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Last one of the main falls
Fuzzy Muzzy and Martin flatten some dust roads in Zimbabwe
- Thread starter Fuzzy Muzzy
- Start date
spoedvark
Grey Hound
Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing!!
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TenereMan said:
um, at this point in the ride both my seals are pissing oil all over my bike :laughing4: we are not really in the position to fix them, I know that I have good springs and so far while riding the bike is behaving. It was my intention at this stage to fix them when we next got to a town big enough to potentially have spare seals.. now, if I phone Honda Cape Town right now and ask for fork seals I bet R100 they won't have in stock.. I wasn't holding my breath that Honda Harare would.
Piston Pete
Teach Peace
M&M...think you just hit the cool wall! :thumleft:
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On our way back to the road that led us to the waterfall I knew there would be the T Junction, left was a whole lot of more of that, and right was Nyanga, with the weather starting to turn and it was starting to get late in the day we thought it best to head for food and shelter.. now not paying attention to maps will get you this.
.. I was not expecting the Pungwe scenic route, I remember reading about it but I was not 100% sure where it was, this road which is actually now closed leads through the Chingamwe forest, it is such a stunning ride but not for the faint hearted. One thing for certain is that the sign was not entirely true, I doubt there was anything temporary about that roads closure. It all started off ok, great road however as it went on I did’nt take too many photo’s, partly because I was holding on for dear life and partly because the mountain mist was rolling in, it’s ok, I was’nt taking in the view anyway besides the view 5m infront of me. This road has everything an adventure biker lives and breaths for, I sure was’nt smiling during the ride , but afterwards it was all smiles and hi 5’s, the mark of a true dirt road.
I loved this shot showing a fallen tree with the road sign over the road, clearly at one stage this road was used quite frequently but there has not been much by the way of maintenance in recent times.
.. I was not expecting the Pungwe scenic route, I remember reading about it but I was not 100% sure where it was, this road which is actually now closed leads through the Chingamwe forest, it is such a stunning ride but not for the faint hearted. One thing for certain is that the sign was not entirely true, I doubt there was anything temporary about that roads closure. It all started off ok, great road however as it went on I did’nt take too many photo’s, partly because I was holding on for dear life and partly because the mountain mist was rolling in, it’s ok, I was’nt taking in the view anyway besides the view 5m infront of me. This road has everything an adventure biker lives and breaths for, I sure was’nt smiling during the ride , but afterwards it was all smiles and hi 5’s, the mark of a true dirt road.
I loved this shot showing a fallen tree with the road sign over the road, clearly at one stage this road was used quite frequently but there has not been much by the way of maintenance in recent times.
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You KNOW it was a great road to ride when you hook up with your riding mate at the bottom and both of you just can’t wait to share war stories, the corner that you overcooked, the wash away that nearly got you, the rock that knocked your crash bars broken and twisted your forks ( yes you Martin ) ba ha ha.
I took a photo of this imposing oke while waiting for Martin.
There was so much mountain mist and wind at the top that the mist was blowing over the treetops and swirling in vortex plumes, even though the mist was heavy and we had rain gear on, I was still throwing up a fair amount of dust, the dust would linger in the air and by the time Martin came through it was like riding through suspended liquid mud.. he sure looked a sight.
I promised to return to this spot which comes out at the base near Juliasdale, if anything just to take pictures from the top when it is clear. Amazing road, amazing place. We hit Nyanga knowing that we had no doubt in our minds had our best days riding yet, it was getting better and better. It was so good.. we both knew we were staying, there is just no way heading to Kariba is better than this.. no way. We knew we were staying to explore these highlands more and I could’nt wait for tomorrow, it would mean having to overcome my pet hate.. the backtrack, but it would be worth it.. I wanted to see the other side of that Honde Valley but for now.. place to stay and food in the belly is required.. as a preference, somewhere dry, after last night’s rain, our excessive hike sweat and riding through mountain mist had left us and our gear a bit damp.
