Lesotho Spacewalk

[Three Dawg]

While all this was happening Michiel managed to returned, after forty days and forty nights or forty years (whichever came first, like a motor plan) from his perilous, sojourn

Ah, I was wondering why this was taking so long...  :biggrin:

 

[Uge690]

:sip:

 

[Michiel]

Ooo-la-la! I think I need to do something about finishing what we started. Sorry boys n' girls.
By hook or by crook I will see this through.

So where were we? Oh, yes. Jockstrap Pass.

The last time I was here was with SGB and a couple of guys during the 2012 Roof. The time before that I took
HPN663 down and back up the pass on a solo ride while filming the first Lesotho Sky Mountain Bike Race.

This is it but for some reason just after the last village before the pass start I felt confused. The road has now narrowed to a single
track.

This is the part which confused me. I couldn't remember this going down bit...

Never the less we forged ahead.

Triumphant or maybe just hell of a relieved having managed the first bit without incident.

We were now in for it.

 

[Michiel]

All that plastic biking has made me underestimate what rocks can do and forget what a fully loaded DS
bike feels like, handles like in soccer ball sized rocks on a steep slope. I used to love this heavy bike feeling
but now I felt very uneasy.

 

[Michiel]

The following pictures were taken by Kk.

Before long some kids rocked up to help. We were making slow progress for two reasons. It was actually
slightly difficult to ride up the pass so we took it in sections with long rest and kak praat sessions inbetween
and we wanted to go slow because this is why we are here. To go slow and enjoy the experience. The kids
on the other hand just saw two white folk battling their 200kg bikes. Now we were back to the topic of sadis
en masochis.



This boy was just too eager to help and demonstrated how he will pull the bike along. I explained it is too
heavy and he won't manage. He immediately put his arms up and showed he had enough strength. We were
entertained by his willingness.





A while ago I started sampling Lesotho's flora for the garden on the farm. I should probably not mention this
since it might be illegal but anyway. During the plastic rides we do I have come across fields of the most beautiful
varkoor lilies. They have delightful speckled leaves and grow lush even where the soil seems dry. On the plastic
bike though I can't take passengers so at the sight of them on the pass I knew this was my opportunity to get some.
Now those tire leavers came in handy and while Kk enjoyed the view of the valley below I sampled my cherished lilies.

 

[Michiel]

The problem with Jockstrap, I suppose many other passes in Lesotho, is that it carves up the side of a steep
mountain with a near vertical drop literally next to the road. Ideally one should peg it but if the bike's suspension
can't cope with the terrain it becomes a risk. Both my KLR and Kk's Classic BMW doesn't have much in terms
of suspension so we thought it wise to lighten the load a bit.

 

[Shaun]

Nice RR so far Michiel :thumleft:

Are you still gonna be posting a video of this trip?

 

[Michiel]

No video sadly. The trip turned out to be enough to justify all the trouble but no, we were on holiday.

Kk did capture 3 clips on Jockstrap which I strung together. Let him do the talking.

[flash=700,420]https://www.youtube.com/v/TK1EdayilAI&feature=youtu.be[/flash]

 

[Shaun]

Thanks for that video. :thumleft:

Sure looked like a bit of work there.....but I'm sure it was just as much fun.

 

[Michiel]

Jockstrap is not unique in this but the effect is best experienced here. Towards the upper part there is a little quaint
village situated and the pass winds right through it. Conveniently the village water supply sits right next to the road
so this is where Kk and I made another stop for refreshment and more talk about all sorts of nonsense.

From here there are two more heart pumping climbs before the top of the pass. After Kk negotiated the first one he
realized he left his glove somewhere on the pass... most likely at the water tap. I sent him ahead while I went back to
look for the glove. Glove wasn't where he thought it will be. Back on track I came around a switchback to find this...



Holy SHIT! Wat de fok het jy gemaak?! Was my first thoughts.



A loss of consentration for a second and his classic shot to the left after hitting a stone. Bouncing from rock to rock the bike
crashed into a boulder that halted it from going over the edge and tens of meters down the side of the mountain. I'm sure his
heart was still beating in his butt as mine did for a moment. This could have been a serious f-up! Luckily rider and bike was mostly
unharmed.

 

[Michiel]

This was no ordinary glove. It is a BMW glove and apart from the fact that it was still new the other
one would be rendered worthless if we couldn't find the lost one. Kk decided to walk off his skrik
and go look for it himself. From where I stood looking he was never more than 200m away but
because of the winding pass he must have walked more than a kilometer in distance and coming back
he had to climb probably 100m up. He was exhausted once back at the bikes. No glove.



