antondp
Race Dog
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2009
- Messages
- 2,501
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- Location
- The Reeds, Centurion
- Bike
- Kawasaki Versys
Very nice.
2 rookies on their way from the Cape to Lesotho and back
- Thread starter DirtyHarry
- Start date
fat b
Race Dog
What a nice RR ! I like your style of writing ! Thanx for sharing ! :thumleft:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Thanks for all the positive feedback. It will speed up the next day's report for sure. 
CAR6850
Race Dog
Im in - thanks for the report
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 5 Rhodes – Naudesneck – Mount Fletcher – Matatiele – Swartberg – Underberg/Himmville
Judging from the maps this day should be a fairly easy ride, leading us right along the mighty Drakensberge.
And how lucky can one get. It was raining the last night and the new day greeted us with sunshine again. What a blessing.
It was a bit chilly that morning and it took me some persuasion to get Claudi out of the warm bed.
I was eager to get on the bike again to explore Naudesneck.
Actually I wanted visit the Ski Resort first, but looking at my freezing wife I decided to head straight for Naudesneck.
Pictures sometimes do not express the real beauty, the scenery was breathtaking in the crisp early morning.
It happened again when we least expected it. This time we kissed the ground at speed. I followed some washed out tire tracks, when the front wheel took a hard nock from a sticking out rock and basically ripped the handle bars out of my hands. Sending us to the ground without any warning. It threw me off the bike a few meters but Claudi in her engaged position between the panniers stayed on the bike and only got thrown off once the bike was on its side.
I was quicker up on my feet than I could think and rushed to assist Claudi. Luckily she was fine as well and this time she took it quite well and didn’t even give me the usual verbal hiding.
But our bike took a beating. The tank got a nice knock and the front turning signal broke into pieces.
By the time Claudi took this picture I already lifted the bike halfway up as it was lying completely on its side.
Out came the tape to fix the light and we were on our way again in no time. But before I thanked our guardians above us for the protection. We really have been lucky to get away from that fall with only little bruising. We have traveled at over 50 km/h and came down quite hard.
I still believe these offs can happen any time and are a part of traveling on a bike.
At Mount Fletcher our scenic dirt road ended and we had a few km of tar ahead of us. We thought we come into another neat town like Lady Grey but this was far fetched. Mount Fletcher is pure African chaos on the streets. People and kettle on the road, loud music at every corner, trading posts on every doorstep – it is fun to watch but I would not like to live in that place, that’s for sure.
We rather headed for Matatiele to fuel up and get a bite to eat. Again we have been surprised because that town seemed to be organized in contrast to Mount Fletcher. There must be someone in this town with a rational way of thinking not like the mess in Mount Fletcher, but I don’t want to start a political discussion.
Then came a stretch of dirt road again when we crossed over towards Swartberg.
I always thought about having a puncture from all the sharp stones and rocks on the dirt roads. I never thought I have a puncture after 5km on the tar road. A 6mm rivet found it’s way through our rear tire.
Luckily I have bought a tire repair kit before our departure and this looked like an easy fix. My bicycle hand pump run hot when I inflated the tire and the pump was shot after this exercise- plastic crap. I could have bought an air compressor for only R 200 at Midas but I always tend not to carry extra stuff with me and keep it real – next time I see a compressor on promotion I might buy it anyway.
It won’t be our last puncture that’s for sure.
On our way to Underberg.
Arriving at Underberg and Himmville we were on the lookout to find a place for the night and again the prices seemed somewhat inflated. At our place we are charging R 600 for a very nice self catering apartment in Bloubergstrand and here we have to fork out R 800 for a bed and bathroom only, with no extra facilities. Our place is either to cheap or these people are taking advantage of our poor souls.
We found a very nice place 8 km outside of Underberg, the Elgin Guest Farm. R 660 was in proportion for the nicely decorated place.
And this is the view.
A whole chicken and some beers seemed to be a good preparation for the next day – Sani Pass.
Not sure what all the hype is about that pass, but we gonna find out tomorrow anyway.
Judging from the maps this day should be a fairly easy ride, leading us right along the mighty Drakensberge.
And how lucky can one get. It was raining the last night and the new day greeted us with sunshine again. What a blessing.
It was a bit chilly that morning and it took me some persuasion to get Claudi out of the warm bed.
I was eager to get on the bike again to explore Naudesneck.
Actually I wanted visit the Ski Resort first, but looking at my freezing wife I decided to head straight for Naudesneck.
Pictures sometimes do not express the real beauty, the scenery was breathtaking in the crisp early morning.
It happened again when we least expected it. This time we kissed the ground at speed. I followed some washed out tire tracks, when the front wheel took a hard nock from a sticking out rock and basically ripped the handle bars out of my hands. Sending us to the ground without any warning. It threw me off the bike a few meters but Claudi in her engaged position between the panniers stayed on the bike and only got thrown off once the bike was on its side.
I was quicker up on my feet than I could think and rushed to assist Claudi. Luckily she was fine as well and this time she took it quite well and didn’t even give me the usual verbal hiding.
But our bike took a beating. The tank got a nice knock and the front turning signal broke into pieces.
By the time Claudi took this picture I already lifted the bike halfway up as it was lying completely on its side.
Out came the tape to fix the light and we were on our way again in no time. But before I thanked our guardians above us for the protection. We really have been lucky to get away from that fall with only little bruising. We have traveled at over 50 km/h and came down quite hard.
I still believe these offs can happen any time and are a part of traveling on a bike.
At Mount Fletcher our scenic dirt road ended and we had a few km of tar ahead of us. We thought we come into another neat town like Lady Grey but this was far fetched. Mount Fletcher is pure African chaos on the streets. People and kettle on the road, loud music at every corner, trading posts on every doorstep – it is fun to watch but I would not like to live in that place, that’s for sure.