In Nyanga we followed some signboards to what looked like a run down but respectable establishment, sadly they did not offer camping and their less than plush rooms were an eyewatering R850 a night.. um, how about no. I was consistently amazed at the rates charged for some rooms in Zim but it is what it is, I would have a different marketing approach, you would think their dismal occupancy rates would prompt them to do something about it.. I digress.... they were at least kind enough to enquire at Nyanga National Park who confirmed they were open 24 hours, had camping facilities , hot water and firewood.. we headed straight there, the sun was setting on us and we still needed to source food from local markets which proved to be fun.
I took a photo of this imposing oke while waiting for Martin.
There was so much mountain mist and wind at the top that the mist was blowing over the treetops and swirling in vortex plumes, even though the mist was heavy and we had rain gear on, I was still throwing up a fair amount of dust, the dust would linger in the air and by the time Martin came through it was like riding through suspended liquid mud.. he sure looked a sight.
I promised to return to this spot which comes out at the base near Juliasdale, if anything just to take pictures from the top when it is clear. Amazing road, amazing place. We hit Nyanga knowing that we had no doubt in our minds had our best days riding yet, it was getting better and better. It was so good.. we both knew we were staying, there is just no way heading to Kariba is better than this.. no way. We knew we were staying to explore these highlands more and I could’nt wait for tomorrow, it would mean having to overcome my pet hate.. the backtrack, but it would be worth it.. I wanted to see the other side of that Honde Valley but for now.. place to stay and food in the belly is required.. as a preference, somewhere dry, after last night’s rain, our excessive hike sweat and riding through mountain mist had left us and our gear a bit damp.
In Nyanga we followed some signboards to what looked like a run down but respectable establishment, sadly they did not offer camping and their less than plush rooms were an eyewatering R850 a night.. um, how about no. I was consistently amazed at the rates charged for some rooms in Zim but it is what it is, I would have a different marketing approach, you would think their dismal occupancy rates would prompt them to do something about it.. I digress.... they were at least kind enough to enquire at Nyanga National Park who confirmed they were open 24 hours, had camping facilities , hot water and firewood.. we headed straight there, the sun was setting on us and we still needed to source food from local markets which proved to be fun.
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The 1st supermarket we went to in Nyanga was not typical of what we had experienced up to the trip so far, usually a supermarket consisted of basic things, oil, sugar, a few cans, if you were lucky refrigeration.. not much really, but this was a bit bigger and had more things, a larger range of canned goods, pasta & Simba chips but to be honest not much that we could use so besides a bag of tomatoes we departed in search of greener pastures. It came in the way of another supermarket which was cleaner, more organised and had fruit & veg.. whoo hoo, yes please. I armed myself with onions, garlic, beans, sausage ( if it was more processed it could’nt be called sausage.. it was more of a breakfast banger ), salt, polony, and potatoes.. satisified that I could whip something up with that we headed off for Nyanga National Park where we were assured had camping, wood and hot water.. all we needed for a goods night rest.
Upon entering Nyanga National Park the sun was just about to hit the horizon, we had timed it perfectly, well perfectly if you wanted to ride from sunrise to sunset, something we were not making a conscious decision to do, it was just turning out that way and I was starting to feel it.. long days riding and weary bones, I noticed something else as we were arriving, it was getting flipping cold. My mind made a mental note of my damp sleeping bag from the fiasco the night before, come to think of it Martin had a wet tent.. I had a mental image of us sitting outside out wet tents with damp gear trying to cook dinner on a fire in the dark.. it was time to get some real accommodation, it was time to stand tall and open the wallet, and open our wallets we did $10 per person entry fee into the park $3 for the bikes and a lodge.. an eye watering $40 if my recollection is correct, I will check. I did’nt care, they could have charged double.. I had an idea for the evening that included a warm room, clean sheets, hot meal, dry clothes and at least 2 brandies & cokes.
