Lesotho Boogie Woogie

[Xpat]

Lovely photo's, entertaining storytelling - the makings of another great report :deal:

OK Martin........ You suck. Will that make the next page.

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I'll just leave this here...  eepwall:

Than you Ri  :thumleft:

I know there is an option to change number of posts on the page somewhere, but I guess most people wouldn't bother and have left it in default, so I prefer to try to limit number of pictures on standard 20 post page as much as possible, otherwise for standard user the page may take way too long to load.

 

[Xpat]

Complete aside but my first job in Penicuik, Scotland was for a dentist called JF Mitchell who was married to one of the Andrew's sisters (of boogie woogie fame.) He also got shot in the States in a dodgy land deal and returned to Edinburgh a wiser man.

You see, we live and learn all the time Ian 

I hope Oz is treating you well - must be beastly hot up in Mackay (have some retired doctor frends from Slovakia up there and they run away to snowy Europe for Dec/Jan).

 

[Xpat]

At the end of the ridge, we hit the long abandoned badly washed out steep former road heading down the Senquanyane valley. Greg went first and to my annoyance made it all the way to the first little settlement at the bottom of the road - ashamed (as being watched by the whole village), I had to walk last 20 meters on my prior trips as well as on this one, as I just found that last bit way too steep for comfort.

Being the daredevil he is, Tony also rode all the way down to humiliate me even further:

To prevent any further humiliation I have sent Tony up to walk down Bertie's bike. Bertie not knowing what is going on fell for this ruse and let Tony walk his bike down as he hasn't seen the critical section yet. Once he came upon it he asked why he had to give up his bike - he was perfectly happy to ride it down. So it seems I'm the master wuss of the group...

Tony and his hearts & minds campaign:

After Tony socialized sufficiently with the local infants, we rode down past the settlement until we hit the old unused road heading down the valley following Senquanyane south towards Mohale dam:

 

[woody1]

:ricky:

 

[Xpat]

While the road cut out in the steep slope of the valley is very welcome (I wouldn't be able to ride that off-camber), its clear it ceased to be used long time ago. I would bet the last motorised transport here was me on my prior ride in February. So it badly neglected and washed out and we had to stay focused in order to not tumble over the edge.

After km or 3 we came to the next village at the bottom of the valley and the first Senquanyane river crossing:

I have crossed here twice before and the river was the lowest I have seen it so without my usual careful precautions I just jumped in and straght away just barely saved my ass, using all mu strength just to remain upright standing few meters in. The bottom which was nice solid rock block was super slipery and neither my tyres, nor both of me boots can get any purchase and I was almost washed downstrem (in about 10 - 15 cm of water and barely noticeable current). I shouted for help and Bertie and Tony waded in and helped me to get out of bother. When I made it to the other side I looked back to see this:

Clearly as soon as they couldn't balance themselves on the bike they lost it and ended up in Tony's case up to his neck in about half a meter depth of water, to the amusement of the spectating locals. That river bottom was just insanely slippery.

Greg tried other path and after a fall or two managed to find slightly more manageable crossing, where there were rocks at the bottom (rather than one solid rock block), which - albeit also slipery - cancelled the slipping out to an extent as the wheel got between them. Tony and Bertie followed Greg across with me giving them a hand to stay upright.

We pushed on through a little tricky path to the village on the other side of the river where we continued on still badly washed out road following the other side of Senqunyane.

 

[Xpat]

We followed the road for another 10 or so km until we had the cross the river again. I knew from experience that this one can be a bitch with more water, but since the water was down it was basically just crossing a rock garden. Greg, Bertie and I crossed without glitch, Tony decided to make part of it his own:

Greg waiting for Tony to stake out his piece of Lesotho:

Mere 200 meters further on there was another river crossing. Though this one is weird as one doesn't really ride across the river, but rather had to ride in the river along the bank to pass steep cliff and ends up on the same side of the river. Again, because of low water level, it was a dry crossing. Tony liked the area so much that he bought another plot straight away:

 

[Xpat]

After that we had just one last technical bit to negotiate before we will hit dirt road suitable for m otorized vehicles heading all the way down to A3 and Mohale lodge. We had to climb up the valley to the village about 2 km away and from there drop back down to the start of the road at the bottom of the valley.

