Have your own adventure with the #1 outdoor app today.
Tegan Phillips went gravel riding
October 31, 2026 at 06:51
Gravel Burn Day 7: Elephants and the finish line
04:16
93.6km
21.9km/h
57.6km/h
1,380m
1,410m
Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM 3
For the final stage I rode with Juanita and Bryce. It was finally an overcast day, which was welcome after a week of taking a beating from the sun. I felt healthy, strong and happy with how the week had gone. I was a bit anxious about crashing, because there had been a lot of crashes during the week. My only goal was for us all to make it through one more day without ending up in hospital, and we did.
The highlight was a 30 km section through Shamwari Private Game Reserve, with lions, elephants and rhinos around us. We only spotted some elephants and giraffes in the distance. A game vehicle rode in front and another behind, and we all cruised through together. It was exhilarating. I’ve ridden through open game corridors in Botswana before, and a ride definitely feels different when you know an elephant could step out at any moment. It’s bigger than you, and that is scary. But it was really, really fun.
We rolled into the finish to medals, singing and dancing, a wonderful way to end the race. Getting to spend the day with Juanita, who is a human ray of sunshine, made it extra special. Then came a big after party. We were all tired and sunburnt, and the gin and tonics hit hard. This was one of the coolest weeks of my life, and I’ll probably be back next year to do it all again.
Waypoints
Bagged Peaks
Route Details
Elevation
Highest point (630 m)
Lowest point (210 m)
Sign up to see more specific route details
Sign up for free
Comments
Want to know more?
Sign up for a free komoot account to join the conversation.