I never intended to join LDBA, as my riding schedule was so busy already, but White Rhinos’ daughter decided it was going to be too rough, and he offered the tickets to me….I will be forever grateful for this gift.
Venue: Bambi…in the middle of the highlands…near Machadadorp and Dullstroom
Thursday night we kuiered…it was great…
Friday morning, we all checked in…drank our aspirins..and got ready for the afternoons ride.
It was tough….for me at least….coconuts, twee spoor spoelgate..the type of riding you really have to look up, and open up for…if you dare look down…you might just lose your courage…
It was amazing….medics at all points….we felt safe…a few bikes came back to base camp with smileys….very few BMWs had the same problem….
Next morning: briefing and off we went….Rieks would brief us before every ride, explained the pitfalls, and more or less where the support teams would be.
Armed with loaded routes on the GPS, we set off….the basic route was green…little deviations for the red route..(hardest) and the orange route (u had to set your martini down for this one)
I loved it….wonderful area, had great drinks halfway in Tonteldoos…people reset the issues with their bikes and continued on to Bambi on some more wonderful routes….
If you had problems, the ever present marshalls were there with advice, or just to keep an eye over particularly pesky sections…
That evening people assembled sections of their bikes…large amounts of Qbond were passed around…dinner, music, but really, it was a long day…
Sunday morning we said our goodbyes….the moz leg of the journey was starting…
Rieks briefed us again…and we all agreed to mainly stick to a route that was unrecced to get to Macaneta without hitting the soccer traffic in Maputo…
Turned into a sand fiesta….indescribable….thanks for everyone who supported one another, the marshalls who checked that we all were fine….a good beer halfway through and we raced another stretch of dune sand through a town to meet the Ferry in time…..
I love the camaraderie after such a ride…shared hardship…or just shared fun…whichever…it’s rather special. My vocab inside my helmet had improved by this time…and I managed a smile here and there….fields of flowers….
The camp presented more sand, but by this time I already realised when to paddle and when to stand…we certainly appreciated the R@R and prawns that night….
Very loud snoring was happening around that camp on Sunday night…
The Monday morning some mad hatters decided to saddle their bikes and ride more sand…I sat on a bakkie…with a beer in hand…and congratulated myself for surviving the first day, and had no intention to test the Gods another day….so we followed the brave boys, and two girls around….so impressed with a very short little lady…on her ktm 640…..cruising through all of it….ever so calmly…one day maybe….
Monday night we chilled, drank some more…checked out the beach….started to say goodbye…
I will come back on a bike…this for me, was only the beginning…
Thank you so much to all the marshalls….Rieks, her sister Verda (what a lekker lady) and Superdave and Ludwig….my guardian angels…. And everyone who made this such a special long weekend…I really suggest you consider this …it"s worth the money…over and over…it also tests your skills, while you see new places….Rieks, you are the best…..love you to bits…
And white Rhino… baie baie dankie. xxx
