For the last six years I have been employed to do a yearly consulting job at a platinum mine in the Thabazimbi area of Limpopo.
The job involves a number of interviews on the mine, and rather than traipse backwards and forwards on the R511 for the two weekends, I book into one of the many B&Bs in the area and make a little trip of it. Needless to say my bike would get pissed of if she was not invited along on the trailer, and would probably respond by throwing me off next time I rode her - a risk I wont take. Also there are many roads to ride in the area and I am not going to sit in the pub or B&B and leave them unridden.
This trip the weather was not too kind from a riding perspective, although great for the farmers as it rained almost every day, but there were enough gaps to get out there and ride a bit, and hence these pics and report.
The roads ridden the ones marked with letters were this year, the others were last year.
I could not organize a single booking for the whole period, and had to move a couple of times. This pic was taken from the Hardekool deck one evening looking towards the Waterberg.
A similar view from the deck of the Maroela guest house, and then back at Hardekool The mountains are in the Marakele National Park. Great to visit, but no bikes allowed I am afraid.
Most evenings (weather permitting) I would take a sundowner burn. Met a farmer reaping his wheat and asked if I could take a pic of the bike in the field. He, and his merry gang, thought I was crazy, but I like the pics.
First outride was the road marked A on my map to Rooiberg. Had been raining the day before and roads were a bit slushy, but rideable at GundaSpeed.
Was looking forward to brekkie in Rooberg at the Koekepan but unfortunately not open.
Took a detour via the wheat fields in the Crocodile rover valley love the smell of a wheat field after the harvester has finished. It smells like a stable with fresh bedding, but before the horse has peed on it.
Rodins thinker posed on a small bridge over the Crocodile.
More wheat fields never grew tired of it.
Following weekend took a ride to check the roads for a possible long ride on Sunday. Like an idiot I had already marked the invitation thread as <<mudded out>> , but when I got out I found that most of the water had been sucked up, and the roads were quite rideable.
These pics are from road C on my map.
So on Sunday (16th) I headed out to do Bakkers and Rankins passes. There were a couple of places where it was wet, but nothing serious.
Bakkers pass.
This pass rises from the plain below onto a step on the south side of the Waterberg. An easy climb of about 400m
On the step on the south of the Waterberg.
Got a bit confused as to why many of the stones were either white or red, and then found this piece of coarse shale - half white, and half red. Must ask DeepBass9 what happened in Geological time.
Some Eland, Blesbokke and Pajamadonkies in a game farm next to the road.
The top of Rankins pass (E). The pass is just a shallow straight drop down to the plain below, with only one turn, and hardly qualifies as a mountain pass, but it is really scenic.
Nice to see the stroompies running. The water in this one tasted like iron filings, mud and grass roots, so I had some cappuccino instead.
Have to have an ag shame picture. I suspect this little brahman had never seen a bike, in fact I suspect he had never seen anything.
Mama was not keen on him having his pic taken, and I was pleased there was a fence between us.
The multifunction shop in Rankins pass.
On the section marked F on my map. Waterberg in the background.
The Big 5 Restaurant in Vaalwater. Good place for a stop.
From there I took the R517, but took a detour on the road marked H.
Whew, but this road was tricky at least for me and a KLE.
What was not washed away, corrugated or rocky was sandy, and there were many times I regretted the decision to ride it.
No photos I am afraid, as it was a full time job just trying to keep the bike upright.
The good news was that by the end I was not nearly as scared of sand as I was at the start, and the last straight bit to Sentrum I was flying along on top of the sand at a good 70-90 Kph.
Made it safe and sound back to the R510 and tar, found a tree and sat for a while just to enjoy life for a while and let the adrenaline levels subside.
The job involves a number of interviews on the mine, and rather than traipse backwards and forwards on the R511 for the two weekends, I book into one of the many B&Bs in the area and make a little trip of it. Needless to say my bike would get pissed of if she was not invited along on the trailer, and would probably respond by throwing me off next time I rode her - a risk I wont take. Also there are many roads to ride in the area and I am not going to sit in the pub or B&B and leave them unridden.
This trip the weather was not too kind from a riding perspective, although great for the farmers as it rained almost every day, but there were enough gaps to get out there and ride a bit, and hence these pics and report.
The roads ridden the ones marked with letters were this year, the others were last year.
I could not organize a single booking for the whole period, and had to move a couple of times. This pic was taken from the Hardekool deck one evening looking towards the Waterberg.
A similar view from the deck of the Maroela guest house, and then back at Hardekool The mountains are in the Marakele National Park. Great to visit, but no bikes allowed I am afraid.
Most evenings (weather permitting) I would take a sundowner burn. Met a farmer reaping his wheat and asked if I could take a pic of the bike in the field. He, and his merry gang, thought I was crazy, but I like the pics.
First outride was the road marked A on my map to Rooiberg. Had been raining the day before and roads were a bit slushy, but rideable at GundaSpeed.
Was looking forward to brekkie in Rooberg at the Koekepan but unfortunately not open.
Took a detour via the wheat fields in the Crocodile rover valley love the smell of a wheat field after the harvester has finished. It smells like a stable with fresh bedding, but before the horse has peed on it.
Rodins thinker posed on a small bridge over the Crocodile.
More wheat fields never grew tired of it.
Following weekend took a ride to check the roads for a possible long ride on Sunday. Like an idiot I had already marked the invitation thread as <<mudded out>> , but when I got out I found that most of the water had been sucked up, and the roads were quite rideable.
These pics are from road C on my map.
So on Sunday (16th) I headed out to do Bakkers and Rankins passes. There were a couple of places where it was wet, but nothing serious.
Bakkers pass.
This pass rises from the plain below onto a step on the south side of the Waterberg. An easy climb of about 400m
On the step on the south of the Waterberg.
Got a bit confused as to why many of the stones were either white or red, and then found this piece of coarse shale - half white, and half red. Must ask DeepBass9 what happened in Geological time.
Some Eland, Blesbokke and Pajamadonkies in a game farm next to the road.
The top of Rankins pass (E). The pass is just a shallow straight drop down to the plain below, with only one turn, and hardly qualifies as a mountain pass, but it is really scenic.
Nice to see the stroompies running. The water in this one tasted like iron filings, mud and grass roots, so I had some cappuccino instead.
Have to have an ag shame picture. I suspect this little brahman had never seen a bike, in fact I suspect he had never seen anything.
Mama was not keen on him having his pic taken, and I was pleased there was a fence between us.
The multifunction shop in Rankins pass.
On the section marked F on my map. Waterberg in the background.
The Big 5 Restaurant in Vaalwater. Good place for a stop.
From there I took the R517, but took a detour on the road marked H.
Whew, but this road was tricky at least for me and a KLE.
What was not washed away, corrugated or rocky was sandy, and there were many times I regretted the decision to ride it.
No photos I am afraid, as it was a full time job just trying to keep the bike upright.
The good news was that by the end I was not nearly as scared of sand as I was at the start, and the last straight bit to Sentrum I was flying along on top of the sand at a good 70-90 Kph.
Made it safe and sound back to the R510 and tar, found a tree and sat for a while just to enjoy life for a while and let the adrenaline levels subside.
eepwall: Join me for this section North West of Lephalale. And maybe i can contact the consortium and go through the Reserve again.
