Our Story of the Honda Quest 2017
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GRyPH
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Day 9 Purros to Palmwag.
Early morning we set out again, Quickly crossing the sandy riverbed and getting on the road to the canyon. We were thoroughly briefed before we headed out about the dangers of elephants and lions in the area and that we needed to be extra cautious today.
Getting to the canyon meant we had to cross a couple of sandy bits.... very sandy bits, but before we knew it we were in the canyon enjoying the first water we were able to play in for what felt like a month.
The canyon itself is spectacular and it was a complete jol riding there! Its almost like Seweweekspoort, but without the busy paved road and traffic, and a lot more sand as you need to ride in the river most of the time. It is perfect adventure riding terrain and I would recommend Purros and the canyon as a must see for anyone that visits the north of Namibia. This is the part of the trip where I got the most video on my gopro..... I just couldnt turn it off.
Here is a 10minute video that I stiched together, It shows you just how spectacular the riding in the canyon was. Sand , rocky areas, water crossings, wild animals , and a lot of friends (this includes the crew even though they had to stay impartial) to enjoy it with. And how can I forget... lots and lots of miggies. In the video you will see them whenever we stop. I just kept my helmet on, but the little f#$^#rs got in anyway and then they were trapped inside. Tau had his own solution as per the photo above McSack posted
[youtube]https://youtu.be/C-pUlAHksOw[/youtube]
(Unfortunately the video lost a lot of quality in the upload process. )
Here are a few pics I took as well:
Kamanya busy making a video update:
Some pics in the canyon:
As mentioned already we did come across a couple of ellies in the canyon and after scoping the situation it was decided that the convoy would turn around. There was three elephants, a cow with a calf and a bull. The bull was standing about 15m away from the road, and before we set of on a return path, one of the cruisers tried his luck to get past and evaluate. As the cruiser came close to the bull though, he showed clear signs that he was agitated and because we didnt know how he would react to 22 bikes the final call was made that we would indeed turn around.
So we backtracked out of the canyon and took the gravel road leading down through the Giribes Plains to Sesfontein and from there again we headed south to Palmwag
Just as we got out of the canyon, we had to cross one last dry riverbed with some really deep sand and a climb out of the river on the other side. McSack was right in front of me and when the coast was clear ahead, he gave it horns! Everything went well up to the climb out of the riverbed where the bike took a bit of a different route and launched up a vertical ledge of the riverbank of about 0.5m high.
From where I stood, it looked spectacular! but I didnt see the fall (although I knew he had) because I was on the lower side of the ledge. I just saw him catching air and then a cloud of dust where the bike landed.
The first person on the scene to help him, held up his arms in a cross to call [member=24378]ockiemedic[/member] and my heart sank thinking he has broken something ( after ockies's lectures at bootcamp my first thought was he broke his femur :
) I relayed the sign for help and when Ockie saw me he charged his bakkie over to where he could assist McSack.
After checking him out he got the ok and decided to get on the bike again so off we set again on our way to Palmwag........... big respect for you there [member=14780]McSack[/member] ... that fall looked EINA!
Having our lunchpacks on the road to palmwag:
look at the scenery!
Rolling into the Campsite in Palmwag we were told that we just missed a elephant passing through the camp.
The campsite at Palmwag is of top quality... good camping spots, great ablutions and showers and more important a watering hole (that we visited later the evening when we were done with formalities and got the ok from management ;D)
Sun setting in Palmwag....
look at that smile ;D
enjoying a few cold ones. before we headed to our stretchers.
Early morning we set out again, Quickly crossing the sandy riverbed and getting on the road to the canyon. We were thoroughly briefed before we headed out about the dangers of elephants and lions in the area and that we needed to be extra cautious today.
Getting to the canyon meant we had to cross a couple of sandy bits.... very sandy bits, but before we knew it we were in the canyon enjoying the first water we were able to play in for what felt like a month.
The canyon itself is spectacular and it was a complete jol riding there! Its almost like Seweweekspoort, but without the busy paved road and traffic, and a lot more sand as you need to ride in the river most of the time. It is perfect adventure riding terrain and I would recommend Purros and the canyon as a must see for anyone that visits the north of Namibia. This is the part of the trip where I got the most video on my gopro..... I just couldnt turn it off.
