Cave Girl and LeonDude goes forth, north.
- Thread starter LeonDude
- Start date
ThunderBearer
Pack Dog
Nice, looked like you guys had a lot of fun! 
Good pic's
Good pic'sLeonDude
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
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- 10,495
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- 534
- Location
- Gauteng - Centurion
- Bike
- Suzuki DR650
Thanks guys and girls. Yes the ride was great and we enjoyed the experience.
Sorry for not having posted the last bit, I blame it all on Vis Arend and his Namibie report - what a great piece of riding and writing he did on that. I'm done reading that now though, so will be posting the last bit soon.
Sorry for not having posted the last bit, I blame it all on Vis Arend and his Namibie report - what a great piece of riding and writing he did on that. I'm done reading that now though, so will be posting the last bit soon.
G
Ganjora
Guest
lekker LD.
more pics please.
more pics please.
LeonDude
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
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- 10,495
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- 534
- Location
- Gauteng - Centurion
- Bike
- Suzuki DR650
Tipper tapper goes the rain on the roof,
Oh dear I hope my gear is waterproof.
Wet boot and wet gloves, you all know the drill,
Wet roads filled with mud, you all know the thrill!
Graskop to Groblersdal
All during the night my shoulder keeps me awake, and lying awake I listen to the rain fall. Even before the sun is supposed to make an appearance I know that the day’s organized ride will be cancelled. There will be no fun in picking up heavy DS bikes on slippery mountain passes.
My first glimpse outside confirms it, a thick white mist blankets everything, and it’s still raining. We get up and have breakfast, then in still pouring rain head down to hear what the AT group has to say, and it’s worse than I had thought. Not only has the ride been cancelled, but most of the group is packing up camp and they’re heading home.
We have a quick discussion and decide on a plan. We will pack up our stuff and head in the direction of home, townhopping until four o’clock. At four we will find the nearest place to stay over. CG decides to send our camping stuff back on the vehicle of a friend, so we will be riding light bikes for the next two days.
Two well soaked bikes
We also pack up and say our good buys, then head out towards Pilgrims’ Rest. It’s a wonderfully twisty road, and I have to battle to keep the speed down and the Kenda’s upright. We don’t stop in Pilgrims’ Rest but head straight through to Lydenburg, where we stop for a hamburger.
Beware of that road leading into Lydenburg, almost all of it is one great pothole now, in danger of being called a wonder of the world in its’ own right!
From Lydenburg I want to do a tar road we have not done before, including Jaap se Hoogte and De Berg Pass to Roossenekal. The riding is breathtaking as always, not least because it is freezing cold in the mist with spots of rain. This road looks like high speed stuff, and is in good condition, so I’m a bit surprised that only a few superbikes comes screaming past.
We find nothing much in Roossenekal on a quiet Sunday afternoon, so we push on to Groblersdal, where we find a massively overpriced B & B to stay over at, then spend a fruitless hour looking for an open restaurant. We end up buying bread rolls at a café and I eat some of our emergency rations. CG eats bread out of a bottle.
Some great gravel roads
And of course I have to get hit by one last catastrophic failure for the trip – my trusted GPS has packed up. Something inside must have broken off because all the buttons on the right side of the unit has stopped functioning. This is a bad setback, but at least I know how to navigate without the GPS. Well, sort of…
We’re both well satisfied with the days riding, and wish we could do more of our rides like this, just town hopping with no specific destination for the night.
One last night away from home,
One last day, this country to roam.
Yet already we’re planning our next long ride,
Over African soil, our bikes will glide.
Oh dear I hope my gear is waterproof.
Wet boot and wet gloves, you all know the drill,
Wet roads filled with mud, you all know the thrill!
Graskop to Groblersdal
All during the night my shoulder keeps me awake, and lying awake I listen to the rain fall. Even before the sun is supposed to make an appearance I know that the day’s organized ride will be cancelled. There will be no fun in picking up heavy DS bikes on slippery mountain passes.
My first glimpse outside confirms it, a thick white mist blankets everything, and it’s still raining. We get up and have breakfast, then in still pouring rain head down to hear what the AT group has to say, and it’s worse than I had thought. Not only has the ride been cancelled, but most of the group is packing up camp and they’re heading home.
We have a quick discussion and decide on a plan. We will pack up our stuff and head in the direction of home, townhopping until four o’clock. At four we will find the nearest place to stay over. CG decides to send our camping stuff back on the vehicle of a friend, so we will be riding light bikes for the next two days.
Two well soaked bikes
We also pack up and say our good buys, then head out towards Pilgrims’ Rest. It’s a wonderfully twisty road, and I have to battle to keep the speed down and the Kenda’s upright. We don’t stop in Pilgrims’ Rest but head straight through to Lydenburg, where we stop for a hamburger.
Beware of that road leading into Lydenburg, almost all of it is one great pothole now, in danger of being called a wonder of the world in its’ own right!
From Lydenburg I want to do a tar road we have not done before, including Jaap se Hoogte and De Berg Pass to Roossenekal. The riding is breathtaking as always, not least because it is freezing cold in the mist with spots of rain. This road looks like high speed stuff, and is in good condition, so I’m a bit surprised that only a few superbikes comes screaming past.
We find nothing much in Roossenekal on a quiet Sunday afternoon, so we push on to Groblersdal, where we find a massively overpriced B & B to stay over at, then spend a fruitless hour looking for an open restaurant. We end up buying bread rolls at a café and I eat some of our emergency rations. CG eats bread out of a bottle.
Some great gravel roads
And of course I have to get hit by one last catastrophic failure for the trip – my trusted GPS has packed up. Something inside must have broken off because all the buttons on the right side of the unit has stopped functioning. This is a bad setback, but at least I know how to navigate without the GPS. Well, sort of…
We’re both well satisfied with the days riding, and wish we could do more of our rides like this, just town hopping with no specific destination for the night.
One last night away from home,
One last day, this country to roam.
Yet already we’re planning our next long ride,
Over African soil, our bikes will glide.
LeonDude
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
- Messages
- 10,495
- Reaction score
- 534
- Location
- Gauteng - Centurion
- Bike
- Suzuki DR650
Oops, forgot to post the route pic for day 8, here it is.
LeonDude
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
- Messages
- 10,495
- Reaction score
- 534
- Location
- Gauteng - Centurion
- Bike
- Suzuki DR650
One last day in the saddle to spend,
Our minds and souls with nature to blend.
Once last time the wind in our faces,
Riding through all kinds of wonderful places.
Going home
We get going early, but not in much of a rush. It’s been a fantastic holiday, and I don’t really feel like going home yet. We find our way out of Groblersdal and head down on the N11. The road is all but deserted in the early morning and I keep our speed right down. It’s overcast and cool, and getting colder as we head further south.
Just north of Loskopdam we turn off towards the little dirt back road at the back of the nature reserve. The road is even in worse condition than it is normally, and we have to carefully pick our way over washed out gully’s and ruts and rocky down hills, interspersed with lots of muddy patches. Most of the mud is already dried up, and we make good speed.
And all around us, the storms are threatening. But for once we’re lucky, we only get a few drops.
A short hop across tar and we are now riding next to the Wilge river, where we stop for a quick breakfast.
Breakfast stop
Then it’s only a few kilometers before we hit the tar snake that will take us all the way to Bapsfontein. In Bapsfontein we have to say farewell to our holiday, and a lovely time together.
Riding home alone from there I feel strangely calm. It has been a great trip, and even on this trip we have already been planning our next great trip together, and I know it’s only a matter of time before we head out again.
But for now, it’s only me and my trusted KLR, heading home.
Thanks to all for reading this report, and for the great comments we have received so far.
So from the two of us, until we see you guys and girls on the road again, stay safe!
