fat b
Race Dog
While on my first Toorwater trip in January Richi Rich's 990 KTM had a flat tyre . Who would have thought that a flat tyre would 6 months later end in one of the greatest bike trips I have ever done !
As we sat in the blazing karoo sun trying to fix Richies tyre Gerhard arrived on his Africa Twin and offered to give us a hand. Through the small talk he told us about the solo trip that he was undertaking , and how he had just completed a harrowing trip through the Kammanassie from Buffelsdrift between Uniondale and Dysselsdorp to Middelplaas just outside De Rust. I was immediatley intruighed when he said that he had been through one of the best POORT"S that he had ever seen !
I searched the internet but I could find very little information about the Kammanasie nature Reserve where this Poort is situated, other than cape Mountain Zebras live there and it has been closed to the public for a few years now because of flood damage I think ! This just made me more eager to see this place.
A few months later we resolved to go explore this Poort , but fate intervened and as a KTM 990 was the catalyst to us going to this magical place , a overheating KTM 990 was to be the cause of us not being able to explore this place then either .I was really dissapointed but vowed to be back !!
This weekend all that changed and me and my friend Grootvoet decided that come hell or high water we were going to explore and camp in this place that had been eluding us for so long.
We would leave mossel Bay head to George , go over the the Majestic Montagu Pass , through Harold , then through the very special Paardepoort , down the Kammanasie road to Dysselsdorp , then De Rust , and into the kammanassie to explore the Poort .Next day , drive the Oude Muragie road to get to the Swartberg Pass , on to Prins Albert and then on to the Gamkapoort dam via the much less traveled road from Prins Albert. But let me start at the beginning....
The weather report said , slight chance of light showers and 20 km wind , man were they wrong !!! It rained all the way from Mossel bay right till the other side of Harold , we were very glad to see the end of that , and it robbed me of valuble photo oppertunities !!
Perdepoord , we were still wet but greatfull to have seen the last of the rain.
Through the perdepoort on the road that goes past the Kammanassie Dam towards Dysselsdorp. See the clouds in the mountains.
Near Dysselsdorp we caught a glimpse of the kammanasie dam but at the gate it said stricktly no entry without the written permission of the farmer , so we went in search of the farmer , to no avail , but we did get pretty close to the dam and got some dam fine pics!
After the Kammanasie Dam we went on to Dysselsdorp and my favorite church .
My favorite watering hole in De Rust "Herrie Se Plek" good food good whiskey and good prices with friendly service!
After a nice lunch we set off for our final destination for the day , meeting some friendly lokals along the way.
A very famous writer lived in this house.
And on to our POORT it's a shame but I don't even know the name of this poort.
Pictures can never do this amazing place justice !
This road goes on for several kilometers and the views just get better around every corner , words just can't describe this natural beauty of this unknown natural wonder !
Natural amphitheatres
The sheer size of these cliffs seen up close is breath taking !
Towards the end of the Poort the road turns into a track that goes up the side of a mountain , not to bad to ride but it is pretty overgrown , I was giving it the berries , because once you commit you can't turn back and if you stop it is very difficult to get going again , a plant caught my wide footpeg and next thing I was off the peg , the momentum of my foot falling off made me open the throttle full blast and I wheelied a couple of meters before the bike came crashing down on me just as I hit the ground !!! Result farked ribs ... big time !!!
I managed to pick up the bike eventually and made it most of the way to where I could turn around , it was there where I met up with Grootvoet who was riding in front oblivious of what had happened to me !
Back down on the valley floor we found the most magnificent site we could have wished for .
Halfway through the night my matress deflated and I had to re-inflate it , this was really tourture because my ribs were killing me ! I had to push my bike to my tent to use the electric pump , but all was well when I opened up my tent the next morning and had this glorious view ... Great bike great view !
My wife calls Grootvoet my broke back partner because we are always getting into trouble together , but i ask you with tears in my eyes , could a gay man find this horrible specimen attractive ??? I don't think so !!!!!
Not like hunky me , I'm purdy ! :imaposer:
Incredible camping site !
On the way out.
We had a quick coke at our uasual watering hole in De Rust and then took the Oude Muragie road to the foot of the Swart Berge. The wind was really pumping , I thought I was going to get blown off a few times !
Snow.
Strange , I have driven to the Hell , and the Swartberg Pass so often but never taken a photo ! till now ! The sighn fell over right after this pic was taken ... Murphy ???
We arrived in prins Albert just in time for something to eat before the Rugby started .Grootvoet was quite eager to still go on to the dam but I opted out of this one not wanting to risk a fall in the loose sand on the way to the Gamkaspoort Dam with my bad ribs!Besides my diet up to that time consisted of whiskey and Myprodol not a great combo ! and as I have been there before I was not really going to miss anything .he was quite lucky because we met up with some cool guys from George who were willing to go with him so I gave him my camera and decided to watch the rugby instead! Man did I get wasted , what a kak game !!!
At the dam "photos grootvoet"
We met up again bright and early the next morning , I was going to take it easy I was in pain,so I told grootvoet to ride on ahead , I was gonna go real slow and admire the view and rest alot !
Herewith the Swartberg Pass
Swartberg pass , never boring and ever changing
The sea side of the pass.
That's it ! A great weekend , great scenery , challenges , and some time for contemplation !!
I also put my new heated grips and aero trim to the test , and they work very well !! My hands were crispy even in the rain and the aero trim was really effective in keeping the wind off me !
I have subsiquently found out that bikes are stricktly not allowed in the Kammanasie reserve , camping is also not allowed there or at the gamkapoort dam ! So my apologies to nature conservation , we left the place at least as good as when we found it and really appreciated the honour of being able to see what few others have !
As we sat in the blazing karoo sun trying to fix Richies tyre Gerhard arrived on his Africa Twin and offered to give us a hand. Through the small talk he told us about the solo trip that he was undertaking , and how he had just completed a harrowing trip through the Kammanassie from Buffelsdrift between Uniondale and Dysselsdorp to Middelplaas just outside De Rust. I was immediatley intruighed when he said that he had been through one of the best POORT"S that he had ever seen !
I searched the internet but I could find very little information about the Kammanasie nature Reserve where this Poort is situated, other than cape Mountain Zebras live there and it has been closed to the public for a few years now because of flood damage I think ! This just made me more eager to see this place.
A few months later we resolved to go explore this Poort , but fate intervened and as a KTM 990 was the catalyst to us going to this magical place , a overheating KTM 990 was to be the cause of us not being able to explore this place then either .I was really dissapointed but vowed to be back !!
This weekend all that changed and me and my friend Grootvoet decided that come hell or high water we were going to explore and camp in this place that had been eluding us for so long.
We would leave mossel Bay head to George , go over the the Majestic Montagu Pass , through Harold , then through the very special Paardepoort , down the Kammanasie road to Dysselsdorp , then De Rust , and into the kammanassie to explore the Poort .Next day , drive the Oude Muragie road to get to the Swartberg Pass , on to Prins Albert and then on to the Gamkapoort dam via the much less traveled road from Prins Albert. But let me start at the beginning....
The weather report said , slight chance of light showers and 20 km wind , man were they wrong !!! It rained all the way from Mossel bay right till the other side of Harold , we were very glad to see the end of that , and it robbed me of valuble photo oppertunities !!
Perdepoord , we were still wet but greatfull to have seen the last of the rain.
Through the perdepoort on the road that goes past the Kammanassie Dam towards Dysselsdorp. See the clouds in the mountains.
Near Dysselsdorp we caught a glimpse of the kammanasie dam but at the gate it said stricktly no entry without the written permission of the farmer , so we went in search of the farmer , to no avail , but we did get pretty close to the dam and got some dam fine pics!
After the Kammanasie Dam we went on to Dysselsdorp and my favorite church .
My favorite watering hole in De Rust "Herrie Se Plek" good food good whiskey and good prices with friendly service!
After a nice lunch we set off for our final destination for the day , meeting some friendly lokals along the way.
A very famous writer lived in this house.
And on to our POORT it's a shame but I don't even know the name of this poort.
Pictures can never do this amazing place justice !
This road goes on for several kilometers and the views just get better around every corner , words just can't describe this natural beauty of this unknown natural wonder !
Natural amphitheatres
The sheer size of these cliffs seen up close is breath taking !
Towards the end of the Poort the road turns into a track that goes up the side of a mountain , not to bad to ride but it is pretty overgrown , I was giving it the berries , because once you commit you can't turn back and if you stop it is very difficult to get going again , a plant caught my wide footpeg and next thing I was off the peg , the momentum of my foot falling off made me open the throttle full blast and I wheelied a couple of meters before the bike came crashing down on me just as I hit the ground !!! Result farked ribs ... big time !!!
I managed to pick up the bike eventually and made it most of the way to where I could turn around , it was there where I met up with Grootvoet who was riding in front oblivious of what had happened to me !
Back down on the valley floor we found the most magnificent site we could have wished for .
Halfway through the night my matress deflated and I had to re-inflate it , this was really tourture because my ribs were killing me ! I had to push my bike to my tent to use the electric pump , but all was well when I opened up my tent the next morning and had this glorious view ... Great bike great view !
My wife calls Grootvoet my broke back partner because we are always getting into trouble together , but i ask you with tears in my eyes , could a gay man find this horrible specimen attractive ??? I don't think so !!!!!
Not like hunky me , I'm purdy ! :imaposer:
Incredible camping site !
On the way out.
We had a quick coke at our uasual watering hole in De Rust and then took the Oude Muragie road to the foot of the Swart Berge. The wind was really pumping , I thought I was going to get blown off a few times !
Snow.
Strange , I have driven to the Hell , and the Swartberg Pass so often but never taken a photo ! till now ! The sighn fell over right after this pic was taken ... Murphy ???
We arrived in prins Albert just in time for something to eat before the Rugby started .Grootvoet was quite eager to still go on to the dam but I opted out of this one not wanting to risk a fall in the loose sand on the way to the Gamkaspoort Dam with my bad ribs!Besides my diet up to that time consisted of whiskey and Myprodol not a great combo ! and as I have been there before I was not really going to miss anything .he was quite lucky because we met up with some cool guys from George who were willing to go with him so I gave him my camera and decided to watch the rugby instead! Man did I get wasted , what a kak game !!!
At the dam "photos grootvoet"
We met up again bright and early the next morning , I was going to take it easy I was in pain,so I told grootvoet to ride on ahead , I was gonna go real slow and admire the view and rest alot !
Herewith the Swartberg Pass
Swartberg pass , never boring and ever changing
The sea side of the pass.
That's it ! A great weekend , great scenery , challenges , and some time for contemplation !!
I also put my new heated grips and aero trim to the test , and they work very well !! My hands were crispy even in the rain and the aero trim was really effective in keeping the wind off me !
I have subsiquently found out that bikes are stricktly not allowed in the Kammanasie reserve , camping is also not allowed there or at the gamkapoort dam ! So my apologies to nature conservation , we left the place at least as good as when we found it and really appreciated the honour of being able to see what few others have !
