NIEKIE
Pack Dog
8 February - 10 February 2008: Destination Kao Mines Lesotho.
We were 4 bikes and 1 Toyota Land Cruiser. Andre joined at the last moment with the Cruiser. Wayne came up from East Londen for the weekend, leaving in rain on Friday morning. The other three, Andre, Wickus and myself left 14:30 from Sasolburg. Our route took us to Heilbron and then we went past Vegkop where we went onto dirt for the remainder of the trip to Fouriesburg. A nice ride that took us 4 hours. Our accommodation was rally style tented at the campsite of Camelroc just outside the Caledonspoort border post.
We arranged braai sandwiches with the owner of Camelrock and we had some boerewors on the braai. It was an early night since the plan was to get to the border post at 6 the following morning.
At 7 we finished the border formalities and we were of via Moteng pass past Oxbow and down the ski slope at Afri Ski to the turn of to the Kao mines route. From pictures posted on this forum I could make out that the route has deteriorated slightly over the last couple of years. This is no understatement. The route was initially ok but from the start of the decend to the wool shed and the town of Kao it is a nightmare to say the least. What made it worse is that it started raining when we started decending the mountain to the mine.
We reached the wool shed when tyhe rain came down and we parked of waiting for Andre and Johan in the cruiser. We had a look around the shed where they were busy shearing sheep. The old primitive way by hand. Obviously no electric sheap shearing machines. The shearers gets paid R2 for each sheep they finish. When we came down the mountain there were guys bringing sheep down to the shed.
When the cruiser arrived we mounted the bikes again but by now the mix of rain, mud and sheep dung has made the road a slippery mess you won't believe. Wickus got of twice just trying to take of. From the mine a further 2 km from the wool shed the road changes and it is a nice dirt ride to Lejone at the outskirts of the Katse Dam. We headed back to Butha Buthe and through the border post at Caledonspoort.
What a ride it was. It is tough but wort the ride. We had steak on the coals and pap & sauce and once again the hit the sack early.
Wayne left early on Sunday for East Londen and the rest of us took the route through Lesotho to Monantsa Border post. This is probably the most spectacular ride I have done. The sandstone mountains that surround you is breathtaking. the previous days rain high in the mountains must have filled the rivers and streams. We had a few nice river crossings and quite a ride up the mountain to the RSA border post at Monantsa. The control point on the Lesotho side is non existent.
From Monantsa we went over the mountain past Heuweltop Game farm via a very very muddy 2 spoor track and joined the road from Harrismith to Golde Gate. We took the tar road home via Kestell, Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Heilbron back home.
A great weekend. Hope you enjoy the pics
Niekie
Sunday on the way home
And this last one: We almost thought there was a KTM rally raid in Kestell, but then we saw the road maintenance team with there high vis orange accommodation
We were 4 bikes and 1 Toyota Land Cruiser. Andre joined at the last moment with the Cruiser. Wayne came up from East Londen for the weekend, leaving in rain on Friday morning. The other three, Andre, Wickus and myself left 14:30 from Sasolburg. Our route took us to Heilbron and then we went past Vegkop where we went onto dirt for the remainder of the trip to Fouriesburg. A nice ride that took us 4 hours. Our accommodation was rally style tented at the campsite of Camelroc just outside the Caledonspoort border post.
We arranged braai sandwiches with the owner of Camelrock and we had some boerewors on the braai. It was an early night since the plan was to get to the border post at 6 the following morning.
At 7 we finished the border formalities and we were of via Moteng pass past Oxbow and down the ski slope at Afri Ski to the turn of to the Kao mines route. From pictures posted on this forum I could make out that the route has deteriorated slightly over the last couple of years. This is no understatement. The route was initially ok but from the start of the decend to the wool shed and the town of Kao it is a nightmare to say the least. What made it worse is that it started raining when we started decending the mountain to the mine.
We reached the wool shed when tyhe rain came down and we parked of waiting for Andre and Johan in the cruiser. We had a look around the shed where they were busy shearing sheep. The old primitive way by hand. Obviously no electric sheap shearing machines. The shearers gets paid R2 for each sheep they finish. When we came down the mountain there were guys bringing sheep down to the shed.
When the cruiser arrived we mounted the bikes again but by now the mix of rain, mud and sheep dung has made the road a slippery mess you won't believe. Wickus got of twice just trying to take of. From the mine a further 2 km from the wool shed the road changes and it is a nice dirt ride to Lejone at the outskirts of the Katse Dam. We headed back to Butha Buthe and through the border post at Caledonspoort.
What a ride it was. It is tough but wort the ride. We had steak on the coals and pap & sauce and once again the hit the sack early.
Wayne left early on Sunday for East Londen and the rest of us took the route through Lesotho to Monantsa Border post. This is probably the most spectacular ride I have done. The sandstone mountains that surround you is breathtaking. the previous days rain high in the mountains must have filled the rivers and streams. We had a few nice river crossings and quite a ride up the mountain to the RSA border post at Monantsa. The control point on the Lesotho side is non existent.
From Monantsa we went over the mountain past Heuweltop Game farm via a very very muddy 2 spoor track and joined the road from Harrismith to Golde Gate. We took the tar road home via Kestell, Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Heilbron back home.
A great weekend. Hope you enjoy the pics
Niekie
Sunday on the way home
And this last one: We almost thought there was a KTM rally raid in Kestell, but then we saw the road maintenance team with there high vis orange accommodation
