Watty
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2006
- Messages
- 3,954
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- Port Elizabeth
- Bike
- Suzuki Djebel 250XC
Scouting the Gamtoos valley
The Ride Report is the conclusion of the following post PE Dawgs - Scouting trip - Gamtoos valley - 13 March 2009
Had the day off due to the “economical situation” also known as short-time and decided to go and re-visit some of the out-of-the-way roads/tracks in the Gamtoos valley. My plan was to trace the out-of-the-way farm roads from Gamtoos estuary to Loerie, then try and get to Hankey without using the normal tar method. And then from Patensie travel to Andrieskraal via the farm roads. Most of the routes were gravel, over mountainous terrain, and along the Gamtoos river valley.
Use to roam these places in my miss-spent youth on a Honda XL500S in the 1980’s and was wondering if one can still get from Loerie to Hankey without hitting tar or locked farm gates.
I also have an idea that if the scouting was successful, and these routes check out OK, is to then propose an "official" PE WD outride in the near future.
This Ride Report will not describe the piss/smoke/breakfast stops (I was solo anyway! - had unfortunately no takers to my post under Planning a Ride), but rather a collection of photo compilations of the route taken. It was a leisurely ride, taking in the scenery, stopping now and then to set the GPS, consult the 1:50 000 topo maps, and essentially just enjoying myself. Thus the photos are presented with narration to briefly describe where it was taken, some comments, and perhaps why I specifically took it …
Enjoy …..
I started my travels at 08h45 after waiting at the proposed meeting place just in case some PE dawgs go make it :mwink: Went via Van Stadens Pass to Thornhill, then onwards to Loerie. Returned via the well-known Elands river road, arriving at 15h20 back at home. Total distance was 203 km.
Compilation 1:
1. On the old road linking Loerie with Thornhill/N2 – abandoned in the 1960’s
2. Same spot, Loerie visible in the distance
3. The Gamtoos Ferry Hotel
4. Looking back at the old single lane grinder bridge, built in 1898 and still in use.
Compilation 2
1. Crossing the mighty Loerie river
2. Ditto
3. Ag, the first dirt, about 10 km pass a little station called Melon
4. Following the road in a north-west direction, that was the general idea
Compilation 3
1. Starting to accent the hills with the Gamtoos to the left
2. First obstacle, a farm gate … no problem, not locked
3. Looking back after climbing the hill encountered after the gate
4. The road forward really looked like lekker D/S travelling terrain
Compilation 4
1. Rode another few kilometres … looking back one can see one of the water irrigation channels (red cutting in left-top) built in the mid-1960’s. Bring water all the way from the Kouga Dam nogal!
2. This road was obviously not used that frequently
3. After a steady climb, the views
4. Looking back at the road I just travelled – just visible all alone the crescents
Compilation 5
1. At the highest section, track starting to decent, turning into a westerly direction
2. Easy and enjoyable section – nothing hectic
3. The vegetation types at this point all Fynbos, but in the next photo it became Valley thornbush/Noorsveld type. These changes nearly always related to the altitude.
4. Also geological changes in terrain – from Cretaceous conglomerates into more recent deposited red soils (must be lekker fun here after a heavy down pour)
Compilation 6
1. Whilst on the subject of vegetation, some local flora seen: Protea repens
2. Wild Lobetia
3. The Suger Protea (Protea repens) (lighter shade)
4. Boerboon (Schotia brachypetala)
Compilation 7
1. Starting the way down
2. Hooray … Hankey in the distance, white buildings just left of the right-hand mountain bud
3. But, do not be fooled … sections were well decorated with pebbles and loose stuff
4. As above, no improvement in traction here
Compilation 8
1. The last plaque before descending to the river level
2. More on the irrigation channels, taking water to the south
3. An interesting little bridge that I had to cross
4. I was able to travel quite a distance along these channels – must be fun with a tractor tube!
Compilation 9
1. No hooligans allowed on these rustic rural roads
2. Onto Hankey , even if one have to wait for the locals to clear the road
3. On tar just after passing through Hankey on the way to farming areas along the Gamtoos. Spot the natural feature called the “Window in the Wall”.
4. Same road, about to cross the Gamtoos River along a low causeway – must be fun during floods.
Compilation 10
1. Just had to pay a visit to Philip’s Tunnel. This was the very first irrigation tunnel built to divert water for farming purposes in South Africa. Phillips Irrigation tunnel was built in 1844 - quite an engineering achievement! - no fancy surveying tools then to calculate the water levels.
