Right Video 3;
Again it was a really cold night, this was at 3 or so. I had almost all my kit on. Pretty hey?
Morning all!
The decision was that Jaco and Justin would go with me East on the rest of the 4x4 trail to Pella and then Poffadder. The rest would go back west to make their way back to the N7 and then to Felix Unite camp on the Orange at Nooroewer. We’d cross at Ontseepkans and then make our way back via the roads to the north of the Orange to Felix.
I lifted George back to the better roads and Justin brought his bike. Whilst on the back I tried to give George a little lesson on sand riding, I think he got some of it as later I heard that his day was less stressful than the previous one.
Then it was back with Justin to get his bike. On the video you can hear us laughing at the tracks of the previous day, lots of evidence of many farming experiences.
One of the things that people constantly underestimate is hydration. Riding is exercising, as such, an ample supply of water is necessary for trip enjoyment. I filled up at the river (with water purification pills in). You can see me riding back over river stones from doing so. I also give myself two rehydrates every night and if the going is particularly tough and sweaty then one or two during the day.
We had about 170k’s of off road to do. I couldn’t understand why I was low on fuel. It looked like I wasn’t going to make it. The whole 4x4 route was about 320k’s, I had put in about 36 litres. At the rate I was riding even though I wasn’t sparing the horses, I should have easily made it. Previously when I had ridden it I put in the same and had about 10litres spare?
I was now in fuel saving mode. As there were just the 3 of us now, the pace was much quicker. The morning trails were stunning.
The riding was like putting a big puzzle together – linking turns, staying out trouble and doing a bit of sightseeing. We passed a number of 4x4’s all coming from the other direction. I can understand being the driver, but to be a passenger can’t be much fun, just having to sit and get rolled about, no thanks.
We wasted about an hour asking around Witbank for fuel, but no-one had so Jaco gave me 2 litres.
On the video you can see me fiddling with the GPS whilst cruising on really good gravel at 120kph. Because I was not concentrating I didn’t see the herd of goats on the left against the fence. Too late, I saw the big boy heading across the road. It was a close thing. I have always tried to avoid swerving in cases like this. I have hit a few smaller things and feel that swerving just adds another dynamic to an already chaotic situation. My theory is that I am going to try hit whatever straight on. Fortunately for me I never got to test my theory as he was a big billy goat. They are tough things, I know, I’ve tried to eat them and they take some eating.
Just before Klein Pella there is a very fast section that suddenly becomes very long deep V’d track this happens 2 or 3 times. The sandy bit has very high sides and middlemannetjie. Getting even slightly off line is not going to be fun. When Justin caught up to me at a gate he was visibly shaking, he’d had a very near off. Jaco, not far behind also had big eyes. They had both apparently had very close shaves at speed.
Klein Pella has a pump so I managed to get some there before we dived back into the trail that goes back to the Orange and pops out at Pella.
This section is much tighter and rockier. Both Justin and Jaco were having fun and riding well.
The church at Pella was next for the touristy type thing. Its currently being painted so all the pews are out. We had a look around and did some mischief.
Justin’s sins were pretty boring, either he is a saint or not telling the truth... Definitely the latter!
The Sister was out front. I asked her if she would come for a quick ride with me. She was game but declined only because she didn’t think her kit would be suitable. Hell, with the backing of the Catholic Church, surely she would not have to worry about ATGATT?
We filled up the tanks at Poffadder after doing about 180k’s so far for the day. The border at Ontseepkaans closes at 4.30 so we had to smash a few burgers into our faces, fill up and bolt for the border 50k’s away. This is where I solved the mystery of my high fuel usage on the trail. Jaco and Justin had covered about 330k’s from the last fill-up, whilst I, in all the backward and forwarding looking after everyone in the river beds and both the shuttles to camp for George had covered 100k’s more.
On the gravel road to the border, there was a moment when it gets a bit squirrelly at pace. Just have to let it do its thing.
It was a close shave about the closing border. The Namibian side were already keen to pack up for the night when I got there.
Justin and Jaco arrived at the South African side as I was pulling out to cross the bridge. So once Justin had joined me on the Namibian side we were both confused as to where Jaco was? We couldn’t afford to waste time as we still had 270k’s to go to get to Felix Unites camp site in Noordoewer.
I went back to find him with a dead bike. I towed him over to the Namibian side so we could at least get that done. It turned out to be his alarm had decided it was done with the trip and wasn’t keen to play. Fortunately in going over his bike we also found that his chain was way too tight. It took us about an hour to sort all this out.
Right let’s get to it.
Some night riding was going to be on the menu.
We made it as far as Warmbad by the time it was properly dark. 100k’s of gravel and 60 of tar left. It was bitterly cold. I have HID’s so Jaco with his one candle power fart of a headlamp rode to the left of me, with Justin just behind us in between the dust trail. We putted along at a 90-100kph, slowing for the cattle grids. Even so it needed constant deep concentration, much more than any other riding. It’s exhausting. I only found out later that Jaco is a bit night blind and didn’t see any of the wildlife that we chased off the road! He rode within a meter or so of two flocks of sheep lying by the side of the road, and didn’t see a thing! You can see me backing off a few seconds before the sheep. The camera does a great job but doesn’t quite show how far out my beams stretch. HID’s are the business.
Riding at night is generally not a good idea, but considering the alternative, the camp waiting for us, the terrain and the roads, this was a great time for it. Justin put it well at one of the stops, “it’s a combination of being absolutely terrified and incredibly exhilarated!”
It was great to roll into the camp at 8pm, safe and ready for the great bar they have there. Just under 500k’s for the day is quite a bit considering the terrain.
Carlos is an old friend of mine who owns the camp, always good to see the man.
I only got to bed at 1am. I think.