Here is a 10minute video that I stiched together, It shows you just how spectacular the riding in the canyon was. Sand , rocky areas, water crossings, wild animals , and a lot of friends (this includes the crew even though they had to stay impartial) to enjoy it with. And how can I forget... lots and lots of miggies. In the video you will see them whenever we stop. I just kept my helmet on, but the little f#$^#rs got in anyway and then they were trapped inside. Tau had his own solution as per the photo above McSack posted
[youtube]https://youtu.be/C-pUlAHksOw[/youtube]
(Unfortunately the video lost a lot of quality in the upload process. )
Here are a few pics I took as well:
Kamanya busy making a video update:
Some pics in the canyon:
As mentioned already we did come across a couple of ellies in the canyon and after scoping the situation it was decided that the convoy would turn around. There was three elephants, a cow with a calf and a bull. The bull was standing about 15m away from the road, and before we set of on a return path, one of the cruisers tried his luck to get past and evaluate. As the cruiser came close to the bull though, he showed clear signs that he was agitated and because we didnt know how he would react to 22 bikes the final call was made that we would indeed turn around.
So we backtracked out of the canyon and took the gravel road leading down through the Giribes Plains to Sesfontein and from there again we headed south to Palmwag
Just as we got out of the canyon, we had to cross one last dry riverbed with some really deep sand and a climb out of the river on the other side. McSack was right in front of me and when the coast was clear ahead, he gave it horns! Everything went well up to the climb out of the riverbed where the bike took a bit of a different route and launched up a vertical ledge of the riverbank of about 0.5m high.
From where I stood, it looked spectacular! but I didnt see the fall (although I knew he had) because I was on the lower side of the ledge. I just saw him catching air and then a cloud of dust where the bike landed.
The first person on the scene to help him, held up his arms in a cross to call [member=24378]ockiemedic[/member] and my heart sank thinking he has broken something ( after ockies's lectures at bootcamp my first thought was he broke his femur :
) I relayed the sign for help and when Ockie saw me he charged his bakkie over to where he could assist McSack.After checking him out he got the ok and decided to get on the bike again so off we set again on our way to Palmwag........... big respect for you there [member=14780]McSack[/member] ... that fall looked EINA!
Having our lunchpacks on the road to palmwag:
look at the scenery!
Rolling into the Campsite in Palmwag we were told that we just missed a elephant passing through the camp.
The campsite at Palmwag is of top quality... good camping spots, great ablutions and showers and more important a watering hole (that we visited later the evening when we were done with formalities and got the ok from management ;D)
Sun setting in Palmwag....
look at that smile ;D
enjoying a few cold ones. before we headed to our stretchers.
GRyPH
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THROTTLE JOCKEY said:
Funny enough this is was something I struggled with as well. I am also used to being the one to plan and plot the route and this has in the past helped me to get a understanding of what to expect, and to know where we were headed. It helped me know the place names and the things of importance to look out for when I plan the route and it makes me feel more prepared.
As I sit here now writing the report, I have my mapsource open trying to plot the route that we took so I can get a better idea of the places and their names and then yes, I also relive the roads and obstacles.
On the trip I had to live in the moment and trust in the direction the Tau was leading. Dont get me wrong, its not that I doubted him at any moment whatsoever. It was just an adjustment for me to not know the route before we set out and to blindly follow as you put it like sheep.
throttle jockey
Race Dog
GRyPH said:
Agreed. I have the tracks. So a bit easier. I notice the river bed that runs through Purros (Hoarusib) joins up with the Khumib where we rode before the Jaffel stop (21.7km back) would love to ride that next time! We would love the last section of the river bed and the corrugated red road though. I also wonder if we had gone down the Purros canyon when we exited would we have stayed against the restricted area til Palmwag, another reason amongst many to return to that area.
throttle jockey
Race Dog
Hardy de Kock said:
I regularly think what it would be like to build a over landing accommodation spot there with amenities such as fuel, food and such. I would think it would not sit well with the locals though.
