n Lekker "rustige" 3 dag Amageza deur die Karoo...

[MildlyWild]

Nee, dis dalk misleidend
Daar is min rustig aan drie 12+ uur dae en 1800km op die (seker 70% grond-) pad nie.
Solo
Op n thumper
Wild camping

Dalk eerder "vreedsaam" (for my English friends - this does not mean to eat like a pig with someone else, so read "peaceful")
Of gees en siel genesend.

Dit het só begin:
Ek en Tiaan het voor Paasnaweek n lekker 4 dag rit van die Kaap af Baviaans toe gedoen, en van daar af het ek nie weer my been oor n saal gegooi tot Desember nie.
Intussen het ek n lae km XChallenge raak geloop, die Touratech tenk, bashplate en pannier rak, en my "custom" touring screen op die nuwe fiets oorgedra, en haar Badger II gedoop.
n Vinnige dag rit deur die Swartland, gevolg deur n 2 dag rit Korentepoort dam toe was net genoeg om weer iets in my wakker te maak laat in Desember.
Die vakansie was goed, maar "besig" met mense.
Toe ons dus 4 Januarie met die 1ste projek vir 2024 begin besluit ek dat ek wel nog n ordentlike tydjie alleen nodig het, maar die 4 dae wat ek in gedagte gehad het kon net nie inpas nie, so 3 dae moes dus die ding doen.
Ek wou egter nie te veel van my oorspronklike rit afsny nie, en ek hou mos van lang ure op my fiets, so ek het net so rofweg vinnig beplan.

Badger II het n vol diens gekry, en ek het inderhaas Dinsdag aand meeste van my goed gepak.
Woensdag oggend moes die laaste goed nog bymekaar kom en die fiets gelaai word, so ek kon eers 8am in die pad val.

 

[MildlyWild]

So 8 uur sleep ek toe agter Durbanville uit, rigting Wellington, om weer n slag oor die ongelooflike Bainskloof pas te ry oppad Ceres toe.
Wellington het n groot klomp historiese geboue wat nog mooi onderhou word, soos die Hugenote Kollege se kampus en koshuise.

Nie baie wat mens net buite n woongebied n bordjie soos die sien nie

 

[Grootseun]

Opgewonde oor die een.
Ek sien uit na die res van die verslag.

 

[MildlyWild]

Bainskloof Pass really is an incredibly beautiful, engaging pass to ride, and now that the road surface is super smooth one has to consciously keep from going up and down full tilt.

Since my mission for this trip was to relax, enjoy the riding, enjoy nature scenery and connect spiritually, while covering relatively long distances, safely, without feeling rushed, on a bike loaded for camping I tried to keep my speed reasonable.
Tried, being the key word here. I for instance did nót try doing that on the way back on day 3 after struggling with flats But more on that much later.

Anyway. Listening to some worship music on the way to Wolseley, I had an incredible encounter with God that left me in awe of his goodness and faithfulness, and in tears to the point that I struggled to keep riding for a while. For those that find this weird - don't worry about it. Some of you might understand.

At the t junction to Mitchells Pass I just had to stop for some pretty pics of Badger II on her 1st solo 3 day trip with me.

For those not in the know - Badger is a 2008 BMW G650 XChallenge that pretty much only shares the 650 Rotax engine with her "normal" G and Dakar cousins. Apart from that the frame, suspension, wheels, and well, everything else is different. 39kW, 270mm travel front and back, dry weight of 146kg without the large tank, panniers and other extras, comfortable cruising speed of 130km/h.
Range with the 9.5L standard tank and the 16L Touratech tank is about 550km if I ride nicely with 50/50 tyres. On Tiaan and my Korentepoort 2 day trip I got up to 24.5km\L, also loaded for camping.
In other words, an incredible touring machine.

Badger II came with fresh 70/30 Dunlop D606 rubber, which I really love. Especially on the front. On the back the knobblies adds to the already not insignificant thumper vibration when I have to venture onto tar, and obviously it wears down muuuuuuch quicker than my 50/50 go-to Mitas E07+'s. I am tempted to say that I possibly prefer the D606 rear to the 70/30 Mitas E09 that I also used on Badger I

 

[MildlyWild]

In Ceres I topped off with 4.7L of petrol, did some grocery shopping and then headed off, up Swaarmoed Pass to get onto dirt as quickly as possible.
Karoo Poort once again invited me into the Tankwa, where I had to quickly decide - straight (wide, straight and boring), or right (much nicer, but well ridden by me).
Straight it was, bypassing Tankwa Padstal (which was closed anyway I think).
I did take some nice pics on that road, and was happy to see a dam off the road, prompting me to ride the 100m through the veld to go and have breakfast at the fence

 

[MildlyWild]

I very quickly got bored with the wide road - the loooooong one leading to Calvinia, so promptly swung off to the right onto a much smaller "farm" road. That was lekker, much more to my liking, with some sandy bits, washouts after the rains, etc.

It seems as if all roads somehow leads me to Waatlemoenfontein. Somehow I ended up riding through there again, and luckily this time the river sand was much more compact and I managed to not throw Badger into the sand the way I did Bliksem on a previous trip

Althoug a lot of the Tankwa looks really good at the moment some part are just plain desert, but somehow the gemsbok, springbok and ostriches in the park flourishes.

