Adam Kok’s Road. Done and dusted. Box ticked (Ongeluks Nek to Mt. Moorosi)

[JonW]

Nice one Ian

makes me wanna get a bike again  :biggrin:

 

[Sithe]

How old is that gentleman ... impressive to still be riding stuff that looks hard like that .... I just love the atgatt looks like he is on his way to the office  ot: eepwall:

 

[Sheepman]

Great report of an excellent trip by a bunch of hard men  :thumleft:

 

[ianhogg]

Mt. Moorosi Chalets

Although we all spend a fortune on nifty pannier systems and micro camping gear and see ourselves as the great outdoorsmen if the truth is told at the end of the day what we really want to see is a hot shower, hot  food, cold beer and a comfortable bed.

For a while this has been a problem in Mt Moorosi as the chalets have been closed. Recently there has been a new manager who has got it working again who worked previously at Malealea called Bernard.  You can contact him by whatsapp on +266 5387 1252 and on email at [email protected]. The chalets have all the above but no power so you need to charge your electronic toys off your bike battery.

There is another place to stay at the training college next to the Bethel mission on the other side of the all weather bridge over the Orange but I have no other information. 

 

[P.K.]

Awesome to know about this accommodation....went past there 3 weeks ago and wondered as it looked reasonably neat.

Epic ride...well done.

Awesome to see riders who do not place much emphasis on hightech bling...just get on with it.!!

 

[Ri]

Thank you for the report and especially for the photo's - those views are absolutely breathtaking  :drif: :drif:

 

[wilfwalk]

Thanks Ian and your fellow biker explorers ! Amazing scenery and well done for toughing it out. Wish it looked easier to ride ! Much appreciated.

 

[ianhogg]

Siege of Mt Moorosi

One of the stock in trade of the Mt Moorosi  Chalets is a visit to Mt Moorosi to see the sight of the siege where Chief Moorosi held out against the combined might of Moshoeshoe and the British for 9 months in 1879 over a dispute that mainly involved whose children nicked what from whom.

Growing up in Scotland I always assumed these territorial disputes would be settled by a few men with rifles. It was only when I visited the South African War Museum  and saw the sophisticated hardware that the SANDF had relieved SWAPO of that I realized these were often pretty conventional wars with the major difference being that one side couldn't shot straight.
Mt Moorosi is pretty similar. The British brought in a siege mortar and built a blockhouse for it and the conflict was settled with scaling ladders brought in from Barkley East to cross the cliffs to the East of the Mountain. I'm glad I wasn't a "volunteer" for the ladder detail. The place is still covered in cartridge cases and mortar bomb shrapnel.

 

[ianhogg]

Home on Sunday

After our walk around the mountain we shot back to Ongeluks Nek and home, but not the way I was expecting. There is a new road which I've marked in red on the GPS track attached and the map. It is quite a stunning high altitude road with an impressive signature section where the road snakes up a mountain side to crest at a waterfall.
Throughout the trip we argued about whether it was better going up or down. Iain always chose up and I, as the softie of the group, would always choose down where you know that gravity is going to get you to in the end anyway. One place where Iain is definitely correct though is Ongeluks Nek. It is lovely to blast up but a horrible jarring and bitty descent.   

This is the last of the three exploratory trips that I wanted to do. the others were:
Drakensberg Grand Traverse
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=212796.msg3877655#msg3877655
Semonkong to Ketane Valley
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=217887.msg3953624#msg3953624

At the end of this year we will be checking out of RSA and relocating to Queensland, Australia. I've had some interesting times in my 37 years in South Africa and hope it'll continue in my new home. Totsiens!

 

[pietas]

Thank you for the report. You make riding a stylish affair

 

[TinusBez]

Good one Ian

 

[ianhogg]

As it turns out Iain is going to be organizing a one day extreme enduro event doubling as Roof preparation and training from Matatiele into Lesotho called Ramasgate. See:

https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=225662.0

 

[P.K.]

Home on Sunday

After our walk around the mountain we shot back to Ongeluks Nek and home, but not the way I was expecting. There is a new road which I've marked in red on the GPS track attached and the map. It is quite a stunning high altitude road with an impressive signature section where the road snakes up a mountain side to crest at a waterfall.
Throughout the trip we argued about whether it was better going up or down. Iain always chose up and I, as the softie of the group, would always choose down where you know that gravity is going to get you to in the end anyway. One place where Iain is definitely correct though is Ongeluks Nek. It is lovely to blast up but a horrible jarring and bitty descent.   

This is the last of the three exploratory trips that I wanted to do. the others were:
Drakensberg Grand Traverse
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=212796.msg3877655#msg3877655
Semonkong to Ketane Valley
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=217887.msg3953624#msg3953624

At the end of this year we will be checking out of RSA and relocating to Queensland, Australia. I've had some interesting times in my 37 years in South Africa and hope it'll continue in my new home. Totsiens!

That route you marked in red is a stunning route on a well graded road at the moment and well worth the ride.
A few years ago it was reasonably rough, especially at the 'Devil`s Staircase" section.

Great info on Mt Moorsi and the seige. I will definately look it up when i am in the area again. Thank you.

 

[ianhogg]

Bernard has sent me a whatsapp saying he is really working hard to get the Mt Moorosi chalets to be the accomodation of choice in SW Lesotho and he has recently had a website set up. Give him a try, the riding is certainly worth it!


https://www.moorosichalets.com/


Bernard is the new manager who has got it working again who worked previously at Malealea.  You can contact him by whatsapp on +266 5387 1252 and on email at [email protected].

 

[dirt rat]

Love it - Gnarly old boys riding even gnarlier tracks. 

 

[Metaljockey]

My word Ian. I only saw this now.

Hennie and I attempted Adam Kok's trail from the Tosing side in about 2007. I was on a 640 and Hennie on a Dakar...
We very definitively got our ***** handed to us on a platter and had to sleep in the berg without emergency blankets. And when I say sleep I mean huddling in full riding gear including helmet trying not to freeze to death for what was surely the longest night in human history.

Congratulations to yourself Stuart and Iain. That trail was the boss of me.

 

[roxenz]

Somehow this epic escaped me too.  ???  37 years, huh? I'm sure the next 37 years will be an education for the Aussies as they adjust to your dry humour and no-nonsense manner.  :biggrin: I have read some of your comments on the Antipodes and am merrily chuckling along. I wish you and your lovely wife the best of times with the new "adventure"! Keep posting here.

 

[2StrokeDan]

Only saw this now myself, what a great report from people my age [and older >]

 

[ianhogg]

Asleep at the wheel Dan! Shame we never got to ride together.

 

[husky]

My word Ian. I only saw this now.

Hennie and I attempted Adam Kok's trail from the Tosing side in about 2007. I was on a 640 and Hennie on a Dakar...
We very definitively got our ***** handed to us on a platter and had to sleep in the berg without emergency blankets. And when I say sleep I mean huddling in full riding gear including helmet trying not to freeze to death for what was surely the longest night in human history.

Congratulations to yourself Stuart and Iain. That trail was the boss of me.

:biggrin: Back in the day I had a few of those. "Extreme camping" it was titled. You are quickly "over it".