was a ‘Werner Lau’ dive base in this area and luckily I found it. Off the road and down on a bumpy, rocky gravel road to the shore. Now I had a photo session, to document my appearance.  A local dive guide was very interested about my adventure. He was a cycling tour guide on Bali, too and wanted to know more about my trip. I finally took a refreshing ‘shower’ at the dive center before I returned onto the main road. At lunch I was still ahead of Henry, but the lunch site was already ‘closing’, to make it also to camp in time. Nevertheless, I got my share of food and water and left with Henry shortly after 11am, with 2 hours left for the final 45 km. Andreas asked us to make it to the hotel not later than 1:15pm, as the vans to the ‘passport session’ will have to leave at 1:30pm. ‘Time to race’, I thought, and announced to be able to ride an average of 30km/h. I made it to the hotel by 12:45pm, even with a coke stop and a photo/video stop with monkeys. 500m from the hotel I stopped again a t an IndoMart to get daily my ‘Magnum’ ice cream, which I deliciously ate, while riding to the reception. The hotel is a very large complex, my bag was transported on a golf cart, I followed on bicycle. Since my room was not yet ready I continued onward on my bike, straight to the pool and around to the beach and finished my ice cream.  Thereafter I jumped into my swim suite and chilled out in the pool and the ocean. I am finally back to paradise, although only for 1 afternoon.

Tomorrow is the final riding day of the 3rd section ‘Volcanoes & Temple’. The rest day location – Ubud-  is behind a volcano, which means, we are back into climbing mode.

 

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Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania, Volcanoes & Temples

Stage 34: Java

Bondowoso to  Ketapang
Date: 28-09-2014 Time:

06:02 h

 Σ Time: 182:31 h
Distance: 105 km Σ km: 3566 km Temp: 17/37 °C
Up: 2274 m Σ Up: 43571 m Calories: 2708 kcal
Down: 2476 m Σ Down: 42769 m Σ kcal: 85276 kcal
Conditions: Excellent. A broken bridge with a shaky, provisional bamboo replacement. 2 huge climbs, but stunning scenery. Dangerous downhill through rain forest and fields to sea level.

What else could one do on a sunny Sunday morning, having the choice to go to church or ride a bicycle up into a volcano? The final riding day in Java was a long one, but more than worth it. After about 12km we had a choice to cross a rive via a provisional bamboo bridge, or take a short detour on a bad road. No question, I wouldn’t take the bridge option – GoPro & DLR ready to record the passage. Shortly after the bridge I provided first aid to J. who was stung in her finger by a big, unidentified bug. She was quite shocked and in pain and couldn’t continue, thus I called the van for her. Thereafter the first ascend begun.  This first 1400m climb brought me into a fertile crater region built from 4 volcanoes (1 still active). Coffee plantations, green alleys and lovely flowers made the immediate 400m  ‘dive’ into the valley a treat for the eyes. No need to rush for the lunch. It was hot in the valley, but the locals were playing at a volleyball tournament in the coffee plantation. Time, for another 10 minute break, in addition to the many other stops to enjoy the views and take photos. Lunch was nicely setup and lots of treats waiting for us to stock up  energy for the 2nd major climb to the final summit at 1880m. Fairly easy going, as it was not as steep as the ones we had the days before. It was just me and Chelsea who were building the tail of the riding group, which had left long time before. I enjoyed every inch and minute of the day. A view more photo stops during the climb did not slow me down too much, and I was never caught by the sweep. On top of the fDSC_4040inal summit in Java, I wrote a nice message for Chelsea on the tar. She was ‘TdA sweep’ all day and did a fantastic job to ride this stage with the long climbs. The downhill was kind of difficult to ride. The climate changed on the eastern side of the volcano. The dry vegetation changed into green rain forest, with giant ferns and palm trees. The low clouds or fog made the steep and curvy roads quite slippery. One corner was to fast for me and I slipped off the edge into the green ditch. No worries, only minor scratches on elbow and thigh, recovered my bike from the ditch, cleaned my wounds and continued slower, since my break pads started to give up, after riding for 30 days in the mountains. Road conditions got better the closer I came to sea level. After almost 10 hours since the start I reached the hotel where I immediately cooled down my body in the pool. In the meantime Andreas had already replaced my break pads, to make the breaks fit again for the future descents.

 

stage-34

Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania, Volcanoes & Temples

Stage 33: Java

Bromo to  Bondowoso
Date: 27-09-2014 Time:

06:40 h

 Σ Time: 176:28 h
Distance: 158 km Σ km: 3461 km Temp: 7/39 °C
Up: 1055 m Σ Up: 41297 m Calories: 2875 kcal
Down: 2875 m Σ Down: 40293 m Σ kcal: 82568 kcal
Conditions: Roads mostly good. Some traffic on main roads. Chilling in the morning in the high altitude, hot in the lower regions.

A fast 2000m drop brought us to almost sea level on the first 25km. The ride was very scenic and partially steep and dangerous to ride. Photo stops slowed it down a bit and helped to cool down the breaks. It was a ride through several climate and vegetation zones. The green belt started right around the first corner out of the crater, with all sorts of agriculture; fruits, veggies, wood. Further down the slope of the mountain and in the valley we were still riding through patches of the volcanic ashes that rained down earlier in March this year, when one of the volcanoes erupted in this part of Java. The valley was irrigated by a water system that is fed artificial channels that carried water for the fields, but also for all kind of cleaning: body and motorcycles. Lunch was setup at 78 km at a bridge – or the leftovers of a bridge that existed in March, when the track was scouted. Now there was only a bamboo bridge, wide and strong enough for pedestrians and motorcycles. It was a logistical challenge for the vans to get there from both sides on alternate routes, to provide the catering and continue flagging the continuation of the route. For me it was excellent chance for a ‘Doomsday style extravaganza’ to get to the other side of the river (more later in a different post). After lunch there was a further 200m drop to sea level, with not always favorable wind. Still 70km and 1000m of climbing to go. For the last 40km we turned into a nice tailwind. A new road was built with nice switchbacks in a shady forest to carry us in a comfortable 4-5% grade up the 550m to the first little ‘summit’. Another fast 100m drop and a 180m re-climb before the final drop to Bondowoso. It was still a long day, almost 10 hours elapsed, due to the many photo stops and the extended lunch break at the bamboo bridge. Tomorrow is the last cycling day on Java; and guess what, another huge climbing day, riding into and out of a volcano. We will end only 5km away from the ferry, that will carry us over to Bali, our 3rd island, the next morning.

 

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