Armpie
Pack Dog
OK, it pays to be nice with people. I invited an acquaintance of me to a weekend of bike riding in the Waterberg . It rained the whole weekend and we had lots of fun in the mud, in the mountains. Tertius became my friend.
So two weeks later Tertius asked if I want to go to Botswana with them. To the pans. Joining a group called the “Pannekatte”. It was supposed to be a “father-son” excursion but they could not get enough brave enough, old enough father-son combinations so I and a few others were asked to join.
The plan was to ride the 850km from Pretoria to Moritiwa Selemo, 80km from Orapa. Then a one night sleep over in their huts, doing four days on the pans and then another night in the huts before coming back on the 6th day. 4 Bikes would do the ride, my KLR and 3 X GS1200’s. Two vehicles would also do the trip taking 5 bikes and riders. James’s Hilux and Herman’s Fortuner with a trailer. At Moriti the two guides Pierre and Andries would join us.
Pierre on his 1985 XT, Corne and Peet and their GS's
Leon on his KLR, Tertius on his GS, JP with his Dakar 650
James on his KTM950 and Alexander with his KDX
Andries on his 1984 XT500, Herman on his 250 Enduro and Dalyn on his 100 Enduro
8 of us in front of Kubu Island. Tina Turner singing in the back some Mad Max music, something like "We do'nt need another hero"
Day 1, 26 April 2014
So at 04:00 the morning of 26 April 2014 we left from BMW Zambezi. That first 100km on the bikes were freezing. I understand the temperature on the N1 touched on 0 degrees. At Warmbad, Tertius took the turn-off and we rode through the mountains to Nylstroom. A massive temperature difference from the plains. Then off to Vaalwater. Between Vaalwater and Ellisras we travelled over a pothole strewn road. Our first experience of bad roads. The Wimpy was still closed when we entered Ellisras so we went to KFC for a Breakfast. Then we travelled to Groblersbrug where we crossed the border. The Botswana side was slow so we lost about 60 minutes there. The first 20km into Botswana was potholes again. Very bad. From the border to Palapye, then Serowe, then late the afternoon at Lethlakane. The last pull to Lethlakane was hard and a long day on the KLR, but the BMW men did not have it much easier. At Lethlakane we filled up for the last time. Here we also meet up with Elize, our host at Moriti. We drove the last 80km to Moriti and arrived there about 17:00. We off-loaded the remaining bikes and grabbed a little hut each. A nice dinner was prepared and early the evening we were in the blankets. 840km.
Vaalwater at 06:00
Groblersbrug
Kwanokeng, just accross the border
Moriti wa Selemo, sitting on for dinner
Day 2
Now, what made this trip nice was that the guides Pierre and Andries went with us. They were both Botswana off-road, on-road, flat track, oval track, you name it, they were Botswana champions. The oval Championchip took place around 2 X 44 gallon drums, placed out during half time of the rugby game at Orapa. I do not think they wore any gear and replaced the shocks with galvanized water pipes for the race. Their skill would soon come to light. The father-in-law, son-in-law combination worked out quite well. They buy XT500’s from South Africa and rebuild them. If you do not have a bike you rent one from them. They have 8 XT500’s. They both took one to go with us.
So the plan was to go north along the veterinary fence, then across the pans to Kukonje Island where Pierre has a concession on another island. Then sleep over there for the first night. That was the plan. If the route was dry enough.
So we loaded everything on Pierre’s 1973 Ford F250 4X4 truck, checked the bikes, deflated the tyres, checked the oil, and we were ready. At 09:00 we left Moriti for our adventure. First we did a short detour so Andries can show us the fossilized forest not far from Moriti. We rode along some tough two-track road until a point, here we dismounted and walked the last 50 meters or so up an erosion ditch. And here are the undoubted remains of a tree of a few million years ago. Set in stone. But Andries only show us the one piece. “I show people what we have, and then later they come back here to steal it”. We left the stone trees and arrived at the government cattle fence.