We rather headed for Matatiele to fuel up and get a bite to eat. Again we have been surprised because that town seemed to be organized in contrast to Mount Fletcher. There must be someone in this town with a rational way of thinking not like the mess in Mount Fletcher, but I don’t want to start a political discussion.
Then came a stretch of dirt road again when we crossed over towards Swartberg.
I always thought about having a puncture from all the sharp stones and rocks on the dirt roads. I never thought I have a puncture after 5km on the tar road. A 6mm rivet found it’s way through our rear tire.
Luckily I have bought a tire repair kit before our departure and this looked like an easy fix. My bicycle hand pump run hot when I inflated the tire and the pump was shot after this exercise- plastic crap. I could have bought an air compressor for only R 200 at Midas but I always tend not to carry extra stuff with me and keep it real – next time I see a compressor on promotion I might buy it anyway.
It won’t be our last puncture that’s for sure.
On our way to Underberg.
Arriving at Underberg and Himmville we were on the lookout to find a place for the night and again the prices seemed somewhat inflated. At our place we are charging R 600 for a very nice self catering apartment in Bloubergstrand and here we have to fork out R 800 for a bed and bathroom only, with no extra facilities. Our place is either to cheap or these people are taking advantage of our poor souls.
We found a very nice place 8 km outside of Underberg, the Elgin Guest Farm. R 660 was in proportion for the nicely decorated place.
And this is the view.
A whole chicken and some beers seemed to be a good preparation for the next day – Sani Pass.
Not sure what all the hype is about that pass, but we gonna find out tomorrow anyway.
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2008
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- 4,115
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- 196
- Location
- Port Elizabeth
- Bike
- KTM 1190 Adventure
very nice.
Getting jelouser and jelouserer
Getting jelouser and jelouserer
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 6 Sani Pass up – Sani down – Cerdarberg
We had a good night sleep and the sun was greeting us that morning, what better day than this to climb the Drakensberge.
Last night we have been discussing our options how we would like to carry on after the Sani Pass. I made one of my usual jokes that never fail to irritate my wife. I said: “we might come up the pass but after that we might be too shit scared to drive it down again”. This was a big mistake as Claudi was not laughing at all. I heard myself saying that we could as well carry on and drive through Lesotho than we don’t have to go down the pass again. That finally found her approval, but that also meant that we have to take the luggage with us.
Probably not a good idea to ride a heavy overloaded bike with pillion up the pass, but at least our options will be open from there on.
I was also so clever to fill our big adventure tank to the top when we arrived in Underberg yesterday. Well done Harry.
A few kg more or less would not make any difference I told myself - bullshit my left side of the brain answered to quickly.
The nice scenery leading to the boarder post swept away all our worries, at least mine I guess.
Customs is an easy affair and off we went.
So far we didn’t struggle to much as the road is fairly wide and you can choose your lane through the rough stuff.
I knew that if I can get the pig going where I wanted instead of going where my bike decides then we would be fine. There are always only a few key positions in a difficult route, once you master them you have it almost in the bag and your confidence starts building.
Problem was that I had nor idea where the heavy parts will start or end.
Fact is that after we mastered a few tricky parts my confidence level was probably to high and I wanted to climb a big step to one of the concrete water crossings on the wrong side where it was clearly to steep. I had enough momentum but our crash bar bracket which is mounted underneath our sump guard hit a rock and stopped the bike. I have tried to balance the bike but my right foot couldn’t reach any ground. I knew exactly what gonna happen next.
We fall over to the wrong side down the steps into a whole which was about 1,5m below us. I disconnected myself from the bike while we fell down because I didn’t want to get my leg squashed by the pig. I was hoping Claudi could do the same. I had quite a hard landing but it was the way Claudi was laying on the ground which really worried me. She was lying on her back like a turtle whith her arms and legs facing to the sky. This was not a natural position by any means and I found out that she was landing with her back on a big loose rock and she was too scared to move her arms and legs because of the pain. I pulled the rock off underneath her back and was looking for any injuries.
I can tell you that my wife is not a softy when it comes to pain and therefore I was shit scared she would have injured her back, judging from the expression of her face.
20 seconds later she was up already helping me with the bike, she is a tough woman I can tell you.
The bike had a hard landing on the right side again and we had to lift it up against the hill on some very loose ground.
I didn’t even unload the bike instead I went straight to the bike to lift it up.
A lot of adrenalin and anger from my side and I don’t know where Claudi found the strength, but we managed to upright the bike again.
How on earth do I now get the bike up there to the concrete bed?
The plan was that I drive down the hill, turn around, built up some momentum and Claudi will be on standby to give me a push for the last meter if necessary.
I was just finished to tape up the remaining pieces of the turning light as I see a biker coming to a halt on the concrete slab above us. We greeted each other and he instantly helped us to get the bike to the platform.
His friend appeared a few minutes later and was happy for a break and a little chat. Few seconds later a bakkie arrives and I wanted to get my bike out of the way to let him through. No worries they said.
This guy with the bakkie was actually supposed to be on a bike himself but injured his ankle a few days before the trip and decided, as a true friend to drive by car instead. Really nice chaps. They travelled from Joburg to Katse Dam down the Sani Pass and then back home.
Then they asked where Claudi’s bike was and I only pointed on the back seat of my bike.
I told them that they should come up the pass with us that I can buy us some beers. They very politely declined and said it was enough for them to go down the pass. They would not try to get up there, not even without pillion and luggage and a service vehicle to cover their back..
We all had a good laugh except Claudi.
According to the three chaps the most difficult part would be the 200m ahead of us and Claudi indicated that she would prefer to walk that section. I can’t blame her for that decision.
I gave her a head start of a few minutes and said good bye to our new friends which obviously wanted to witness another wipe out of mine. This was the first time that I was riding without pillion and I can’t tell you how different the bike felt. I was able to move the bike around any obstructions which I could never do that easy before and I climbed that section without major difficulties. I went a little bit further to make sure that road was ok and drove down again to fetch Claudi.