Upon entering Nyanga National Park the sun was just about to hit the horizon, we had timed it perfectly, well perfectly if you wanted to ride from sunrise to sunset, something we were not making a conscious decision to do, it was just turning out that way and I was starting to feel it.. long days riding and weary bones, I noticed something else as we were arriving, it was getting flipping cold. My mind made a mental note of my damp sleeping bag from the fiasco the night before, come to think of it Martin had a wet tent.. I had a mental image of us sitting outside out wet tents with damp gear trying to cook dinner on a fire in the dark.. it was time to get some real accommodation, it was time to stand tall and open the wallet, and open our wallets we did $10 per person entry fee into the park $3 for the bikes and a lodge.. an eye watering $40 if my recollection is correct, I will check. I did’nt care, they could have charged double.. I had an idea for the evening that included a warm room, clean sheets, hot meal, dry clothes and at least 2 brandies & cokes.
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It was still light when we arrived so I managed to take a quick snap of our back yard.. not bad
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Lets be clear, I didn't fork out all that dosh to be in a hotel, it was work time, we had a LOT to do. But 1st.. problem, there was no electricity, upon enquiring we were told that it may come back on, it may not.. amazing, it was only day 4 and already 3 of the 4 days had shown us power cuts, it is a massive problem for Zim's ecomomy.
Not put off, we had candles, a gas stove and an LED light, we could make do ! I started cooking and prepping the food, I like to cook so I had a pretty good plan, it was YUM ! Martin in the meantime sorted out the fireplace, we had a LOT of wet stuff, we would need a good fire to dry it all tonight.
For those of you who always wondered what the inside of those massive yellow panniers looked like.. check out Martins sewing skills. He made these panniers himself.
Note how we just took over the place, we literally unpacked everything and laid it out infront of the fireplace. We must have burnt well on 100 logs that night and we took full advantage of our dry and warm environment even being bold and doing a little washing. There was not a square inch of that place we didn't use, thankfully a little later the electricity came back on allowing us to even have a wash ourselves.
Not put off, we had candles, a gas stove and an LED light, we could make do ! I started cooking and prepping the food, I like to cook so I had a pretty good plan, it was YUM ! Martin in the meantime sorted out the fireplace, we had a LOT of wet stuff, we would need a good fire to dry it all tonight.
For those of you who always wondered what the inside of those massive yellow panniers looked like.. check out Martins sewing skills. He made these panniers himself.
Note how we just took over the place, we literally unpacked everything and laid it out infront of the fireplace. We must have burnt well on 100 logs that night and we took full advantage of our dry and warm environment even being bold and doing a little washing. There was not a square inch of that place we didn't use, thankfully a little later the electricity came back on allowing us to even have a wash ourselves.
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Staying in our modest star lodge with 60's styling the night before was a very very good call, it was more than nippy during the night, Martin took the room and I pulled my mattress up to the fire chuffed that we had both managed to wash clothes, dry all our damp stuff, unpack and repack AKA organised, had a good chow and even fitted in those brandies.. tomorrow morning Martin was going to sort us out with breakfast, he had been hunting for eggs for a few days and now that he had found some there was no way he wasn't going to cook them up with leftover polony and sausage.. with a cuppa coffee it was going to be an awesome start to a day which was going to prove to stick in our memories forever and turn the whole trip on it's head... we had no idea what we were in for, all I know is it required one of us to go looking for help. The 1st time on any of my trips I needed to go get help to get us out of a situation.
It all started with a fantastic morning , and you guessed it, dirt roads, and loads of them,
It all started with a fantastic morning , and you guessed it, dirt roads, and loads of them,
stan1975
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Great RR :ricky: :ricky: Thanks for sharing.
sheldyn
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Awesomeness, waiting in anticipation :ricky:
DirtHound
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Hey man, don't leave us hanging like this! :biggrin:
So enjoying this RR - I love the way you capture the spirit of adventure biking (with emphasis on adventure!)
Now where's the rest already?? :ricky:
So enjoying this RR - I love the way you capture the spirit of adventure biking (with emphasis on adventure!)
Now where's the rest already?? :ricky:
:happy1: fapfap
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Where was I.. oh yeah, we had just spent our 1st night in real lodging, a real treat, it is amazing how small comforts can lift you further from what could easily be described as the perfect day, we rode amazing roads, the forest the waterfall, it was superb.. now I wake up and Martin was preparing breakfast, if this was how the day was starting I was already grinning. I gathered up all my dry gear and went to load up the bike for the day ahead.
I have to say upfront and I may as well get this bit out the way, when I prepped my bike for this trip I took the bike to get it serviced and I went to town, new oil, oil filter, air filter, valve clearances, brake pads all round.. um, then I looked at my chain. It was pretty much nearing the end of its life but I had some tension left.. so I looked at the chain, the following day I looked again.. no matter how much I was eyeballing my chain I felt like it had enough life in it for another 4000 – 5000km.. I think. I asked the opinion of some mechanic friends and they said it was a close call. I decided that it was good enough… I think !! it was sitting on about 23 000km, flip, stuff it, lets go, if push comes to shove I will get a new chain in Harare .
This morning however I stood looking at my chain wishing that I had changed it. The last few days offroad was punishing it and naturally I was struggling to keep it lubed up in the dust. I adjusted the chain, soaked it in oil and shrugged. It will just have to last.
So day 5.. we just happened to be in Nyanga National Park, they had already charged us entry fees and they seemed to allow bikes in, so I figured, why not, lets explore the park while we are here, I was not 100% sure where we would end up today but I had it in the back of my head that I cannot leave this place until I had explored the other side of the Honee Valley and found those tea plantations I heard so much about. As keen as I was to get going, I wanted my money’s worth out of this park so off we set.
I have to say upfront and I may as well get this bit out the way, when I prepped my bike for this trip I took the bike to get it serviced and I went to town, new oil, oil filter, air filter, valve clearances, brake pads all round.. um, then I looked at my chain. It was pretty much nearing the end of its life but I had some tension left.. so I looked at the chain, the following day I looked again.. no matter how much I was eyeballing my chain I felt like it had enough life in it for another 4000 – 5000km.. I think. I asked the opinion of some mechanic friends and they said it was a close call. I decided that it was good enough… I think !! it was sitting on about 23 000km, flip, stuff it, lets go, if push comes to shove I will get a new chain in Harare .
This morning however I stood looking at my chain wishing that I had changed it. The last few days offroad was punishing it and naturally I was struggling to keep it lubed up in the dust. I adjusted the chain, soaked it in oil and shrugged. It will just have to last.
So day 5.. we just happened to be in Nyanga National Park, they had already charged us entry fees and they seemed to allow bikes in, so I figured, why not, lets explore the park while we are here, I was not 100% sure where we would end up today but I had it in the back of my head that I cannot leave this place until I had explored the other side of the Honee Valley and found those tea plantations I heard so much about. As keen as I was to get going, I wanted my money’s worth out of this park so off we set.
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The park was quite well sign boarded, clearly they had a self drive, game sight seeing kind of thing going on so we chose to take on the ‘circular route’ it at the very least sounded like it would take us eventually back to the main gate, best of all, it was pretty decent dirt roads although some of it was so hard and compact it was like riding on rock byt there was some nice sandy patches thrown in, just what we needed to get back into the swing of things and warm up for the day ahead.
We swung past a waterfall and saw some game it was nice, great views but something bout being in the park seemed controlled and yawn, a little boring... We saw a sign that said “ Mt Nyangani right, Troutbeck Left’ I knew Troutbeck was on a tar road, so right it was and onto Mt Nyangani.
Not one to shy away from a mountain we went on to see what Mt Nyangani was all about.. I did’nt realise it at the time but this mountain is the highest point in Zimbabwe, interesting but no thank you, even though it is only 2592m in bike gear that would be torture, in other circumstances ( if I was in hiking gear and with all day to spare ) I would have taken on that climb but today my head was in riding space so we turned around to complete the circular route and head off for the day.
We swung past a waterfall and saw some game it was nice, great views but something bout being in the park seemed controlled and yawn, a little boring... We saw a sign that said “ Mt Nyangani right, Troutbeck Left’ I knew Troutbeck was on a tar road, so right it was and onto Mt Nyangani.
Not one to shy away from a mountain we went on to see what Mt Nyangani was all about.. I did’nt realise it at the time but this mountain is the highest point in Zimbabwe, interesting but no thank you, even though it is only 2592m in bike gear that would be torture, in other circumstances ( if I was in hiking gear and with all day to spare ) I would have taken on that climb but today my head was in riding space so we turned around to complete the circular route and head off for the day.
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Managed to get a snap of some of the wildlife in the park when I could get my camera out in time
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Our early morning departure was about to get a shot in the arm and set the pace for the rest of the day when we got back to our original sign where we turned off.. Martin noticed another part of the sign lying on the dusty road ‘ road closed ‘ HELLO !! that was all the invitation we needed, we have been on more than one closed road on this trip, what was one more.. and what a road it turned out to be, 30km took us just over 2 hours but you have to check out this jem of a road to see why
After a long stretch of playing the game ' hold on for dear life, we climbed up a hill and into more respectful riding, the views were magical and the roads sublime.
OMG which way
We had deliberated on and off over the last few days as to what we wanted to get out of this trip, not that there was much deliberation needed, our ethos had always remained the same on every trip we had ever been on, no matter where we wanted to end up, if we find a place we love so much that we want to explore it then the end destination becomes something that keeps on changing, today was no exception, we had already let go of Kariba as an end destination, we were hoping to make Harare by the end of today, already that already looking ambitious.. for the 100th time we looked at each other and said ‘ lets just ride and see how far we get’.. good enough for me.
As much as I hate backtracking we headed back down the A15 to sonnekus and took the same road we took to go to the falls the day before, but instead of turning left at the fork in the road to take the dirt road we grit our teeth and stayed on the tar road, up and down, left and right the road twisted and turned down into the Honde Valley, on and on it went and not exactly a great tar road like we had experienced so far, I am pretty sure there was an overpopulation of poorly repaired potholes on every corner and there were spans of corners. The amount of tar road was starting to annoy me and at times I was starting to question our decision to take this route. The breath-taking views and stunning scenery made up for everything, well almost, yes I was there for the views.. but I wanted my dirt.
After a long stretch of playing the game ' hold on for dear life, we climbed up a hill and into more respectful riding, the views were magical and the roads sublime.
OMG which way
We had deliberated on and off over the last few days as to what we wanted to get out of this trip, not that there was much deliberation needed, our ethos had always remained the same on every trip we had ever been on, no matter where we wanted to end up, if we find a place we love so much that we want to explore it then the end destination becomes something that keeps on changing, today was no exception, we had already let go of Kariba as an end destination, we were hoping to make Harare by the end of today, already that already looking ambitious.. for the 100th time we looked at each other and said ‘ lets just ride and see how far we get’.. good enough for me.
As much as I hate backtracking we headed back down the A15 to sonnekus and took the same road we took to go to the falls the day before, but instead of turning left at the fork in the road to take the dirt road we grit our teeth and stayed on the tar road, up and down, left and right the road twisted and turned down into the Honde Valley, on and on it went and not exactly a great tar road like we had experienced so far, I am pretty sure there was an overpopulation of poorly repaired potholes on every corner and there were spans of corners. The amount of tar road was starting to annoy me and at times I was starting to question our decision to take this route. The breath-taking views and stunning scenery made up for everything, well almost, yes I was there for the views.. but I wanted my dirt.
