Kaokoland Ride Report

[Parkinoff]

Nou twee weke terug vanaf Kaokoland. Wat n avontuur! What a soul healing experience.

Tydens die deurgaan en voorbereiding vir die avontuur het ek n kraak in die voorrim en agterrim gevind en besluit om n stel vars wiele te bou. Met goue Excel rims (Rims en speke verskaf deur Mike Fuchs/ Superfoxi) en rooi nippels en n sterker 36 speek agterwiel wat gebou word uit n Yamaha WR450 hub. Mayhem (Dennis) het gehelp met die masjinering. die disc kant is 2mm afgemasjineer en die sprocket kant 3mm sodat die disc en sprockets mooi oplyn soos die oorspronklike 32 speek wiel.

n Stel splinternuwe plastics is by Craigs gekoop en opgesit. Vergasser uitmekaargehaal en ultrasonies skoongemaak. Terloops, petrol werk uitstekend as n vergasserskoonmaakmedium in my ultrasoniese skoonmaker!

Soos gewoonlik het my fobie sterk begin om met my kop te smokkel en amper kanselleer ek my plekkie op die avontuur.... gelukkig het ek daarteen baklei.

I do not know if Hardy actively chooses a group of guys with compatable personalities, but this entire group of people was really easy, comfortable and fun to be around.

Again, I found the first two days intense (I was very uncertain about the use of tracks on my GPS as well as uncertain about the reliability of my bike) and could not remember any of the places we stayed or rode through, until I took out my map and could visualise my position. Then I found my rhythm.....and the bike's rhythm and we became one.

To be continued....

 

[ETS]

Fotos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Parkinoff]

Fotos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fotos kom Kobus, geduldig

 

[BuRP]

I do not know if Hardy actively chooses a group of guys with compatable personalities, but this entire group of people was really easy, comfortable and fun to be around.

Same here, still wondering..... maar whatever hy doen doen hy, ek stem heeltemaal saam!
Vir my 2e keer n great groep mense, en let wel, dit sluit ALmal in, dus ook Hardy se gehele span!

 

[Parkinoff]

I've often wondered where phsychologist go to decompress.... Nou weet ek. Een so n avontuur is n sarsie sessies werd.

 

[Rooies]

Super sub.

Dit was ‘n voorreg om saam met jou te toer, @Parkinoff .

 

[Parkinoff]

Dankie Roux, die gevoel is wedersyds...

 

[Parkinoff]

This portion of my ride report tells a story of my own stupidity that could have easily turned into disaster.
My personal adventure within the Kaokoland adventure.

Nou spring ek na n paar dae later. Ons ry in n rivierbedding af en ek voel sommer lekker oorlat ek my GPS "Tracks" funksie verstaan. Ietsie pla nog, daar is baie info op die klein skermpie wat my dun rooi "track" lyntjie verdoesel en soms heeltemal laat verwyn maar ek ry lekker en is nie lus om te stop nie so ek ry aan...en aan...en aan....
Tot ek by n hek kom. "Animal Disease Control" en daar sit n klompie mense by n boskroeg en drink. Ek sit my bike af, groet beleefd en vra hoe ver Palmwag dan nou nog is. The conversation goes a bit like this:
Me: "Hello Himba People" and I wave friendly
They look at me as if they've never seen an XR650R and whisper amongst themselves but don't greet me back. I'm not 100% if I should have assumed them all to be Himba. I smile wider and ask
"How far is it to Palmwag?"
They: "Are you alone?"
Me: "I'm on my own now, but my other friends are not far behind me" thinking that if my beautiful XRR gets such a cold reception, I pity the guys on KTM's.
They: More whispers
I get out my glasses to scrutinize my GPS, my glasses are now broken into two. Dunno how that happened but I realize that I've followed a yellow line with red borders for about an hour or two and that there's no sign of my red track anywhere on the screen. I zoom out and there the entire track, from start to finish, is in the top corner of the screen. I'm about 80km off course and about twice as far from Palmwag. The entire riverbed section was less than 80km long. In short, I'm in deep trouble.
One of the group probably felt sorry for me for trying to squint through one lens of came closer and we start chatting.
Him, having obviously seen the fuel level through the tank: "You have petrol?"
I open the cap and see both fuel tap internal filters sticking out above the fuel level meaning that I'm about to go on reserve: "Can I buy some from someone please?"
Him: "No petrol here, nearest petrol in Kamanjab about 100km from here"
Me: "How far is Palmwag?"
Him: Silence
I orient my position on the GPS and point at an angle behind me towards the direction I think Palmwag should be and ask him "I have to go that way for about 100km, that is where I have to go"
Him: "You are going to sleep in the bush tonight"
Slight panic. I've about 6L of petrol in the bike and have to choose. Either go back and maybe run out of fuel before I meet up with the track and "sleep in the bush" or head for Kamanjab.
I decide to take it real easy to Kamajab and made it on fumes.
I filled up my bike and water and raced for Palmwag on open dirt roads and arrived 10mins after Hardy heard the news that I've gone missing.