 

[MildlyWild]

I just had to turn around and take a picture of this!
The message for me was clear - even roads, or doors, that have been closed for a very long time is not necessarily closed for ever..

 

[MildlyWild]

With the semi-recent rain in the Tankwa I kinda bargained on a good swim again like the previous time, but the pool was not as inviting, so I settled for a snack in the only bit of shade I could find.

Then it was time to head towards and up, up and away over Ouberg Pass, Sutherland, and beyond

 

[MildlyWild]

So met al die eet en kiekies neem is dit toe al 3:15pm toe ek die Oubaas se voete nader, en ek dog toe laat ek kyk hoe lank dit vat om Ouberg op te ry, sonder om nou mal te jaag, wiel te spin of sulke grappies.
Die pad is wat my betref goed, maar dan het ek ook laas toe van die manne gesê het dis rof gedink ek sal met n Corolla daar op ry
Elk geval, as ek die 5min wat ek gestop het om by die uitkyk punt fotos te neem af haal het dit my 11 min gevat van onder tot bo - kan dus nie so sleg pad wees op die oomblik nie.

Vir julle upcountry ouens voel ek jammer - nevermind teerpad potholes, hier by ons maak die goewerment oral oor grondpaaie reg wat nie eers vir my sleg lyk nie


Hier het Abba n bietjie met my gesels oor Sy strome van lewende water

 

[MildlyWild]

Bo aan Ouberg besluit ek toe mos om n slag links om Sutherland toe te ry ipv regs, wat lekker was, maar dis aansienlik verder, so dis toe al net voor 5 toe ek by Boorgat stop na ek gou by die OK ( ja, Sutherland het n OK) water aangevul het.
O ja, ek het ook gou gaan kyk na Merweville se laerskool - baie hartseer dat daai pragtige 110 jarige gebou afgebrand het

Teen daai tyd was ek al woes lus vir n goeie koppie boeretroos, en hulle het nie teleur gestel nie - 2 koppies uit n plunger wat hulle voor my neer gesit het, sterk genoeg dat die teelepel amper-amper kon regop staan in die beker
So toe sit ek daar en geniet my koffie rustig, kyk rond na al die outentieke goed wat hulle daar het, en oorweeg waarheen ek nog gaan ry, nog nie sat vir die fiets nie en bewus dat ek nog effens kort is van waar ek wou eindig vir die dag.

 

[stcomza]

Ek ry lekker saam, baie dankie vir die deel!

 

[MildlyWild]

I pulled out of Sutherland around 5:30. Badger had performed impeccably over the 1st 400 odd kms and I did not hesitate to cruise out on the tar rd direction Fraserburg, past SALT and hit the gravel keeping at an easy 110.
I turned off to the right and took the longer, but múch more scenic and engaging Posroete, better known to locals as die Rantepad, riding past my cousin's farm and up the Nuweveldts mountain past my other family at Rhenostervalley - I was on a solo soul cleansing mission and general conversation, great as it would be, was not what I was looking for. Plus it would quickly eat 30/60/90 minutes of my rapidly diminishing day time.
The sun is setting while I'm enjoying the fresh air, sunset and a light spattering of rain, still heading towards Fraserburg, but looking for a turnoff, and shortcut towards Loxton.
I find the turnoff, as per Google Maps , and ride a rough, sandy 2 spoor farm road for about 4kms before I decide that this might not be the correct option after all, so I turn back towards the main road again, riding in the dark, and realising again that I really do need to still fit spotlights. Badger's headlight is about as good as the comfort level of her seat, which on the most forums have been compared to sitting on a wood purlin.

Just before the main road I decide that the farmer would probably not terribly mind me camping next to his road (the odds are 95% that they would know Oom Kobus down the road quite well ) so I pull over next to the gate where there is a small sandy wash to pitch my tent.
By 8:30pm Im comfortably settled in, with a gammon and cheese roll and a Coke in hand.

 

[MildlyWild]

After a good night's rest I was up just after 6 on Thursday, and even though I had my gas stove with me opted to just pack up and leave coffee for later.
Everything outside was quite wet from the dew, but I got packed relatively quickly.
I then set about adjusting the gear lever up a bit, since the Gaerne motocross boots I was wearing on this trip struggles to get underneath (better option that my other, more walking-comfortable boots though, because these buffers my feet much better during the long hours on the bike). Unfortunately the side stand bracket was in the way, so I couldnt lift the lever, quickly anyway.

