Baviaans Beats the Blues and Going to Hell (in a hand basket)!

[LanceSA]

We did this ride at the end of April this year. I was fortunate enough to have it published in Enduro World and so have waited a bit before doing the ride report here, but it was such a good ride that I just had to share and add a few more photos that the magazine could not print. So here goes:

Let’s get one thing clear. This was not a ‘Bucket List’ ride. It is a ride that I have wanted to do for years and something that every Adventure biker has to do but it’s also a ride that we should all do once a year. This is the antidote for all the negative, for all the naysayers and for the newspaper articles that cause doubt and ‘fight or flight’ (mainly flight, it would seem) in us.

The plan was to take off two days and a weekend and cram in as much dirt road riding and passes as we possibly could. A friend from George is an expert on these routes (check him out at https://trailriderreports.blogspot.com/2009/01/home.html shameless punt). He put together all the gps routes for us and even put up with us for a night and we had one of the funniest braais of our lives.

So we packed my Ktm 950 Se and Mike’s Yamaha Xt 660 into the back of my Vito on Wednesday night and left for Port Elizabeth at 5am on Thursday. It was a specific agreement that there would be no rushing and we were going to chill on this ride, enjoy the scenery and stop for lots of pictures (the road to Hell is paved with good intentions…..). We didn’t want to have to ride the 300 km of tar to and from PE so this seemed like a good plan.

We unloaded in PE and set off on the route Johann had emailed us, branching off the N2 onto the R62 just outside of PE. As always we were running a bit late and debated whether or not to take the dirt loop off the R62 that had been suggested but sanity prevailed and we took it (remembering the rules for the ride).

Late lunch in Joubertina and decision time – tar to George or Prince Alfred Pass to Knysna and then George. The dirt won and what a win it was. Words can’t begin to do this road justice and we rode in awe as the sun set behind our clouds of dust.

Unfortunately no photos but we did stop at the lookout point between Wilderness and George for this epic pic

 

[letsgofishing]

Great start Lance - keep it coming  :thumleft:

 

[Thump]

nyce

 

[Piston Pete]

Cool...lets hear it

 

[LanceSA]

That night we were put up by Trail Rider who had a couple of Dogs around for a braai. The company was outstanding and we had much laughter. The photos speak for themselves. What an evening!

On Friday we did something that I have never done before, we watched the early morning Super 14 game! I felt like a naughty schoolboy bunking class but the Bulls got their charge back on track and watching with one Stormers’ fan and one Hurricanes’ fan (don’t ask) was gratifying in the extreme! So again we left a leeeeetttle bit late.

Immediately out of George we turned on to the Montague Pass. As we turned onto the dirt an old man flagged us down. Turns out he has retired to South Africa from the England  four months ago (aint that an interesting decision?) and wanted to take a photo of us next to the Montague Pass sign to send to his mates who want to come out and ride bikes here. What a pleasure!

We had to stop for the obligatory photo:

 

[edgy]

Keep it coming!

 

[letsgofishing]

Cmon Lance, you can post more that 4 pics at a time - you know you can!  >

 

[LanceSA]

Yet again we were awestruck by the engineering feat this road is. That along with its breathtaking beauty make it a must do (but you’ll hear that phrase often). Then through Dysseldorp and lunch in the quaint town of De Rust.

Here we met the proprietor of the restaurant who had retired to De Rust from Durban. She was vocal in the correctness of their decision and it was hard to find holes in her argument.

Time was fleeting and we had lots of dirt ahead of us so we made for the Swartberg Pass with indecent haste. We climbed this most beautiful pass in the late afternoon, came upon two vehicles that had collided on a blind corner (no one injured but had it been one of us it could have been a different story) and so, saying a gentle prayer, we rushed on into the sunset.

At the turn off to Gamkaskloof (Die Hel) we knew that we would have to leg it to make it in before dark.

Mike rode as if the Hounds of Hell were at his heels and we had one of the best rides of our lives, just making our camp site as the sun set on a wonderful day’s riding. This is one amazing stretch of road and yet another ‘must do’ ride.

To see what they have created out in the bush is something special. I swear the stars are brighter than anywhere else that I have ever seen and a decent 2004 Shiraz from the shop for R 75 went down like silk with the banter and braai that we enjoyed with our fellow campers and new friends that we made.

 

[letsgofishing]

Pleased you're enjoying "my" neck of the woods!  ;D

 

[LanceSA]

We were determined to get an early start on Saturday and tried manfully. The weather had changed and rain clouds loomed ominously overhead with mist surrounding the mountains and drizzle here and there. Dire warnings were uttered by the camp staff.

The good news is that they were all wrong and the predicted downpour never happened. Instead we had an almost ethereal ride through the mist out of Die Hel and within half an hour the sun had burnt through and the light rain settled down the dust and provided perfect traction for us.

I hit some kind of Nirvana and had my best ride ever out of Die Hel. It will live with me for the rest of my life!

It is a little confusing as the sign at start says the road is 37 km long. Here it says 48 km and we think that is just to the gate at the entrance as we had to ride on a bit further to get to our camp site. No matter what it is an awesome ride!

 

[mannemerak]

Subscribe

 

[Trailrider]

Cool RR. Was great having you! 8)

 

[fat b]

Subscribed

 

[Dunce]

Sounds great, looking to do that in December.
Where is the rest? :biggrin:

 

[cassiebotha]

Ja dit was epic kuier gewees

 

[Inprogress]

I hit some kind of Nirvana and had my best ride ever out of Die Hel. It will live with me for the rest of my life!

There is something about riding out of Die Hel. I felt like Alfie Cox.

 

[LanceSA]

At the T-junction we turned left and headed toward the town of Prince Albert, completing the balance of the Swartberg Pass.

Again I can’t find enough superlatives to describe this pass. In an unfair comparison, this one might be the best but it’s a bit like being made to choose between Uma Thurman, Charlize Theron and Sandra Bullock. To make a choice as to which pass offers the best ride and scenery is a very tough call as they are all sublimely beautiful.

The next revelation was the town of Prince Albert. It’s one of those places that you just have to take your significant other to for a romantic weekend. But I had no such luck, only a smelly biker friend and so it was brunch and on the road again. Johann had told us that notwithstanding the fact that the Meiringspoort cuttings were all tar they were still worth the riding. And how right he was again! What a road, what a feat of engineering, what vistas and sights. It’s another ‘have to do’ ride.

We were then routed to some gravel highways and beetled along to

Uniondale where we had one of the most surreal experiences of my life. The gps waypoints were always set to a petrol station but when we got to this one there were cones across the road and some sort of commotion at the shop opposite the fuel pumps so we went around thinking we would catch the next set of pumps. Turns out there wasn’t a next set in Uniondale so retraced our steps and bypassed the cones. We then found out that they were in the process of making a full length feature movie with famous actors and all (we have been sworn to secrecy) and had been shooting in the country shop for two days. So we bought a coke and watched the antics for a while. The director/producer guy came over and we got chatting. He also owns a Ktm so we offered to be extras. He suggested that we wheelie down the main street side by side, do a stoppy and side flick the bikes into the parking bays. They would film us, it wouldn’t make the film but it would look good. We declined.

 

[Berm_Rooster]

Lekker trip guys. Nice Report! :thumleft:

 

[LanceSA]

So it was onward and upward to the start of the Baviaanskloof and the caves at Makkadaat. These are caves that have been turned into self catering chalets.

As always the photos can’t do the setting and the experience justice. Another night, another braai, we do what we have to…

And then the earliest start of all. Big day ahead of us as we needed to ride Baviaans, Elandrivier road and then load bikes in PE and get home. But we were lured into Bo Kloof farm stall for the ultimate farm breakfast. What great people these farmers are.

And then the epic ride that we had really wanted to do started. The Kloof is pretty dry and the water crossings were not very deep and the big one completely dry. However this was the exact spot that I picked up a nail in my rear tyre that punctured my brand new super heavy duty rear tube which I have still not paid for (thanks Simon). Now I’ve always believed that if I was the kippie that carried the mini-compressor and all the tools then karma would only have me use them to assist others. Up until now this has held true, but we all know karma’s a bitch. So there we were, parked in the middle of a dry river bed with a flat back tyre. My worst nightmare. But we set to the task and, with the help of Petrus, who we had just passed on his AG 200, we got the entire task done in 50 minutes. By the way, Petrus was an interesting guy doing a month trip around South Africa on a shoe string budget, sleeping on the side of the road and doing all the things that we would never dream of doing. Big ups to you Petrus!

Baviaanskloof is another of those ‘must do’ rides but it’s actually a ‘really, really REALLY must do’ ride. I road it two years ago and it was quite rough then with big step ups and downs but has been repaired recently and it is not as technical as before. However, it so beautiful, so scenic. We came around the corner and saw two young kudu ewes in the path that were so tame that stayed there for a while and let us enjoy the experience of nature at its best.

But the net result of all this fannying about is that we got to Patensie well behind schedule. Decision time again. Tar or Elandsrivier road back to PE.? So we made the obvious, logical choice and hit the dirt for the last time.

All that was left to do was load the bikes into the vehicle and drive home, reliving the road and the laughs.

We will be back and I really suggest so should you.

 

[IRISH]

Lekker RR Lance. Well written. Did I teach you English or Geography all those years back?