Nick - Day 15

We made it!!

A cold and cloudy morning greeted us in Balclutha as we took to the roads for the final time. The support crew had really laid it on for breakfast and we were treated to pancakes as well as the normal superb buffet we always get. I am going to miss the big breakfasts, but there is no way I could eat like this if I was not exercising for 6+ hrs a day.

The ride profile suggested there would be a few decent climbs early on, and we were not surprised, although the biggest climb wasn't quite the 250m we had expected. It was still a relief to see the drinks van at the top. Coming down the other side in my usual nana style (I have to learn to descend a little faster as I constantly get dropped) I lost the front bunch, but got picked up by John, Pete and Tara. We rode together for the next 100km to lunch and with a decent side/tail wind and beautiful Catlins scenery. I had feared the last day would be a real struggle as my legs ached like nothing else, but with a bit of conversation to pass the time and favorable conditions, I was sweet. Thats been the thing about epic camp, its the camaraderie and competition that enables the massive volumes to be completed. I could manage a few days like this on my own, but never a week let alone two as mentally I would lose it.

Anyway, following a compulsory regroup for lunch, we rode the last 50km as a bunch into Bluff. The last 10km were into a stiff headwind and it seemed to take an age to get there. We had a brief stop while the mountain goats had a crack at climbing the famed Bluff Hill, which they all managed one way or another, before hitting the bottom of the South. The champagne flowed and photos were snapped, but we weren't finished. John had spied a running track around Bluff hill, so on with the runners and away we went. Half way round the original plan was changed and we climbed the hill. It was a lung buster and a leg buster, but a great way to finish a great camp.

Epilogue to follow...