Sheepman
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GRyPH said:Sheepman said:Love the Purros Canyon vid :thumleft: There is some bitchin sand there, for sure
wait for day 10
Seriously looking forward to that :thumleft: Most of us rock spiders up here in Gangsters Paradise struggle with deep sand riding, at least on big bikes
GRyPH
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Sheepman said:GRyPH said:Sheepman said:Love the Purros Canyon vid :thumleft: There is some bitchin sand there, for sure
wait for day 10
Seriously looking forward to that :thumleft: Most of us rock spiders up here in Gangsters Paradise struggle with deep sand riding, at least on big bikes
just worked through the videos and photos now... will upload 2 videos this time, lots of footage. LOTS of sand ;D
GRyPH
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Day 10 Palmwag - Brandberg
The goal for the penultimate day was to get to Brandberg, and I thought that the technical riding was behind us, I mean , we are probably only going to do gravel highway from here as we are almost ending the trip right? right? wrong!
There was still another surprise headed our way and in my eyes the organising crew left the best for last!
First part of the day went exactly as I thought the rest of the day would go, Gravel highways to Twyfelfontein where you can have a look at some rock art.
Everyone was in good spirits. we were making good time, however the crew seemed edgy and wanted to keep going. in hindsight that should have been a clue as to what is waiting for us.
Twyfelfontein
Rock art:
This one looks like a pig...... on wheels? were there BMs back then as well?ot:
From Twyfelfontein we went to Verbrande berg, and from there the road was awesome! 2 spoor gravel with rocks here and there winding through spectacular scenery, I really enjoyed this part! And everyone was still in high spirit! (exept the crew that wanted to push on)
watch the first video for this part, it really is awesome riding area!
[youtube]https://youtu.be/6A1GHa9HiBU[/youtube]
Verbrande berg:
Welwitschia Mirabilis:
Scenery
Soon however we hit a sandy riverbed again and it took us quite a while to get past it. This was not sand like we have seen before, The two riverbeds that we rode in on the day before Purros had some grit inbetween that made it easier. This however was loose sand only.
After crossing the sandy bit, Minxy came to me and said how disappointed she was that the sand was over as she wanted more! Tau however came to her rescue and informed us that the sand only just started! and that we can expect 40-50kms more of it before we would end the day. (later on Minxy withdrew her comment and said that she had enough sand for one day :imaposer
So it all clicked! that was why the crew seemed edgy and kept pushing us on in the beginning of the day on the gravel highway.... they knew what was still to come.
The further we went the softer and deeper the sand seemed to get! however as soon as you get your momentum going you are ok...... you just need to keep going.
At this stage I was really thankful for the sand lessons that I received from Kamanya in the previous days. I think if the whole event route was reversed and I had to get this sand on day 2, It would have been a completely different ballgame and I would have suffered bigtime!
Here is another video starting with the climb known as Land cruiser hill and through the sand to where Brandberg can be seen in the distance.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/394LqrAHVJk[/youtube]
View of the road we came from.
Because the difficult part of this riding was to get your momentum up, the orders came that once you got going you need to keep going. There was a couple of guys including Tau , Kamanya and Scrat that would sweep and help anyone that was struggling.
I would be lying if I said I didn't fall. In fact I believe I fell 3 times in this sand, once being hard enough to almost knock my wind out. I was cruising along in a mid 3rd gear when my front wheel washed out and I went flying...... and with my luck my fall found the only piece of hard dirt for a 10km radius :imaposer: I was quickly up again though and we pushed on to where the front running guys waited for everyone to catch up.
waiting in the sand for the others:
The direction we came from:
From here it was about 10 -15 kms of sand before we started hitting hard gravel again. And if I remember correct, it was during this part that Charliepappa had his big tumble as shown on the professional footage.
I was standing next to the camera crew at that stage, having a bit of a breather when Ian (the drone pilot) turned around wide eyed and shouted " he went over the handlebars! "
This sounded bad! and I decided to get over to where he fell to check on him. By the time I got there a couple of the other guys already picked up the bike and CP gave the thumbsup to show he was ok and we continued on :thumleft: :thumleft:
Now I have seen people comment on his fall that he should have been riding in the road. I can tell you that the road was way worse than picking lines in the veld. everyone of us took an offroad line at some stage, he was just unlucky to get not only one but two successive "aartvark gate" that caused the tumble.
