Trailrider
Bachelor Dog
For some time now Iâ??ve been wondering about the gravel road that runs over the Outeniqua Mountains parallel to the Outeniqua Pass. Not many people know about it and you donâ??t really see it from the tar pass unless you look for it. So today when Sweeper & Wingman phoned asked for a (new) ride I knew this was the day. Weâ??ll go looking for the â??Mystery Passâ?. ;D
On Google Earth you can see it to the left of the tar road.
Itâ??s really faint and sort of comes and goes on Google Earth so weâ??ll have to search for the road. Iâ??ve identified 5 possible entry points which would hopefully not be locked.
We rode up the road I found yesterday turning off from Montagu Pass.
This gate onto Outeniqua Pass was open, but the gate across the road was locked.
And so were the next and the next and the next etc. There had to be a way in without going through a locked gate or â??No Entryâ? sign? We are law abiding citizens after all. : :angel9:
Then we found it! A road leading into this area without a gate or a prohibitive sign whatsoever. Jackpot! ;D
It was a little tricky and very steep so we scouted it first.
I had to ride it first, but I got some pics of Sweeper and Wingman coming down.
It was technical and Wingman erred on the side of caution and took it too slow.
Lucky for him he had a soft landing in long grass when he fell over. Unfortunately the same grass blocked my view and I could not take a picture. :-\ ;D
After that little obstacle we took the road to the â??Mystery Passâ?. The road got better and better as we rode along:
Close to one of the locked gates (where we could not get in) Sweeperâ??s chain came off. Luckily this was in a spot where no-one could see usâ?¦ :
It really got stuck in there. Geez, when was the last time this chain was oiled?
Eventually we got going again â?? climbing higher and higher. Despite it being overcast we were treated to some spectacular views. 8)
The â??roadâ? got progressively worse and we found something thatâ??s even more slippery than mud â?? wet peat!
Not only is it slippery, but it really bogs you down. The stuff is like quicksand and deceptively deep.
We carried on until the road was no more.
If there is a route over the mountain from this side it must be along another road.
We searched a bit until a guy on a Mountain Bike pulled us over. He had this high and mighty attitude about us being on private land etc. (Which is BS by the way, since it belongs to Forestry) and motorbikes not belonging there.
I kept my cool and chatted to him a while. We ended up talking about possible routes over (he did not know of any) and trail bikes like ours (running quietly and not wreaking havoc).
It was getting late so we decided to head back and would you believe it â?? on the way back we saw him lifting his bike over the fence. He himself was there illegally. Arsehole. :angryfire:
Of course on the way back we still had to get up the â??roadâ? we came in on. No problem â?? pop the CTX into low range and idle up. What could be easier? 8)
Well, aparantly if youâ??re on â??roadyâ? tires itâ??s a different story. Itâ??s steep and you need either grip or momentum. Because itâ??s a curvy section keeping momentum is not that easy and grip on plants is sparseâ?¦
Have I mentioned I LOVE my bike? ;D ;D ;D
A helping hand is needed :evil6:
The rule of dirt bike riding:
Good hearted bikers GET ROOSTED! >
Sweeper didnâ??t sukkel at all â?? the MX experience shining through! Cool! 8)
Well, we did not find the Mystery Pass (yet!). But weâ??ll keep you posted! :thumleft:
On Google Earth you can see it to the left of the tar road.
Itâ??s really faint and sort of comes and goes on Google Earth so weâ??ll have to search for the road. Iâ??ve identified 5 possible entry points which would hopefully not be locked.
We rode up the road I found yesterday turning off from Montagu Pass.
This gate onto Outeniqua Pass was open, but the gate across the road was locked.
And so were the next and the next and the next etc.
There had to be a way in without going through a locked gate or â??No Entryâ? sign? We are law abiding citizens after all. : :angel9:Then we found it! A road leading into this area without a gate or a prohibitive sign whatsoever. Jackpot! ;D
It was a little tricky and very steep so we scouted it first.
I had to ride it first, but I got some pics of Sweeper and Wingman coming down.
It was technical and Wingman erred on the side of caution and took it too slow.
Lucky for him he had a soft landing in long grass when he fell over. Unfortunately the same grass blocked my view and I could not take a picture. :-\ ;D
After that little obstacle we took the road to the â??Mystery Passâ?. The road got better and better as we rode along:
Close to one of the locked gates (where we could not get in) Sweeperâ??s chain came off. Luckily this was in a spot where no-one could see usâ?¦ :
It really got stuck in there. Geez, when was the last time this chain was oiled?
Eventually we got going again â?? climbing higher and higher. Despite it being overcast we were treated to some spectacular views. 8)
The â??roadâ? got progressively worse and we found something thatâ??s even more slippery than mud â?? wet peat!
Not only is it slippery, but it really bogs you down. The stuff is like quicksand and deceptively deep.
We carried on until the road was no more.
If there is a route over the mountain from this side it must be along another road.
We searched a bit until a guy on a Mountain Bike pulled us over. He had this high and mighty attitude about us being on private land etc. (Which is BS by the way, since it belongs to Forestry) and motorbikes not belonging there.
I kept my cool and chatted to him a while. We ended up talking about possible routes over (he did not know of any) and trail bikes like ours (running quietly and not wreaking havoc).
It was getting late so we decided to head back and would you believe it â?? on the way back we saw him lifting his bike over the fence. He himself was there illegally. Arsehole. :angryfire:
Of course on the way back we still had to get up the â??roadâ? we came in on. No problem â?? pop the CTX into low range and idle up. What could be easier? 8)
Well, aparantly if youâ??re on â??roadyâ? tires itâ??s a different story. Itâ??s steep and you need either grip or momentum. Because itâ??s a curvy section keeping momentum is not that easy and grip on plants is sparseâ?¦
Have I mentioned I LOVE my bike? ;D ;D ;D
A helping hand is needed :evil6:
The rule of dirt bike riding:
Good hearted bikers GET ROOSTED! >
Sweeper didnâ??t sukkel at all â?? the MX experience shining through! Cool! 8)
Well, we did not find the Mystery Pass (yet!). But weâ??ll keep you posted! :thumleft:
