Tuesday ride to 4 Brothers Rock

The forecast was for 35 degrees, so naturally Werner, Mike and I decided we would go for a ride. What else was there to occupy your time on a scorching  hot day.

Werner and I rolled up to the Gembrook carpark at 0800 and waited for Mile to join us. After all, he suggested the ride. We waited and waited and waited. In the meantime, Mike was at the alternative carpark at Gembrook, waiting and waiting and waiting for us.

Success! Through sheer blind luck we encountered each other.

Off to 4 Brothers Rock.

Under the heavy tree canopy and revelling in the coolness of the air, we road out of Gembrook and down that lovely sweeping descent to Mortimer Park. Us and the March Flies.

I had repressed the memory of that short vicious hill that presents  just outside Mortimer Pk. A rude awakening after 5k of breezing down the road from Gembrook. However we three and the March Flies managed it without too much of a sweat.

Not so the next hill that I had also forgotten. A doozy. It destroys your will to live for after a long, steep, granny gear climb and with the top in sight, it turns a corner and low and behold, another steep, granny gear climb. Followed by another and another. The  March Flies had no problem though.

Finally the top. 7ks of solid climbing and about 500m elevation. The  notion of being prone on the ground for a  breather was appealing. ....  March Flies!!!!

At least from the top of the hill to the turn off to the rock is largely flat  unless you miss the turn off and start descending down the other side of the mountain.

I was still prone on the ground at the hill top, debating which March Fly to wreak my vengeance upon when Mike and Werner took off. 

They did not miss the turn off to the rock.

I did. 

It was only after riding 2.5k down a newly and thickly gravelled road did it dawn on me that the rock should be at the top of the hill, not where I was headed, namely the bottom.

About face and a solitory slow crawl for 2.5k back up the gravel road and find the turn off locate Mike and Werner. 

In the meantime, Werner was leading the search party wondering just how far to backtrack. Thus he ended doing as many additional k's as me. We compared miseries later as we rested at the rock and gave the March Flies time to find us again. At least it was cool under the canopy.

The return trip was easy, mainly flat or gentle slopes and still under tree cover. This meant we could maintain a pace 2kph above March Fly speed. 

I think I have had my fill of 4 Brothers Rock until next I forget about the two exhausting hills involved.

Jon