Just as we got close to Brandberg though, Johannes got a puncture, but this time it actually damaged the sidewall of the tyre as well. If pressed we could probably have fixed it well enough to continue but luckily there was a spare tyre on one of the cruisers and soon we had him up and running again.
Brandberg:
Tired and with sand in places it should not be we rode into camp to set up.
That night it was my turn to do my presentation.... like I said, the crew saved the best for last
I could not however think of a better place to do my presentation on Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in Africa), than right next to Brandberg (the highest mountain in Namibia).
After my presentation, Hardy told us that the scores are so close at that moment, that they decided to add a quick written test to spread out the field a bit.
So we had to answer 40 questions about the presentations the contestants gave, questions about the trip, as well as other general knowledge questions about Namibia.
Then later that night we were all given 5 minutes to do another presentation, about a charity or humanitarian project that you are either involved with or would like to be involved with.
I will elaborate more about my presentation in another post because it also had some effects on me the night at palmwag that I still need to share.
That night after all the formalities were done, we sat around the fire, with Kamanya showing us his method of keeping warm by moving some of the coals of the fire under your chair. (yes it was a cold night in Namibia)
Sharing another round of beers that some of the guys were so generous to go buy for us.
That night sleep came easy and in fact I think I might have already dozed off while sitting around the fire.
The goal for the penultimate day was to get to Brandberg, and I thought that the technical riding was behind us, I mean , we are probably only going to do gravel highway from here as we are almost ending the trip right? right? wrong!
There was still another surprise headed our way and in my eyes the organising crew left the best for last!
First part of the day went exactly as I thought the rest of the day would go, Gravel highways to Twyfelfontein where you can have a look at some rock art.
Everyone was in good spirits. we were making good time, however the crew seemed edgy and wanted to keep going. in hindsight that should have been a clue as to what is waiting for us.
Twyfelfontein
Rock art:
This one looks like a pig...... on wheels? were there BMs back then as well?
ot:
From Twyfelfontein we went to Verbrande berg, and from there the road was awesome! 2 spoor gravel with rocks here and there winding through spectacular scenery, I really enjoyed this part! And everyone was still in high spirit! (exept the crew that wanted to push on)
watch the first video for this part, it really is awesome riding area!
[youtube]https://youtu.be/6A1GHa9HiBU[/youtube]
Verbrande berg:
Welwitschia Mirabilis:
Scenery
Soon however we hit a sandy riverbed again and it took us quite a while to get past it. This was not sand like we have seen before, The two riverbeds that we rode in on the day before Purros had some grit inbetween that made it easier. This however was loose sand only.
After crossing the sandy bit, Minxy came to me and said how disappointed she was that the sand was over as she wanted more! Tau however came to her rescue and informed us that the sand only just started! and that we can expect 40-50kms more of it before we would end the day. (later on Minxy withdrew her comment and said that she had enough sand for one day :imaposer
So it all clicked! that was why the crew seemed edgy and kept pushing us on in the beginning of the day on the gravel highway.... they knew what was still to come.
The further we went the softer and deeper the sand seemed to get! however as soon as you get your momentum going you are ok...... you just need to keep going.
At this stage I was really thankful for the sand lessons that I received from Kamanya in the previous days. I think if the whole event route was reversed and I had to get this sand on day 2, It would have been a completely different ballgame and I would have suffered bigtime!
Here is another video starting with the climb known as Land cruiser hill and through the sand to where Brandberg can be seen in the distance.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/394LqrAHVJk[/youtube]
View of the road we came from.
Because the difficult part of this riding was to get your momentum up, the orders came that once you got going you need to keep going. There was a couple of guys including Tau , Kamanya and Scrat that would sweep and help anyone that was struggling.