The road is running next to the dead straight fence for many kilometers. Sometimes the road is sand, sometimes grass. Then we reached a little sand dune with a control point. The guard said the road forward is wet. So we went forward to have a look. The bikes were stretched 150-200m apart. At one place I went straight along the fence just too suddenly find myself trapped in water in the long grass! No warning. I struggled to get myself out of it. A few 100 meters further we for the first time find the mud when we reached an inlet into the pan. I went through nicely but JP in front of me with his 650 Dakar was the first one to take a dive into the soft mud. When I looked back all three the GS’s were already down. Not a good time for BMW. Tertius was limping out. He damaged his right hamstring. Myself with my KLR, Pierre with his XT500, Dylan and Herman with their Enduro bikes went forward to investigate the road ahead. We crossed a stream but it was not looking good. The plan changed. No way across the pan.
We went back and helped Tertius back on his bike. Then we went through the bush to a lillte village called Tlala Mabeli. Tertius gave all his sweets to the children of the village. Then he and his son JP left with the dirt road back to Moriti. It was impossible to continue with only one leg. The rest of us turned away to the pans with the idea to skirt the pans and then go back to the escarpment where we would sleep over on the hill. But the fun was merely starting. When we reached the pan (Sua pan) the top was hard but the bikes dropped down into the mud as soon as you lose momentum. I went down the first time in the mud. Behind me Corne went over the handles of his GS, and the handle hit him , shall we say, at the groin. He laid down a few minutes, and then we turned away from the pans. Just to be confronted by the sand , on a narrow road with deep sand and trees on the edges. Twice I went down on that stretch. I was not the only one. Most of the big bikes went down in the sand. Eventually we reached the big dirt road and went a few kilometers on it before we turned off on another sand road. This time the GS’s all went down. The KLR made it to the top of the hill. But I was so tired that taking photographs was not on my list. At a stage one of the local youngsters jumped on the back of the KLR. I had to explain nicely to him, in Afrikaans, that he must rather get off as I was tired and that I was not part of the local public transport system. He understood immediately.
The site where we pitched our tents that afternoon was beautiful. Looking over the pans to the north. We showered under and behind a tree. Elize made a big evening meal. We did not have time to have lunch. We did 97km for the day. But never have I experienced such rough terrain, and never was I so tired from a bike. I went down three times. By 21:00 I was out for the count till the sun was coming up.
Andries shows us some rocks
Stone tree
Some off-roading before the serious off-roading
JP opens the court with a nice slide in the mud along the Foot-and-mouth fence
And Tertius tearing his hamstring while doing the Mamba Samba on Sua Pan
To the front it does not look much better
Tlala Mabeli: James arrives
Tertius distributing his sweets before doing a tactical withdrawal to get something for the pain. Pierre looking on.
Victim of the pan- Peet helped to get to dry ground
Alexander to the rescue
Corne holding his injury
Alexander and Botswana Army truck on the edge of the pans
My KLR taking a rest. The first of many. Herman arriving just in time to help us up.
View over Sua Pan from our camp site the first night out.
The first day done. It took us 8 hours to do 97km
Day 3
The second day in the bush was the easiest. But a longer day than any other. And we made a mistake. Elize, Pierre’s wife and the logistics manager for the trip had her birthday. After a delightful breakfast, we pulled down our tents, put our stuff together and left. Mistake we would later realize.
We decided to take the little gorge down the mountain, instead of going around in the sand, like we did yesterday. Two of the GS’s took the long way around. If a 4X4 could go up the hill we could go down. So we went down the klofie after James on his KTM950 inspected the road. Without any incidents we reached the bottom where the first sand of the day greeted us. We reached the rendezvous point with the other bikes without incident. The GS’s all deflated their tires even more.
We took a little two way track leading to the north. We were on our way to Kubu Island. Again deep sand and narrow paths. Without much room for error. At a stage even Pierre, the expert on the pans lost his bearings. On a narrow road the KLR left the track and a slid sideways and flat over the grass. Hard. I felt the bones and stuff inside my upper torso crunch. But I was up in no time. At a kraal/cattle post Pierre asked directions. There were three beautiful dogs at the post. At the post I removed the grass from the fall from my crush bars.
Along the veterinary fence we continued until we at last reached the entrance to Kubu. Here Alexander was trying his wheelies on his KDX. It was then when Pierre asked if he could have a try. He was tired of wheeling his XT500. So up and down he went until he misjudged him and both he and the KDX ended on their backs. One fall for the expert.
Then we entered the park and proceed until we get the park ablution facilities- still under construction. We all camped out under the thatched roof. The support vehicle was not there to be found. No cell phone connection. So we spend our time drinking Botswana water and eating Pretoria snacks. Eventually me, Tertius and James went back to Kubu and took a few photographs of the place. Lunch was not coming so we left latter in the afternoon to an island about 6km from Kubu ,where we would be sleeping over for the night. We first rode on a bush track, and then along the edge of a pan. Along the pan we stopped briefly at an abandoned land yacht where Pierre tried to break some world record. It was now open to stripping. We arrived at the camp site. But so remote it is that the spades Pierre forgot here six years ago was still standing where it was left. I made a fire. It was getting dark and James and Pierre went back to have a look to see what happened to Elize. Eventually they found her. On one of the sandy dunes a fellow road user refused to make way for her. Eventually both vehicles got stuck. It took her and the two laborers a few hours to get the Ford and trailer out of the sand.
When she stopped in the dark, everybody sang to her. She burst into tears. So I took over the dinner preparations. After dinner I took out my only bottle Rum, and we all took a “ration” of rum. Then Elize took out her Amarula. It eventually turned into a happy event. It was a pity I could not issue another ration. But all the merrier. 103km for the day. But much easier.
Coming down the gorge
And sand to welcome the day
Dog lover I am. Boerbul at a kraal in the Botswana Bush
Welcome to the pans
Pierre, on the way to Kubu
Die kaplyn
The 180 Flip as done by the 1980's Botswana Opelug Kampioen himself
So two weeks later Tertius asked if I want to go to Botswana with them. To the pans. Joining a group called the “Pannekatte”. It was supposed to be a “father-son” excursion but they could not get enough brave enough, old enough father-son combinations so I and a few others were asked to join.
The plan was to ride the 850km from Pretoria to Moritiwa Selemo, 80km from Orapa. Then a one night sleep over in their huts, doing four days on the pans and then another night in the huts before coming back on the 6th day. 4 Bikes would do the ride, my KLR and 3 X GS1200’s. Two vehicles would also do the trip taking 5 bikes and riders. James’s Hilux and Herman’s Fortuner with a trailer. At Moriti the two guides Pierre and Andries would join us.
Pierre on his 1985 XT, Corne and Peet and their GS's
Leon on his KLR, Tertius on his GS, JP with his Dakar 650
James on his KTM950 and Alexander with his KDX
Andries on his 1984 XT500, Herman on his 250 Enduro and Dalyn on his 100 Enduro
8 of us in front of Kubu Island. Tina Turner singing in the back some Mad Max music, something like "We do'nt need another hero"
Day 1, 26 April 2014
So at 04:00 the morning of 26 April 2014 we left from BMW Zambezi. That first 100km on the bikes were freezing. I understand the temperature on the N1 touched on 0 degrees. At Warmbad, Tertius took the turn-off and we rode through the mountains to Nylstroom. A massive temperature difference from the plains. Then off to Vaalwater. Between Vaalwater and Ellisras we travelled over a pothole strewn road. Our first experience of bad roads. The Wimpy was still closed when we entered Ellisras so we went to KFC for a Breakfast. Then we travelled to Groblersbrug where we crossed the border. The Botswana side was slow so we lost about 60 minutes there. The first 20km into Botswana was potholes again. Very bad. From the border to Palapye, then Serowe, then late the afternoon at Lethlakane. The last pull to Lethlakane was hard and a long day on the KLR, but the BMW men did not have it much easier. At Lethlakane we filled up for the last time. Here we also meet up with Elize, our host at Moriti. We drove the last 80km to Moriti and arrived there about 17:00. We off-loaded the remaining bikes and grabbed a little hut each. A nice dinner was prepared and early the evening we were in the blankets. 840km.
Vaalwater at 06:00
Groblersbrug
Kwanokeng, just accross the border
Moriti wa Selemo, sitting on for dinner
Day 2
Now, what made this trip nice was that the guides Pierre and Andries went with us. They were both Botswana off-road, on-road, flat track, oval track, you name it, they were Botswana champions. The oval Championchip took place around 2 X 44 gallon drums, placed out during half time of the rugby game at Orapa. I do not think they wore any gear and replaced the shocks with galvanized water pipes for the race. Their skill would soon come to light. The father-in-law, son-in-law combination worked out quite well. They buy XT500’s from South Africa and rebuild them. If you do not have a bike you rent one from them. They have 8 XT500’s. They both took one to go with us.
So the plan was to go north along the veterinary fence, then across the pans to Kukonje Island where Pierre has a concession on another island. Then sleep over there for the first night. That was the plan. If the route was dry enough.
So we loaded everything on Pierre’s 1973 Ford F250 4X4 truck, checked the bikes, deflated the tyres, checked the oil, and we were ready. At 09:00 we left Moriti for our adventure. First we did a short detour so Andries can show us the fossilized forest not far from Moriti. We rode along some tough two-track road until a point, here we dismounted and walked the last 50 meters or so up an erosion ditch. And here are the undoubted remains of a tree of a few million years ago. Set in stone. But Andries only show us the one piece. “I show people what we have, and then later they come back here to steal it”. We left the stone trees and arrived at the government cattle fence.
The road is running next to the dead straight fence for many kilometers. Sometimes the road is sand, sometimes grass. Then we reached a little sand dune with a control point. The guard said the road forward is wet. So we went forward to have a look. The bikes were stretched 150-200m apart. At one place I went straight along the fence just too suddenly find myself trapped in water in the long grass! No warning. I struggled to get myself out of it. A few 100 meters further we for the first time find the mud when we reached an inlet into the pan. I went through nicely but JP in front of me with his 650 Dakar was the first one to take a dive into the soft mud. When I looked back all three the GS’s were already down. Not a good time for BMW. Tertius was limping out. He damaged his right hamstring. Myself with my KLR, Pierre with his XT500, Dylan and Herman with their Enduro bikes went forward to investigate the road ahead. We crossed a stream but it was not looking good. The plan changed. No way across the pan.
We went back and helped Tertius back on his bike. Then we went through the bush to a lillte village called Tlala Mabeli. Tertius gave all his sweets to the children of the village. Then he and his son JP left with the dirt road back to Moriti. It was impossible to continue with only one leg. The rest of us turned away to the pans with the idea to skirt the pans and then go back to the escarpment where we would sleep over on the hill. But the fun was merely starting. When we reached the pan (Sua pan) the top was hard but the bikes dropped down into the mud as soon as you lose momentum. I went down the first time in the mud. Behind me Corne went over the handles of his GS, and the handle hit him , shall we say, at the groin. He laid down a few minutes, and then we turned away from the pans. Just to be confronted by the sand , on a narrow road with deep sand and trees on the edges. Twice I went down on that stretch. I was not the only one. Most of the big bikes went down in the sand. Eventually we reached the big dirt road and went a few kilometers on it before we turned off on another sand road. This time the GS’s all went down. The KLR made it to the top of the hill. But I was so tired that taking photographs was not on my list. At a stage one of the local youngsters jumped on the back of the KLR. I had to explain nicely to him, in Afrikaans, that he must rather get off as I was tired and that I was not part of the local public transport system. He understood immediately.
The site where we pitched our tents that afternoon was beautiful. Looking over the pans to the north. We showered under and behind a tree. Elize made a big evening meal. We did not have time to have lunch. We did 97km for the day. But never have I experienced such rough terrain, and never was I so tired from a bike. I went down three times. By 21:00 I was out for the count till the sun was coming up.
Andries shows us some rocks
Stone tree
Some off-roading before the serious off-roading
JP opens the court with a nice slide in the mud along the Foot-and-mouth fence
And Tertius tearing his hamstring while doing the Mamba Samba on Sua Pan
To the front it does not look much better
Tlala Mabeli: James arrives
Tertius distributing his sweets before doing a tactical withdrawal to get something for the pain. Pierre looking on.
Victim of the pan- Peet helped to get to dry ground
Alexander to the rescue
Corne holding his injury
Alexander and Botswana Army truck on the edge of the pans
My KLR taking a rest. The first of many. Herman arriving just in time to help us up.
View over Sua Pan from our camp site the first night out.
The first day done. It took us 8 hours to do 97km
Day 3
The second day in the bush was the easiest. But a longer day than any other. And we made a mistake. Elize, Pierre’s wife and the logistics manager for the trip had her birthday. After a delightful breakfast, we pulled down our tents, put our stuff together and left. Mistake we would later realize.
We decided to take the little gorge down the mountain, instead of going around in the sand, like we did yesterday. Two of the GS’s took the long way around. If a 4X4 could go up the hill we could go down. So we went down the klofie after James on his KTM950 inspected the road. Without any incidents we reached the bottom where the first sand of the day greeted us. We reached the rendezvous point with the other bikes without incident. The GS’s all deflated their tires even more.
We took a little two way track leading to the north. We were on our way to Kubu Island. Again deep sand and narrow paths. Without much room for error. At a stage even Pierre, the expert on the pans lost his bearings. On a narrow road the KLR left the track and a slid sideways and flat over the grass. Hard. I felt the bones and stuff inside my upper torso crunch. But I was up in no time. At a kraal/cattle post Pierre asked directions. There were three beautiful dogs at the post. At the post I removed the grass from the fall from my crush bars.
Along the veterinary fence we continued until we at last reached the entrance to Kubu. Here Alexander was trying his wheelies on his KDX. It was then when Pierre asked if he could have a try. He was tired of wheeling his XT500. So up and down he went until he misjudged him and both he and the KDX ended on their backs. One fall for the expert.
Then we entered the park and proceed until we get the park ablution facilities- still under construction. We all camped out under the thatched roof. The support vehicle was not there to be found. No cell phone connection. So we spend our time drinking Botswana water and eating Pretoria snacks. Eventually me, Tertius and James went back to Kubu and took a few photographs of the place. Lunch was not coming so we left latter in the afternoon to an island about 6km from Kubu ,where we would be sleeping over for the night. We first rode on a bush track, and then along the edge of a pan. Along the pan we stopped briefly at an abandoned land yacht where Pierre tried to break some world record. It was now open to stripping. We arrived at the camp site. But so remote it is that the spades Pierre forgot here six years ago was still standing where it was left. I made a fire. It was getting dark and James and Pierre went back to have a look to see what happened to Elize. Eventually they found her. On one of the sandy dunes a fellow road user refused to make way for her. Eventually both vehicles got stuck. It took her and the two laborers a few hours to get the Ford and trailer out of the sand.
When she stopped in the dark, everybody sang to her. She burst into tears. So I took over the dinner preparations. After dinner I took out my only bottle Rum, and we all took a “ration” of rum. Then Elize took out her Amarula. It eventually turned into a happy event. It was a pity I could not issue another ration. But all the merrier. 103km for the day. But much easier.
Coming down the gorge
And sand to welcome the day
Dog lover I am. Boerbul at a kraal in the Botswana Bush
Welcome to the pans
Pierre, on the way to Kubu
Die kaplyn
The 180 Flip as done by the 1980's Botswana Opelug Kampioen himself
They were on their way to Victoria Falls
