Hierdie is n riller, dog n blyspel. Jy het ons almal op die punt van ons stoele, :thumleft:
jupiter's travels - the story of a journey ( Index Post 1)
- Thread starter Gerard
- Start date
spoedvark
Grey Hound
EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!
I get to the bottom of the valley, stop and take my helmet off. Strap it to the back of the bike and continue with my cap on my head. I cruise slowly drinking in the openness around me. In front the valley closes up and I head for mountains again. For some reason there is no concern, I just know its OK now.
You may think the way I described the ride sofar that all I did was just knuckle down and suffer myself through the mountains. Not so, I took time at my many rest stops, forced and otherwise, to enjoy the beauty of the Kammanasie, and it was truly spectacular.
But now came my reward for the day, as I entered one of the most beautiful poorte I had ever ridden. It rivals Seweweeks and Meiringspoort anyday. If this was the only reason to ride that pass, and suffer every kilometer, it was worth it. I stopped all the time and gazed in awe. It was not long, but I have no idea how long it took me too get through it.
I exited the poort and stared ahead of me in stunned disbelief. There was a fence, with a gate, and as I got close to it, I saw it was locked. I had completely forgotten I was in a nature reserve.
A total numbness came over me. After all that I'm stuck behind a locked gate. The irony was hysterical. I was drained and my mind went into dof mode. No solution came to me.
(Of course it was quite simple really... snap one of the locks with my tyre levers, tie the gate and leave a note apologizing profusely, offering a new lock. THE THOUGHT SIMPLY DID NOT OCCUR TO ME. That's the state I was in.)
But as always I followed the rules... sit down and just wait for it... the answer will come.Maybe not the most obvious and practical, but a solution none the less.
After a while I got up and walked along the fence. I saw on the left that all the old wooden droppers were rotted off at the bottom and every third one or so was replaced with a steel dropper. The fence was quite loose too. After some pondering I proceed to undo the ties, enough along the length to lay the fence down, collected the bike and walked it accross. There. I retied the fence and left.
Its about 1630 and there is now only one thing that can save me... COFFEE. I get to De Rust and the shops are closing. I pull in at the one and the Toppie confirms that. He asks where I came from. I told him from Buffeldrif over the mountain. He he gives me a long skeptical look and all he says is that hewould then have to make a whole pot just for me. YES... and the problem is... ?
Just bring the coffee, enough milk and suger, close up and leave me. So it be done.
Some times I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. I just sats and proceeded to floor that pot of coffee. I had about three hours sunlight left, never to be wasted and plenty of time to still get to Sedgefield.
You may think the way I described the ride sofar that all I did was just knuckle down and suffer myself through the mountains. Not so, I took time at my many rest stops, forced and otherwise, to enjoy the beauty of the Kammanasie, and it was truly spectacular.
But now came my reward for the day, as I entered one of the most beautiful poorte I had ever ridden. It rivals Seweweeks and Meiringspoort anyday. If this was the only reason to ride that pass, and suffer every kilometer, it was worth it. I stopped all the time and gazed in awe. It was not long, but I have no idea how long it took me too get through it.
I exited the poort and stared ahead of me in stunned disbelief. There was a fence, with a gate, and as I got close to it, I saw it was locked. I had completely forgotten I was in a nature reserve.
A total numbness came over me. After all that I'm stuck behind a locked gate. The irony was hysterical. I was drained and my mind went into dof mode. No solution came to me.
(Of course it was quite simple really... snap one of the locks with my tyre levers, tie the gate and leave a note apologizing profusely, offering a new lock. THE THOUGHT SIMPLY DID NOT OCCUR TO ME. That's the state I was in.)
But as always I followed the rules... sit down and just wait for it... the answer will come.Maybe not the most obvious and practical, but a solution none the less.
After a while I got up and walked along the fence. I saw on the left that all the old wooden droppers were rotted off at the bottom and every third one or so was replaced with a steel dropper. The fence was quite loose too. After some pondering I proceed to undo the ties, enough along the length to lay the fence down, collected the bike and walked it accross. There. I retied the fence and left.
Its about 1630 and there is now only one thing that can save me... COFFEE. I get to De Rust and the shops are closing. I pull in at the one and the Toppie confirms that. He asks where I came from. I told him from Buffeldrif over the mountain. He he gives me a long skeptical look and all he says is that hewould then have to make a whole pot just for me. YES... and the problem is... ?
Just bring the coffee, enough milk and suger, close up and leave me. So it be done.
Some times I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. I just sats and proceeded to floor that pot of coffee. I had about three hours sunlight left, never to be wasted and plenty of time to still get to Sedgefield.
Buzzlightyear
Grey Hound
8)
It was getting late and I had a ways to go. The coffee had put lead in my pencil and I was ready for the last stretch. I would be on familiar roads again. From Deyselsdorp I took the Perdepoort road to Harold. I was now on a high again and invincible. Contrary to my nature, I blasted it down that beautiful piece of gravel road.
It was dusky when I got to Montagu pass. My favourite time of the day. Through George and I decide to still do the forest road in near darkness. Its a great ride and this day was turning out just fine. At the T-junction I turn right to Hoekwil and then the N2 to Sedgefield, to arrive on the farm at 2030. The party was in full swing. I had foned ahead to tell Annelie I'm running a bit late.
A few beers do the trick and I start unwinding, and as the adreneline leaves me, I start turning to jelly. The haunting of the pass is there, but I manage to put it at the back of my mind. I'm dead tired and don't last long.
Short before long I say my goodnights, shower and turn in. I lay in bed and think of the positives of the day. It was a good day. I may not have fully realised it then, but it would come to me in later years.
It was dusky when I got to Montagu pass. My favourite time of the day. Through George and I decide to still do the forest road in near darkness. Its a great ride and this day was turning out just fine. At the T-junction I turn right to Hoekwil and then the N2 to Sedgefield, to arrive on the farm at 2030. The party was in full swing. I had foned ahead to tell Annelie I'm running a bit late.
A few beers do the trick and I start unwinding, and as the adreneline leaves me, I start turning to jelly. The haunting of the pass is there, but I manage to put it at the back of my mind. I'm dead tired and don't last long.
Short before long I say my goodnights, shower and turn in. I lay in bed and think of the positives of the day. It was a good day. I may not have fully realised it then, but it would come to me in later years.
:biggrin:
Tiger8
Race Dog
Dankie G, hierdie is werlik n epiese verhaal, moeilik om te werk met so veel spanning om deur te lees.
Nou verstaan ek ook hoekom jy n ligter fiets verkies :biggrin:
Ek dink Jim is reg, die is die begin van n boek, n baie lekker boek. :thumleft:
Nou verstaan ek ook hoekom jy n ligter fiets verkies :biggrin:
Ek dink Jim is reg, die is die begin van n boek, n baie lekker boek. :thumleft:
I kept daily notes on this trip and found my note book after not having seen it for the past 5 years. This is what I noted about the day :
Buffelsdrif - Middelplaas De Rust. A pass that crosses the Kammanasie mountains - extreme +/- 50km 6 hours. I survived. Very tired and sore. Hot day. Used almost all my water. NO MORE DETOURS !
After I got home from the trip I sat down to write a story about it. I got to day three and got stuck. I never finished it. I was blocking it out.
In July 2011 Bie, J-mo and I did a winter sleepover trip on my firend Innis' farm in the Baviaans, On the way there we stopped here in Nuwekloof pass for coffee. I can't recall how the conversation went, but for the first time I spoke about this trip and the ride through the Kammansie specifically. I still however did not tell of it, as I have now done here, but at last I had broke that barrier. That was an important cup of coffee.
Buffelsdrif - Middelplaas De Rust. A pass that crosses the Kammanasie mountains - extreme +/- 50km 6 hours. I survived. Very tired and sore. Hot day. Used almost all my water. NO MORE DETOURS !
After I got home from the trip I sat down to write a story about it. I got to day three and got stuck. I never finished it. I was blocking it out.
In July 2011 Bie, J-mo and I did a winter sleepover trip on my firend Innis' farm in the Baviaans, On the way there we stopped here in Nuwekloof pass for coffee. I can't recall how the conversation went, but for the first time I spoke about this trip and the ride through the Kammansie specifically. I still however did not tell of it, as I have now done here, but at last I had broke that barrier. That was an important cup of coffee.
Attachments
You may well ask why tell it now ? This is a story about Lyn AND my trips. First I had the time to kill and had to keep you busy, while waiting for the foto's,... and it does have a bearing on our biking.
Then I had to get it behind me and it was quite an experience reliving and telling you the story.
Innis always jokes that I have no fear. I then remind him that when I was a Younster I jumped out of perfectly good aeroplanes that were still flying, trusting a small piece of cloth to save my ass. What remains then to be afraid of ?
In the years to come that is what this ride did for me. I knew I could take on any road and that allowed Lyn and I to ride places I would therwise not have had the confidence to do, adding much to our riding pleasure.
Then I had to get it behind me and it was quite an experience reliving and telling you the story.
Innis always jokes that I have no fear. I then remind him that when I was a Younster I jumped out of perfectly good aeroplanes that were still flying, trusting a small piece of cloth to save my ass. What remains then to be afraid of ?
In the years to come that is what this ride did for me. I knew I could take on any road and that allowed Lyn and I to ride places I would therwise not have had the confidence to do, adding much to our riding pleasure.
Really enjoyed that and can relate, especially the part where you wonder how and why you ended up there in the first place??? That AT is a machine though!! Love mine.
Thanks aan almal wat die trip sover saam my gedeel het. Ek is nou net so moeg geskryf as wat die daai dag se ry my gemaak het. Ons gesels more weer verder. Die trip is nog lank nie klaar nie.
WORD VERVOLG...
WORD VERVOLG...
Samou
Pack Dog
Wow dit was voorwaar 'n ervaring wat ten goede afgeloop het, maar wat in alle eerlikheid ook lelik kon uitgedraai het. Gelukkig het jy kopgehou en die problem deurdink :salut:
Nigel X
Race Dog
Wow, respect. :salut: :salut: :salut:
A most riveting story, love it, please do continue sir.
A most riveting story, love it, please do continue sir.
badballie
Race Dog
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Epic ride Jup :thumleft:
grizz
Grey Hound
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Jammer ek is op kark interwebs....
Maar ek is ook ge-subscribe. :ricky:
Thanks for writing up.
Maar ek is ook ge-subscribe. :ricky:
Thanks for writing up.
Lem
Grey Hound
dink jy nie jy moet daai (in)famous pas vir ons gaan wys op 'n small bike trip nie?
Lem said:
Ek dink die enigste manier hoe jy nou daai pas sal sien is om hom te stap, want hy is nou blykbaar onbegaanbaar vir enige soort voertuig. Ek weet daar was twee Honne wat hom laasjaar wou doen en hulle was nie toegelaat om in te gaan nie.
zetman
Race Dog
Respek uncle G jy is n legend
Hel ek geniet die storie vreeslik baie sover! :thumleft:
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