All through the week the weather forecast for today has been confused. Rain No Rain Rain No Rain. I now know why. It is because the weather god was just as confused and she could not make her mind up as to what to serve us.
When I headed out there was just enough drizzle to speckle the visor, but there was no way I was going to stay at the B&B.
I had two objectives for the day:-
1.
Find a way out to the Nungwane Falls that does not either go through the cultural villages of Mpumalanga or Isipingo Townships.
2.
Find the way to the top of the Nungwane Falls.
I got to the meeting point very early and was busy reading the paper with a muffin and coffee when EssBee calls from above the snow line in Waterfall.
Is it wet down there? he asks, and from the tone of his voice I can tell it is raining up there and he is thinking tea, crumpets and lying in.
Tyrant Gunda is not going to let him off the hook that easily.
No. It is bone dry. I tell him. I was not lying. I was under the canopy at the garage and at that instant in time I saw no rain. That it had been raining a bit earlier, and was going to probably rain again was information I did not give.
So he arrives slightly wet and off we go.
Sundays ride had filled in most of the puzzle of a back way to Nungwane, and with some help from Google Earth and MapSource I had filled in the gaps.
Problem is it is not that easy to follow a GPS track among the hundreds of roads in all directions, and I think I took about four wrong turns that needed u-turns, but EssBee was not impatient and did not seem to mind much. Also the light rain had slicked the road surface a bit and my tyres were not as sure-footed as Sunday, so I had to take it a little easy around the corners.
First 20 or so Kms was as per Sundays ride.
And from there onto a piece of road I had never ridden and then onto bits I knew.
Knew this drift, and EssBee did some splashing for the camera.
Approaching the Nungwane area
First view of the Nungwane falls. Unfortunately not much water. They must have closed off the sluices at the dam which is about 1Km upstream.
At this point a young boy appeared out of the bush. I bribed him with Cappuccino and sweets to show us the track to the top of the falls. Not sure the bribe was needed as what he was really after was a ride on the back of the Katoom, and for that he was happy to show us the track.
EssBee on the edge. I was happy where I was a few meters back.
Amazing views from up there.
Our guide invited some friends for cappuccino no problem I had plenty.
Last look down the gorge, and from there on tar home.
One of the things I love about this part of the world is that you can fit a ride like this in a easy morning. We met up at 08:00, and were comfortably back by 11:00
Great riding, great roads and great company Thanks Simon (EssBee) and the guide - whose name escapes me it was complex.
When I headed out there was just enough drizzle to speckle the visor, but there was no way I was going to stay at the B&B.
I had two objectives for the day:-
1.
Find a way out to the Nungwane Falls that does not either go through the cultural villages of Mpumalanga or Isipingo Townships.
2.
Find the way to the top of the Nungwane Falls.
I got to the meeting point very early and was busy reading the paper with a muffin and coffee when EssBee calls from above the snow line in Waterfall.
Is it wet down there? he asks, and from the tone of his voice I can tell it is raining up there and he is thinking tea, crumpets and lying in.
Tyrant Gunda is not going to let him off the hook that easily.
No. It is bone dry. I tell him. I was not lying. I was under the canopy at the garage and at that instant in time I saw no rain. That it had been raining a bit earlier, and was going to probably rain again was information I did not give.
So he arrives slightly wet and off we go.
Sundays ride had filled in most of the puzzle of a back way to Nungwane, and with some help from Google Earth and MapSource I had filled in the gaps.
Problem is it is not that easy to follow a GPS track among the hundreds of roads in all directions, and I think I took about four wrong turns that needed u-turns, but EssBee was not impatient and did not seem to mind much. Also the light rain had slicked the road surface a bit and my tyres were not as sure-footed as Sunday, so I had to take it a little easy around the corners.
First 20 or so Kms was as per Sundays ride.
And from there onto a piece of road I had never ridden and then onto bits I knew.
Knew this drift, and EssBee did some splashing for the camera.
Approaching the Nungwane area
First view of the Nungwane falls. Unfortunately not much water. They must have closed off the sluices at the dam which is about 1Km upstream.
At this point a young boy appeared out of the bush. I bribed him with Cappuccino and sweets to show us the track to the top of the falls. Not sure the bribe was needed as what he was really after was a ride on the back of the Katoom, and for that he was happy to show us the track.
EssBee on the edge. I was happy where I was a few meters back.
Amazing views from up there.
Our guide invited some friends for cappuccino no problem I had plenty.
Last look down the gorge, and from there on tar home.
One of the things I love about this part of the world is that you can fit a ride like this in a easy morning. We met up at 08:00, and were comfortably back by 11:00
Great riding, great roads and great company Thanks Simon (EssBee) and the guide - whose name escapes me it was complex.