My wife weighs in at only 53kg and it makes such a difference – unbelievable.
The rest of the way to the top was fairly easy, no more drama I am afraid. We soaked in the beauty of the mountains and the unreal scenery and the border post at the end of the pass came up to quickly.
In the pub I swallowed a few Maluti’s and couldn’t resist trying the Austrian meatloaf from the menue. The beer and the food never tasted better even if it was only 11am. Who cares?
And by the way, the prices have been very reasonable against the opinion from other Wilddogs on the forum, you just have to order the local beer.
We met a local tour guide in the pub and he told us that we will get snow the next day and he asked us where we are heading.
Claudi looked at me with that sorry face and I knew she would be more afraid to freeze her bum off in the snow covered Lesotho than of anything else. So we decided that we will go down the pass again.
No worries I said to her, it is much easier to go downhill.
Even the local people get their daily dose of the great scenery.
By 13.00 we have been ready to tackle Sani Pass the other way and the customs officials joked that our 30 day visa had not expired yet and we could stay for longer if we wish. I wished we could.
The first corners I took it fairly easy and beside the very efficient engine brake of the boxer engine I used the rear brake here and there. At one sharp bend I was slightly to fast and wanted to use the back brake again – nothing no brake at all. I franticly pumped the brake pedal but nothing happened. We almost went down the steep side of the road. Fuck that was close.
On the next possible section to stop the bike I have tried to bleed the brake line. That didn’t help much and after a few meters the brake was dead again. I remember that I have changed the brake fluid of the front brakes when I changed to a new braided brake hose but obviously I didn’t change the fluid on the rear brake - bad mistake. The previous owner probably didn’t change the brake fluid for a long time and now the old fluid was boiling when the calipers became hot.
No rear brakes I am afraid, more talking to myself but Claudi got the message.
I told Claudi that I will go very slow and use the engine brake as efficient as possible.
We carried on quite well me using the front brakes when possible and otherwise I relied on the engine brake.
I heard Claudi’s heavy breathing behind me and I felt that she completely locked up. She must have been scared like shit, can’t blame her for that.
It came as it had to come and I used my front brake a fraction of a second to long, the front wheel slid off on the loose ground and off we go again.
We have not been fast nor was it a heavy fall but Claudi told me that she now has enough of that shit. She wanted to walk down. It took me a long time to convince her to climb on the bike again, but she did.
We made it safely down the pass after that and I was very glad when we reached the South African border post.
Then we went back to Underberg and discussed what we do next.
It was only 3pm and we decided that we carry on until we find a nice accommodation along the way.
Funny enough I was not really happy that afternoon after Sani Pass. I was angry with myself that I forgot to change the brake fluid for the rear brake, I was angry with the heavy pig and it really pissed me off that I lost control of the bike twice that day.
I seriously though about to leave Claudi in town and head back to Sani to ride it up and down one more time. But then I thought that would be a very selfish idea and what do I have to prove anyway.
But when we carried on I tackled the road more aggressively than usually do and I feel very sorry that I completely forgot about my wife sitting on the back of the bike.
By 5pm we have found a very nice place 15km SE of Cedarville.
The Cedarberg Guest Farm.
We found out that the Guest Farms somewhere more remote are the best places to stay. The people are always very friendly, more hospitable and they ask a fairer price for their accommodation.
This place is the best example for it.
We unloaded our luggage and Claudi was happy to settle down.
While we were unpacking the owner told me that there is a very nice 4x4 route going up to the hill of the farm, but we would probably be too tired to do that today.
Without me having to ask, Claudi said that I could go on my own but she had it for the day.
5 min later I was on the way up the hill. The bike felt so light and I probably went too fast all the way but this was exactly what I needed that day to get rid of my frustrations.
The sun was almost setting when I reached the top and I was completely stoked and rehabilitated.
On my way down the hill and I saw a lot of game in the distance.
[
I came back to the cottage with a big smile in my face. I was in peace with the world around me again.
We had a great evening joking about Sani Pass and our stupid moves that day.
I have to give Claudi a lot of credit riding on a back seat up and down Sani Pass.
Day 7 soon.
We had a good night sleep and the sun was greeting us that morning, what better day than this to climb the Drakensberge.
Last night we have been discussing our options how we would like to carry on after the Sani Pass. I made one of my usual jokes that never fail to irritate my wife. I said: “we might come up the pass but after that we might be too shit scared to drive it down again”. This was a big mistake as Claudi was not laughing at all. I heard myself saying that we could as well carry on and drive through Lesotho than we don’t have to go down the pass again. That finally found her approval, but that also meant that we have to take the luggage with us.
Probably not a good idea to ride a heavy overloaded bike with pillion up the pass, but at least our options will be open from there on.
I was also so clever to fill our big adventure tank to the top when we arrived in Underberg yesterday. Well done Harry.
A few kg more or less would not make any difference I told myself - bullshit my left side of the brain answered to quickly.
The nice scenery leading to the boarder post swept away all our worries, at least mine I guess.
Customs is an easy affair and off we went.
So far we didn’t struggle to much as the road is fairly wide and you can choose your lane through the rough stuff.
I knew that if I can get the pig going where I wanted instead of going where my bike decides then we would be fine. There are always only a few key positions in a difficult route, once you master them you have it almost in the bag and your confidence starts building.
Problem was that I had nor idea where the heavy parts will start or end.
Fact is that after we mastered a few tricky parts my confidence level was probably to high and I wanted to climb a big step to one of the concrete water crossings on the wrong side where it was clearly to steep. I had enough momentum but our crash bar bracket which is mounted underneath our sump guard hit a rock and stopped the bike. I have tried to balance the bike but my right foot couldn’t reach any ground. I knew exactly what gonna happen next.
We fall over to the wrong side down the steps into a whole which was about 1,5m below us. I disconnected myself from the bike while we fell down because I didn’t want to get my leg squashed by the pig. I was hoping Claudi could do the same. I had quite a hard landing but it was the way Claudi was laying on the ground which really worried me. She was lying on her back like a turtle whith her arms and legs facing to the sky. This was not a natural position by any means and I found out that she was landing with her back on a big loose rock and she was too scared to move her arms and legs because of the pain. I pulled the rock off underneath her back and was looking for any injuries.
I can tell you that my wife is not a softy when it comes to pain and therefore I was shit scared she would have injured her back, judging from the expression of her face.
20 seconds later she was up already helping me with the bike, she is a tough woman I can tell you.
The bike had a hard landing on the right side again and we had to lift it up against the hill on some very loose ground.
I didn’t even unload the bike instead I went straight to the bike to lift it up.
A lot of adrenalin and anger from my side and I don’t know where Claudi found the strength, but we managed to upright the bike again.
How on earth do I now get the bike up there to the concrete bed?
The plan was that I drive down the hill, turn around, built up some momentum and Claudi will be on standby to give me a push for the last meter if necessary.
I was just finished to tape up the remaining pieces of the turning light as I see a biker coming to a halt on the concrete slab above us. We greeted each other and he instantly helped us to get the bike to the platform.
His friend appeared a few minutes later and was happy for a break and a little chat. Few seconds later a bakkie arrives and I wanted to get my bike out of the way to let him through. No worries they said.
This guy with the bakkie was actually supposed to be on a bike himself but injured his ankle a few days before the trip and decided, as a true friend to drive by car instead. Really nice chaps. They travelled from Joburg to Katse Dam down the Sani Pass and then back home.
Then they asked where Claudi’s bike was and I only pointed on the back seat of my bike.
I told them that they should come up the pass with us that I can buy us some beers. They very politely declined and said it was enough for them to go down the pass. They would not try to get up there, not even without pillion and luggage and a service vehicle to cover their back..
We all had a good laugh except Claudi.
According to the three chaps the most difficult part would be the 200m ahead of us and Claudi indicated that she would prefer to walk that section. I can’t blame her for that decision.
I gave her a head start of a few minutes and said good bye to our new friends which obviously wanted to witness another wipe out of mine. This was the first time that I was riding without pillion and I can’t tell you how different the bike felt. I was able to move the bike around any obstructions which I could never do that easy before and I climbed that section without major difficulties. I went a little bit further to make sure that road was ok and drove down again to fetch Claudi.
My wife weighs in at only 53kg and it makes such a difference – unbelievable.
The rest of the way to the top was fairly easy, no more drama I am afraid. We soaked in the beauty of the mountains and the unreal scenery and the border post at the end of the pass came up to quickly.
In the pub I swallowed a few Maluti’s and couldn’t resist trying the Austrian meatloaf from the menue. The beer and the food never tasted better even if it was only 11am. Who cares?
And by the way, the prices have been very reasonable against the opinion from other Wilddogs on the forum, you just have to order the local beer.
We met a local tour guide in the pub and he told us that we will get snow the next day and he asked us where we are heading.
Claudi looked at me with that sorry face and I knew she would be more afraid to freeze her bum off in the snow covered Lesotho than of anything else. So we decided that we will go down the pass again.
No worries I said to her, it is much easier to go downhill.
Even the local people get their daily dose of the great scenery.
By 13.00 we have been ready to tackle Sani Pass the other way and the customs officials joked that our 30 day visa had not expired yet and we could stay for longer if we wish. I wished we could.
The first corners I took it fairly easy and beside the very efficient engine brake of the boxer engine I used the rear brake here and there. At one sharp bend I was slightly to fast and wanted to use the back brake again – nothing no brake at all. I franticly pumped the brake pedal but nothing happened. We almost went down the steep side of the road. Fuck that was close.
On the next possible section to stop the bike I have tried to bleed the brake line. That didn’t help much and after a few meters the brake was dead again. I remember that I have changed the brake fluid of the front brakes when I changed to a new braided brake hose but obviously I didn’t change the fluid on the rear brake - bad mistake. The previous owner probably didn’t change the brake fluid for a long time and now the old fluid was boiling when the calipers became hot.
No rear brakes I am afraid, more talking to myself but Claudi got the message.
I told Claudi that I will go very slow and use the engine brake as efficient as possible.
We carried on quite well me using the front brakes when possible and otherwise I relied on the engine brake.
I heard Claudi’s heavy breathing behind me and I felt that she completely locked up. She must have been scared like shit, can’t blame her for that.
It came as it had to come and I used my front brake a fraction of a second to long, the front wheel slid off on the loose ground and off we go again.
We have not been fast nor was it a heavy fall but Claudi told me that she now has enough of that shit. She wanted to walk down. It took me a long time to convince her to climb on the bike again, but she did.
We made it safely down the pass after that and I was very glad when we reached the South African border post.
Then we went back to Underberg and discussed what we do next.
It was only 3pm and we decided that we carry on until we find a nice accommodation along the way.
Funny enough I was not really happy that afternoon after Sani Pass. I was angry with myself that I forgot to change the brake fluid for the rear brake, I was angry with the heavy pig and it really pissed me off that I lost control of the bike twice that day.
I seriously though about to leave Claudi in town and head back to Sani to ride it up and down one more time. But then I thought that would be a very selfish idea and what do I have to prove anyway.
But when we carried on I tackled the road more aggressively than usually do and I feel very sorry that I completely forgot about my wife sitting on the back of the bike.
By 5pm we have found a very nice place 15km SE of Cedarville.
The Cedarberg Guest Farm.
We found out that the Guest Farms somewhere more remote are the best places to stay. The people are always very friendly, more hospitable and they ask a fairer price for their accommodation.
This place is the best example for it.
We unloaded our luggage and Claudi was happy to settle down.