So here is just one of the places the X is a better choice for a solo trip like this - pushing the X, probably weighing around 210kg with accessories, filled up and packed up, backwards onto the road through the soft river sand was quite tough. And I managed to let it fall over twice, lying akwardly against the shrubbery growing on the low embankment. Picking it up from that position had me puffing and sweating, and Im in pretty good shape. Bliksem (my 950 KTM) wouldve weighed around 45-50kg more, and I wouldve had to drag it around on its side to be able to get in position to pick it up = brand new resprayed body panels ruined

Anyway, I set off along die Rantepad, rode through Fraserburg for a few minutes (been there a few times) and headed south for the gravel turnoff towards Loxton/Beaufort West

Maybe another word about Badger II and my setup:
Her seat is 730mm high, so if you are a short sucker like Taye Perry, but without her insane bike skills you might want to opt for a "lowly" () DR650
I've just started using these Wolfman pannier bags and I really like them - easy to fit very securely, not too big, and very visible The rear pack is Flying Brick, which I also rate highly. Packed with everything I need to be on the road for a few days, camping, self sufficient, the 3 together only weighs around 25kg, including 3.5L water)
Tool tube is awesome for me, taking most of the serious, heavy tools strapped to the bike (around 2kgs)
I recently, and I quite literally thank God for it, got a Desert Fox compressor - He obviously knew Id need it on this trip
My backpack is for a 2L water bladder, some snacks and odds and ends, and also ends up weighing around 7kg - this is still fine for me after 3 days.

 

[Wildwindfr]

Thanks for sharing

 

[MildlyWild]

The gravel towards Loxton was a delight, with some really lekker riding and beautiful scenery.

 

[Ri]

Dankie, ek ry lekker saam. Ek het Desember daar gaan kuier op my kortgat DR650. Rantepad is altyd 'n gunsteling.

 

[Grootseun]

Ek sien uit na die res.

Dankie dat jy ons laat saam ry.

Ek is nou nog spyt ek het nie Loxton om huistoe gery toe ek Januarie 2023 die kans gehad het nie.

 

[MildlyWild]

Oppad Loxton toe stop ek daar erens op n boer, Martin Kotze, se werf om seker te maak ek mag daai pad deur ry, en ons gesels seker vir so 25min lekker.

Hy vertel my onder andere van bure van hom se dogters wat vroeg Des rond daar naby in n motor ongeluk was, met Laumé wat nou al omtrent 50 dae in n koma is - eers in Bloem en nou in Stellenbosch hospitaal. Ek gesels netnou weer hieroor, vir die wat belangstel.

So net voor 12 ry ek Loxton eers in, en ry vir 10min op en af deur die dorp om te kyk (dis regtig n mooi dorp) voor ek Badger daar voor Loxton Lekker staan maak. Teen die tyd begin ek al senuagtig raak oor ek nog nie koffie gehad het nie, ook nie regtig ontbyt nie, so ek gaan sit daar in die koelte op die stoep, kyk hoe amper niks vir die volgende 60min gebeur nie, maak my camelbak vol water en geniet n stewige ontbyt, wat mooier en meer was voor my kuns poging

Daars baie te sê vir kewens kwaliteit in hierdie dorpies, as jy daar kan aard. Die rustigheid en min afleiding maak dat mens goeie verhoudinge bou, meer omgee, meer deel is. Eks net nie seker hoeveel verf en restorasie werk daar vir my sal wees nie

Ontspannend om die minste te sê. En ja Loxton Lekker is inderdaad lekker, met vriendelike diens.

 

[MildlyWild]

13:15 kry ek myself om weer my been oor Badger te swaai en net suid van Loxton klim ek op n kleiner grondpad wat weer in Vic-Wes se rigting gaan - dis mos wat ek oral soek - klein rowwe mooi grondpaaie wat klim en kronkel en mens verras met die mooi en wakker hou met klippe, slote en sand

Jis, en ek is mal oor al die ou ruines oral - behalwe dat dit vir my hartseer is - ek wil net almal gaan regmaak en mooi maak.
Daai toilet is luuks sê ek julle, dalk net warm wees laat middag, en nie so baie privaat nie

Oppad sien ek die 1ste likkewaan in baie jare - ongelukkig lank dood, lyk amper of hy so met sy voet probeer keer het, maar die genade het hom die keer verby gegaan

 

[MildlyWild]

I join the direct road between Loxton and Victoria West just outside town at Kapoksfontein and cruise into town - the last time I've been there might have been for a school rugby match when I was in Graaff Reinet in the late 80's. There's some real historical beauts in these little times, while Pumpkin Patch does its best to brighten the surroundings. And it's nice to see municipal buildings looking like this in small towns.

I roughly guage my fuel range (the X does not have a guage, only a warning light) and decide to push on.

Hutchinson is my actual must see on this leg - my dad worked there straight after army. Sadly, another mostly derelict little stop along the railway track, with a few houses still occupied and the rest's roofs stripped off long ago.
At the railway offices I stop to wander around and take some pics, bit a couple of minutes in I notice 2 guys striding towards me purposefully from nowhere - Im not sure whether they just wanted to check out Badger, for a small bit of talk to change their otherwise limited lives, or whether they had other intentions, but I did not feel comfortable at all. My 1st reaction is "Leatherman in my left hand, helmet in my right, let them come", but the 2nd is that it is just not worth the risk and to rather just leave the rest of the pics and complete my trip safely.
I get a liiitle nervous when I struggle to find neutral to start Badger (maybe the 15W50 Motul 7100 I decided to just try this time is not a good idea - will drain and replace with 10W40 again), but manage to ride off with them a good distance away.