I would be lying if I said I didn't fall. In fact I believe I fell 3 times in this sand, once being hard enough to almost knock my wind out. I was cruising along in a mid 3rd gear when my front wheel washed out and I went flying...... and with my luck my fall found the only piece of hard dirt for a 10km radius :imaposer: I was quickly up again though and we pushed on to where the front running guys waited for everyone to catch up.
waiting in the sand for the others:
The direction we came from:
From here it was about 10 -15 kms of sand before we started hitting hard gravel again. And if I remember correct, it was during this part that Charliepappa had his big tumble as shown on the professional footage.
I was standing next to the camera crew at that stage, having a bit of a breather when Ian (the drone pilot) turned around wide eyed and shouted " he went over the handlebars! "
This sounded bad! and I decided to get over to where he fell to check on him. By the time I got there a couple of the other guys already picked up the bike and CP gave the thumbsup to show he was ok and we continued on :thumleft: :thumleft:
Now I have seen people comment on his fall that he should have been riding in the road. I can tell you that the road was way worse than picking lines in the veld. everyone of us took an offroad line at some stage, he was just unlucky to get not only one but two successive "aartvark gate" that caused the tumble.
Just as we got close to Brandberg though, Johannes got a puncture, but this time it actually damaged the sidewall of the tyre as well. If pressed we could probably have fixed it well enough to continue but luckily there was a spare tyre on one of the cruisers and soon we had him up and running again.
Brandberg:
Tired and with sand in places it should not be we rode into camp to set up.
That night it was my turn to do my presentation.... like I said, the crew saved the best for last
I could not however think of a better place to do my presentation on Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in Africa), than right next to Brandberg (the highest mountain in Namibia).
After my presentation, Hardy told us that the scores are so close at that moment, that they decided to add a quick written test to spread out the field a bit.
So we had to answer 40 questions about the presentations the contestants gave, questions about the trip, as well as other general knowledge questions about Namibia.
Then later that night we were all given 5 minutes to do another presentation, about a charity or humanitarian project that you are either involved with or would like to be involved with.
I will elaborate more about my presentation in another post because it also had some effects on me the night at palmwag that I still need to share.
That night after all the formalities were done, we sat around the fire, with Kamanya showing us his method of keeping warm by moving some of the coals of the fire under your chair. (yes it was a cold night in Namibia)
Sharing another round of beers that some of the guys were so generous to go buy for us.
That night sleep came easy and in fact I think I might have already dozed off while sitting around the fire.
Kobus Myburgh
Grey Hound
Day 9 - Purros to Palmwag
[youtube]https://youtu.be/R4veHuKKgSY[/youtube]
Not much can be added to the account of events by Andrew and Philip.
After Hardy and the team's emotional roller coaster event of the previous evening, I woke up with my head as clear as mud.
Being number 20, I was last to be placed the previous evening and first to be informed that our time was up and instructed to saddle up and head out back to camp. I remember Hardy stopping and asking me if I was OK. My words were restricted to "Jy doen dit f@kken nooit weer aan my nie", still with a lump in my throat. He had this huge grin on his face that I will never forget. At that moment my respect for this gentle giant was instilled for life. Barend asked me the same question from the back of the Cruiser, but with much greater concern, obviously also unfamiliar what this time of solitude can bring. :lol8:
So off we go on the morning of day 9 with a slight feeling of nostalgia that it is fast becoming the end of the adventure. One thing is for sure, the moment you start thinking too long, the route throws you a little surprise. The first one for the day was crossing the riverbed to get to the canyon entrance. Sand, sand and more sand, much to the elation of the group which have now, notwithstanding a couple of falls, become much more comfortable with the sand monster.
I will do the canyon with its varying terrain and water crossings an injustice trying to describe it in my Afrikaanse Engels. It's simply something that you have to experience for yourself.
The elephants in the background.
Some of the awesome professional photos.
Clinton
Gerrit (Scrat)
It was somewhat disappointed that we could not complete the canyon loop, but on the other hand also an enticement to come back for some unfinished business. Despite there being a calf with the group of elephants that caused our early turn around, Hardy also explained that Jabu, the young bull, is renowned to be difficult and it simply was not worth risking the group's safety.
