Regret... Have no pics to contribute.
What a flipping awesome trip!
Andy660, with some helpful assistance from Leftless, plotted a lekker interesting route to & from the Bash (Cape Town - Vanderkloofdam - Cape Town).
Da WC Dawg Crew - Andy660, Bradleys, MountainBoy, Powerflow Justin, Giraffe, Grant, PistonPete, KLR & Wayneh
Day 1: Cape Town - Jakhalsdans Guest Farm, Loxton.
Early start - left the Winelands 1-stop garage at 8 (not a minute later - as per strict instructions ;D). Bain's Kloof to Ceres, then dirt roads all the way from there. Stopped in Sutherland for a well deserved beer, and a seriously crappy micro-burger - what a rip
Left Sutherland via a very entertaining, twisty farm trail through the hills between Sutherland & Fraiserburg.
The Kapies crew were running nicely together, when I took my turn to lead for about 50km. Coming over a raise we were faced with our 5th little water crossing - one of those concrete slabs over a 3-inch deep creek.
Suddenly all hell breaks lose
Lesson learnt - each obstacle is uniquely different, with their own little possible surprises.
Well... This bridge worn a layer of black moss/slime, hidden under the 3-inches of water.
I was in front, Bradleys & Giraffe running 2-bike lengths behind. As I entered the water (around 100km/h) the rear decided to overtake me. Bradleys had just accelerated to move a little ahead of Giraffe, before the water - when he looked up and saw what was happening. Giraffe had a spectacular view of both Bradleys & myself doing synchronized pirouetting across the bridge, while slamming anchors & butt-chewing his 950SE seat. How he missed us both I do not know :eek7:
(there is a suspision that Giraffe had simply got gatvol of riding in our dust, and kicked out both our rear wheels to get by) :
>
Bradleys ended up sliding along the bridge, while I separated from the XT and flew about 10 feet off the side (missing concert blocks every 2 meters, and a metal pole) to landed neatly on a soft bush, on my back, in a cloud of dust.
Giraffe ran, like a headless chicken, between Bradley and myself, not sure who or what to do first.
Guardian Angels where with us...
Long story short... Bradleys hobbled away with lots of bruises & stiff mussels, and I suffered some roasties & a right knee that quickly swelled to twice it's size. Bradleys's 640 lost a mirror & I broke my XT's screen while denting in the rear carrier rack.
In about 30 minutes we were all on our way again, with nothing that an icepack and lots of beer couldn't sort out, at Jakhalsdans.
...Over to the rest of the crew, to continue the story...
