A Fool, Friends and Eastern Cape Passes

[johang]

Coooool

Good report, just what I was looking for.  We have the same direction in mind for December, so my search for info are seriously improved.  Will mots probably only do some of the roads, but Rhodes and Elliot is still on the map.

Well done!

 

[Butch]

Hells Bells!!! I sommer want to get on my bike and go ride now.

And so many good pics.

Thanks JM, truly inspirational stuff.

 

[JourneyMan]

eyman.

You took on a lot covering that distance on the first day. I find my concentration gets dodgy after a long + extended day......till you get a wake-up like you had, and then I start getting the moer in with myself. Cudo's for carrying on taking pics....... I would have packed the camera away at that point.

I would guess that your bars are not bent but the forks moved in the tripleclamps. One tends to get used to that and if you jump on another bike then that feels skew  ;D

Believe me. I felt the same! :biggrin: But couldn't let the opportunity pass to take the pic at the top of Lundean's. Posers syndrome.  :biggrin:

And thanks for the bit about the forks. Will check it out.  8)

 

[JourneyMan]

Good to see you and the Dakkie out

I've become soft. Sunday the last 300 km's my arse was so sore. Standing up from the sitting position whilst riding up was torture. (Even just for that second) Standing and riding was heaven. Trying to sit down again was a mission. Almost like getting the courage to sit down on a toilet in the middle of the winter! Very tenderly searching the correct position and not finding it :imaposer: :redface:

 

[JourneyMan]

Onwards to Naude's Nek.

Church at Ugie. Also a place where if you look down for as second, you are through the place without noticing.

Church at Maclear. Maclear I think is bigger than Elliot and quite a few new building projects on the way.

Royal Hotel, Maclear.

The menu

The setting

The clown  :biggrin:

The Burger! 

The Big eyes!

I only finished a third of the burger.  : Only 2 finished up.


From Maclear along the Potrivier Pass towards Naudes Nek.

This side of the area certainly is much greener!

The road ahead and encountered. Zigzagging the whole way through the mountains/hills. I guess for every 1km as the crow flies, one does 4-5 km on the road. Maybe exaggerating a bit but it would be interesting to get that ratio. And this was true on each day and route we did.

Starting up Naude's. Gradually increasing till such an extent that I got the shivers when looking to the right. No safety edge/rail etc. before the drop-off. Heart in the throat. 

Just concentrate on the road ahead. This I did and forgot to take any further pictures on the steeper side of the ascent. Only at the viewpoint and then the top. Hopefully the others took pictures of this stretch as well.

At the viewpoint. Majestic views!

The route up. Tried the sequence thing but too lazy to try the stitch thing.

The obligatory pic right at the top.

Some pics at the top.

Then the descent. Certainly a highlight as well.  :razz:

Twisting and turning upon itself. I took too little photoâ??s on this stretch. But there were 5 other cameraâ??s as well so I should get some extra photoâ??s of the descent.

Stopped at the Rhodes Hotel for a quick beer before retracing back to the farm.  ccasion14:

A very enjoyable, exhilarating and sometimes benoude boude day of riding. 8)



The last day to follow. Retracing Lundeanâ??s Nek and back home. This time in day light though.

 

[ratrap]

thanks JM lekker story. How are those hamburgers!!! :drif:

 

[shark_za]

Awesome area, did it going and returning from the bash last year.
But at night! hardcore.

 

[JourneyMan]

thanks JM lekker story. How are those hamburgers!!! :drif:

Tasteless actually. We had 4 different toppings between us. All concurred. Tasteless.

But have done the novelty now. Will never buy it again if I go there.  :wink:

 

[Oppad]

Thanks once again for the report, pics, and the routes. Spent a large part of my youth in Cala, went to school in Elliot, played rugby against Maclear, Ugie and Barkly East (u.11, barefeet with the water in the taps still frozen). Have threatened to revisit for a long time, almost made it 3 yrs ago but got stuck in Port st. Johns. Definitely on my agenda for 2009.

 

[JourneyMan]

Sunday - Lundean's Nek and Home

Long days riding ahead, we got going at 06H30.


The Farm

Once again. Beautiful, clean and crisp views. 8)

Steel Bridge

Enjoying the roads and scenery the first time although it is the second time I rode it.  :biggrin:

The artistic attempt. :biggrin:

The conditions up Lundean's was good. No sign of the muddier conditions I encountered on Thursday night. Loose rocky road going up but nothing hectic. More pebblish.

At the top. Poser's Delight.  :biggrin:

Some views.

Da Bikes.

Then the descent. Must be the best of all the passes we did ito of scenery.  8)

Twisting and turning upon itself the whole time.

The Lower Telle section. Very enjoyable going through the mountains at the bottom.

And no more pics after that. Shortest and fastest way home after hitting the tar. Arrived back in Pretoria at about 17H00.

4 Days of amazing riding and friendship. 8)

I think one can stay a week and still not have enough time to do all the raods and tracks in the area! :razz:


The area will see me again! 8)

 

[Mark Hardy]

:thumleft: :thumleft:

Excellent.

Now I have to go visit those roads for myself.

 

[edgy]

Come join us next month when we go watch the Roof of Africa,thats the way we go

 

[Butch]

Alla mapstieks, nou jeuk my gat behoorlik.

Thanks JM. Enjoyed that thoroughly.

 

[BigEd]

Flippin nice report vir 'n boontjie teller. Cool :thumleft:

 

[funacide]

Hey JM

Just awesome, what a great ride report. Thanks for sharing.

Nice to see you out on the bike again.

PS. Nice Jacket  :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[JourneyMan]

PS. Nice Jacket  :biggrin: :biggrin:

Rolls Royce compared to what I had.  8) 8) :thumleft:

And it makes me look more in shape.  :imaposer:

 

[Plothond]

Excellent

Did all those roads on the Rallye Raid last year - but never took so many pics

Really, Really excellent riding area
Must go back

 

[Rone]

AWSOME  :thumleft:

 

[White Rhino]

Absolutely stunning route, pics and report - thanks - I'm sold :thumleft:

 

[DeepBass9]

Thanks JM, great RR. You just farked up my inclination to work today.  ;D It a bummer when you can see your bike from your desk.....