Exiting the canyon where we entered was another mission on it's own. The drop down the river bank that we descended had a very bad dip at the bottom, which was a lot easier on the descend opposed to the ascend. It only took one or two guys before the rest of the group opted for a better line and a lesser incline slightly to the right. This is also where we witnessed Grant's spectacular, yet very eina, crash. Jip, it was a crash, not a fall. How he got up, the pain obvious on his face, later turning into a smile again, got onto his bike and off we went, is still beyond me.
After re-grouping outside Purros, the road was relatively easy going again, yet filled with fantastic scenery. The sand highway (seen from about 02:08 on the day's video) was certainly a highlight for me.
Another stop along the way.
Re-fueling
Stopping to have a look at the giraffe.
Driving into the familiar Palmwag everyone was again in high spirit. Hennie delivered his presentation that evening and had everyone rolling in laughter. "Mensvreter" received a completely new meaning that evening. :imaposer:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/R4veHuKKgSY[/youtube]
Not much can be added to the account of events by Andrew and Philip.
After Hardy and the team's emotional roller coaster event of the previous evening, I woke up with my head as clear as mud.
Being number 20, I was last to be placed the previous evening and first to be informed that our time was up and instructed to saddle up and head out back to camp. I remember Hardy stopping and asking me if I was OK. My words were restricted to "Jy doen dit f@kken nooit weer aan my nie", still with a lump in my throat. He had this huge grin on his face that I will never forget. At that moment my respect for this gentle giant was instilled for life. Barend asked me the same question from the back of the Cruiser, but with much greater concern, obviously also unfamiliar what this time of solitude can bring. :lol8:
So off we go on the morning of day 9 with a slight feeling of nostalgia that it is fast becoming the end of the adventure. One thing is for sure, the moment you start thinking too long, the route throws you a little surprise. The first one for the day was crossing the riverbed to get to the canyon entrance. Sand, sand and more sand, much to the elation of the group which have now, notwithstanding a couple of falls, become much more comfortable with the sand monster.
I will do the canyon with its varying terrain and water crossings an injustice trying to describe it in my Afrikaanse Engels. It's simply something that you have to experience for yourself.
The elephants in the background.
Some of the awesome professional photos.
Clinton
Gerrit (Scrat)
It was somewhat disappointed that we could not complete the canyon loop, but on the other hand also an enticement to come back for some unfinished business. Despite there being a calf with the group of elephants that caused our early turn around, Hardy also explained that Jabu, the young bull, is renowned to be difficult and it simply was not worth risking the group's safety.
Exiting the canyon where we entered was another mission on it's own. The drop down the river bank that we descended had a very bad dip at the bottom, which was a lot easier on the descend opposed to the ascend. It only took one or two guys before the rest of the group opted for a better line and a lesser incline slightly to the right. This is also where we witnessed Grant's spectacular, yet very eina, crash. Jip, it was a crash, not a fall. How he got up, the pain obvious on his face, later turning into a smile again, got onto his bike and off we went, is still beyond me.
After re-grouping outside Purros, the road was relatively easy going again, yet filled with fantastic scenery. The sand highway (seen from about 02:08 on the day's video) was certainly a highlight for me.
Another stop along the way.
Re-fueling
Stopping to have a look at the giraffe.
Driving into the familiar Palmwag everyone was again in high spirit. Hennie delivered his presentation that evening and had everyone rolling in laughter. "Mensvreter" received a completely new meaning that evening. :imaposer:
Kobus Myburgh
Grey Hound
Andries was the other presenter in Palmwag, telling us everything about the history of Honda. This was very interesting and a great pity that the feared 15 minute talk all of a sudden came to a premature end. One day I still want to hear the whole story. (And try and remember it :)
The challenge for the day was riding in wet boots since we left Purros canyon. The Gaerne SG's are great boots, but unbeknown to me, fitted with a non return valve. What goes in, never comes out, apart from your feet that is. I will refrain from posting pics of what my feet looked like, but it was bloody sore that evening.
)The challenge for the day was riding in wet boots since we left Purros canyon. The Gaerne SG's are great boots, but unbeknown to me, fitted with a non return valve. What goes in, never comes out, apart from your feet that is. I will refrain from posting pics of what my feet looked like, but it was bloody sore that evening.