So we sat there and contemplated our existence for a while.

 

[Michiel]

We were also contemplating the dark rainclouds rolling in and wondering about the distance to Semonkong
where we intended to stay that evening.





A little background at this stage: Two months or so before Kk phoned me up and explained that some of his
friends were off to Lesotho in 4x4's to go drive up Baboons Pass. Kk was keen to join them but not as a passenger,
no, he wanted to ride with them on his classic and wanted to know what I made of it.

After a long silence I made an attempt to voice my opinion. I said: "I don't think this is a good idea. Put it like this,
I will give you a blowjob if you manage to ride your bike (BMW R80G/S) up Baboons Pass. Why don't you rather come
with me on a bike trip to Lesotho one day?"

Kk have never been to Baboons Pass, in fact, he's never been to Lesotho before. After all the excitement of Jockstrap
I thought it well to mention that our route will pass the back-side of Baboons and we will in fact be able to ride Baboons
in reverse to go see the top. Kk was interested to see so we made an attempt but near to the top of Baboons, riding from
the Semonkong side, it started to rain and we gave up.

Now we were in a race against the rain.





Finally in Semonkong we were confronted by torrents of water. Kk thought this dog looked like a cat but when
I tried to take a picture it dashed off.





With all this water we knew the Maletsunyane Waterfall would be a sight to behold. Fist though we had to get to the Lodge.







The sight of huts and dry beds came welcome.

 

[Michiel]

While Kk's clothes dried in front of the fireplace in our rondawel we first had a delicious dinner at the
Lodge restaurant and then tucked away for a well deserved nights rest while listening to the sound
of the fire with distant water rushing past the river below.

Kk decided to ignore my advice to take a proper rain jacket since his BMW bike suit was sufficient.  :

Semonkong was the stop-over for our crew two months before while I filmed material for a Lesotho Tourism
project. Have a look at the finished product. An indapendant editor made a 3min edit that aired on TV.
This edit is one I produced for Tourism requested a longer reel to play at the Maseru Airport.

Gives a feel of the country and its people that we are now surrounded by. Notice also how the Maletsunyane
waterfall was just a trickle.

[flash=700,420]https://www.youtube.com/v/m-VO1GSLsfE[/flash]

 

[Michiel]

We woke to a crisp and fresh Lesotho morning at a time of year when the days are long and the sun is warm.
Kk dressing his still slightly damp BMW suit.  ;D



Not a cloud in the sky we had breakfast on the stoep overlooking the river still in flood and then set out to
see what the famed waterfall is like with all this water running towards it. Magnificent!!!

 

[Michiel]

Photos from Kk.

 

[Losper]

Lekke Michiel

 

[Michiel]

Today we will ride what used to be called "the donkey road". This little road from Semonkong in a Southwards
direction meets up with a tarred road near the Southern border of Lesotho that leads to Quatchas Nek.

Back in the day riding the section from Semonkong to where the Senqu and Senquyane rivers meet used to
be quite an adventure. With a little bad luck or the weather being upset it took some riders two days to cover
the +- 60km. Today the Chinese has f-ed it up by building a big highway there. Now it takes an uneventful
2 hours to cover. Having said that the new road still winds through the same spectacular landscape. Strange
but it doesn't make the same impression if you don't kak off a bit.

First we tried getting petrol at Frasers in Semonkong but they were out. As usual. Luckily there is a village
called Mpaki on our route and I know they have a Frasers with a petrol station there as well.

The Senqu River and the new bridge over it.

 

[Michiel]

Instead of heading East to Quatchas Nek on the Southern tarred road we turned West and headed for Ongeluksnek.
There is a little detour I haven't been on yet. It goes past Mount Moroosi and from there to Ongeluksnek. I've seen
pictures of Michnus riding there and it looked worth checking out.

First we had to get fuel at Mpaki. I was ok on the KLR with its 21 liter fuel tank and 23km/l efficiency but Kk needed
some juice for the classic. The petrol station had closed down but luckily some Entrepreneurs saw an opportunity
to make some bucks so for an added percentage Kk bought some fuel in cool drink bottles.

Did I say Entrepreneurs. I meant Comedians! Dammit but we had a good laugh. Worth every cent.  :imaposer:

 

[Michiel]

Stepped into Frasers to see if we could find lunch.





Wasn't sure what this was but it looked like poppers.



Fabulous!



Next to Frasers is another food store. I made more friends there.

 

[Michiel]

Pic from Kk.