Bertie with broken fibula negotiating the last tough bit for the day:

At the village on the top of the acent:

With good part over, we hit the dirt road for liaison to the lodge about 30 km away. I was leading, but fell into the sleep mode and got us all lost for a bit, adding about 20 km to the commute. But we made it to the lodge just before the evening rain hit, so all was good.

That concludes day 1. I am heading for another trip so will finish this once back in about 10 or so days. Thanks for following.

 

[Straatkat]

As soon as we hit the dirt road, after the rough terrain we rode all day, I was so exuberant that I twisted the throttle with all I had, and briefly forgetting I swopped the front sprocket out for a 13 tooth one, the 500 started snaking like never before, usually I get to catch the snaking just before the inevitable high side occurs, an old party trick, but this time the bike went mad on me and started veering off the road, and towards a  moerava long drop off to the river, it was completely sideways before I caught it in the nick of time! if I went over the edge I might not be writing this! Thinking back, it was so close I rather not think about it.There goes another life, this cat is going to run out lives, not many of the original 9 ones left!

 

[Kortbroek]

That concludes day 1. I am heading for another trip so will finish this once back in about 10 or so days. Thanks for following.

This is just damn wrong getting us all riled up like this and then making us wait. MODS, I want to report a tease  :deal:

 

[ROOI]

SUB

 

[Kevin Liddell]

Bring it on...


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[Osadabwa]

Looks rocky out there in ol' Lesotho! Very cool!

Whats it with broken legs these days? Over Xmas we ended up putting one of ours in a cast as well. Had to fly him out in a little bush plane. At least he had the sense to do it a couple kms from the lodge. Like you, I didn't enjoy the thought of extricating him from some of the other places we'd been that day. Glad your mate's break was thin enough for him to keep riding!

Next?

 

[Oubones]

That concludes day 1. I am heading for another trip so will finish this once back in about 10 or so days. Thanks for following.

This is just damn wrong getting us all riled up like this and then making us wait. MODS, I want to report a tease  :deal:

I think they must put a watch on him!
This is just plain nasty! :ricky: :drif: :dousing:

 

[Xpat]

Looks rocky out there in ol' Lesotho! Very cool!

Whats it with broken legs these days? Over Xmas we ended up putting one of ours in a cast as well. Had to fly him out in a little bush plane. At least he had the sense to do it a couple kms from the lodge. Like you, I didn't enjoy the thought of extricating him from some of the other places we'd been that day. Glad your mate's break was thin enough for him to keep riding!

Next?

I need to catch up with your report - i have fallen behind. Im back in Lesotho - today i finally managed with help from Losper to reach source if Orange river, i have failed at  previously about 10 times. Now i can give lesotho little rest...

 

[Kevin Liddell]

Nice work, Martin.


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[alanB]

Very jealous!

Looks like another fantastic ride guys!  :thumleft:

Very impressed with Bertie just shrugging off a broken leg!

I need a 500 it seems....

 

[Kortbroek]

[member=9492]Xpat[/member]    eepwall:

 

[Xpat]

[member=9492]Xpat[/member]    eepwall:

Im still busy working in Lesotho. Life is not just fun and games you know, some of us have to work hard so that other people (like the lot in this report) have somewhere to ride...[emoji41]

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[Malcolm]

Hey Xpat
Cant wait to see the route you guys got to work to source of Orange,  I havent managed to plot a route with any real viability, please share when you have the chance !!!

 

[Xpat]

Hey Xpat
Cant wait to see the route you guys got to work to source of Orange,  I havent managed to plot a route with any real viability, please share when you have the chance !!!

I will post it once back home. It goes from khubela valley though and hits orange at the top of escarpment.