eikeboom said:
Hmmm can we make a plan? :ricky:
Finding my solo ADV riding Mojo
- Thread starter DirtyHarry
- Start date
Hmmm can we make a plan? :ricky:
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nice RR. showing some roads I did not know about, I will have to start making plans!
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
The GS gathering in Stutterheim turned out to be in another great venue, thanks to the careful selection of our Chairman Lorenzo. Obviously the accommodation and the catering did find the approval of our crowd. Eagels Ridge is well worth a visit if you are in the area.
The owners, Alan and Hester, are also quite cool as they got the appearance of an aged hippie couple. On one of the evenings as we were relaxing next to the fire, Hester told me that she is in fact an Insangoma. She seemed to have received a special gift as she was able to detect good and bad energy around people and heal them accordingly. She had a constant smile on her face like only enlightened people do, if you know what I mean. She also proved to have a fast knowledge about plants and herbs which I did find quite interesting.
For sure I wouldn’t like to receive a bad spell from Hester and decided not to question her in regards with her magic healing power.
https://postimage.io/app.php
Sharing my room with Rainer, White Rhino on the forum, he turned out to be a very interesting guy to share a room with. We had some great discussions about life and how to maintain a conscious lifestyle. Who says bikers are shallow when it comes to conversations
Let’s hope he will find more time in future to ride the great bikes that he owns. He has a nice selection ranging from an airhead to a full on Rallay bike.
Leading to the event I have been on an extreme path considering my diet. Obviously as a vegetarian I am used to some funny comments from my riding buddies. The last 4 month before the gathering I have also left any kind of alcohol out of my diet, all in the name of body detox. Obviously it’s hard to resist the social part of drinking with your friends and I've made sure had a couple of drinks with them over the weekend.
Pity that Rainer’s beautiful HPN bike did give some trouble before the event. The alternator did not charge properly and this obviously took a lot of fun out of the maiden ride with his HPN. I am sure all is sorted by now. One of the beauties if you ride a low tech bike like the airheads. You can fix it yourself.
A lot of beautiful bikes were attending and the final photoshoot was only the accustomed formality. Thanks to Marius for the pictures.
https://postimage.io/
Stutterheim is surrounded by a substantial amount of indigenous forest and I went for a long hike on Saturday morning. I always admire natural beauty without the domestication we humans always ad to it.
In the afternoon we went for a short ride to check out Thomas River. It boasts a museum of collected art with other random chunk items and of course has a very nice bar and eatery.
The owners, Alan and Hester, are also quite cool as they got the appearance of an aged hippie couple. On one of the evenings as we were relaxing next to the fire, Hester told me that she is in fact an Insangoma. She seemed to have received a special gift as she was able to detect good and bad energy around people and heal them accordingly. She had a constant smile on her face like only enlightened people do, if you know what I mean. She also proved to have a fast knowledge about plants and herbs which I did find quite interesting.
For sure I wouldn’t like to receive a bad spell from Hester and decided not to question her in regards with her magic healing power.
https://postimage.io/app.phpSharing my room with Rainer, White Rhino on the forum, he turned out to be a very interesting guy to share a room with. We had some great discussions about life and how to maintain a conscious lifestyle. Who says bikers are shallow when it comes to conversations
Let’s hope he will find more time in future to ride the great bikes that he owns. He has a nice selection ranging from an airhead to a full on Rallay bike.
Leading to the event I have been on an extreme path considering my diet. Obviously as a vegetarian I am used to some funny comments from my riding buddies. The last 4 month before the gathering I have also left any kind of alcohol out of my diet, all in the name of body detox. Obviously it’s hard to resist the social part of drinking with your friends and I've made sure had a couple of drinks with them over the weekend.
Pity that Rainer’s beautiful HPN bike did give some trouble before the event. The alternator did not charge properly and this obviously took a lot of fun out of the maiden ride with his HPN. I am sure all is sorted by now. One of the beauties if you ride a low tech bike like the airheads. You can fix it yourself.
A lot of beautiful bikes were attending and the final photoshoot was only the accustomed formality. Thanks to Marius for the pictures.
https://postimage.io/
Stutterheim is surrounded by a substantial amount of indigenous forest and I went for a long hike on Saturday morning. I always admire natural beauty without the domestication we humans always ad to it.
In the afternoon we went for a short ride to check out Thomas River. It boasts a museum of collected art with other random chunk items and of course has a very nice bar and eatery.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
On Sunday morning we all parted our ways again. Since I had such a great time extending my trip on the way up I was looking forward to do the very same on my way home. Instead of 1.300km I had covered about 1.800km on my way up to the gathering. With some interesting places in mind I would probably clock a similar mileage on my way back.
Funny enough it is always a strange feeling if you have spent time with a good bunch of people and then suddenly you are on your own again. It almost took me half a day to enjoy being on my own again. Once I am in the groove and shake all my worries off in connection with a broken bike or needing some help after a fall, there is nothing more rewarding than riding on your own. Since I never plan ahead I literally can do whatever feels right at the moment. I never have any idea where I will spend the next night and it gives me a sense of freedom which is hard to explain. If a road is fun to ride I just carry on even if this might lead me off the general direction I would like to travel. If it doesn’t feel right I change direction, easy as that.
https://postimage.io/app.php
After visiting Hogsback one more time and spending some time in the woods, I was heading towards Somerset East. I am always curious if I see water on the map and sure as hell I wanted to see what the Darlington Dam would look like. Another bonus is the fact that it is located in the greater Addo Conservation area and no commercial building are allowed around the dam. The gate did open by the push of a bottom with no other formalities taken place, great.
Darlington Dam turned out to be well worth a visit, with a lot more water in the dam than most of the others dams I have seen lately. It also covers a huge area, 15 x 14km and does hold a substantial amount of water. Apparently most water to the dam finds its way from the Orange River, which is quite astonishing given the great distance to the dam.
After spending some time at the lake and visiting the dam wall it was time to head on. It was about 3pm when I left the dam and I was considering spending the night in Steytlerville. As it was still a bit too early to worry about my accommodation, I decided to rather tackle the Grootrevier Poort towards Patensie. I have done this route 2 years ago and remember the water crossing when Gerry drowned his bike. I was hoping for a lower water level as I did not want to spend the night at the river as I did not pack my tent and sleeping bag.
Funny how our mind works when we start to worry. I already kind of thought about all the possible shit that could happen to my bike and I did see me camping at the river already. Once you consider the worst option as reasonable nothing usually happens and it turned out to be very little water in the river for the crossing. I was almost disappointed to be on the other side of the river without any challenges. By that time it was already close to 5pm and having quite a way to go I wasn’t quite sure how much time I would need to cover the distance to Patensie. I did need fuel and of course some sort of accommodation for the night before I could enter the Baviaans the next morning.
The road was a little rougher than what I could remember from 2 years ago. In any case, I was making good time to the pass. More rocks than usual were hitting my front wheel quite violently and I was expecting a flat tyre at any time. I did make it to the pass just in time to witness a stunning sunset.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
In the distance I could hear another bike crawling its way up the pass from the other direction. It sounded more like a single cylinder dirt bike and it turned out to be a guy on KTM 640. Next to the road we were having a chat and he told me that he was doing this section for the 4th time in one week as he was living on a farm outside of Grootrevier Poort in the direction of Willowmoore about 60km from where we were. He then I asked me where I intended to stay for the night. I just lifted my shoulders and told him that I would not know yet. He then offered me a bed on his farm but that would mean that I would have go back the 60km where I just came from. It didn’t suit my travel plans at this stage and I declined his offer as I wanted to spend more time in the Baviaans the next day.
In hindsight I do regret not to have taken this kind offer of a local to sleep over at his place. It would have been a great opportunity to get to know another biker which I would have not met otherwise. I am sorry to the chap on the 640 that I was not spontaneous enough to change my travel plans. Hopefully we will meet another time to get to know each other. If you ever come to Cape Town I will always have a bed for you.
Funny enough it is always a strange feeling if you have spent time with a good bunch of people and then suddenly you are on your own again. It almost took me half a day to enjoy being on my own again. Once I am in the groove and shake all my worries off in connection with a broken bike or needing some help after a fall, there is nothing more rewarding than riding on your own. Since I never plan ahead I literally can do whatever feels right at the moment. I never have any idea where I will spend the next night and it gives me a sense of freedom which is hard to explain. If a road is fun to ride I just carry on even if this might lead me off the general direction I would like to travel. If it doesn’t feel right I change direction, easy as that.
https://postimage.io/app.phpAfter visiting Hogsback one more time and spending some time in the woods, I was heading towards Somerset East. I am always curious if I see water on the map and sure as hell I wanted to see what the Darlington Dam would look like. Another bonus is the fact that it is located in the greater Addo Conservation area and no commercial building are allowed around the dam. The gate did open by the push of a bottom with no other formalities taken place, great.
Darlington Dam turned out to be well worth a visit, with a lot more water in the dam than most of the others dams I have seen lately. It also covers a huge area, 15 x 14km and does hold a substantial amount of water. Apparently most water to the dam finds its way from the Orange River, which is quite astonishing given the great distance to the dam.
After spending some time at the lake and visiting the dam wall it was time to head on. It was about 3pm when I left the dam and I was considering spending the night in Steytlerville. As it was still a bit too early to worry about my accommodation, I decided to rather tackle the Grootrevier Poort towards Patensie. I have done this route 2 years ago and remember the water crossing when Gerry drowned his bike. I was hoping for a lower water level as I did not want to spend the night at the river as I did not pack my tent and sleeping bag.
Funny how our mind works when we start to worry. I already kind of thought about all the possible shit that could happen to my bike and I did see me camping at the river already. Once you consider the worst option as reasonable nothing usually happens and it turned out to be very little water in the river for the crossing. I was almost disappointed to be on the other side of the river without any challenges. By that time it was already close to 5pm and having quite a way to go I wasn’t quite sure how much time I would need to cover the distance to Patensie. I did need fuel and of course some sort of accommodation for the night before I could enter the Baviaans the next morning.
The road was a little rougher than what I could remember from 2 years ago. In any case, I was making good time to the pass. More rocks than usual were hitting my front wheel quite violently and I was expecting a flat tyre at any time. I did make it to the pass just in time to witness a stunning sunset.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.phpIn the distance I could hear another bike crawling its way up the pass from the other direction. It sounded more like a single cylinder dirt bike and it turned out to be a guy on KTM 640. Next to the road we were having a chat and he told me that he was doing this section for the 4th time in one week as he was living on a farm outside of Grootrevier Poort in the direction of Willowmoore about 60km from where we were. He then I asked me where I intended to stay for the night. I just lifted my shoulders and told him that I would not know yet. He then offered me a bed on his farm but that would mean that I would have go back the 60km where I just came from. It didn’t suit my travel plans at this stage and I declined his offer as I wanted to spend more time in the Baviaans the next day.
In hindsight I do regret not to have taken this kind offer of a local to sleep over at his place. It would have been a great opportunity to get to know another biker which I would have not met otherwise. I am sorry to the chap on the 640 that I was not spontaneous enough to change my travel plans. Hopefully we will meet another time to get to know each other. If you ever come to Cape Town I will always have a bed for you.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
The next morning I wanted to see the natural pools and went for a little hike.
https://postimage.io/app.php
It has been a while that I went through the Baviaanskloof and I never did the entry from the East. The friendly staff at the gate and the very reasonable conservation fee were making my day already.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
I was expecting some traffic as it was the last day of the long weekend and did see plenty of cars and a couple of bikers.
Nevertheless the ride was very nice with some quiet moments in between.
https://postimage.io/
I hardly noticed Smitskraal as the water was very low. The last time I was here it was almost impassable because of the flooding.
https://postimage.io/
I could feel that my front tyre was getting flat and tried to pump it with my hand pump. It was only a matter of minutes until the first 4x4 driver offered me the use of his compressor. I was riding too fast through Grootrevier Poort the day before and I was expecting a cut in my front tyre. It was only a slow puncture which could be plugged with one worm and the compressor from the friendly 4x4 guy made it a quick repair. I am always amazed how friendly people are if you have a problem next to road.
There I did meet a bunch of guys on 690’s and a Husky 701 rushing through, being closely followed by a Harley 1200. Albeit having nobblies on his bike the Harley looked pretty damn standard to me. I had no idea how these guys were able to ride together with such different bikes but it seemed to work. I will never complain about the weight of my bike in future again, ever. Kudos to the Harley man for keeping up with Enduro bikes.
I did meet the guys at the exit gate again but did not give chase as I didn’t want to end up eating their dust. After passing a couple of cars I did end up in their dust anyway and did the unholy thing and passed them as well to get into clean air ASAP. If you are riding solo, the last thing you would like to do is eating dirt from other vehicles. That is one of the reasons I ride on my own. I hope it didn’t dent their egos being passed by an Airhead.
I did fuel up in Willowmore and bought some supplies in the store for my dinner. On my way out of town I did see the guys at the petrol station and later when they caught up to me when I had a break before Meeringspoort. The guys did a ride report on the Wild Dog Adventure Riding Facebook page and have been to most of the passes I have done on my trip.
I decided to overnight in Prince Albert to extend my gravel time via Sutherland the next day. I did stay 5km outside of town in a cottage, called the Bushmansvalley, which served me well that night.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.phpIt has been a while that I went through the Baviaanskloof and I never did the entry from the East. The friendly staff at the gate and the very reasonable conservation fee were making my day already.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.phpI was expecting some traffic as it was the last day of the long weekend and did see plenty of cars and a couple of bikers.
Nevertheless the ride was very nice with some quiet moments in between.
https://postimage.io/I hardly noticed Smitskraal as the water was very low. The last time I was here it was almost impassable because of the flooding.
https://postimage.io/I could feel that my front tyre was getting flat and tried to pump it with my hand pump. It was only a matter of minutes until the first 4x4 driver offered me the use of his compressor. I was riding too fast through Grootrevier Poort the day before and I was expecting a cut in my front tyre. It was only a slow puncture which could be plugged with one worm and the compressor from the friendly 4x4 guy made it a quick repair. I am always amazed how friendly people are if you have a problem next to road.
There I did meet a bunch of guys on 690’s and a Husky 701 rushing through, being closely followed by a Harley 1200. Albeit having nobblies on his bike the Harley looked pretty damn standard to me. I had no idea how these guys were able to ride together with such different bikes but it seemed to work. I will never complain about the weight of my bike in future again, ever. Kudos to the Harley man for keeping up with Enduro bikes.
I did meet the guys at the exit gate again but did not give chase as I didn’t want to end up eating their dust. After passing a couple of cars I did end up in their dust anyway and did the unholy thing and passed them as well to get into clean air ASAP. If you are riding solo, the last thing you would like to do is eating dirt from other vehicles. That is one of the reasons I ride on my own. I hope it didn’t dent their egos being passed by an Airhead.
I did fuel up in Willowmore and bought some supplies in the store for my dinner. On my way out of town I did see the guys at the petrol station and later when they caught up to me when I had a break before Meeringspoort. The guys did a ride report on the Wild Dog Adventure Riding Facebook page and have been to most of the passes I have done on my trip.
I decided to overnight in Prince Albert to extend my gravel time via Sutherland the next day. I did stay 5km outside of town in a cottage, called the Bushmansvalley, which served me well that night.
https://postimage.io/app.phpbilly-joe
Race Dog
loving this! next instalment pls!
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Always a pleasure to following along in your RR dust Harry.
8)
8)
Hi,
Was great seeing you in the Baviaans. Over the weekend we bumped into a good number of the old BM's on route to and from Stutterheim. I met Dan Lombard in Craddock on Friday morning as well.
I bet seeing a Harley XR1200 in Baviaans was a surprise ?
That bike of yours really looks the business.
Was great seeing you in the Baviaans. Over the weekend we bumped into a good number of the old BM's on route to and from Stutterheim. I met Dan Lombard in Craddock on Friday morning as well.
I bet seeing a Harley XR1200 in Baviaans was a surprise ?
That bike of yours really looks the business.
oldmannorman
Race Dog
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:sip: Thanks Harry. Enjoying your RR. I still miss my airhead, which I owned for +- 10 years, but glad to see its still attending the Rally.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
My last day was supposed to be keep me out of the traffic for as long as possible. Soon after Merweville there is a steep climb up to the Sutherland plateau. I always love the view.
You have to open/close a couple of farm gates but it is well worth the effort. Being on 1500m it is quite a bit cooler than in the platte land and there is always a strong wind blowing.
My next stop was Ouberg Pass which also boasts some great views.
At this stage I am always getting a bit sentimental because my ride is about to end very soon. It is only a 4hrs drive from here and I am back home again. I did spend a bit of extra time there for that reason. So far I never have experienced any traffic when I was riding this road. It really seems off the charts.
When I got to the R 355 I was clearly on the wrong track again. A lot of cars were driving on this road. The guys probably came from the Africa Burn. Needless to say that I did not inhale the dust for too long and went up Katbakkies Pass to clean my air.
I did spend some time at a very nice rock formation next to the road and was checking the source of the oil spilling out on the right cylinder head. It’s probably the head gasket which I will attend to soon.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
The final stage over the Bain’s Kloof is always a hoot.
https://postimage.io/https://certificity.com
That brings my solo ride to an uneventful end for a change. My worries that I could get bored without pushing my limits were unfounded. I had a hell of a time even without any drama with my bike or any stupid falls. I kept my bike upright for a change.
Thanks for reading my RR, til the next time.
You have to open/close a couple of farm gates but it is well worth the effort. Being on 1500m it is quite a bit cooler than in the platte land and there is always a strong wind blowing.
My next stop was Ouberg Pass which also boasts some great views.
At this stage I am always getting a bit sentimental because my ride is about to end very soon. It is only a 4hrs drive from here and I am back home again. I did spend a bit of extra time there for that reason. So far I never have experienced any traffic when I was riding this road. It really seems off the charts.
When I got to the R 355 I was clearly on the wrong track again. A lot of cars were driving on this road. The guys probably came from the Africa Burn. Needless to say that I did not inhale the dust for too long and went up Katbakkies Pass to clean my air.
I did spend some time at a very nice rock formation next to the road and was checking the source of the oil spilling out on the right cylinder head. It’s probably the head gasket which I will attend to soon.
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.phpThe final stage over the Bain’s Kloof is always a hoot.
https://postimage.io/https://certificity.comThat brings my solo ride to an uneventful end for a change. My worries that I could get bored without pushing my limits were unfounded. I had a hell of a time even without any drama with my bike or any stupid falls. I kept my bike upright for a change.
Thanks for reading my RR, til the next time.
DirtyHarry said:
Those Merweville pass photo's are beautiful! We'd planned to do that pass on our last trip, but time caught up with us.
DirtyHarry said:
Sounds like me on my last trip - no spills :imaposer:
My 11-yo-niece reckons adventure riding is not something I'm going to excel in :imaposer:
Those roads look awesome, enjoyed your RR. Thanks for taking the time :thumleft:
Chairman Meow
Race Dog
Fantastic RR as always Harry. , great roads and vistas. A true stalwart of the event and a pleasure to always have you around. Next year I might even go out of my way to make sure I cater for the inner vegetarian in you. ( but not promising anything ;D).
Glad to know you had none of your usual drama around bike or limbs. ...till our next ride together :ricky:
Glad to know you had none of your usual drama around bike or limbs. ...till our next ride together :ricky:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
Sweet Lorenzo.Chairman Meow said:
No worries, I will eat some meat at the next gathering. Usually I prefer not to eat meat and choose wholesome food rather. The same with alcohol. I never drink on my own but I don't mind having a drink with my friends. You don't have to worry about me even if I have become a bit skinny lately ;D
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Sweet trip!
I like this kind of travelling!
I like this kind of travelling!
