Dads and Lads 2015 Lesotho trip, the Mellow version

[MellowJo]

An Eastern Cape/Lesotho trip has been on my bucket list for a long time. Circumstances have just not been right to do the trip for the last few years, but at last the planets aligned. We would use the week with the two long weekends of end April to early May 2015. While the guys are still sending their pics, I will get the ball rolling with a Trip Report.

The Group
Sidpitt became part of my family when my son, Archangel, married Sid’s daughter, and so we now share a son. Sid grew up in Lady Grey and wanted to share a trip to the area with his sons, Charles and Brent. The invite then extended to his son-in-law Archangel and to me. I also lived in Maclear when I grew up. Brent invited his housemate, Toffie, and I invited my brother Godfried (Fried) to join the party. Sidpitt was the organiser/route master and named the trip the “Dads & Lads 2015” trip.

The Bikes
Sid has a weakness for 80’s Yamaha XT Tenere’s, so he used 2 of his fleet of 4 on the trip. Brent was on his Honda XR650L, Archangel on his KTM 950, I on my BMW 1150GS and Fried on my project BMW 1100GS called Scrappy https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=154905.0. Sid brought along his Isuzu Frontier with a 3 bike trailer as backup vehicle, which would be driven on a rotational basis.

The Route
The route was basically an anti-clockwise route around (and into) Lesotho. Sid and his sons started at Middelburg (Cape) after the Mighty Men conference, while me, my son and Boet would start from Colesberg.

Day 1: Colesberg/Middelburg – join at Steynsburg then Burgersdorp, Lady Grey         375km
Day 2: Lady Grey – Joubertspas, Wartrail, Lundeans Nek, Tiffendell, Naude’s Nek, Maclear     350km
Day 3: Maclear – Bastervoetslaanpas, Bottlenek Pass, Rhodes, Naude’s Nek,  Matatiele      360km
Day4:  Matatiele – Ramatselitso Gate, Sehlabathebe, Sehonghong    150 km ?
Day 5: Sehonghong, Mokhotlong, Sani Pass    
Day 6: Sani Pass – Golden Gate     400km?
Day 7: Golden Gate to Colesberg    500km?

 

[MellowJo]

Day 0

After all the excitement of the preparation, the Friday before the trip arrived and Fried and Archangel arrived at my place to pack the bikes on a trailer. We would trailer the 800km to Colesberg to save fuel and tyres for the real gravel part of the trip.

After strapping on the three large bikes, we did a last minute lights check, just to find that the trailer’s newly wired lights did not work.  :deal:

We blew a few fuses and nearly stripped the Landy to find the short in the new trailer plug, but by midnight we were ready to go the next morning.

So on a very misty Saturday morning, we departed from Melbos (Cape Town) on our way to Colesberg.    

Yeeehaaa the trip started   :ricky:

 

[MellowJo]

Day 1: Colesberg to Lady Grey

We booked in at Nimmo’s place (Sunset Chalets) in Colesberg and transferred all the luggage from the Landy to the bikes. Nimmo was so kind to allow us to leave the Landy at his place for the week. Nimmo also joined us for the first part of our trip to Steynsburg where we would join the rest of the group.

 

[JonW]

Sounds like this must have been an awesome trip, some of my favorite routes included.

Looking forward to reading the Ride Report.

 

[Aprilian]

That Gs looks sic!!

 

[MellowJo]

A few more pics, signs to Steynsburg .....  :deal:

Tea in Steynsburg, waiting for the rest of the group

 

[MellowJo]

First break after we joined the rest in Steynsburg ....

FLTR   Sidpitt, Archangel, Fried, Toffie and Charles  ( Brent is hiding somewhere )

 

[MellowJo]

At Lady Grey, we stayed in the Mountain View Inn, where Sid worked as a teenage barman    :laughing4:

 

[Archangel]

Wag nou eers vir die ander manne se "Dag 1" fotos voordat jy verder gaan...

Trip reel no 1: Wag by die intersections totdat almal daar is!  :deal:

 

[MellowJo]

Wag nou eers vir die ander manne se "Dag 1" fotos voordat jy verder gaan...

Trip reel no 1: Wag by die intersections totdat almal daar is!  :deal:

Yup, don't worry, exactly what I planned, waiting for the rest to upload their pics ....

 

[Archangel]

Hier is enetjie van my af...  :

 

[DirtRebell]

Fantasties!
Lyk of julle die beste van 'n goeie saak gemaak het!

 

[Sidpitt]

Some of us ride 30 year old XT's and are a bit slower than others! 

I'll be there in a bit.........with my day 1 pics. (Keep practicing "Trip reel no.1"

 

[Joyride]

Hey Ouboet, die Geelkameel....is dan nou Wit? Ja ek het die thread gevolg maar iets is missing. Oukei ons sal gewoond raak aan daai Colonialistic bike, die Wit kameel.....koei?  Aai tog Archie, halfpad buite die pad.......soos gewoonlik :biggrin:

Lyk sover goed, 'n tick op die bucket list.

 

[DirtRebell]

Hey Ouboet, die Geelkameel....is dan nou Wit? Ja ek het die thread gevolg maar iets is missing. Oukei ons sal gewoond raak aan daai Colonialistic bike, die Wit kameel.....koei?  Aai tog Archie, halfpad buite die pad.......soos gewoonlik :biggrin:

Lyk sover goed, 'n tick op die bucket list.

Hy het onlangs sy huis uitgeverf, toe gooi hy sommer die vark ook in die mix.

 

[COLES]

thank u for sharing great pic,s

 

[NIMMO]

Sub  :ricky:

 

[Lem]

This is currently my ultimate dream long trip to do in SA  :thumleft:

will really help, thanks for sharing

 

[Archangel]

Just a little teaser of what lies ahead...  ot:

Excuse the bad quality, I had to zoom in quite far in order to provide enough details that you can see what happened.

[flash=720,480]https://www.youtube.com/v/BUKLVLmXXFc[/flash]

Ek't nogals hard gelag vir hierdie omval, op die plat stuk na die mal tegniese deel!!!

 

[Archangel]

Just to explain some of the pics that might follow...

Each day typically followed a template:
07h breakfast
07h30 departure
10h morning tea
12h lunch
15h afternoon tea
17h arrival at destination with just enough time to unpack etc before sunset at around 17h30 (winter sunset times around Freestate/KZN and Lesotho)

This last item on the list was "adjusted" from time to time, resulting in less than favourable riding conditions, which makes for great adventures and stories.  :ricky: