Collective RR - Namibia Tour June 2021 with Specialized Adventures

[twister]

70 km after Epupa the roads really gets interesting as it is mostly jeep tracks from there. Rickus showing us that he is not only the master of sand but he can handle a 950 up Heartbreak hill as well.

 

[twister]

Sections of Van Zyl's pass leading up to the step.

New friendships were formed. Talks of arranged marriages was doing the rounds. We were a week away from home after all.  ot:

....and then the famous step. Jacques making his way down.

A little steeper than it looks on the photo and some vehicles that got it wrong

 

[twister]

Riding through the Marian fluss is an awesome experience especially after the rocky sections.

Then you are in the rocks again the last pass before Marble camp.

The Marble mine at Marble camp

 

[Andy 950]

Sub

 

[Gumba]

Going back a few days , when the two of us got lost , Johan’s sound of the 600 next to you was a comfort sound, vok we chased old tracks for miles until at a pee stop , which happens a **** load because your body’s not familiar with taking in so much water sonder whisky! We realized now we in kak , luckily after another couple of miles I found a goat track out , and we followed it for miles but what a brilliant path with zebras, impala etc . And after ages a bloody one room tin shack . Why and who could / would live there is another wonder ! The friendly chap pointed us in the right direction. So a small donation was made to his art collection. And that little 350 which I must add never gave a inch of kak made it to palm wag gate 160 km we took the making out on the shoulders with a grin as what a experience!

 

[hugmin42]

Attached some Honda XR650L Wallpapers. See filename for location.

 

[hugmin42]

Some more...

 

[hugmin42]

Last ones

 

[twister]

[member=16093]hugmin42[/member] Nice photos. You really bonded with the 650 and you rode it like a champ.  :thumleft:

 

[XRBradman]

Stunning report


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[TheHamster]

Great report.

Namibia has got to be up there as possibly one of the greatest biking destinations out there.

This adventure, coupled with Itchy Boots' videos has to switch on any riders desire to do Namibia.

Bucket list for sure.

Sent from my vivo 1820 using Tapatalk

 

[JustBendIt]

@hugmin42

amazing pics ...almost makes me want to buy a Honda  :thumleft:

 

[Gumba]

If you look in the bucket you’ll see vok all after a trip like this !
Just a empty bucket it ticks all the boxes .
Even better when wife understands, and has to listen to the same story a couple of times.
So some advice to the next group. Pack half the kak you were going to take , it just makes Henni job harder to load , and read the instructions on how to open a packet of wet wipes.
And duct tape a few Burundi tarentaal for the fire place . ( not one bottle broke)
And take lots of pictures.

 

[Jacques650]

Mike has hit the nail on the head perfectly.

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[Hollywood]

YASLAAIK!!! What a trip! I seriously wish I was riding along...

Looking at [member=3864]Rickus[/member] drifting "Oorlog" through the sand and man-handling it up Heartbreak hill just makes me even greener with envy. Spiere Spanmaat!

Thanks to all for the Great Report.

 

[2StrokeDan]

Who is the two guys to the left of ETS on the photo above?

 

[Kamanya]

Who is the two guys to the left of ETS on the photo above?

From left Andre Fox and Pieter Lourens [member=5100]Twister[/member]

 

[Noneking]

Riding through the Marian fluss is an awesome experience especially after the rocky sections.

Then you are in the rocks again the last pass before Marble camp.

The Marble mine at Marble camp

Amazing what a difference rain makes to this beautiful landscape.

Pics of Marienfluss fromour trip with Specialised Adv June 2018 to compare with yours....

 

[Baches]

Lovely pictures. It is simply the best adv. riding place in Southern Africa.

 

[Kamanya]

Day 6 Van Zyls Camp to Marble Camp

The earlier birds shooting the breeze







The ritual of packing up and moving on



“You’re all gonna die!”




This morning is the Iconic bit of van Zyls. It’s the one that all the magazines/websites show with the view out onto the Mariannefluss. But first there is more of the tricky rocky stuff that the last 70k’s of yesterday was.





Puncture rest. Mark Johston had his mission day with punctures this day. 3 on the rear I think. (eventually, he had to borrow Werners spare rear tyre as his had a huge sidewall tear)








It’s high winter here, but still, sweaty work.

The backup crew cannot go this route, the Unimog is an utterly capable machine, but it’s too wide and high for this trail so it has to go around.

Packing the sorry Husky

Getting to the lookout point






I didn’t take many up here, I was too busy having fun with Hardy’s prank of the route. I’ve only got a few arty ones





… and this rubbish!?



Then onto the drop.

I took a minor tumble when my front squirted out from under me. Everyone else cleaned it, more or less.







A video to here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHzCDeqMWZ4

At the bottom is a cairn. It’s a meaningful place for me. Last time I was here I left a stone for my bother. I had my moments, said some words and wished him well.



Then, possibly the highlight of the trip… the wide open sands of the Mariaanfluss. This is where if you’ve every had aven the slightest notion of doing something like the Dakar, you can live out your fantacy. Kilometers of pure open hard sand that you can ride in any direction.





Werner still found 2 places to buy his little pieces of land in there though. One was a spectacular high side that happened just meters from here



Checking out the marks



The sweepers, a prettier bunch you’d be hard pressed to find don’t you think?



The Iconic landmark that is Rooidrom



Here’s more of that wonderful place. Riding one handed in the sand, trying to miss mopane trees and then direct riders and drivers is fun…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfykzgua1N8


And just like that another day was over. I rode with Werner most of the rest of the way. He was a beast. He’d fallen spectacularly over the previous 2 days but always got up with a smile. The last few k’s I could see he was nearly out of it. I think he should have gotten ride of the day that day. I hate to think how much worse off he’d have been on the 701.



BuRP has alluded to previously the miraculous 690 that ran with almost no water



Arty again



Race crew; Rider, mechanics and coach



Battery issues



The mine





I have no idea what this was about. My best guess was that it’s artwork. That takes an enormous amount of creative skill to do. There were 3 of them.



Constantia upper



Bench racing



More bench racing



Much later, more bench racing.



More arty stuff



It had been a wonderful day.