2. Crossing the Gamtoos yet again
3. After passing through the various citrus and vegetable farms, the terrain changes once again quite drastically.
4. On the road to Andrieskraal
So, who wants to go on an Outride to Gamtoos Valley with me in the near future? :thumleft:
The Ride Report is the conclusion of the following post PE Dawgs - Scouting trip - Gamtoos valley - 13 March 2009
Had the day off due to the “economical situation” also known as short-time and decided to go and re-visit some of the out-of-the-way roads/tracks in the Gamtoos valley. My plan was to trace the out-of-the-way farm roads from Gamtoos estuary to Loerie, then try and get to Hankey without using the normal tar method. And then from Patensie travel to Andrieskraal via the farm roads. Most of the routes were gravel, over mountainous terrain, and along the Gamtoos river valley.
Use to roam these places in my miss-spent youth on a Honda XL500S in the 1980’s and was wondering if one can still get from Loerie to Hankey without hitting tar or locked farm gates.
I also have an idea that if the scouting was successful, and these routes check out OK, is to then propose an "official" PE WD outride in the near future.
This Ride Report will not describe the piss/smoke/breakfast stops (I was solo anyway! - had unfortunately no takers to my post under Planning a Ride), but rather a collection of photo compilations of the route taken. It was a leisurely ride, taking in the scenery, stopping now and then to set the GPS, consult the 1:50 000 topo maps, and essentially just enjoying myself. Thus the photos are presented with narration to briefly describe where it was taken, some comments, and perhaps why I specifically took it …
Enjoy …..
I started my travels at 08h45 after waiting at the proposed meeting place just in case some PE dawgs go make it :mwink: Went via Van Stadens Pass to Thornhill, then onwards to Loerie. Returned via the well-known Elands river road, arriving at 15h20 back at home. Total distance was 203 km.
Compilation 1:
1. On the old road linking Loerie with Thornhill/N2 – abandoned in the 1960’s
2. Same spot, Loerie visible in the distance
3. The Gamtoos Ferry Hotel
4. Looking back at the old single lane grinder bridge, built in 1898 and still in use.
Compilation 2
1. Crossing the mighty Loerie river
2. Ditto
3. Ag, the first dirt, about 10 km pass a little station called Melon
4. Following the road in a north-west direction, that was the general idea
Compilation 3
1. Starting to accent the hills with the Gamtoos to the left
2. First obstacle, a farm gate … no problem, not locked
3. Looking back after climbing the hill encountered after the gate
4. The road forward really looked like lekker D/S travelling terrain
Compilation 4
1. Rode another few kilometres … looking back one can see one of the water irrigation channels (red cutting in left-top) built in the mid-1960’s. Bring water all the way from the Kouga Dam nogal!
2. This road was obviously not used that frequently
3. After a steady climb, the views
4. Looking back at the road I just travelled – just visible all alone the crescents
Compilation 5
1. At the highest section, track starting to decent, turning into a westerly direction
2. Easy and enjoyable section – nothing hectic
3. The vegetation types at this point all Fynbos, but in the next photo it became Valley thornbush/Noorsveld type. These changes nearly always related to the altitude.
4. Also geological changes in terrain – from Cretaceous conglomerates into more recent deposited red soils (must be lekker fun here after a heavy down pour)
Compilation 6
1. Whilst on the subject of vegetation, some local flora seen: Protea repens
2. Wild Lobetia
3. The Suger Protea (Protea repens) (lighter shade)
4. Boerboon (Schotia brachypetala)
Compilation 7
1. Starting the way down
2. Hooray … Hankey in the distance, white buildings just left of the right-hand mountain bud
3. But, do not be fooled … sections were well decorated with pebbles and loose stuff
4. As above, no improvement in traction here
Compilation 8
1. The last plaque before descending to the river level
2. More on the irrigation channels, taking water to the south
3. An interesting little bridge that I had to cross
4. I was able to travel quite a distance along these channels – must be fun with a tractor tube!
Compilation 9
1. No hooligans allowed on these rustic rural roads
2. Onto Hankey , even if one have to wait for the locals to clear the road
3. On tar just after passing through Hankey on the way to farming areas along the Gamtoos. Spot the natural feature called the “Window in the Wall”.
4. Same road, about to cross the Gamtoos River along a low causeway – must be fun during floods.
Compilation 10
1. Just had to pay a visit to Philip’s Tunnel. This was the very first irrigation tunnel built to divert water for farming purposes in South Africa. Phillips Irrigation tunnel was built in 1844 - quite an engineering achievement! - no fancy surveying tools then to calculate the water levels.
2. Crossing the Gamtoos yet again
3. After passing through the various citrus and vegetable farms, the terrain changes once again quite drastically.
4. On the road to Andrieskraal
So, who wants to go on an Outride to Gamtoos Valley with me in the near future? :thumleft:
