Another great weekend in the battlefields, and thanks to all the folks who made it along.
I never took a roll-call of either dogs or bikes, but counting the bikes in the pic on the top of Spionkop the party was thirteen bikes – Most from up-country, with a interesting mix of bikes from 900 down to 400 and a good mix of brands.
I had been watching the weather forecast like a hawk for the week leading up to the weekend, and although there was quite extensive rain predicted we had an almost-dry weekend other that a few annoying visor-speckling drops at the start of the ride, and a short spell of rain on the way back on Saturday. On the way back we rode on a wet road for much of the way, but thankfully no rain.
The route for the Saturday ride was almost the same for the first half as we rode last year, but we crossed the N3 at Swinburne and returned to Newcastle via the Middledale pass and Geluksburg, with a short detour up to the top of Spionkop
The trip was largely without incedent. Two small tumbles but no serious damage to dogs or bikes, and no punctures or breakdowns at all.
Route was about 290Km Newcastle -> Ladysmith and 100Km back on the N11.
Out at 07:30 and in Ladysmith at about 14:30
The route on Saturday :-
The pack after picking me up at Villiers
Pistol trailered the little 400 down this time to rest the 1200
Gunda found another GundaGunda for the gunda collection
The night before
On to the Saturday ride :-
BigRay ditched the KLR at this extremely nasty corner on the Sunday’s river pass – it is a sharp downhill corner that has almost no warning and a nasty buildup of gravel on it.
Look closely and you can see the tyre marks of the other folk.
Biological break on the of the berg - the bleak but beautiful section from the top of Collings pass to Swinburne in the vicinity of Nelson’s Kop.
Rensburg’s Kop in the background, Our route took us round the back and down Middledale pass.
A compulsory stop at a shabeen just before dropping back down to KZN via Geluksburg.
On the top of Spionkop – I was a bit slow getting back into the photo !!!
Got a tour guide to snap this team photo.
History lessons
Last regroup before heading back via a well earned drink at the Royal Hotel in Ladysmith.
I never took a roll-call of either dogs or bikes, but counting the bikes in the pic on the top of Spionkop the party was thirteen bikes – Most from up-country, with a interesting mix of bikes from 900 down to 400 and a good mix of brands.
I had been watching the weather forecast like a hawk for the week leading up to the weekend, and although there was quite extensive rain predicted we had an almost-dry weekend other that a few annoying visor-speckling drops at the start of the ride, and a short spell of rain on the way back on Saturday. On the way back we rode on a wet road for much of the way, but thankfully no rain.
The route for the Saturday ride was almost the same for the first half as we rode last year, but we crossed the N3 at Swinburne and returned to Newcastle via the Middledale pass and Geluksburg, with a short detour up to the top of Spionkop
The trip was largely without incedent. Two small tumbles but no serious damage to dogs or bikes, and no punctures or breakdowns at all.
Route was about 290Km Newcastle -> Ladysmith and 100Km back on the N11.
Out at 07:30 and in Ladysmith at about 14:30
The route on Saturday :-
The pack after picking me up at Villiers
Pistol trailered the little 400 down this time to rest the 1200
Gunda found another GundaGunda for the gunda collection
The night before
On to the Saturday ride :-
BigRay ditched the KLR at this extremely nasty corner on the Sunday’s river pass – it is a sharp downhill corner that has almost no warning and a nasty buildup of gravel on it.
Look closely and you can see the tyre marks of the other folk.
Biological break on the of the berg - the bleak but beautiful section from the top of Collings pass to Swinburne in the vicinity of Nelson’s Kop.
Rensburg’s Kop in the background, Our route took us round the back and down Middledale pass.
A compulsory stop at a shabeen just before dropping back down to KZN via Geluksburg.
On the top of Spionkop – I was a bit slow getting back into the photo !!!
Got a tour guide to snap this team photo.
History lessons
Last regroup before heading back via a well earned drink at the Royal Hotel in Ladysmith.
