Inanda Dam and surrounds

[EssBee]

Seeing I haven't been able to post pics of late, this ride report is rather late, as you can see by the dates of the pics.

'twas just Husky and I...went on a jaunt around the Valley of 1000 Hills...as I've been nagging to go to Inanda Dam and surrounds. Only about 130 kms with far too many tar roads (but, geeze, what nice twisties!)

 

[DRAZIL]

Nice pics , so you are the guys that scare the bass away when I'm up  there bassing. :thumleft:

 

[EssBee]

Sorry, man! I could never ride my bike in the Alps....I'd trigger off a friggin avalanche!

 

[DRAZIL]

:thumleft: :imaposer:

 

[X Banana Boy]

Very nice.  Eish I haven't seen Natal that green in a loooong time.

 

[husky]

Nice one EssBee - I may have a few more pics that I should Post. That also turned out to be a hot day!

 

[stevgh0]

so jealous!

I love Kwazulu!

Dont love the cops there..

 

[LeonDude]

Nice pics there, lekker green.

 

[Malibu]

I'm green!

Stunning pics!  :thumleft:

 

[EssBee]

XB Boy...you won't believe the bloody rain we've had here...geeze. We only moved here the last weekend of Nov. '08, and that 1st week it drizzled constantly every freaking day. That green is slowly but surely becoming a 4 letter word in my vocab. (1st time I mowed my lawn = 22 refuse bags full!!!!) (where exactly are you?)


But seriously, ja, the beauty here is stunning. I never knew KZN AT ALL until end last year, it's quite dramatic.

 

[GundaGunda]

Great Pics EssBee - makes me almost homesick.

Were those shots from Nanda mountain ?

 

[EssBee]

We didn't quite know where we were. We were riding sort of SE bound on the Eastern side of the dam, then turned left onto a tar road that meandered and climbed in a NW (???) direction. Can't think of the Zulu name of the area right now....

 

[GundaGunda]

The two big mountains that overlook the valley from the valley are Nanda mountain that is on the nort west.

That's the one where you ride right up to the edge past a school and an unused soccer field.

On the east side overlooking the dam wall is Mtabatula. To get to the top of that is a pleasant mission as you have to skirt the west side of the Shembe village and then do a bit of low-grade bundu bashing. 

But easy for you guys on the 640s  ;D

 

[EssBee]

GG, we weren't anywhere near the dam wall. In fact, I still don't even know to get to it ??? ???. I took my wife for a little ride there last Sunday, thinking we could go to the wall, ended up where the road ends in the reserve where"no bikes allowed"...scheisser! :'(

 

[GundaGunda]

I'm just gonna have to come down and show you the routes.

I have never ever found a road in the Valley that was banned to bikes ? Dunno where that is.

I may have to come down for a few days early March some time. Maybe I drive down, take a weekend and trailer the bike along.

 

[EssBee]

Yeah, you do that!! :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

Hey, I just saw you heading west on the N3 about two hours ago!!! 'bout 8h30.

GG, I loaded Google Earth on the home pc last night and had a look around. It appears that that was indeed the Nanda mountain we were on, the cloud/mist below probably concealed our view of the dam below (although it was clear before we ascended...but that mist does have the tendency to roll in very fast). Also, I reckon I'll find my way to the wall now too.

Husky are you watching this?

 

[plonker]

OK I know I am dof but is Google Earth freeware?

 

[EssBee]

Yes, it is. Dead easy to install.

 

[GundaGunda]

OK I know I am dof but is Google Earth freeware?

Yup. It's free.

There is a subscription version with extra features. I used to use it at $20 per year, but they put the plotting and opening GPS files functionality in the free version now.

Thanks Google Guys, Larry Page and Sergei Brin - you are gentlemen and scholars, and friends of DS bikers all over the world.  :thumleft:

 

[husky]

A good ride north of Inanda Dam would be great. I'm in.