While we were unpacking the owner told me that there is a very nice 4x4 route going up to the hill of the farm, but we would probably be too tired to do that today.
Without me having to ask, Claudi said that I could go on my own but she had it for the day.
5 min later I was on the way up the hill. The bike felt so light and I probably went too fast all the way but this was exactly what I needed that day to get rid of my frustrations.
The sun was almost setting when I reached the top and I was completely stoked and rehabilitated.
On my way down the hill and I saw a lot of game in the distance.
[
I came back to the cottage with a big smile in my face. I was in peace with the world around me again.
We had a great evening joking about Sani Pass and our stupid moves that day.
I have to give Claudi a lot of credit riding on a back seat up and down Sani Pass.
Day 7 soon.
fat b
Race Dog
I'm really enjoying this RR ! I think your wife and mine are related ! My wife is also small and beats me up regularly in the vain hope that I will do things better !! Respect to her for being a brave pillion ! :thumleft:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Hey Fishy,
If you would like to do a similar route in June, you should watch the weather carefully. In most places we have been, it will be quite quite cold at night and you will possibly see snow. No problem, if you plan in enough time in for the trip. I am sure it will be awesome if you take your wife with. I hope she will be fit again by then.
Just don't throw your better part off the bike as often as I did. But I am a very bad driver, I have my eyes all over the place instead of focusing on the road. But I am learning.
I am busy mapping our route for you. Happy :ricky:
If you would like to do a similar route in June, you should watch the weather carefully. In most places we have been, it will be quite quite cold at night and you will possibly see snow. No problem, if you plan in enough time in for the trip. I am sure it will be awesome if you take your wife with. I hope she will be fit again by then.
Just don't throw your better part off the bike as often as I did. But I am a very bad driver, I have my eyes all over the place instead of focusing on the road. But I am learning.
I am busy mapping our route for you. Happy :ricky:
Oom Foe-rie
Race Dog
What a great report DirtyHarry .................and well done Claudi :thumleft: :thumleft:
CAR6850
Race Dog
Dirty Harry , just like Clint Eastwood you have some pretty big kahunas :ricky:
Well done to the better half too :biggrin:, but I will refrain from mentioning her kahunas :mwink:
Well done to the better half too :biggrin:, but I will refrain from mentioning her kahunas :mwink:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Diesel & Dust said:
Hey Diesel& Dust,
You got me there ???.
I had to google big kahunas, we'll take it as a compliment for our stupid moves :biggrin:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
fat b said:
To tell you the truth, my wife has given up the hope that I will do things better ( her way ). >
The kidney penetration I usually receive is ment to keep up my concentration level. I easily get distructed on the bike.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 7 Cedarberg – Qacha’s Neck – White Hill –Telebridge – Lady Grey – Weenen Pass – Queenstown
We have not continued from Sani Pass to Katse Dam because of the forecasted rain or shall we call it snow.
There was another cold front at the coast in PE. So theoretically, now being south of Lesotho and in between the two weather systems, we should be fine.
Another chilly but beautiful morning. When we came down the hill of the Cedarberg Farm we saw mist over the flat land, quite a pretty sight.
So according to the nice weather where we were and the rain further south of us, we changed our travel plans slightly. We wanted to go back to Lesotho at the Qacha’s Neck border post to get a better idea what this country looks like in the south. We will then come back on one of our next trips to see the rest of Lesotho.
We got fuel and a bite to eat in Matatiele and headed on a nice dirt road towards Lesotho again.
The border post looked slightly oversized for the amount of traffic we have seen.
We actually expected some rough dirt roads and we were very surprised to find a decent tar road almost all the way to the next border post in Telebridge.
It almost felt we are somewhere on a breakfast run, being on a tar road when we last expected it. Where is the adventure I asked myself a couple of times, but then I saw it as very good break for my shaken pillion. Claudi has gone through quite a bit the last couple of days, so it was nice for me to see her so relaxed on the back seat.
My eyes have been wandering off the road and I have seen so many interesting looking dirt roads going in all directions.
But after a while the feeling of cheating the adventure, us being on a nice tar road, went away and I also enjoyed having the time to look around. We were in cruising mode.
The road is quite twisty and one can really ride out the corners, just be aware that you have to navigate around some potholes at times.
Even on this road our rear shock was buttoning out a few times and when I inspected the shock the pre-load adjuster had lost all the oil. It was not coming out at the fitting, so it must have leaked from the seal inside the adjuster.
Just one word to the people in Lesotho from my experience. Yes, the children are hunting all travelers for sweets and the adults are asking you straight away for money, but this is possibly because so many travelers before us handed out sweets to pave their way to take pictures or just to do them a favor. But for me all the people we have seen in Lesotho have some kind of integrity or pride when you see them or speak to them. Not like people in other places, who give you the impression that they blame the system for their misfortune rather than themselves. I am walking on thin ice here I know, but this is an observation not a statement. I only live the last 13 years in South Africa and I am sure that I don’t understand all the problems in the past and present fully. And my English lets me down sometimes and I might use the wrong words to express myself.
After about 180km driving through Lesotho the Telebridge border post came in sight already.
We both wanted to have a stop at our famous shop in Lady Grey again, so we decided to go to the direction of Sterkspruit rather than over Lundin’s Neck.
The disappointment was great when we came to Lady Grey and found out that our butchery shop was closed that day. We completely forgot that it was Saturday afternoon. You tend to forget time and date when you travel.
So we went over Weenen Pass one more time to reach Dordrecht and later Queenstown.
A quick break at the Kraai river bed.
And we carry on, more fast dirt roads ahead of us.
Nice church in Dordrecht.
The Aloe Guest Farm was booked out for that night, so we went straight to Queenstown and found a nice place at the Swann. A restaurant and B&B and at R 450 for the two of us, it was very reasonable priced as well.
