EC Bash 2009 - TR's story

[Trailrider]

The best laid plans of mice and men...

How time flies! Once again it was time for the annual Eastern Cape Wild Dog Bash!

During the discussions and planning stage I learned that BoJangles was going to ride to the Bash on her Vuka Scooter. Now that's just awesome! A true adventure spirit does not think up reasons "why not". It looks at what's available and make do. BoJangles you are an inspiration.

So the plans and routes were carefully laid out. On Day 1 I'd head for Knysna and meet up with BoJangles for the ride over Prince Alfred's Pass.

We'd ride via "Kom-se-Pad", over the pass to Uniondale and ride various gravel roads to the Bash site near Steytlerville.

(Photo from a previous ride)

On Day 2 we'd ride on the various out rides that are planned by the organizers. They had a historical ride I was especially interested in.

Hopefully this year it would not be quite as cold as the previous year!

(Photo from the 2008 EC Bash)

On Day 3 we'd ride over the Groot Winterhoek mountains towards Patensie and head into Baviaans where we'd camp at Doodsklip in the Wilderness area.

Winterhoek:

(Photo from a previous ride)

Look at this! I was very exited about going camping there.

Hopefully we'd have dry conditions through Baviaans because the plateau area between Combrinks Pass and Holgat Pass is no joke in the wet...

I was a little worried about this because I took my TKC80 knobblie tyres of the bike. I fitted the set of Tourances I have for a business trip to Cape Town which would be all tar. That trip got postponed and I got stuck with road biased tyres on a trip through Baviaans

(Photos from the 2007 Epic Ride)

On Day 4 we'd start with the Smitskraal water crossing and head home.

(Photo from this ride)

The weather forecast:

Friday - Leaving George - Light rain
Friday - Arrival: Bash - Cloudy
Saturday - Bash - Thunder showers
Sunday - Leaving Bash - Cloudy
Sunday - Arrival: Baviaans - Showers
Monday - Baviaans - Sunny

Not too cold, but it could be wet... I don't mind the wet so much, but if that plateau in Baviaans is going to be wet...

But what does the weatherman know?

I could not wait for this weekend to start!

 

[Trailrider]

Day 1 - Heading to the Bash!

As it turns out the weather man was wrong (or not).

I left home on a beautiful sunshine day - only to find thick fog only a few blocks from my home.

The fog was so thick in places that I could hardly see 10 meters in front of me. This meant slow speeds and me arriving in Knysna 10 minutes late, but Bojangles did not seem to mind.

Check out her "Vuka Adventure" sporting Wild Dog paws all over

It was here that I already realized that our plans and route would have to be adjusted. I forgot the permit we'd need to sleep in the Baviaans wilderness area at home.

A quick call home and Mrs. TR solved the problem by faxing the permit to the Hotel in Willowmore, but it did mean that we'd have to adjust our route to go fetch it.

We headed out towards Kom-se-pad and as soon as we started riding up the mountain we rose above the mist. Looking back at the Knysna Heads:

Some last checks as we hit the gravel.

Early morning in the Knysna forest - beautiful!

Sometimes the road rises to give you these beautiful views...

...just to dip back into the forest afterwards. As far as scenery goes this route is one of the best.

In certain sections of the route the forest canopy closes and the forest swallows you whole. You can feel the temperature change, you can smell the earthy forest floor.

And as soon as you exit the "tunnel" you feel the sun on your skin and the air heating up again. You don't experience your surroundings like this in a cage.

Riding past the forestry station:

BoJangles making good time.

With all my photo stops I had to try and catch up more than once

And just at the Plett turnoff LGF also caught up from behind.

Some more scenery on the way to De Vlugt:

Pit stop at Angie's G-spot for a cold one and lunch.

The great thing about Prince Alfred's Pass is that even after all that scenery we rode through, we still had kilometers of scenery ahead as we rode towards Avontuur.

Past Avontuur on the way to Uniondale I stopped at the Anglo-Boer War monument commemorating Gideon Scheepers' last battle.

Commandant Gideon Scheepers was born on 4 April 1878 in Middelburg in the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek. At age 16 he joined the Staatsartillerie in the Transvaal Republic and was soon a first-rate telegraphist, heliographer and later in the SA War a scout that the Boer leader, General Christiaan de Wet, prized. He took part in the Battle of Magersfontein and escaped capture when General Piet Cronje surrendered at Paardeberg.

At age 22 he got the rank of Commandant and led a commando of 150 men who took on the British in the Cape Colony. He had several successes and his bravery was legendary. His mere presence in the Cape Colony inspired more Boers to take up arms against the British.

On 10 Oktober 1901 Scheepers became ill and asked to be left behind near Prince Albert. The British captured him and jailed him in Graaff-Reinet. During his trial the British refused him his rights as an Officer and charged him with war crimes under martial law. After the court accepted some suspect testimony about the alleged war crimes he was sentenced to death and executed in 1902. He was 23 years old.

His remains was buried in an undisclosed location and the grave leveled off as you would when you bury a dog.

The British thought of him as a brigand, but among the Boers his memory lives on as that of a hero and a martyr.
(Source)

An inscription at the monument quotes some of his last words:

"Een troos het ek darem gehad, dat ek my regering tot op die laaste oomblik getrou gedien het en dat ek alles in my vermoë gedoen het om ons regverdige saak op die regte wyse te steun."

Another inscription reads:

In Middelburg se kerk staan duidelik in die doopregister sy geboorte aangemerk. En, soos waneer jy tussen vinger en die duim die wit son rol en skitter in 'n diamant, sou hy deur Vrystaat en Transvaal se leiblou ruim uit spieëls ons stryd laat blits en straal van rant tot rant. Maar hy moes sterf: Die Dood het self hom eers gejag deur kou riviere van die Kaap, dwarsoor Anysberg tot in die buitekamer op 'n plaas waar hy een nag in koue sweet moes lê. En na die skyn verhoor het hulle hom vertel... voor Graaf Reinet se sel. O Graaf Reinet se sel!

Hy was gewone kryger, Heer en geen rebel.

Uit: Gebed om die gebeente: DJ Opperman


I had to push on and catch up to BoJangles and LGF who were refueling in Uniondale. BoJangles' Vuka needed R11 to fill it back up

Next stop - die Laaste Watergat in Willowmore.

The two barman are my brothers-in-law. Good contacts to have!

And finally to the Bash Campsite were festivities commenced. It was great to see all the familiar faces again and meet some new ones.

It was clear from the start that this was going to be a very good weekend indeed!

 

[eikeboom]

Once again a very good ride report TR! You are a journalist of note.

 

[TVB]

Once again a very good ride report TR! You are a journalist of note.

+3 Professional as always  :thumleft:

Wow BoJangles, RESPECT!!

 

[BoJangels]

Great report..true TR style  :thumleft:

 

[edgy]

Great rr and pics :thumleft:

 

[LeonDude]

Nice pics and RR as always!  :thumleft:

 

[Big E]

Dis darem mooi daar in die woud!!!! Laat my weet as jy weer so 'n trippie doen, dan join ek jou

 

[Rone]

Great Pic & RR

 

[bradleys]

Nice pics and report as usual :thumleft:

 

[Riaanrw]

:thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :ricky:

 

[Chrisl]

Mooi fotos TR. Geniet altyd jou RRs.

 

[Oetie]

Nice RR, as usual.

 

[Red]

En?????

 

[BoJangels]

En?????

haha...am also waiting for more  ;D ;D

 

[Trailrider]

Sorry guys. Blue Monday over here! Hope to have day 2 on tonight.

 

[fat b]

Great stuff TR , this is what a RR should look like !!! You're the Man !!!!!!!! Keep it coming !!

 

[Bus]

Ja ja, jou fokken show-off...  :biggrin:

Ek was nog nooit goed met opstelle skryf ens. nie...  :-\

Maar jy mag maar...

Maak gou met die res...  :lamer:

 

[Zeff Cowboy]

Nice man

 

[GO GIRL]

TR a really nice RR and must agree with you ...

Bojangles you were certainly not gonna miss out and made do WELL DONE  :thumleft: :thumleft:
and GRT to meet you....  8)

Keep up the riding and inspiration :mwink: