Honda Quest True Adventure 2018
- Thread starter JesseH
- Start date
JannievandieVaaldam
Pack Dog
Front row seat to that sand section everyone have been talking about.....
[flash=600,400]https://www.youtube.com/v/Eb_berkMIcM[/flash]
[flash=600,400]https://www.youtube.com/v/Eb_berkMIcM[/flash]
JannievandieVaaldam
Pack Dog
JannievandieVaaldam
Pack Dog
White Rhino
Race Dog
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- Johannesburg *South Africa*
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:sip:
Sandban(g)k
Race Dog
Dag 1 se ryery was relatief rustig - ons het weggetrek met mooi grondpaaie met so sandkol hier en daar.
My forum naam is nie Sandban(g)k as gevolg van my vermoë om skape te tel nie. Ook nie koffie maak of 'n bemestingsprogram vir aartappels te skryf nie.
Nee, dis polities van aard. Ek was al besig met "land expropriation without compensation" vandat ek my eerste skoeter gekoop het so 8 of 9 jaar terug. Ek kan seker nie sê ek is daaraan gewoond nie, want as ek sand sien gebeur die volgende, outomaties: knyp die holspier, proe so bietjie Voltaren in die mond, sê hardop " o fok", en hoop vir die beste.
So teen die tyd wat ons by die tweespoor met ordentlike sand kon uitkom, was ek al hees, my holspier in n spasma, Voltaren het al soos Rehidrat begin smaak en ek het al klompie beloftes gemaak om n beter mens te word as ek dit net sou oorleef :biggrin:
Dit het darem nie te vrot gegaan nie - gewone omvalle is nie meer regtig vir my n event nie, so ek weet nie hoeveel keer ek geval het nie, maar ek het wel n moerse klomp goeie "saves" gehad. Ek was letterlik so senuweeagtig soos n Dopper by n danskompetisie. En ek sou die kompetisie kon wen - vra maar die manne soos [member=3864]Rickus[/member] en [member=22711]Hollywood[/member] wat agter my gery het :laughing4:
Die rivier was hemels - dit was n lekker swem na n warm dag. Ek is een van die gelukkiges wat geroep is om te gaan vir die sandry ekstra klasse. Ek weet nie of die instrukteurs my hoor bid, sien sluk aan die Voltarensmaak of wat nie, maar eks dankbaar hulle het gesien ek worstel. Ek was onder hande geneem deur Janco - een van die ongelooflike manne van die Specialised Adventures span. Ek het vinnig selfvertroue gekry en die DCT se ratkas met die sand begin vertrou. As sandry mens nie so op moeg gemaak het nie, so ek nogsteeds daar wou speel en leer - dit was bitter lekker!
Die aand van die sandstorm was ek in die kosspan - dankie tog [member=12174]JannievandieVaaldam[/member] was ook in my kosbeurt daai aand aangesien hy nie net kan braai nie, maar ook in sand kan braai!
Die aand se slaap was min maar dit was in - ek ken van stofstorms en Augustus winde in die Wes-Vrystaat, maar daai was spesiaal
atch:
Dag 2 het so begin - na 3km was daar voor ons al 4 fietse wat moes rus. En dis toe ek besef - vandag gaan iemand skyt. En daai iemand behoort ek te wees :biggrin: Gelukkig het Janco se hulp van die vorige middag my bitter baie gehelp en ek het die sand begin geniet en hier en daar weer met wafferse danspassies my fiets reggop gehou.
Die rivierloop waar die "sandtoets" gehou is was intimiderend. Onheilspellend. Eks nie n rocket scientist nie, maar het besef dat as ons heeldag in diep sand gespook het, en hulle stop daar met kameras, drones en noem dat hier n sandtoets gaan wees, dan moet dit n spesiale soort sand wees... Ek was reg. Nou vir iemand wat nie te gemaklik is met sand nie, en nie baie van toetse hou nie was daar net een manier - storm voort en hoop vir die beste...
Ek het die Africa Twin in Sport 2 gedruk, paar gebedjies opgesê, seker gemaak die TC en ABS is af en met al my moed weggespring. Voor die eerste draai was ek al op goeie spoed en toe ek die draai vat, al die klippe mis en windgat raak to ekom ek tot die gevolgtrekking: almal val in sand teen n sekere frekwensie - Rikus en Andrew se frekwensie is dalk 1 val per 36 uur. Myne is rondom 1 val per 36 minute. Toe besef ek my tyd om deur die toets te kom raak min - ek sal moet stoot om voor my volgende val deur die rivier te wees...
Ek het dit met 2 minute gemis. Ja, ek moer toe neer op die laaste draai. Maar dit was vir my een van die hoogtepunte van die trip (wat die ryery betref). Ek het volgens almal te vinnig gery, maar dit het gevoel of die gewigverplasing, opkyk, klippe mis en genot net vansself kom - niks se gedink oor waar moet jy staan/hang/kyk of watookal nie. Ek het begin dink ek hou van sand. En van die Honda. Ek dink dis waar ek en bike nr 12 ons eerste "oomblik" gehad het.
Die aankoms by Oewerbos was spesiaal - dit was vir my persoonlik n dag van oorwinnings. Ek was op n high, behalwe vir my interne vogstatus. Ek ken van aartappels wat verlep, en nou kon ek vir die eerste keer weet hoe hulle moes voel :biggrin: Ek het vir die dag op die fiets 6L water gedrink. Ek weeg n volle 65kg, so ek het 10% van my liggaamsmassa in vog opgeneem en kon voel hoe gedehidreerd ek was. Op die kanoe trip op die Oranje het ek amper n pak ys opgevreet. Die bootry was fisies uitputtend, veral as jy so hard soos ek teen die sand probeer baklei het om met daai lam arms nog te roei, maar dit was vir my siel goed - die rivier, die uitsig, sonsak en die kameraderie was presies wat ek nodig gehad het om so dag af te sluit.
André: 1 Quest: 0
My forum naam is nie Sandban(g)k as gevolg van my vermoë om skape te tel nie. Ook nie koffie maak of 'n bemestingsprogram vir aartappels te skryf nie.
Nee, dis polities van aard. Ek was al besig met "land expropriation without compensation" vandat ek my eerste skoeter gekoop het so 8 of 9 jaar terug. Ek kan seker nie sê ek is daaraan gewoond nie, want as ek sand sien gebeur die volgende, outomaties: knyp die holspier, proe so bietjie Voltaren in die mond, sê hardop " o fok", en hoop vir die beste.
So teen die tyd wat ons by die tweespoor met ordentlike sand kon uitkom, was ek al hees, my holspier in n spasma, Voltaren het al soos Rehidrat begin smaak en ek het al klompie beloftes gemaak om n beter mens te word as ek dit net sou oorleef :biggrin:
Dit het darem nie te vrot gegaan nie - gewone omvalle is nie meer regtig vir my n event nie, so ek weet nie hoeveel keer ek geval het nie, maar ek het wel n moerse klomp goeie "saves" gehad. Ek was letterlik so senuweeagtig soos n Dopper by n danskompetisie. En ek sou die kompetisie kon wen - vra maar die manne soos [member=3864]Rickus[/member] en [member=22711]Hollywood[/member] wat agter my gery het :laughing4:
Die rivier was hemels - dit was n lekker swem na n warm dag. Ek is een van die gelukkiges wat geroep is om te gaan vir die sandry ekstra klasse. Ek weet nie of die instrukteurs my hoor bid, sien sluk aan die Voltarensmaak of wat nie, maar eks dankbaar hulle het gesien ek worstel. Ek was onder hande geneem deur Janco - een van die ongelooflike manne van die Specialised Adventures span. Ek het vinnig selfvertroue gekry en die DCT se ratkas met die sand begin vertrou. As sandry mens nie so op moeg gemaak het nie, so ek nogsteeds daar wou speel en leer - dit was bitter lekker!
Die aand van die sandstorm was ek in die kosspan - dankie tog [member=12174]JannievandieVaaldam[/member] was ook in my kosbeurt daai aand aangesien hy nie net kan braai nie, maar ook in sand kan braai!
Die aand se slaap was min maar dit was in - ek ken van stofstorms en Augustus winde in die Wes-Vrystaat, maar daai was spesiaal
atch:Dag 2 het so begin - na 3km was daar voor ons al 4 fietse wat moes rus. En dis toe ek besef - vandag gaan iemand skyt. En daai iemand behoort ek te wees :biggrin: Gelukkig het Janco se hulp van die vorige middag my bitter baie gehelp en ek het die sand begin geniet en hier en daar weer met wafferse danspassies my fiets reggop gehou.
Die rivierloop waar die "sandtoets" gehou is was intimiderend. Onheilspellend. Eks nie n rocket scientist nie, maar het besef dat as ons heeldag in diep sand gespook het, en hulle stop daar met kameras, drones en noem dat hier n sandtoets gaan wees, dan moet dit n spesiale soort sand wees... Ek was reg. Nou vir iemand wat nie te gemaklik is met sand nie, en nie baie van toetse hou nie was daar net een manier - storm voort en hoop vir die beste...
Ek het die Africa Twin in Sport 2 gedruk, paar gebedjies opgesê, seker gemaak die TC en ABS is af en met al my moed weggespring. Voor die eerste draai was ek al op goeie spoed en toe ek die draai vat, al die klippe mis en windgat raak to ekom ek tot die gevolgtrekking: almal val in sand teen n sekere frekwensie - Rikus en Andrew se frekwensie is dalk 1 val per 36 uur. Myne is rondom 1 val per 36 minute. Toe besef ek my tyd om deur die toets te kom raak min - ek sal moet stoot om voor my volgende val deur die rivier te wees...
Ek het dit met 2 minute gemis. Ja, ek moer toe neer op die laaste draai. Maar dit was vir my een van die hoogtepunte van die trip (wat die ryery betref). Ek het volgens almal te vinnig gery, maar dit het gevoel of die gewigverplasing, opkyk, klippe mis en genot net vansself kom - niks se gedink oor waar moet jy staan/hang/kyk of watookal nie. Ek het begin dink ek hou van sand. En van die Honda. Ek dink dis waar ek en bike nr 12 ons eerste "oomblik" gehad het.
Die aankoms by Oewerbos was spesiaal - dit was vir my persoonlik n dag van oorwinnings. Ek was op n high, behalwe vir my interne vogstatus. Ek ken van aartappels wat verlep, en nou kon ek vir die eerste keer weet hoe hulle moes voel :biggrin: Ek het vir die dag op die fiets 6L water gedrink. Ek weeg n volle 65kg, so ek het 10% van my liggaamsmassa in vog opgeneem en kon voel hoe gedehidreerd ek was. Op die kanoe trip op die Oranje het ek amper n pak ys opgevreet. Die bootry was fisies uitputtend, veral as jy so hard soos ek teen die sand probeer baklei het om met daai lam arms nog te roei, maar dit was vir my siel goed - die rivier, die uitsig, sonsak en die kameraderie was presies wat ek nodig gehad het om so dag af te sluit.
André: 1 Quest: 0
Sandban(g)k
Race Dog
Plaasseun
Pack Dog
Dankie Sandban(g)k, het jou skrywe nou baie geniet :thumleft:
Sandban(g)k
Race Dog
Nog so paar fotos van dag 1 en 2. Behalwe dat ek spook met Tapatalk het ek ook nie te veel fotos geneem nie.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
teebag
Race Dog
- Joined
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- Vespa (all models)
And blow it did, right through the night, the few in tents probably had it worse due to the incessant flapping and noise, I think I just pulled my beanie down and my buff up and buried my head under the cowl of my sleeping bag, until the stars faded from the sky and I needed to pee, I walked some way from the sleeping camp and sat down on the ground to watch the light creeping across the landscape. At some point I made a video diary - but watching it back later, realised you cannot hear a thing over the sound of the wind.
The 1st half of day 2 was tough, tougher than I expected, I started well enough and with confidence but it was not long before the bike was having a rest in the sand and I was performing one of my now legendary dismounts, I got going again, but was so focused on looking up, I took off down a side track with Andrew in hot pursuit, realising my error I was buggered if I was going to turn around so cut diagonally back to the correct track and promptly dropped the bike again.
At this point I should apologise to each contestant behind me in the convoy that day (except those who found the going too easy and probably enjoyed the extra challenge), I am sure I contributed to making the path a little less smooth for you all in several spots.
I should also thank both Denzil and Stephan who were there at every opportunity to help me back in the saddle and point me in the right direction - every time, and there were a few.
By the time we got to the sand challenge my confidence was a little rattled to say the least, and I was no longer having fun, something Andrew assured me was important. So I did my best at the time but try as I might I could not get the bike to "float", it rather being more inclined to "submarine" at every available opportunity. In hindsight I wish I had known of the magic of S2, it may have just been enough to get me through. The instructors could see I was falling with less style and panache and decided to get me to rest in what little shade there was on the side of the canyon,
From my viewpoint I got to watch several contestants ride the route, some made it look like a non event, some came through with drama and style, and others seemed to be having similar problems to me with either speed or lack thereof, direction or lack thereof or both of these combined. Several fell, including an instructor (so they are just mortals after all) but in the end everyone was through. The river bed was a mess now and in the interests of time, Kobus rode my bike to the end of the track, not what I wanted, but had he not, I might still be there today.
While this was going on Will and Mark(or maybe it was Janco) came back down the river bed and stopped not far from where I was resting, I could tell from the animated conversation and glances up the side of the canyon that something was amiss. Turns out the drone had gone missing, I asked if I could help look for it, I may as well do something while I waited. I actually had very little expectation of finding it, but after scrambling about on the rocks for some time I could hear a faint buzzing sound that wasn't an insect, eventually I found it looking a little worse for wear, but luckily not too bad. Will was ecstatic as can be understood, it would have been a disaster to lose it on only the morning of day 2.
The rest of the morning involved a little more sand, and a few more offs, Andrew kept reassuring me it would end just around the corner, and in one of the sections even make a keepsake video for me.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/NzgCtBH6x1c[/youtube]
The afternoons riding was more my thing and was relatively chilled with a short technical rocky climb somewhere in the middle of it. We eventually found our way back to the N7 north of Steinkopf, headed towards Vioolsdrift where we turned west along the river to the campsite at Oewerbos. The surroundings were lush and green compared to the terrain we had been traveling through earlier in the day.
No rest for us, upon arrival we were greeted with cold drinks and snacks, and given the option of a quick canoe trip before sunset - that sounded like heaven, a nice relaxed float down the river with the occasional dip to soothe the tired and sweaty bodies. I think Pierre said it "there is no racing on Quest, but this is not Quest", at one stage Denzil and I made a break and pulled a lead of about 500m, only for Denzil to convince me it was a good idea to turn and row back upstream to meet the others. Eventually with the light fading fast we made another break and this time kept going until we found the campsite and the whole crew waiting to great us. I was finished, I had spent all my energy that day, there was nothing left - being rewarded with a cold beer, was incredible but it hardly touched sides and went straight to my head. I don't remember much else that night but I am sure I slept well - even the mosquitoes couldn't wake me.
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Endurance - "the ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way."
I must admit that for the first time ever, I felt sorry for the contestants. Mother Nature was having her way with them, and some of them really had to dig deep over the first couple of days.
Teebag was taking knocks and shots from everywhere, as all eyes were fixated on his endeavors in the sand. During the first two days, I thought that we might see our first withdrawal from Quest, but he had other plans.
Teebag reminded me of Grant Pentalow - You will know him as McSack on the forum. Both these guys will tell you that they have not been blessed with the semi-crazy appetite for sand, but they were both born with a never say die desire to complete what they started, and that is far more important.
I have cringed so many times on the first two days,witnessing some of his more spectacular falls, and have walked over to Ockie (The medic, and the final decision maker as far as forced withdrawals goes) to discuss Teebag's antics, only to hear Ockie say - "This guy is a ******* animal"
Much respect Jonathan - you are a warrior.
Now Teebag was teamed up with Denzil Lawrie. A youngster from Mpumalanga to whom riding comes natural.
Poetry in motion probably best describes Denzil on a bike. He really made mincemeat of any and every obstacle we put in his way.
Teebag and Denzil were impressive as a team, as it showcased the true spirit of what can happen if you have two riders looking out for each other.
It was beautiful to watch.
I must admit that for the first time ever, I felt sorry for the contestants. Mother Nature was having her way with them, and some of them really had to dig deep over the first couple of days.
Teebag was taking knocks and shots from everywhere, as all eyes were fixated on his endeavors in the sand. During the first two days, I thought that we might see our first withdrawal from Quest, but he had other plans.
Teebag reminded me of Grant Pentalow - You will know him as McSack on the forum. Both these guys will tell you that they have not been blessed with the semi-crazy appetite for sand, but they were both born with a never say die desire to complete what they started, and that is far more important.
I have cringed so many times on the first two days,witnessing some of his more spectacular falls, and have walked over to Ockie (The medic, and the final decision maker as far as forced withdrawals goes) to discuss Teebag's antics, only to hear Ockie say - "This guy is a ******* animal"
Much respect Jonathan - you are a warrior.
Now Teebag was teamed up with Denzil Lawrie. A youngster from Mpumalanga to whom riding comes natural.
Poetry in motion probably best describes Denzil on a bike. He really made mincemeat of any and every obstacle we put in his way.
Teebag and Denzil were impressive as a team, as it showcased the true spirit of what can happen if you have two riders looking out for each other.
It was beautiful to watch.
Kobus Myburgh
Grey Hound
The decision to pull someone off his bike at any given stage certainly proved to be a tough one. Although the disappointment was tangible, Teebag’s tenacity and admirable attitude made it bearable. It was only a couple hundred meters of really challenging terrain before he mounted his steed again and got going to complete the day in true adventure fashion.
This specific stretch of sand really caught some of the best riders off guard and as you heard, even one of us instructors unceremoniously took a little nap. We’ll let you ponder and hedge your bets a little to speculate who that was. :biggrin:
We were waiting on the banks of the Orange river at Oewerbos to welcome the contestants back from their paddling trip when Teebag and Denzil came racing in to take first honors. On a tough day, in blistering heat and only when I saw Teebag’s (known to all as JT by now) blistered hands later that evening, you realize just how tough and committed this gentleman and the team was.
And this was only day 2 ........
This specific stretch of sand really caught some of the best riders off guard and as you heard, even one of us instructors unceremoniously took a little nap. We’ll let you ponder and hedge your bets a little to speculate who that was. :biggrin:
We were waiting on the banks of the Orange river at Oewerbos to welcome the contestants back from their paddling trip when Teebag and Denzil came racing in to take first honors. On a tough day, in blistering heat and only when I saw Teebag’s (known to all as JT by now) blistered hands later that evening, you realize just how tough and committed this gentleman and the team was.
And this was only day 2 ........
So.. We wake up on Day 3 on the banks of The Orange and get going. By now we are getting into our routines. Stand up. Pack bags. Fold up the stretchers. Prep our hydration bags. Gear up. Etc.
We had a delicious brekkie made by the 2 heroins of the trip, Gene and Chantal, and I mean heroins! These girls kept us alive! We were always fed well, no one ever went to bed or left for the day hungry. The kitchen Cruiser was always expertly packed. I honestly don't know how they fed 25 or more mouths 2-3 times a day, every day for 10 days! I was ever grateful for their hard work.
We left Oewerbos in a westerly directly for a few kays and then turned off towards the stone piles. The road there started to become more and more technical the deeper we went in. It was at first a dirt road that started narrowing and then became a 2 spoor and began to meander through the valley more and more, it was extremely desolate. Only the hardiest of plant life can survive in this arid wilderness. I had never seen or heard of this joint before. At first when we got there I thought "What the... This is weird". It is has a real eeriness about it. Quite a spiritual place. You just have to go see it. It should be a bucket list spot, especially if you consider yourself an adventurer and if you ever find yourself in the Richtersveld/Namaqualand area. Definitely worth a stop. Pics below :deal:
From here we headed deeper into the unknown. Desolate. Rugged. Tough. Grim. Beautiful! We were surrounded by rocky terrain, short riverbed sandy sections and mountains on either side. We were headed along one of the Amageza Rallye routes. It was very focused riding. The rocks were sharp and loose. The sand was thick, luckily today there wasn't a test section though! After about an hour, Gerrit who was leading the convoy stopped us all to wait for our first puncture. It had been 2 and a half days and not one until now. It was inevitable. Who got the puncture? Charl [member=12954]KarooKid[/member] Du Plessis, the furry-faced instructorot: A front pinch. WHAT? Instructors get the 1st pap wiel? And he was riding sweep? What you doing back there bru? :laughing4:
We promptly took the opportunity to rest under the shade of a little tree and tuck into our snack packs and have a drink. A few minutes later we were off and heading towards the end of the valley where Kobus said he has a proposal for us, we will stop at the bottom of the pass and discuss it there.
When we eventually got to the foot of a technical climb, Kobus put it to us that instead of going up this off-camber, steep rocky climb out of the valley in team order (by now team 3 was in front followed by 4, 5 O0, 6, 7, 1, 2), we had the liberty to send those ahead who wanted to go first to help the guys that weren't confident in the aforementioned conditions of the pass but on a fresh track. So we arranged ourselves, sent Denzil (the beast) up and a couple others.
Before we started, Kobus said to us: "This is where you will really see the amazing ability of the DCT. Keep your momentum. Stay on the bloedkant (low side) of the off camber 2 spoor and ENJOY it! It is easy. There is one section in the middle that is very rocky but it is not like the rocks you experienced yesterday. Just trust the bike, keep your momentum up and you'll see exactly how capable this bike is."
Hardy also briefed us in saying that he doesn't know what is happening with us, it looks like we are riding too carefully and he's not sure why. It looks boring, he said. I thought well of course its boring, You're in a cage :lol8: He said here is a section where we must ride the way we want to ride and don't worry too much about the bikes, they can handle it.
Ok cool, confidence inspiring, some fire under our butts. We can see up the mountain and check more or less what is coming. This will be a breeze... Yeah right...
The first few chaps start heading up one by one and the rest of us at the bottom watch their lines, analyse as best we can from a few hundred metres off where the tricky sections might be and how to approach them.
My turn comes right after my Team mate, Hannes. The first few hundred metres were relatively easy. A few loose rocks and slightly off camber but I'm going well. I was focusing so hard on not falling down to the right side - where there were great big bike breaking boulders and a steep incline that I didn't wanna involuntarily ride down - that my arms and body was so tense that arm pump and fatigue was setting in fast. I got to the tricky rocky bit about half way up where Gerrit was waiting to point and laugh at us if we fell down the mountain (just kidding). I was pumped FULL of adrenalin and I was struggling to hold on to the bars. I stopped next to Gerrit to regain my breath and take a quick break, brought myself towards myself and then got going again. "Keep loose bru, breathe easy, loosen your grip", I told myself.
The next section was the hardest part. It plateaued briefly before heading up to the steepest part of the pass coupled with loose rocks sized from between coffee mugs and cake tins littered the pathway and it was a fairly gentle left hander with a wwwoes off camber. By the time I got there, there must have been 6 or 8 bikes through already, each one loosening the surface even more. It was very slippery and very exciting. I got to the steep off camber left hander and kept my momentum going. Rear wheel slipping and sliding underneath me, front wheel dodging the big rocks and being pushed this way and that from hitting the smaller rocks, power sliding up for a few metres to make sure I didn't stop mid-way up. Eventually I crested the hill, even more full of adrenalin than before and feeling very manly after many close calls and a couple of saves, making it to the top without chucking my scooter down into the abyss below. THAT was exciting! :ricky:
We spent the next hour or so getting the rest of the dudes and dudette to the top, refilling bladders, telling stories of our epic summit and regrouping. One of us wasn't so lucky, although he didn't hurt himself, much. Perhaps he can recall his epic ordeal. Come in [member=22614]PhantomCupcake[/member] AKA JoDan.
There was a bit more rocky inclines, open sandy tracks and breathtaking scenery that waited for us before we hit a short bit of tar :bueller: back to our first night's camp at Modderfontein just outside Springbok. This would be the last real technical route... for the next while...
I also had my presentation to do this evening, which I thoroughly enjoyed preparing for. My topic was The Legacy of Thomas Bain. I had the privilege of introducing everyone to this South African legend.
Google is your friend, and so is [member=18228]Trygve Roberts[/member]' website www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Charles_John_Bain
He is well worth a read and even a little case study of your own, even for yours truly, who is not an academic ou at all. I really enjoyed learning about this True Adventurer! :thumleft:
We had a delicious brekkie made by the 2 heroins of the trip, Gene and Chantal, and I mean heroins! These girls kept us alive! We were always fed well, no one ever went to bed or left for the day hungry. The kitchen Cruiser was always expertly packed. I honestly don't know how they fed 25 or more mouths 2-3 times a day, every day for 10 days! I was ever grateful for their hard work.
We left Oewerbos in a westerly directly for a few kays and then turned off towards the stone piles. The road there started to become more and more technical the deeper we went in. It was at first a dirt road that started narrowing and then became a 2 spoor and began to meander through the valley more and more, it was extremely desolate. Only the hardiest of plant life can survive in this arid wilderness. I had never seen or heard of this joint before. At first when we got there I thought "What the... This is weird". It is has a real eeriness about it. Quite a spiritual place. You just have to go see it. It should be a bucket list spot, especially if you consider yourself an adventurer and if you ever find yourself in the Richtersveld/Namaqualand area. Definitely worth a stop. Pics below :deal:
From here we headed deeper into the unknown. Desolate. Rugged. Tough. Grim. Beautiful! We were surrounded by rocky terrain, short riverbed sandy sections and mountains on either side. We were headed along one of the Amageza Rallye routes. It was very focused riding. The rocks were sharp and loose. The sand was thick, luckily today there wasn't a test section though! After about an hour, Gerrit who was leading the convoy stopped us all to wait for our first puncture. It had been 2 and a half days and not one until now. It was inevitable. Who got the puncture? Charl [member=12954]KarooKid[/member] Du Plessis, the furry-faced instructor
ot: A front pinch. WHAT? Instructors get the 1st pap wiel? And he was riding sweep? What you doing back there bru? :laughing4: We promptly took the opportunity to rest under the shade of a little tree and tuck into our snack packs and have a drink. A few minutes later we were off and heading towards the end of the valley where Kobus said he has a proposal for us, we will stop at the bottom of the pass and discuss it there.
When we eventually got to the foot of a technical climb, Kobus put it to us that instead of going up this off-camber, steep rocky climb out of the valley in team order (by now team 3 was in front followed by 4, 5 O0, 6, 7, 1, 2), we had the liberty to send those ahead who wanted to go first to help the guys that weren't confident in the aforementioned conditions of the pass but on a fresh track. So we arranged ourselves, sent Denzil (the beast) up and a couple others.
Before we started, Kobus said to us: "This is where you will really see the amazing ability of the DCT. Keep your momentum. Stay on the bloedkant (low side) of the off camber 2 spoor and ENJOY it! It is easy. There is one section in the middle that is very rocky but it is not like the rocks you experienced yesterday. Just trust the bike, keep your momentum up and you'll see exactly how capable this bike is."
Hardy also briefed us in saying that he doesn't know what is happening with us, it looks like we are riding too carefully and he's not sure why. It looks boring, he said. I thought well of course its boring, You're in a cage :lol8: He said here is a section where we must ride the way we want to ride and don't worry too much about the bikes, they can handle it.
Ok cool, confidence inspiring, some fire under our butts. We can see up the mountain and check more or less what is coming. This will be a breeze... Yeah right...
The first few chaps start heading up one by one and the rest of us at the bottom watch their lines, analyse as best we can from a few hundred metres off where the tricky sections might be and how to approach them.
My turn comes right after my Team mate, Hannes. The first few hundred metres were relatively easy. A few loose rocks and slightly off camber but I'm going well. I was focusing so hard on not falling down to the right side - where there were great big bike breaking boulders and a steep incline that I didn't wanna involuntarily ride down - that my arms and body was so tense that arm pump and fatigue was setting in fast. I got to the tricky rocky bit about half way up where Gerrit was waiting to point and laugh at us if we fell down the mountain (just kidding). I was pumped FULL of adrenalin and I was struggling to hold on to the bars. I stopped next to Gerrit to regain my breath and take a quick break, brought myself towards myself and then got going again. "Keep loose bru, breathe easy, loosen your grip", I told myself.
The next section was the hardest part. It plateaued briefly before heading up to the steepest part of the pass coupled with loose rocks sized from between coffee mugs and cake tins littered the pathway and it was a fairly gentle left hander with a wwwoes off camber. By the time I got there, there must have been 6 or 8 bikes through already, each one loosening the surface even more. It was very slippery and very exciting. I got to the steep off camber left hander and kept my momentum going. Rear wheel slipping and sliding underneath me, front wheel dodging the big rocks and being pushed this way and that from hitting the smaller rocks, power sliding up for a few metres to make sure I didn't stop mid-way up. Eventually I crested the hill, even more full of adrenalin than before and feeling very manly after many close calls and a couple of saves, making it to the top without chucking my scooter down into the abyss below. THAT was exciting! :ricky:
We spent the next hour or so getting the rest of the dudes and dudette to the top, refilling bladders, telling stories of our epic summit and regrouping. One of us wasn't so lucky, although he didn't hurt himself, much. Perhaps he can recall his epic ordeal. Come in [member=22614]PhantomCupcake[/member] AKA JoDan.
There was a bit more rocky inclines, open sandy tracks and breathtaking scenery that waited for us before we hit a short bit of tar :bueller: back to our first night's camp at Modderfontein just outside Springbok. This would be the last real technical route... for the next while...
I also had my presentation to do this evening, which I thoroughly enjoyed preparing for. My topic was The Legacy of Thomas Bain. I had the privilege of introducing everyone to this South African legend.
Google is your friend, and so is [member=18228]Trygve Roberts[/member]' website www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Charles_John_Bain
He is well worth a read and even a little case study of your own, even for yours truly, who is not an academic ou at all. I really enjoyed learning about this True Adventurer! :thumleft:
Pics
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Anyone got pics from that rocky climb we did?
Sandban(g)k
Race Dog
JesseH said:
No, but I do have a picture of your Rocky Ribs Pizza just before the climb...
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