DAY 101 - JAMESTOWN SA

JAMESTOWN SA

DAY 101

ORROROO - JAMESTOWN

83.26 km

Total Time: 09.15 – 17.00 (7h 45m)

Time on Bike: 5h 55m 47s

Max. Speed: 37.8 km/h

Av. Speed: 14 km/h


I’ve been well lost in the Flinders Ranges, hence a blogging lapse for nearly 2 weeks.

All Flinders adventures and photos are now posted so please read below.

My experience today began with a C and ended with a T.

And this is not something a rabbit eats.

A diabolical day.

I’m unsure how best to bring it to life in words.

Perhaps it is best left alone.

Or perhaps it would make me feel better to unload on it.

Yes, I will.

The 57 kilometre section of highway between Orroroo and Jamestown would have tested me even in good conditions.

50 of these were slow, sly and otherwise imperceptible uphill - I have already tasted it over the past 2 days from Parachilna.

What can be included in today’s account however is a top temperature of 11ºC, an ice-cold and gale-force headwind, 4 torrential downpours of rain including an ice-storm and 2 attempts to turn around and head back to Orroroo with the tailwind.

It was the ice-storm that concerned me most.
So cold was it that it effectively paralysed me.
I couldn’t continue – my arms and feet completely lost feeling – and all this in the middle of nowhere.

I really started to believe I was in serious trouble.

By either a stroke of desperation or great wisdom, I somehow summoned the presence of mind to get back on the bike and ride away from the storm by returning to the ghost town of Yatina, about 5 km down the way.

There is nothing in Yatina.

No, I remembered seeing one thing - an old and long-disused hotel which enabled 2 things - a place to temporarily shelter from the ferocious wind and ice as well as a change into dry clothes.

My hands were completely numb to any sensation so it was necessary to at least warm them enough to get into my kit bag.

30 minutes later, I may or may not have been ready to continue.

I did decide to leave until another storm hammered me about 8 kilometres further on and it simply seemed more prudent to quit and return to Orroroo with the tailwind.

It was back to Yatina again for some shelter in the interim.

The 2nd passing storm gave me time to make a decision one way or the other.

Fly back 25 kilometres to Orroroo and be there within 90 minutes or press on into the deadly conditions 32 kilometres to Jamestown and maybe arrive within 3 hours.

At 2 pm, there was still time if I had any remaining will.

It was by far the hardest path, but Jamestown it had to be.

I just don’t believe in backtracking.

I was subsequently pounded heavily by another 2 storms – the final one nearly taking me out completely, such was the cold force of wind and rain.

Not to mention passing traffic.

I arrived in Jamestown right on 5 pm, borderline hypothermic and quite dissatisfied with the whole scenario.

Basically, I never intend to experience another day like this.

It was truly soul-sapping as well as quite dangerous and scary at times.

And I don’t scare easily.

The weather forecasts are not at all promising for tomorrow which eliminates the option of moving on.

It will be challenge enough trying to stay dry and warm around town least of all throwing myself out there at its mercy.