Rhodes students James Dillon and Tim Hulley are well on their way to Harrismith after leaving Grahamstown on 2 September by bicycle .
Rhodes students James Dillon and Tim Hulley are well on their way to Harrismith after leaving Grahamstown on 2 September by bicycle .
On the Friendship Cycle, the two Rhodes University students aim to promote literacy among the young underprivileged and to hand out library books and reading material along the way, ultimately handing over a cheque to Mphophomo Combined School in Van Reenen to go towards the funding of a library room to store their books.
In his blog, Dillon said he was so nervous the morning they left Grahamstown, that he felt ill. “It was the most hilly country I’d ever been in,” said Dillon as the two cycled 109km for the first day and stopped over for the night in Seymour.
During day two, Dillon and Hulley stopped at the first school during their trip. “A little tiny junior school with about 150 students and the nicest teachers,” said Hulley.
The two gave a talk to the pupils about the importance of reading and literacy and handed over a number of books, before heading out the school grounds “followed by the entire school running out behind us”.
The two spent the second night on a farm outside Queenstown and the third was spent in Aliwal North. By the end of day three the two had cycled up Nico Malan pass (12km), Penhoek pass (6km), and the Fish River valley.
“We have climbed approximately 1 000m from Grahamstown and we had a huge celebration today at the top of Penhoek Pass as it is the highest we will be the whole trip – 1844m above sea level,” said Dillon.
“Weaving down a road littered with potholes, dodging 10 ton trucks and sweating profusely has been the sum total of the last two days’ cycle,” said Dillon, speaking of days four and five.
The guys spend the fourth night in Zastron, where they knocked “on a complete stranger’s door”, and were invited to stay the night. The following evening they stayed over in Wepener.
“On the friendship cycle we have met amazing people. The term help us help others has been amazingly exercised over the past two days as fellow South Africans have stretched out their arms, pulled us in and kept us safe from the cold night outside. It makes us proud to fly that beautiful South African flag along with us,” said Dillon.
On Tuesday the two arrived in Ficksburg, after a 60km cycle from Ladybrand. They then cycled to Bethlehem on Wednesday where they stayed for two days, after cycling a day ahead of schedule.
