IDR
Grey Hound
As posted here, I devised myself a little route from home in Pta East to home in Pta East, but via 4 dams, Dronkwordspruit, Witbank, Loskop and Roodeplaat. I thought it was a bit ambitious at first, but thought I'd go for it, and improvise as I go along. So I packed myself a little sumpin sumpin to munch on, printed out some maps and set off.
Saturday morning, just after 6, on my way out:
First dirt of the day on the way to the train track, which I intended following all the way to Bronkhorstspruit:
Instead of following that road all the way down the to tracks, there is a turn-off to a small quarry, where I did a quick loop. Funacide, this is a GREAT place to practice climbs and descents! I shoulda taken more pics of it in hindsight, but alas, this is the only one:
Some indigenous not-so-wild life:
Typical highveld scenery:
A happy adventurer
:
Typical surface next to the tracks... with the amount of gravel the only thing that changes:
I had to get off the dirt onto tar to get across the N4 and down to the dam. I missed the turn-off I meant to take, and ended up having to ride through a township into Bronkhorstspruit. I was REALLY nervous at first, but everybody was incredibly friendly, showing thumbs-up and waving and stuff... didn't feel threatened at all
Found this chunk of old bridge next to the road... pity about all the cables and crap in the background:
Then found this sunflower field, and couldn't resist:
Then through Bronkhorstpsruit on the way to the dam I rode past Cultura village, which I've driven and ridden past SO many times, and thought I'd go check it out, and I was NOT disappointed. It's actually quite breathtaking, and there was not a soul in sight or within earshot. It was dead-quiet, and actually quite a spiritual experience :
IDR was here :
Pushed on, and arrived at dam #1, Bronkhorstspruit:
Then back on the go towards Witbank dam. Hit the dirt towards Ogies:
It's pretty flat around here:
I got to this bridge which seemed to be an ideal spot for a break...had a bite to eat and a drink of water out the camelback. Doesn't smoke-break just seem so much easier? (I quit two weeks ago 8) )
Got to the tar again, I was SO hoping this was a dirt road, but alas...it might as well have been though, it's in horrific shape...
Filled up in Ogies (R 43 of juice after about 140 km!), and headed to Witbank dam. I was hoping that the route I had plotted included dirt, but it was tar all the way. We came to Witbank dam for the weekend of my birthday two weeks ago, and stayed at Barham Bay, which I knew was on a dirt road, so found that and went in search of the spot closest to the dam, and here it is, Witbank Dam:
By this time (above photo taken at 11:00), it was really getting hot, and I was getting a bit lonely so I decided to cut out the other two dams, and revisit them at some other time...and shot home on the N4 from Witbank, taking my usual offroad shortcut from Hans Strydom, and did a loop of the quarry behind my complex:
Total distance around 320 km, and it was GREAT to be out on the dirt again! And, as usual, the KLE was a reliable, comfortable and competent companion.
No sunflowers were harmed in the making of this report. 8)
Saturday morning, just after 6, on my way out:
First dirt of the day on the way to the train track, which I intended following all the way to Bronkhorstspruit:
Instead of following that road all the way down the to tracks, there is a turn-off to a small quarry, where I did a quick loop. Funacide, this is a GREAT place to practice climbs and descents! I shoulda taken more pics of it in hindsight, but alas, this is the only one:
Some indigenous not-so-wild life:
Typical highveld scenery:
A happy adventurer
:
Typical surface next to the tracks... with the amount of gravel the only thing that changes:
I had to get off the dirt onto tar to get across the N4 and down to the dam. I missed the turn-off I meant to take, and ended up having to ride through a township into Bronkhorstspruit. I was REALLY nervous at first, but everybody was incredibly friendly, showing thumbs-up and waving and stuff... didn't feel threatened at all
Found this chunk of old bridge next to the road... pity about all the cables and crap in the background:
Then found this sunflower field, and couldn't resist:
Then through Bronkhorstpsruit on the way to the dam I rode past Cultura village, which I've driven and ridden past SO many times, and thought I'd go check it out, and I was NOT disappointed. It's actually quite breathtaking, and there was not a soul in sight or within earshot. It was dead-quiet, and actually quite a spiritual experience
:
IDR was here
:
Pushed on, and arrived at dam #1, Bronkhorstspruit:
Then back on the go towards Witbank dam. Hit the dirt towards Ogies:
It's pretty flat around here:
I got to this bridge which seemed to be an ideal spot for a break...had a bite to eat and a drink of water out the camelback. Doesn't smoke-break just seem so much easier? (I quit two weeks ago 8) )
Got to the tar again, I was SO hoping this was a dirt road, but alas...it might as well have been though, it's in horrific shape...
Filled up in Ogies (R 43 of juice after about 140 km!), and headed to Witbank dam. I was hoping that the route I had plotted included dirt, but it was tar all the way. We came to Witbank dam for the weekend of my birthday two weeks ago, and stayed at Barham Bay, which I knew was on a dirt road, so found that and went in search of the spot closest to the dam, and here it is, Witbank Dam:
By this time (above photo taken at 11:00), it was really getting hot, and I was getting a bit lonely
so I decided to cut out the other two dams, and revisit them at some other time...and shot home on the N4 from Witbank, taking my usual offroad shortcut from Hans Strydom, and did a loop of the quarry behind my complex:
Total distance around 320 km, and it was GREAT to be out on the dirt again! And, as usual, the KLE was a reliable, comfortable and competent companion.
No sunflowers were harmed in the making of this report. 8)