The in house restaurant was closed that evening and there was no breakfast available for Sunday morning. No problem, we went to our Portuguese chicken eatery and had another fantastic meal there. And in the morning we don’t care about having breakfast anyway, as we rather head out to the open road and stop after a couple of hrs for a coffee or something.
That was an easy day, but we might spice it up for the next day again.
We have not continued from Sani Pass to Katse Dam because of the forecasted rain or shall we call it snow.
There was another cold front at the coast in PE. So theoretically, now being south of Lesotho and in between the two weather systems, we should be fine.
Another chilly but beautiful morning. When we came down the hill of the Cedarberg Farm we saw mist over the flat land, quite a pretty sight.
So according to the nice weather where we were and the rain further south of us, we changed our travel plans slightly. We wanted to go back to Lesotho at the Qacha’s Neck border post to get a better idea what this country looks like in the south. We will then come back on one of our next trips to see the rest of Lesotho.
We got fuel and a bite to eat in Matatiele and headed on a nice dirt road towards Lesotho again.
The border post looked slightly oversized for the amount of traffic we have seen.
We actually expected some rough dirt roads and we were very surprised to find a decent tar road almost all the way to the next border post in Telebridge.
It almost felt we are somewhere on a breakfast run, being on a tar road when we last expected it. Where is the adventure I asked myself a couple of times, but then I saw it as very good break for my shaken pillion. Claudi has gone through quite a bit the last couple of days, so it was nice for me to see her so relaxed on the back seat.
My eyes have been wandering off the road and I have seen so many interesting looking dirt roads going in all directions.
But after a while the feeling of cheating the adventure, us being on a nice tar road, went away and I also enjoyed having the time to look around. We were in cruising mode.
The road is quite twisty and one can really ride out the corners, just be aware that you have to navigate around some potholes at times.
Even on this road our rear shock was buttoning out a few times and when I inspected the shock the pre-load adjuster had lost all the oil. It was not coming out at the fitting, so it must have leaked from the seal inside the adjuster.
Just one word to the people in Lesotho from my experience. Yes, the children are hunting all travelers for sweets and the adults are asking you straight away for money, but this is possibly because so many travelers before us handed out sweets to pave their way to take pictures or just to do them a favor. But for me all the people we have seen in Lesotho have some kind of integrity or pride when you see them or speak to them. Not like people in other places, who give you the impression that they blame the system for their misfortune rather than themselves. I am walking on thin ice here I know, but this is an observation not a statement. I only live the last 13 years in South Africa and I am sure that I don’t understand all the problems in the past and present fully. And my English lets me down sometimes and I might use the wrong words to express myself.
After about 180km driving through Lesotho the Telebridge border post came in sight already.
We both wanted to have a stop at our famous shop in Lady Grey again, so we decided to go to the direction of Sterkspruit rather than over Lundin’s Neck.
The disappointment was great when we came to Lady Grey and found out that our butchery shop was closed that day. We completely forgot that it was Saturday afternoon. You tend to forget time and date when you travel.
So we went over Weenen Pass one more time to reach Dordrecht and later Queenstown.
A quick break at the Kraai river bed.
And we carry on, more fast dirt roads ahead of us.
Nice church in Dordrecht.
The Aloe Guest Farm was booked out for that night, so we went straight to Queenstown and found a nice place at the Swann. A restaurant and B&B and at R 450 for the two of us, it was very reasonable priced as well.
The in house restaurant was closed that evening and there was no breakfast available for Sunday morning. No problem, we went to our Portuguese chicken eatery and had another fantastic meal there. And in the morning we don’t care about having breakfast anyway, as we rather head out to the open road and stop after a couple of hrs for a coffee or something.
That was an easy day, but we might spice it up for the next day again.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 8 Queenstown – Hogsback – Katberg Pass – Grahamstown
It was pretty overcast that morning and it looked like we might get some rain. What happened to the well though out weather routing of mine? Luckily it cleared later in the day.
Here we lost a sleeping bag with the whole top from the panniers. Next time I should lock it.
We came down the dirt road and saw a church in the middle of nowhere.
On the way to Hogsback I have struggled with the bike at higher speeds on the dirt roads. The steering was way too nervous. Then I remembered that I put higher air pressure in the tires the day before. After I dropped the air pressure it felt good again. I usually don’t change my tire pressure all the time so I have to stay somewhere in between for all-round use. 2.0 front and 2.2 rear seemed to work best for all sort of terrain. I didn’t have a tire gauge with me so I relied on the tire kicking method.
Big bounce high pressure, medium bounce medium pressure … Medium bounce was perfect.
On route to Hogsback.
The Hogsback area is really nice and it seems to be a famous holiday destination.
We stopped for a coffee at a newly opened coffee shop and have been asked by the owner to judge the quality of their Espresso, after they found out that I am a hobby barista myself. We gave their coffee a high rating and the owner told us that this was a special Coffee blend, exclusively made for their shop. Well done to them. Usually we were treated with some terrible coffee along the way and sometimes I didn’t even try anymore for that reason.
Where is the Italian passion when it comes to Coffee in this country?
It was only 2pm at this stage and I didn’t want to end the day to early in Grahamstown, so we crossed over to Katberg to get over the Katberg Pass and with a big loop to Port Beaufort.
Said and done we came along some nice forests along the way and climbed the road towards the Katberg mountains.
It was raining a lot the night before and the road was pretty wet and slippery when we came closer to the pass. I must admit that the pig was out of control at times in these conditions and we have been sliding around quite a lot. Every corner I told Claudi that we are almost there.
Then I felt that my pillion was working against me when I almost lost the bike again. I got furious and turned to my wife and asked WTF is going on.
I knew exactly what was going on, she didn’t want to carry on.
How long to the pass? she asked – according to the GPS it was less than 1km
How many km to the next road? I don’t know
How long will it take us to get on the tar road? I don’t know
Where do you want to sleep? I don’t know
As usual my wife had a point here and I was in a typical male “just go forward” mindset.