I noticed the relief on Chantel's face as she handed me a cup of OBS (or was it Oros). She has known for a while longer that I've gone missing.

I was lucky that day and looked up at the stars that night seeing a shooting star and thinking "jou dom doos, daai veskietende ster is een van jou beskerm engele wat haar gat gesien het"

Never ever ride alone. Never. It is stuupid and selfish.

Tot volgende keer

 

[Kamanya]

This portion of my ride report tells a story of my own stupidity that could have easily turned into disaster.
My personal adventure within the Kaokoland adventure.

Nou spring ek na n paar dae later. Ons ry in n rivierbedding af en ek voel sommer lekker oorlat ek my GPS "Tracks" funksie verstaan. Ietsie pla nog, daar is baie info op die klein skermpie wat my dun rooi "track" lyntjie verdoesel en soms heeltemal laat verwyn maar ek ry lekker en is nie lus om te stop nie so ek ry aan...en aan...en aan....
Tot ek by n hek kom. "Animal Disease Control" en daar sit n klompie mense by n boskroeg en drink. Ek sit my bike af, groet beleefd en vra hoe ver Palmwag dan nou nog is. The conversation goes a bit like this:
Me: "Hello Himba People" and I wave friendly
They look at me as if they've never seen an XR650R and whisper amongst themselves but don't greet me back. I'm not 100% if I should have assumed them all to be Himba. I smile wider and ask
"How far is it to Palmwag?"
They: "Are you alone?"
Me: "I'm on my own now, but my other friends are not far behind me" thinking that if my beautiful XRR gets such a cold reception, I pity the guys on KTM's.
They: More whispers
I get out my glasses to scrutinize my GPS, my glasses are now broken into two. Dunno how that happened but I realize that I've followed a yellow line with red borders for about an hour or two and that there's no sign of my red track anywhere on the screen. I zoom out and there the entire track, from start to finish, is in the top corner of the screen. I'm about 80km off course and about twice as far from Palmwag. The entire riverbed section was less than 80km long. In short, I'm in deep trouble.
One of the group probably felt sorry for me for trying to squint through one lens of came closer and we start chatting.
Him, having obviously seen the fuel level through the tank: "You have petrol?"
I open the cap and see both fuel tap internal filters sticking out above the fuel level meaning that I'm about to go on reserve: "Can I buy some from someone please?"
Him: "No petrol here, nearest petrol in Kamanjab about 100km from here"
Me: "How far is Palmwag?"
Him: Silence
I orient my position on the GPS and point at an angle behind me towards the direction I think Palmwag should be and ask him "I have to go that way for about 100km, that is where I have to go"
Him: "You are going to sleep in the bush tonight"
Slight panic. I've about 6L of petrol in the bike and have to choose. Either go back and maybe run out of fuel before I meet up with the track and "sleep in the bush" or head for Kamanjab.
I decide to take it real easy to Kamajab and made it on fumes.
I filled up my bike and water and raced for Palmwag on open dirt roads and arrived 10mins after Hardy heard the news that I've gone missing.

I noticed the relief on Chantel's face as she handed me a cup of OBS (or was it Oros). She has known for a while longer that I've gone missing.

I was lucky that day and looked up at the stars that night seeing a shooting star and thinking "jou dom doos, daai veskietende ster is een van jou beskerm engele wat haar gat gesien het"

Never ever ride alone. Never. It is stuupid and selfish.

Tot volgende keer

If you hadn't, you wouldn't have had such a lekker story to tell.

It's only a tragedy if you die, the rest is adventure.

More!!!

 

[Rooies]

@Parkinoff , ek het nie regtig besef voor die tyd hoe verskriklik suid dinge kan gaan in 'n baie kort rukkie nie. Een verkeerde paadjie in daardie massiewe verlate landskap, 'n val en/of 'n motorfiets wat breek en jy kan jouself in 'n oogwink in 'n lewensgevaarlike situasie vind.

Hardy-hulle was besig om 'n soektog te begin reël toe jy daar aankom. Ons het net gewonder "waar begin jy soek!". Bly alles het uitgewerk.

 

[Parkinoff]

@Parkinoff , ek het nie regtig besef voor die tyd hoe verskriklik suid dinge kan gaan in 'n baie kort rukkie nie. Een verkeerde paadjie in daardie massiewe verlate landskap, 'n val en/of 'n motorfiets wat breek en jy kan jouself in 'n oogwink in 'n lewensgevaarlike situasie vind.

Hardy-hulle was besig om 'n soektog te begin reël toe jy daar aankom. Ons het net gewonder "waar begin jy soek!". Bly alles het uitgewerk.

Ja Roux, soos ek sê regtig dom. So n lekker groep gewees, ek het dasi dag goeie geselskap gemis.

 

[Parkinoff]

If you hadn't, you wouldn't have had such a lekker story to tell.

It's only a tragedy if you die, the rest is adventure.

More!!!

Ja Andrew, dit is so en ek het nog heelwat sulke stories (en n hele paar letsels om van die stories te staaf) maar sal aangaan met hierdie RR en die ander stories los vir later. More you will get......

 

[JacoM]

Hi Peter, Is the stator on your XRR upgraded from the standard?

 

[Knorvarkie]

Jis Champ!! Daai lyk darm maar lekker, ek is bitter spyt ek het die een gemis...

XRR lyk bevange.

Ek wil bietjie reel om te kom braai daar by julle man, dan hak ek n paar manne saam. Ons verlang na jou Peter.

 

[BuRP]

daai veskietende ster is een van jou beskerm engele wat haar gat gesien het

Ja wel nou ma fine pel, maarrrrr....... jy het die beste ry gehad die dag!
Langste in die rivierbed, wat wil mens nog he ne?

 

[Parkinoff]

Ja wel nou ma fine pel, maarrrrr....... jy het die beste ry gehad die dag!
Langste in die rivierbed, wat wil mens nog he ne?

Is so Bart. Soos Andrew sê, ek het die herinneringe

 

[Parkinoff]

Hi Peter, Is the stator on your XRR upgraded from the standard?

Om eerlik te wees weet ek nie maar ek glo nie.

 

[Parkinoff]

Jis Champ!! Daai lyk darm maar lekker, ek is bitter spyt ek het die een gemis...

XRR lyk bevange.

Ek wil bietjie reel om te kom braai daar by julle man, dan hak ek n paar manne saam. Ons verlang na jou Peter.

Jaco S, Quest Champ!? Sal lekker wees ou

 

[Parkinoff]

Jaco S, Quest Champ!? Sal lekker wees ou

Skuus Champ Ruan, ja ons moet definitief weer n trippie doen.

 

[wooly bugger]

Sub.