Heritage Weekend Ride

[Daredevil95]

Friday morning and the bikes are loaded and ready to go. Only set off at around 11:00 due a compulsory stop at the office :

Fuel stop done and Rockrider001(my dad) and me are well and truly on our way. Riding tar to Heilbron where we stopped for lunch and very subtle old fashioned route planning due a GPS or GPS user malfunction, not sure which one it is.

Still tar all the way but just outside of Reitz the just got too much and we turned onto a gravel back road into Reitz. Stunning scenery and an awesome short dirt blast. Refuelling done in Reitz and we had a short ride left before we reach our "basecamp" for the weekend, My Little Africa, in Kestell.

Arriving in Kestell we were met by the sound of roaring lions and a friendly hand shake. Shortly after settling into our possie for the weekend we were invited to the lookout point inside one of the enclosures to see some of the lions up close.

Few beers and a steak later and we called it a day.

Rest of the story to follow shortly.

 

[Daredevil95]

Day 2 and it is kak weather. Very misty and cold. We head out through Golden Gate. At places we could see much due to heavy mist. We pull into to Clarens for breakfast and the sun is shining. From we go to Fouriesburg and head to the Lesotho border post. Unfriendly staff there but what the hell. Tar road is beautiful exept for a kid throwing a rock at my dad.

So onto the gravel to the Monantsa border post. I haven't done a lot of dirt riding and the bit that I have done was on gravel highways. This was no gravel highway by any means. Lots of pebbles, lots of big rocks, lots of just bad gravel but I suppose the only way to better your riding abilities are to ride these kind of roads. Lots of very rocky switchbacks which are quite tricky and followed by an incline of note which is just as rocky or full ruts. Halfway through and the KLR decided to start eating its number plate. This happened 3 times and by the third time I was not the happiest person. Luckily only had a about 7km left to the border post.

We didn't stop much on in Lesotho so not a lot of photos but will post what I have.

Lovely weather throughout Lesotho. I'm glad we had dry weather as I would have kakked with wet conditions. As soon as we went through the Monantsa border post the weather went back to being miserable.

Back at our possie we had to make a plan to eat. We went to the local golf club for a lekker steak and hit the hay early Saturday night due to weather and being moeg.

 

[Daredevil95]

Sunday and we decide to have a chilled day. Rode out to Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge for breakfast. The views from there are spectacular. The road from entering the gate to the lodge itself also has some great views.

From the Mountain Lodge we head to the Metsi Matso Dam. Arrive there and the gate is closed. Since it is Braai Day we stopped to get meat and went back to My Little Africa.

It's early in the afternoon and with a lot of time to do basically nothing we go look at the lions and get an opportunity to go into the enclosure with the lions. What an experience. That over and done with beer and braai time.

On Monday we leave Kestell early and head home. Refuel and bending my number plate to a legal standard we get on a gravel road to Reitz and what a lekker ride. Breakfast in Reitz where some other WD members leave as we get there. A quick greet and they are away. After breakfast we shoot past Petrus Steyn and Heilbron. Just outside of Heilbron we take a dirt road that takes us to Deneysville. A fast and easy ride except for strong wind that pushed us around.. A lot.

Last stretch to Centurion was on tar. Had an epic weekend with my dad.

 

[Ri]

Yô Lesotho sounds hectic! Another ride report also mentioned the crappy conditions on the roads you suffered through. Well done on making it!
Sounds like the KLR wants a tail tidy.

Lekker RR and great photo's - those lions look awesome

So awesome you get to do this with your dad, hope you have many more trips  :biggrin:

 

[Daredevil95]

Ri I think a firmer rear suspension will do the trick. Lesotho was rough but enjoyed it. Experience is the best teacher in my point of view

 

[Daredevil95]

If any of you are interested in going to that area for a weekend and looking for a lekker place to stay I would recommend My Little Africa in Kestell. He charges R250 per person per night. The Golf Club makes good food and it is within walking range from My Little Africa.

The owner's name is Attie. His contact detail 073 731 3034

Photo of the lions were taken there.

 

[Laban]

...[emoji106]


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