I could not believe that I had to turn around before we have reached the pass, but I knew if something would happen from here onwards I would be very wrong.
Fark that, we are turning back I have answered.
No more pictures from that day. Nada. Sorry guys.
We both have been very quiet on the way to Grahamstown. I felt being cheated not to get to the top of the pass and she probably thought that I am an irresponsible driver.
I apologized after the 2nd beer that night and admitted how stupid I can be at times.
Next time I will do my homework better and come prepared in case she will ask questions about the way ahead of us.
We found a nice private accommodation and had a feast for dinner from the nearby P&Pay. Happy Family.
It was pretty overcast that morning and it looked like we might get some rain. What happened to the well though out weather routing of mine? Luckily it cleared later in the day.
Here we lost a sleeping bag with the whole top from the panniers. Next time I should lock it.
We came down the dirt road and saw a church in the middle of nowhere.
On the way to Hogsback I have struggled with the bike at higher speeds on the dirt roads. The steering was way too nervous. Then I remembered that I put higher air pressure in the tires the day before. After I dropped the air pressure it felt good again. I usually don’t change my tire pressure all the time so I have to stay somewhere in between for all-round use. 2.0 front and 2.2 rear seemed to work best for all sort of terrain. I didn’t have a tire gauge with me so I relied on the tire kicking method.
Big bounce high pressure, medium bounce medium pressure … Medium bounce was perfect.
On route to Hogsback.
The Hogsback area is really nice and it seems to be a famous holiday destination.
We stopped for a coffee at a newly opened coffee shop and have been asked by the owner to judge the quality of their Espresso, after they found out that I am a hobby barista myself. We gave their coffee a high rating and the owner told us that this was a special Coffee blend, exclusively made for their shop. Well done to them. Usually we were treated with some terrible coffee along the way and sometimes I didn’t even try anymore for that reason.
Where is the Italian passion when it comes to Coffee in this country?
It was only 2pm at this stage and I didn’t want to end the day to early in Grahamstown, so we crossed over to Katberg to get over the Katberg Pass and with a big loop to Port Beaufort.
Said and done we came along some nice forests along the way and climbed the road towards the Katberg mountains.
It was raining a lot the night before and the road was pretty wet and slippery when we came closer to the pass. I must admit that the pig was out of control at times in these conditions and we have been sliding around quite a lot. Every corner I told Claudi that we are almost there.
Then I felt that my pillion was working against me when I almost lost the bike again. I got furious and turned to my wife and asked WTF is going on.
I knew exactly what was going on, she didn’t want to carry on.
How long to the pass? she asked – according to the GPS it was less than 1km
How many km to the next road? I don’t know
How long will it take us to get on the tar road? I don’t know
Where do you want to sleep? I don’t know
As usual my wife had a point here and I was in a typical male “just go forward” mindset.
I could not believe that I had to turn around before we have reached the pass, but I knew if something would happen from here onwards I would be very wrong.
Fark that, we are turning back I have answered.
No more pictures from that day. Nada. Sorry guys.
We both have been very quiet on the way to Grahamstown. I felt being cheated not to get to the top of the pass and she probably thought that I am an irresponsible driver.
I apologized after the 2nd beer that night and admitted how stupid I can be at times.
Next time I will do my homework better and come prepared in case she will ask questions about the way ahead of us.
We found a nice private accommodation and had a feast for dinner from the nearby P&Pay. Happy Family.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 9 Grahamstown – Swartwaterberg – Alicedale – Zuurbergpass – Addo – Steytlerville
This morning we had to wait until the shops open to get either the pictures from our camera downloaded or to buy another memory card. The guy in the Futjifilm shop told us it will take only 10 min for the download.
We patiently waited for 40 min until I had enough. I didn’t want to spend the whole day in a photo shop and I asked back my memory card and rather bought another one.
That sorted we went on our way to Swartwaterberg which looked like a nice pass on the map.
The turn off is at Riebeek-Oos, and you will probably miss it without GPS.
It was a nice washed out track to the top and I had a chance to test my rear tire in the mud. It failed and I had to paddle the bike trough the mud patch.
The mountain is actually a private area for hunting but the gates have been open. If you lucky you can spot some game.
We have been above the clouds on the top and it was a spectacular view. I don’t think many people use that road but you should go there when you are in the area next time, it is stunning.
Then we crossed over North of the Addo Park and passes Anna’s Place on the way to the Zuurberg Pass. I wanted to go over that pass as the road goes through the Addo Park. The road was a bit uncomfortable to ride with all the stones but I guess that is more a problem from our dying rear shock.
Just before Addo we had a stop at a really nice Coffee shop.
Then we were on our way to Steytlerville, our stop over for the night.
We went into cruising mode on these nice but somewhat boring roads. At least I had time to look around and reflect on the memories from the last days.
Steytlerville is a funny little town and they advertise all the families living there.
We lodged very royal at the first hotel in town, The Royal Steytlerville Hotel.
Kitchen was closed but luckily the bar was open.
Day 10 will get us to Swartberg Pass and The Hell
This morning we had to wait until the shops open to get either the pictures from our camera downloaded or to buy another memory card. The guy in the Futjifilm shop told us it will take only 10 min for the download.
We patiently waited for 40 min until I had enough. I didn’t want to spend the whole day in a photo shop and I asked back my memory card and rather bought another one.
That sorted we went on our way to Swartwaterberg which looked like a nice pass on the map.
The turn off is at Riebeek-Oos, and you will probably miss it without GPS.
It was a nice washed out track to the top and I had a chance to test my rear tire in the mud. It failed and I had to paddle the bike trough the mud patch.
The mountain is actually a private area for hunting but the gates have been open. If you lucky you can spot some game.
We have been above the clouds on the top and it was a spectacular view. I don’t think many people use that road but you should go there when you are in the area next time, it is stunning.