Sometimes it’s rainy and sometimes it’s cold,
The sun might scorch and the wind blows bold.
But the bikes and the roads will call to our hearts,
Then we’ll head out again, to unknown parts!
Our minds and souls with nature to blend.
Once last time the wind in our faces,
Riding through all kinds of wonderful places.
Going home
We get going early, but not in much of a rush. It’s been a fantastic holiday, and I don’t really feel like going home yet. We find our way out of Groblersdal and head down on the N11. The road is all but deserted in the early morning and I keep our speed right down. It’s overcast and cool, and getting colder as we head further south.
Just north of Loskopdam we turn off towards the little dirt back road at the back of the nature reserve. The road is even in worse condition than it is normally, and we have to carefully pick our way over washed out gully’s and ruts and rocky down hills, interspersed with lots of muddy patches. Most of the mud is already dried up, and we make good speed.
And all around us, the storms are threatening. But for once we’re lucky, we only get a few drops.
A short hop across tar and we are now riding next to the Wilge river, where we stop for a quick breakfast.
Breakfast stop
Then it’s only a few kilometers before we hit the tar snake that will take us all the way to Bapsfontein. In Bapsfontein we have to say farewell to our holiday, and a lovely time together.
Riding home alone from there I feel strangely calm. It has been a great trip, and even on this trip we have already been planning our next great trip together, and I know it’s only a matter of time before we head out again.
But for now, it’s only me and my trusted KLR, heading home.
Thanks to all for reading this report, and for the great comments we have received so far.
So from the two of us, until we see you guys and girls on the road again, stay safe!
Sometimes it’s rainy and sometimes it’s cold,
The sun might scorch and the wind blows bold.
But the bikes and the roads will call to our hearts,
Then we’ll head out again, to unknown parts!
LeonDude
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
- Messages
- 10,495
- Reaction score
- 534
- Location
- Gauteng - Centurion
- Bike
- Suzuki DR650
A last few notes.
We did a total of more than 2500 Kilos on this trip, and as always the KLR’s handled it exceptionally well. With a bit of oil and petrol added at the right times these bikes love going wherever we take them.
Thanks again Cave Girl, you are the most patient of traveling companions. I get us lost, I take us into the heart of traffic in Zion City Moria, I drag you along to out flung places in South Africa, and you just follow me. I really do appreciate your patience.
The breathtaking beauty of traveling Africa, even just our little corner of it, is a gift not all people have. We as Wild Dog Adventure riders are exceptionally lucky to actually get out there and enjoy our country in a way that makes sense only to us and dogs who stick their heads out of car windows.
We did a total of more than 2500 Kilos on this trip, and as always the KLR’s handled it exceptionally well. With a bit of oil and petrol added at the right times these bikes love going wherever we take them.
Thanks again Cave Girl, you are the most patient of traveling companions. I get us lost, I take us into the heart of traffic in Zion City Moria, I drag you along to out flung places in South Africa, and you just follow me. I really do appreciate your patience.
The breathtaking beauty of traveling Africa, even just our little corner of it, is a gift not all people have. We as Wild Dog Adventure riders are exceptionally lucky to actually get out there and enjoy our country in a way that makes sense only to us and dogs who stick their heads out of car windows.
Beserker
Grey Hound
Nice LD...always like trips with animals in them....real Africa.
Misty
Race Dog
very very nice glad you had a lekker trip!
glad you had a lekker trip!
Cave Girl
Race Dog
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We got lost thought that was all part of the trip :biggrin:
thought that was all part of the trip :biggrin:
Rolling Stone
Race Dog
Nice RR
Tonteldoos
Race Dog
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:thumleft:
Chrissie B
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Thanks for making me envious once again... nice trip report Leon, loved the poetry
See you again one of these days.
See you again one of these days.
Brilliant trip, nice route! All my fav places.
Well done guys.
Well done guys.
spoedvark
Grey Hound
Nice RR!!! Just a bit wet for my liking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ricky:
