Karoo/Namibia Ride 2017 ... well, almost...

[Oom Foe-rie]

Nou toer ek darem lekker ............. Well done Ian ........... :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[ALLEN I]

lekker bud waiting for more.  :biggrin: :ricky: :ricky:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

I take the C27 towards Betta with Namib Naukluft Lodge as my overnight for tonight, it's about 350 km away and I have been looking forward to staying here for months now. I have also paid for 1 night ... but am hoping that can be extended to two nights.









These magnificent and most Namib of creatures.











The further North I get the worse the roads become, sandy in places but it's the C27 so to be expected.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Not much has changed in 7 years ...







I wait for a convoy of 4x4's to pass.











In all honesty I like these conditions, the AT is so easy in sand as long as you keep the speed up above 90 and sit back.

At Betta I do not turn right to go and fill up as I can easily make it to Sesriem, so I keep left. I recall going through a dip and hit a stone quite hard about 12k's earlier with the rear but she feels fine.

15km along the quickly deteriorating C27 I get that feeling that one really does not want to believe is true ... I stop and look down ...

I carry two tubes as spares, one for the front and another for the rear and from the start of this ride I have expected the front to give some drama at some stage .. but no, it's the fcukken rear! I head straight back to Betta on the half flat ...









The spare 2mm is fitted in that bloody heat after the bead is broken using a bench vice .. the 4mm is patched and I am off to Namib Naukluft Lodge again.



It lasts all of about 15km's before the bloody rear is absolutely flat again. I use my tyre puncture can and make it back to Betta for the 2nd time.



I spend about an hour carefully checking the inside of the tyre as there is nothing to see on the outside ... a minute piece of wire about half a mm in length is sticking into it from the left hand side upper sidewall, it comes out with a Leatherman. The patched 4mm is re-fitted and the 2mm is repaired ...





This fcukker lasts 10km's before it is moertoe aswell ... I cannot believe what the hell is actually happening so back to bloody Betta for the 3rd time ... this time I know I have some serious shit to deal with, now it's been at least 35k's on a flat rear tyre.





I pull the bloody tyre off for the 3rd time in 4 hours. The 4mm is the size and consistency of a black cricket ball, worse, the steel belt has begun to throw some wire strands into the inside so I know it's over for today, no Namib Naukluft Lodge tonight. Now Betta is not a bad place if you need some fuel and an ice cream but it sure as shit is not much other than that.





In fact it's about now I come to realize that Nam 2017 has come to a very finite flat conclusion. This is it. Duneworx in Swakkop has a Karoo3, a tube and a spoke protector ... and wants me to go to the bank to pay for it before it is couriered anywhere in Nam. If you have been to Betta you will know why I laughed at that! ... but TG for the owner of Betta, Hennie Vermeulen and his wife ... she does an EFT for R2200 bloody rand, I pay her in cash and are told that they are headed to Mariental in two days time so best to courier the tyre to TrenTyre there.



On arrival there I find out that the courier company takes two days to get the damn tyre to Mariental ... 



So, after another R500 for a room for the night the next morning it takes me 15 mins to fit tube and new tyre, and at 7.45am I hit the boring B1. 660 km's later I am in Springbok, and stay at the Mountain View B&B. I leave at exactly 8am and 975km's later am back in Great Brak.



Day 6 video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULTvLHSQF1Y

 

[Abrie7]

Thats moerse bad luck Ian. I was looking forward to seeing where you were going since I did basically the same route last year. That is such a beautiful area.

Abrie

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Thats moerse bad luck Ian. I was looking forward to seeing where you were going since I did basically the same route last year. That is such a beautiful area.

Abrie

Thanks Abrie, in 6 Namibia trips, all reported on here and about 30 000 kilometers this is the first real drama with a rear tyre. It's a mindfart to have to take it off 3 times in one day ... and then not get anywhere. But it could have happened 110k's down the road too so I was fortunate.

That part of Nam is a pleasure to ride so don't hassle about the route. The roads are being scrapped as the Roads Dept. has got funds for it.

For next year I have a set of Alpine rims and Tractionator tyres.

8)

 

[johanp]

Very nice report and pics, thanks.

 

[XRRX]

Thanks for a good report Ian!  :thumleft:
Real pity about the bad luck and abrupt end to all this!!  atch:

As they say: "some you win, some you loose" - till next time!!  :thumleft: O0

 

[ALLEN I]

Cool buddy. Tip bit of a shit one this was. But hey as i said and u stated it could of happened i the middle of no where. But still us "Ous" did "Smaak" reading and "Gooing" a "Oer" to your "Lekker" RR Thanks for the passenger ride  :ricky: this year  :xxbah: :xxbah: He  he :imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer: :bar: :bar: i just had some cold ones for us. Cool buddy def on for next year.  :ricky: :ricky: :biggrin: :ricky: :ricky:

 

[Snafu]

Is this on the C12 towards Seeheim?

Hope you did not make the same mistake I made by continuing straight on the "old C12"

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Is this on the C12 towards Seeheim?

Hope you did not make the same mistake I made by continuing straight on the "old C12"

Quite correct, that's the one. Other than this the C12 was in great shape this year.

Thanks.