Collective RR - Namibia Tour June 2021 with Specialized Adventures

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right behind [member=25255]deapsquatter[/member] (Kevin) [emoji1787]
 
The different characters and how they mosaic into the group dynamics on a trip like this always fascinates me.

Johan Liebenberg did a Northern Cape tour with me before.On the day I met Johan for the first time, he arrived at our starting point with a brand new 690 strapped onto the back of a trailer. a Clinical Psychologist by profession and not the kind of guy you would expect on a Richtersveld tour.
Johan admittedly never tried to give the impression that he is a good rider. I think I picked Johan and his bike up around 10 times a day.
He comes across as a "verstrooide proffessor" but if you listen closely he possesses a very witty and dry sense of humor. Crazy honest about his lack of natural talent he quickly became the guy everyone on the tour wanted to be friends with.
If you rode past the only tree in the middle of the Richtersveld, you could happily bet money on the fact that Johan was going to crash into it. I must admit that I had my fair share of laughs at his expense on that tour but I also got to know the man who, despite his 200000000 falls got up and on the bike again every time.
I always wondered what in the world could drive someone to carry on with a hobby / sport that he by his own admittance have no natural talent for.
I spent some time with my constantly falling friend on this tour and found out what it was. What a legend he turned out to be. More of this later.
 
jissie ... what a lekker RR ....................  i sooooo wish i could ride like ths , i soooooo wish i had the courage to do this , i soooooooo  wish i could drink beer like you guys ..........  no wait i can do that .......... maybe
 
I'll share a little from my side ... I'm not big on words  ;D

Let me first start off by saying thank you to [member=25255]deapsquatter[/member] for twisting my rubber arm to come and join him on this adventure ... it really didn't take much after looking at some of the previous RR's.

Then huge thanks goes to Hardy and his team. It's a super slick operation, well organized and efficient. It's pretty amazing to watch them all in action especially the ladies in the kitchen who were always cooking up a storm.

There is so much that we experienced over the 12/13 days during the trip ... it's hard to remember it all. I bumped into some fellow adventures on the way to Marble camp and they asked where I had been. To be honest it was pretty difficult to recall. But that is perhaps what makes it all so special ... I really enjoy being in the moment and the fact that I couldn't recall much means I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

The trip was a perfect blend of lekker technical riding and open stretches. You don't want to be stuck climbing rocks all day and nor do you want to slog it on straight dirt roads either. My personal favorite day was just after the "Step" on Van Zyl's pass you hit the Marienfluss. Its a flat sandy expanse with trees dotted around the place. I was flat taps through there on the 701, maneuvering around the trees ... what a feeling that was.

After that my bike could have fallen apart and me not ridden anymore, I didn't care ... I reached that magical nirvana during that ride. Not sure if any of you have experienced that, but I was happy !!!

Namibia itself is hard to sum up in words. It's such a beautiful place, but in a very different way. Barren, rocky, dry and then it turns into an oasis with animals roaming about. In a distance of less than 300km, you ride through Mars, a Savannah, dry riverbeds as big as highways and next to a mighty flowing river, just incredible.

The other riders that came along on the trip were such a great bunch. I prefer riding in small groups, so it was something that concerned me a bit. But again, it's all part of what makes it all so special. Helping others, sharing stories and of course telling jokes. It certainly was a mixed bunch of riders with very varying skill levels, but it worked well. Mike you were a joke telling machine  ;D

Below is one of my favorite pics of the trip ... in the dunes ... happy place for me.

Don't think about going ... just go and do it. You won't be sorry !!

PS: No issues on the 701. Loop soos stroop. I carry a range of spares, but more for other riders than my bike  :biggrin:
 

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You hit the nail on the head !!! I remember getting lost near the craters and thinking why the vok Elon musk wants to explore Mars, and there’s the same landscape here 😂
 
Day 7, sixth riding day

Van Zyl's camp to Marble camp


We left van Zyl's Camp surprisingly early as the route to Marble Camp was only some 62 km's.
However, "van Zyl's Pass" was included, and this is a tricky bugger ;D
Now, the runup to the actual pass's 'step' is also a bit technical, rocks mainly, so we found our way on a dual track leading up and along mountains.
Just before the Step we veered off to a viewing point, and a stunning vista was gawked at - overlooking the mountains we were on into the Marienfluss' valley, a multicoloured plains with here & there also some vegetation: simply gorgeous!
My photos do zilch justice to this, just take my word for it :thumleft:

We whiled here a little enjoying the scenery, then Hardy showed us "the line down" the steep mountainside we were going to ride.
He positioned Adriaan, Nico and Jaco down the slope as 'catchers' for us if we would fall going down, some sort of a safety measure.
When someone remarked 'I see no tracks' he countered with that 'everybody finds his own line here, that's why'.
Yeah right, nice try Hardy, but if someone can't see that it is suicide to try to ride that steep offcamber rockstrewn slope then he's a bit slow, this obviously was a pre-planned practical joke :p
But, to my surprise some were believing him, and next I saw Mike next to me kitting up, he was going down first!
Look, Mike is the champion joker of the group, his jokes varied and abundant, so I looked at him expecting him to laugh.
He did not though, he was seriously going to go down (in more than one way!), so I told him that if he merely would start his bike I would klap him, plus I told him I wasn't kidding - but Hardy was!
He saw that I was serious.... and then it dawned on him he was pranked ::)
A bike furhter Johannes was busy getting ready, he'd go after Mike, ad I also told him to leave it, it was a joke :eek:
We all had a good laugh: well played :thumleft:

Then we continued back on the track (no GPS showed that downhill suicide route :p ) only to find the Step a little further on.
I hope some videos will be posted of this as a camera cannot do justice to the steepness and height of this feature, and I can understand full well that some gave their bikes to the better support riders - not sure but think that Adriaan, Nic and Jaco rode these bikes down.
We were let go one by one to go down due to the limited runoff space, and regrouped at some flattish spot some distance down of the Step.
Johannes was in front of me, and because he took the line Hardy told him to follow, a dodgy and strange zig-zagging line weirdly leading over the large rocks (there, I've not told you yet but herewith ;) ) he fell - but luckily after only a meter or so, still flattish there.
No thanks, I'll take my own line, I always do anyway :p
Others followed, and we were watching this from the bottom.
Last was Hardy in the cruiser, and I always enjoy such riding as one can see the vehicle's suspension properly articulating, an amazingly capable vehicle it is :thumleft:

We rode further down from here, and if ever you'll find yourself there know that this bit possibly is lastiger than that short step-bit!
Steep, loose rocks and/or gravel, and it carried on for a while.
Somewhere down-ish Adriaan was blocking the way and routed most to an 'easier' detour, some 100 meters around a washed away section of the 'original' track.
Then a little onwards a tree was offering some shade, and we recollected there to wait for Hardy.
I think we also had our lunch here, could be wrong though.

Anyway, only a short rocky ride would lead us onto the Marienfluss plains!
I'll give you an idea how wide it is: several kilometers!
It also is lots more kilometers long than it is wide, so to say that one has a LOT of space to play in would be inaccurate - 'ride where you want, just keep an eye on the GPS for the general direction' is more like it, and we did too! ;D

Mar vel lous ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
A we so me  ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
THIS was what I had come for, and I've read Mark's comment above: he apparently did same lol
But mense, to ride at a high speed over virgin sand for miles on end, just easily steering inbetween the few dotted trees there is magnificent, it really is: Stunning!
I didn't see any others and made my own tracks, and in the red sand I took the 4 photos below: my day was made :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
Then onwards, sand yellow, and the vegetation a bit different.
More track here too, and you can choose any, they all go in the same direction.

Before Rooidrom (this is a rooi drom) I stopped at some old rusted car-wreck for some pics.
Nic & Adriaan arrived there also, and the latter just had to screw up my pic by circling in the sand around this wreck making loadsa dust :p
Dankie mater, dit maak vir n lekker pic!

At Rooidrom (see pic if you don't believe me!) I met up with Jacques.
We had a break there, some water and a smoke, and Jacques was interested in offerings of the souvenir stall there.
Noone around to pay though, and it didn't even cross our minds to make this an affirmative self service stall :p\
We carried on, and the track became rocky after a while.
Here Jacques' XR650L started to play up, spluttering when giving it a bit, and stalling too.
We stopped and he checked a few times, then found a loose wire in a connector of the ignition module.
Goodie, and with a short piece of wire and some tape this could be fixed.... but we didn't have any.
Waiting for Hardy was an option yeah but this would take a while, and it was hot and no shade around :eek:
So, we agreed that I'd ride to the camp, only some 8 kilometers left, and send help.
Send yes, we were starting to feel the day, and there's younger and fitter, faster too, dudes in the group, so ask them was my idea ::)

Found the camp after the last few kilometers, which were some sort of sting in the trail: a little technical rocky stuff, and with all the space available weirdly narrow too.
Anyway, at camp we asked around, found some wire and tape, then Johannes volunteers to go help Jacques so off he went.
He came back too quick though, because he had heard Hardy was already with him.
All good then, and thanks for riding :thumleft:

I then went for a poop and a shower - which turned out later to be the Ladies Room, shit happens :p - because the previous night I didn't.
Refreshed I setup my sleeping space, then Johan asks me about the little red light on his dash, 'hot engine' or something.
I check, and yes, it's the engine-overheating warning light.
'How long was that On?'
"Oh, as from van Zyl's pass I think"
"What, the whole day?"
"Yes"
I actually don't believe that but let it be, and start suspecting a broken thermostat, a rare thing really.
Then I ask if the fan comes On then also, probably as long?
"No, the fan never comes on"
Ah, there's a possible culprit here, so we start looking and do some digging.
During one of his (many!) falls the thermoswitch was damaged we see, and the connector is broken.
Johannes 'fixes' that with the insertion of a 10A blade-fuse et voila, a working fan! :thumleft:
The fan will come On as long as the ignition is On but that's fine.
To check if that is the solution I tell Johan to park the bike a little further and let it idle for some 15 minutes, and I tell him to keep the dash in check regularly.
He does so, parks it, starts it and then leaves it.... but because after a while I see him elsewhere, clearly having forgotten his bike, I walk over to check: with luck I arrive at the moment where the red light is still off but begins flickering, then is On solidly!
Ah, there's more to this, so I switch off and push it back to our beds.
Upon further inspection we find the expansion tank empty.
"Ja, that happens, I fill it every day" Johan replies.
And no, no coolant leaking anywhere.
So we strip some sidepanels to get to the radiator..... which I can look into right to the bottom: b o n e - d r y ! ! ! !

Quite frankly this is impossible: an engine without coolant running for a whole day with the overheating-light On, and the engine still runs?
In fact it purred still, like a new sewing machine, Johan only complained about a red light! ;D
Anyway, I told Johan to cool off the engine by watering it down first.
He did, using several buckets, and next we slowly filled the radiator with coolant (from the cruiser, Hardy comes well prepared).
I had to explain the 'why' behind this to Johan, he's not technically minded at all, and he now knows that one may not fill a hot engine with coolant ;)
Rad-cap on, then filling the little expansion tank, then starting: the thing purrs into life, unbelievable!

I go ride it a bit to see if that red light comes on again - but no, all is fine, and the engine sounds & feels like a new one, really!
I ride back and tell Johan the good news, plus that what has happened actually isn't possible - but has!
Sy bike is deur die oog van die naald, not kidding...
I then instruct Johan to check the level of the coolant in the small tank every riding hour tomorrow, and if not visible tip the bike to check if any fluid is still in there.
If Yes then fill it up, if No then let it cool down and fill the radiator first, then the little tank.
By this time Johan understands the why's and promises to do this :thumleft:
All good for now then.

In the meantime Andre's bike gets its chain shortened, the slightly smaller rear sprocket (which works a charm!) to blame.
Here again the portable grinder comes in handy, and Adriaan seems to like this tool a lot - check his wiiiiide smile! :p

After a meal and a campfire we go to bed.
 

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.... more pics
 

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... and my last.
 

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Some action on Van Zylspas and on the road to Marble Camp.

Johan nearly went over the bars right at the start of the pass, grabbing a handful of front brake and doing an impressive stoppie.

There are many ways to go down Van Zyl's step - some paddle it down, some hit it with speed, some whiskey throttle it through with what Hardy calls a "Hail Mary".

[youtube]https://youtu.be/FMk0r2RC5Zk[/youtube]
 
It was also on the way to Marble Camp that we saw the first of the Lone Men of the Kaokoland.

I think the group saw about seven in total. Adding a few of the ones we photographed.

To our surprise we also saw one right in the middle of Windhoek outside someone's home the evening before we left. Hopefully it's someone that knows the mysterious artist, but more likely some arsehole that stole it.

 

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hartebees said:
Some action on Van Zylspas and on the road to Marble Camp.

Johan nearly went over the bars right at the start of the pass, grabbing a handful of front brake and doing an impressive stoppie.

There are many ways to go down Van Zyl's step - some paddle it down, some hit it with speed, some whiskey throttle it through with what Hardy calls a "Hail Mary".

[youtube]https://youtu.be/FMk0r2RC5Zk[/youtube]

Johan ken nie van rustig nie  :imaposer:
 
I am falling a little behind with my contribution. Rickus showing us how to handle a 950 in sand
 

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1. When you realise to late you have a flat, this is the remains of a heavy duty tube.

2. Mike showing us "Afrikaanse meisies is maklik" Trying his same tricks on a Dutch girl  ;)

3. One of the guys quoted someone I'm not sure who " Namibia the country the Lord made in anger"
 

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Mopane Camp - A true oasis and the owner Gerrit is still busy developing the site. Khamanja seems to be enjoying himself
 

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