After reading a ride report a few weeks back, about the guys doing a trip down Bezuidenhouts Pass, I had to make a plan to get there and check it out for myself, as soon as a date was set, all that was left was to see who would be keen on joining me, after a couple of phone calls we were all set, we would be 5 guys, myself on my KTM 690R, my dad who had just sold his KTM 640 and was really looking forward to a ride on his KTM 690E, my brother Wayne who was out on holiday from Dubai and had not ridden his KTM 950 for the last two years, Ben was in, on his DR 650 and Richard ( Cachetty on the forum ) on his BMW GS650.
After a few nights spent on Mapsource plotting out our route the weekend eventually arrived and we were all good to go…….well most of us. 20h30 on Friday night and I receive an SMS from Cachetty, the BMW is not running and he will not be able to join us on the trip. He was not happy...(Turns out there was a broken wire from the fuel pump that was causing all his problems.)
Saturday morning and we meet at Crossways hotel in Hilton.
We head through Howick out towards Karkloof and over Khyber pass. The mist is thick and the drizzle is starting, time to put on the rain suits. This is not the weather we were hoping for.
Luckily by the time we reach Mooi River for breakfast the drizzle is behind us and we look forward to a great day of riding,our route took us out of Mooi River and over the Boesmanshoek River where we decided it was time to remove the rain gear.
Then around the back of Wagensdrift dam.
And on to Winterton for fuel and a Red Bull.
We headed out towards Cathedral Peak and turned off onto the dirt and over a couple low level bridges on our way to Woodstock dam.
Woodstock dam.
We then turned onto the service road that follows the Tugela Canal, part of the Eskom Hydro Electric Scheme.
Really is a strange sensation riding next to the water while it flows UP HILL !!!!
After following the Tugela Canal all the way to the R74 we headed up towards Little Switzerland and the lookout point over the Hydro Electric scheme.
Some cool little clay sculptures for sale.
Stopped in to have a look at Sterkfontein/Driekloof dam.
Then it was onto towards Bezuidenhouts pass.
This is what we were here for.
Stopping for a chat and checking out the view.
We saw signs for some MTB race that goes UP the pass. Not my kind of fun !!!
Eventually got to the bottom and the first thing we thought of is should we go back UP ???
We decided to rather head for some lunch just outside of Bergville and we would head up the pass in the morning when it was cooler. (Well that was the plan)
Lunch Venue:
Then it was onto our accommodation for the night.
The Amphitheater Backpackers: What an awesome place it turned out to be.
The view from our room
Our Room
Then it was time to have a few Brandys on the deck and talk about the days ride – life is good !!!!
A blast from the past, turns out Ben had all these albums in his youth :thumleft:
After a good nights sleep and some breakfast we were on our way to go UP Bezuidenhouts Pass before we headed home, as we went through Bergville and towards the bottom of the pass we noticed that there was no dust on the dirt road like there was the day before, and as we got closer and closer the road got wetter and wetter ……oh no !!! When we got to the bottom of the pass and opened the gate, it was at this time we were all thinking the same thing:
WE SHOULD HAVE GONE UP THE PASS THE DAY BEFORE WHEN IT WAS DRY !!!!!!
That little climb was not so easy in the wet clay.
Heading up into the mist – would it get better or worse the higher we went ??
The answer : IT WAS GETTING WORSE !!!
Looking for a dry line ; note the clay on the front wheel .
Ben getting his DR650 well and truly stuck.
As we continued to climb things were getting muddier, the KTM 950 low mudguard was becoming a problem and we would have to remove it.
Not pretty but it stayed on there.
Eventually we decided we would have to go back down, so we managed to turn the bikes around and started on the tricky descent with the wheels now full of clay …. This was gonna be FUN
Wayne showing Ben exactly how sideways the KTM 950 was, coming down the steep hill.
Within 2 seconds of each other my dad and brother both slipped off, luckily they were going walking pace so no damage to rider or bike, check the mud on the mirror of the 950.
At the bottom of the pass it was time to re-fit the mudguard and start heading for home, today had already been an adventure and we had not even left Bergville yet.
After refuelling at Bergville, the route took us towards the Drakensberg and Giants Castle, through the Kamberg to Nottingham road, the weather was perfect the whole way home and before we knew it we were back home in PMB after a great weekend.