Then we crossed over North of the Addo Park and passes Anna’s Place on the way to the Zuurberg Pass. I wanted to go over that pass as the road goes through the Addo Park. The road was a bit uncomfortable to ride with all the stones but I guess that is more a problem from our dying rear shock.
Just before Addo we had a stop at a really nice Coffee shop.
Then we were on our way to Steytlerville, our stop over for the night.
We went into cruising mode on these nice but somewhat boring roads. At least I had time to look around and reflect on the memories from the last days.
Steytlerville is a funny little town and they advertise all the families living there.
We lodged very royal at the first hotel in town, The Royal Steytlerville Hotel.
Kitchen was closed but luckily the bar was open.
Day 10 will get us to Swartberg Pass and The Hell
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Day 10 Steytlerville – Willowmore – De Rust – Meiringspoort – Swartbergpass – Die Hell – Prince Albert
Another overcast day but no rain. How lucky can you get? In 10 days we never got wet on the bike and only had rain during the night. What a pleasure.
We stopped in Willowmore to get a coffee at Sophies. Something that we missed out the first time we came here a week earlier. This is a very special shop and Claudi got lost there for quite a while to explore the shop details.
I have noticed a lovely Scoot parked outside and soon had a chat with the owner. Johan is a very nice retired chap, touring on his Vespa most of the time. Loaded with his tent and extra fuel he was cruising around on the open road. I really like these seasoned travelers and the stories they have to tell.
I was laughing when he said that his scoot is not so good off road because of the small wheels.
He wanted to come to Cape Town and stay at our place for the next Argus Race and I really hope we see him again to get some updates from his scooter lifestyle.
Then a quick run to De Rust and further on a nice and twisty road through the Swartberge towards Prince Alfred. This makes an impressive set up with the road cutting through the high mountains. The clean rest places along the way are worth to mention. They must receive funds from the park board to keep these areas so clean.
We headed straight to Swartberg Pass and I was glad to be on dirt again. This road up the pass is very well maintained and even if the road is quite steep, 2nd gear brought us right up the pass, no need to shift down and no nasty surprises.
A quick look South over the pass and then we headed down again to get to the entrance of Die Hell.
Travel time was stated at 2 hrs. It was almost 3pm and Claudi told me that we won’t be back in time. I had a different interpretation about the travel time of 2 hrs and off we went.
This is a really nice road and I regret that I didn’t charge our camera the last night and now the battery was almost flat.
So we could not take to many pictures all the way. But we will be back some time soon.
I had no idea what the Hell would look like but this is route is truly awesome. I wished we had more time to enjoy it.
It is not a very difficult to ride but the scenery is breathtaking.
At the end of Die Hell there is a curio shop and even accommodation is available. We had a quick drink there and also had a look at the offered accommodation but Claudi did not give the necessary approval. We decided that we should try to reach Prince Alfred before sunset.
Next time we will take our tent with and spend a night there.
On the way back we noticed this little bokkie close to the road.
By 5pm we have already found a nice room in the Swartberg Hotel in Prince Albert.
Yes, we kind of rushed in and out Die Hell. Don’t do that, rather take your time as the scenery is mind blowing. You can easily spend a whole day or even a weekend at the Swartberg Pass and Die Hell. We found out that there was a small community living at Die Hell for more than 100years, hidden deep in the valley and unknown to other people in that area. That must have been before the DS time.
Day 11 will bring us back to the Mother City
Another overcast day but no rain. How lucky can you get? In 10 days we never got wet on the bike and only had rain during the night. What a pleasure.
We stopped in Willowmore to get a coffee at Sophies. Something that we missed out the first time we came here a week earlier. This is a very special shop and Claudi got lost there for quite a while to explore the shop details.
I have noticed a lovely Scoot parked outside and soon had a chat with the owner. Johan is a very nice retired chap, touring on his Vespa most of the time. Loaded with his tent and extra fuel he was cruising around on the open road. I really like these seasoned travelers and the stories they have to tell.
I was laughing when he said that his scoot is not so good off road because of the small wheels.
He wanted to come to Cape Town and stay at our place for the next Argus Race and I really hope we see him again to get some updates from his scooter lifestyle.
Then a quick run to De Rust and further on a nice and twisty road through the Swartberge towards Prince Alfred. This makes an impressive set up with the road cutting through the high mountains. The clean rest places along the way are worth to mention. They must receive funds from the park board to keep these areas so clean.
We headed straight to Swartberg Pass and I was glad to be on dirt again. This road up the pass is very well maintained and even if the road is quite steep, 2nd gear brought us right up the pass, no need to shift down and no nasty surprises.
A quick look South over the pass and then we headed down again to get to the entrance of Die Hell.
Travel time was stated at 2 hrs. It was almost 3pm and Claudi told me that we won’t be back in time. I had a different interpretation about the travel time of 2 hrs and off we went.
This is a really nice road and I regret that I didn’t charge our camera the last night and now the battery was almost flat.
So we could not take to many pictures all the way. But we will be back some time soon.
I had no idea what the Hell would look like but this is route is truly awesome. I wished we had more time to enjoy it.
It is not a very difficult to ride but the scenery is breathtaking.
At the end of Die Hell there is a curio shop and even accommodation is available. We had a quick drink there and also had a look at the offered accommodation but Claudi did not give the necessary approval. We decided that we should try to reach Prince Alfred before sunset.
Next time we will take our tent with and spend a night there.
On the way back we noticed this little bokkie close to the road.
By 5pm we have already found a nice room in the Swartberg Hotel in Prince Albert.
Yes, we kind of rushed in and out Die Hell. Don’t do that, rather take your time as the scenery is mind blowing. You can easily spend a whole day or even a weekend at the Swartberg Pass and Die Hell. We found out that there was a small community living at Die Hell for more than 100years, hidden deep in the valley and unknown to other people in that area. That must have been before the DS time.
Day 11 will bring us back to the Mother City
