Six Hours in Windhoek, a Missing Mountain Bike, and a Very Long Drive to Croatia
Right then. We're off. Sort of.
As I write this, I am sitting in Windhoek airport in Namibia with six hours to kill, chugging down a nasty N$70 cup of coffee that is bound to put hair on parts of my body that shouldn't have hair with the lingering anxiety of a man who has just watched his mountain bike disappear down a conveyor belt at OR Tambo and is now praying it turns up in Frankfurt. Given everything that has been happening in the world these past six weeks, I'd say the odds are interesting.
The original plan was straightforward enough. Johannesburg to Frankfurt, meet Ole, drive roughly a thousand kilometers south through Germany and Austria and into Croatia, try not to eat anything dodgy the night before a stage. Simple. Clean. German Efficiency.
Then Donald and Ben started lobbing bombs into Iran in late February, Middle Eastern airspace started closing, flights started rerouting and getting cancelled, fuel prices went through the roof, and here I am, back in Naaaamibia, 20 years later (My last adventure here I was fly fishing for Tigerfish along the Caprivi strip). Anyhoo, the ceasefire came through yesterday, which is good news for the world and marginally good news for anyone trying to get on a plane. Whether it holds long enough for me to reach Croatia with a mountain bike is a separate question entirely.
The bike, last seen heading in a generally European direction, is somewhere in the system. I have been assured it will meet me in der Vaterland. I have chosen to believe this because the alternative is not something I can think about right now.
Until this week I genuinely wasn't sure I'd be able to get out of here at all. Flights cancelled, routes changing, costs going up daily. At one point Germany via Namibia looked like the most sensible option available, which tells you everything you need to know about the state of things. But here we are. Moving. Slowly, via southern Africa, but moving.
Frankfurt Bound, Eventually
Once I reach Frankfurt, Ole will be waiting. Ole, for those who haven't read the previous blog, is my German adventure friend and riding partner, a man I trust with my life on a bike and absolutely no further than that when it comes to pre-race dinner choices. Together we will point the hired VW Tiguan south and begin what amounts to a thousand-kilometre overland trek through some of Europe's finest motorway service stations before we finally reach the Croatian coast and the start of the 4 Islands Epic.
The race doesn't start for a few days yet. There is still a lot of travelling to be done. But we're on our way. The bike is allegedly on its way. And Ole is already sending messages about what we're going to eat when I land. I am choosing to interpret this as enthusiasm rather than a warning.
What Even Is the 4 Islands Epic?
For the uninitiated, the 4 Islands Epic is part of the Epic Series, the same family of races that includes the ABSA Cape Epic in South Africa, widely regarded as the hardest mountain bike stage race in the world. The 4 Islands is a qualifier event, which means finishing it earns you a shot at becoming an "Epic Legend". It is one of the four Epic Series events. Finishing 3 of them gets you into an exclusive "Epic Legend" club. Ole is already a member having completed the Cape, Swiss and Andorra Epics. This is my attempt to join the club having completed the Cape and Andorra versions. All four events are completely different in topography but the common denominators of each one is it will hurt, it will be beautiful, and you will absolutely earn your medal.
The race starts on the 14th of April in Baška on the island of Krk and finishes five days later in Mali Lošinj. Each stage is a self-contained island adventure: limestone hills, coastal riding, 1000 year old rocky Roman footpaths, remote villages, and trails with names like the James Bond Trail and Shepherd's Paradise, which tells you everything you need to know about the range of experiences on offer. The racing is done in pairs, and both riders must stay together throughout. Ole and I have done this before. We are good at suffering together. Less good at agreeing on pace in the first kilometre, but we'll sort that out on the boat.
"I am equal parts excited and terrified. Both Ole and I are severely undercooked for this one, with him and ridiculous work commitments keeping him in the board room more than on the bike, and myself missing out on decent base training in December and January after shattering my collarbone, shoulder blade and ribs the day before Christmas."
Ole, the Epic Series, and a Pattern of Very Bad Decisions
This is not the first time Ole and I have done something like this. We survived the Cape Epic together in 2022. Then the Andorra Epic in 2023. Then he came back to South Africa for the Tankwa Trek 2024. At some point along the way it stopped being coincidence and became a habit. A slightly painful, completely voluntary habit that neither of us shows any sign of breaking.
The 4 Islands is the next chapter, and it feels like the right one. A new country, a new format, a new opportunity to chomp down on a rancid pork pie.
"At some point along the way it stopped being coincidence and became a habit. A slightly painful, completely voluntary habit that neither of us shows any sign of breaking."
Come and Follow Along
I'll be honest: I won't be writing blog updates from the trail. Between the riding, the recovering, and whatever Ole has decided we're eating that evening, there won't be much time for sitting down at a laptop. Steve is in England. The office, such as it is, will be keeping things moving back home.
The best I can do is grab the camera after (maybe during) each stage and send something back. Short, honest, probably still sweaty and full of potential profanity. That's what you'll find on the Here Now Adventures Instagram throughout the week. A daily video diary from the islands, from the boat, from wherever we end up.
If you want to follow along, come and find us. @herenowadventures. Link in the comments.
Vorsprung durch adventure. 🇩🇪 🇭🇷