That really is the beauty of the Wilddogs forum, you read a ride report from a guy you have never met about a place you have never been and decide there and then ….you gotta go ride there !!!
Hope you enjoyed the report, we sure enjoyed the ride AND now we have an excuse to go back, we need to ride UP the pass.
After a few nights spent on Mapsource plotting out our route the weekend eventually arrived and we were all good to go…….well most of us. 20h30 on Friday night and I receive an SMS from Cachetty, the BMW is not running and he will not be able to join us on the trip. He was not happy...(Turns out there was a broken wire from the fuel pump that was causing all his problems.)
Saturday morning and we meet at Crossways hotel in Hilton.
We head through Howick out towards Karkloof and over Khyber pass. The mist is thick and the drizzle is starting, time to put on the rain suits. This is not the weather we were hoping for.
Luckily by the time we reach Mooi River for breakfast the drizzle is behind us and we look forward to a great day of riding,our route took us out of Mooi River and over the Boesmanshoek River where we decided it was time to remove the rain gear.
Then around the back of Wagensdrift dam.
And on to Winterton for fuel and a Red Bull.
We headed out towards Cathedral Peak and turned off onto the dirt and over a couple low level bridges on our way to Woodstock dam.
Woodstock dam.
We then turned onto the service road that follows the Tugela Canal, part of the Eskom Hydro Electric Scheme.
Really is a strange sensation riding next to the water while it flows UP HILL !!!!
After following the Tugela Canal all the way to the R74 we headed up towards Little Switzerland and the lookout point over the Hydro Electric scheme.
Some cool little clay sculptures for sale.
Stopped in to have a look at Sterkfontein/Driekloof dam.
Then it was onto towards Bezuidenhouts pass.
This is what we were here for.
Stopping for a chat and checking out the view.
We saw signs for some MTB race that goes UP the pass. Not my kind of fun !!!
Eventually got to the bottom and the first thing we thought of is should we go back UP ???
We decided to rather head for some lunch just outside of Bergville and we would head up the pass in the morning when it was cooler. (Well that was the plan)
Lunch Venue:
Then it was onto our accommodation for the night.
The Amphitheater Backpackers: What an awesome place it turned out to be.
The view from our room
Our Room
Then it was time to have a few Brandys on the deck and talk about the days ride – life is good !!!!
A blast from the past, turns out Ben had all these albums in his youth :thumleft:
After a good nights sleep and some breakfast we were on our way to go UP Bezuidenhouts Pass before we headed home, as we went through Bergville and towards the bottom of the pass we noticed that there was no dust on the dirt road like there was the day before, and as we got closer and closer the road got wetter and wetter ……oh no !!! When we got to the bottom of the pass and opened the gate, it was at this time we were all thinking the same thing:
WE SHOULD HAVE GONE UP THE PASS THE DAY BEFORE WHEN IT WAS DRY !!!!!!
That little climb was not so easy in the wet clay.
Heading up into the mist – would it get better or worse the higher we went ??
The answer : IT WAS GETTING WORSE !!!
Looking for a dry line ; note the clay on the front wheel .
Ben getting his DR650 well and truly stuck.
As we continued to climb things were getting muddier, the KTM 950 low mudguard was becoming a problem and we would have to remove it.
Not pretty but it stayed on there.
Eventually we decided we would have to go back down, so we managed to turn the bikes around and started on the tricky descent with the wheels now full of clay …. This was gonna be FUN
Wayne showing Ben exactly how sideways the KTM 950 was, coming down the steep hill.
Within 2 seconds of each other my dad and brother both slipped off, luckily they were going walking pace so no damage to rider or bike, check the mud on the mirror of the 950.
At the bottom of the pass it was time to re-fit the mudguard and start heading for home, today had already been an adventure and we had not even left Bergville yet.
After refuelling at Bergville, the route took us towards the Drakensberg and Giants Castle, through the Kamberg to Nottingham road, the weather was perfect the whole way home and before we knew it we were back home in PMB after a great weekend.
That really is the beauty of the Wilddogs forum, you read a ride report from a guy you have never met about a place you have never been and decide there and then ….you gotta go ride there !!!
Hope you enjoyed the report, we sure enjoyed the ride AND now we have an excuse to go back, we need to ride UP the pass.