Rhino2
Pack Dog
Yis one needs a couple of days with nothing to do to really enjoy this thread. Thanks to the guys writing it up. It is great work. :deal: :deal: :deal: :deal: :lamer: :lamer: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
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When you spend such a concentrated amount of time together, there’s far more to the adventure than just riding.
See Phillip and I in our tent on the left there? This picture of Kobus' in Palmwag has a much bigger story behind it…
At Winhoek, we were told that at some point, we would have to present a charitable humanitarian idea that would be worthy of being supported by Honda and Specialised adventures. Not a lot of detail was given other than that. On the rest day Phillip told me of his;
He was going to suggest supporting a kid with a specific cancer of the blood as he had a friend whose daughter was going through this. Maybe she could be the beneficiary of this cause?
It was laudable, but, I was anticipating that this exercise wasn’t just about a good idea. It would also contribute to our competition and count in ways that spoke to being a future brand ambassador. My thinking was, not only are they looking for the best team out here in the bush, but they would have to also become spokespeople for the brand after the fact. Being able to speak a clear corporate message that reflects passion and compassion would be a good thing. Towards this end I tried to be diplomatic, but using cold logic said, “realistically, I don’t see Honda getting behind one little white girl. It’s tragic but what’s the message? Can you somehow tie it to a bigger picture that Honda can use? Maybe a current cancer project that focuses on types often contracted by kids?”
Phillip grasped the message but seemed a little quiet. I presumed it had to do with empathy for his friends plight and left it at that.
So, we put up that tent there and I was busy doing whatever and finally got a moment to lay down and catch up with the WhatsApp group. Phillip came in, sat down heavily, clearly something was up; he's normally a pretty unflappable sort. The photo was taken right about here.
“Hey, what’s up?” I gently enquired,
He couldn’t speak for a few moments and was close to tears, my mind was racing whilst waiting for him to gather himself, “****! he must have received some terrible news”.
Finally he manged to get it out; Due to his being close to his friends daughters cancer, some of her symptoms were also coming up in his daughter recently. His wife and he were greatly worried that she too may have it. They’d decided to have her checked out as soon as he had returned from Quest. Unbeknownst to him, whilst he was on Quest, his wife had managed to get some tests done and that day the results had come back. She’d typed out a very long message with the results only at the end. As he’d started reading it, and realising what the message was about, he’d gotten a huge fright and with mounting dread kept reading through the explanations and story. By the time he’d got to the end and finally the good news – she was clear - he was a wreck.
Such a rollercoaster of emotions! I was nearly in tears too after his retelling. I felt like a prize prick as well; just the day before, I’d shot down his idea, not realising that it was a LOT more personal for him.
I apologised for being insensitive. He would have none of it as how was I to know, and plus, I was right about the overall.
We had a good chat about life and stuff and much later had a few good beers. Such things happen on adventures, it’s not all about the bike but the stories and people one goes with that make the difference.
He’s a good man.
See Phillip and I in our tent on the left there? This picture of Kobus' in Palmwag has a much bigger story behind it…
At Winhoek, we were told that at some point, we would have to present a charitable humanitarian idea that would be worthy of being supported by Honda and Specialised adventures. Not a lot of detail was given other than that. On the rest day Phillip told me of his;
He was going to suggest supporting a kid with a specific cancer of the blood as he had a friend whose daughter was going through this. Maybe she could be the beneficiary of this cause?
It was laudable, but, I was anticipating that this exercise wasn’t just about a good idea. It would also contribute to our competition and count in ways that spoke to being a future brand ambassador. My thinking was, not only are they looking for the best team out here in the bush, but they would have to also become spokespeople for the brand after the fact. Being able to speak a clear corporate message that reflects passion and compassion would be a good thing. Towards this end I tried to be diplomatic, but using cold logic said, “realistically, I don’t see Honda getting behind one little white girl. It’s tragic but what’s the message? Can you somehow tie it to a bigger picture that Honda can use? Maybe a current cancer project that focuses on types often contracted by kids?”
Phillip grasped the message but seemed a little quiet. I presumed it had to do with empathy for his friends plight and left it at that.
So, we put up that tent there and I was busy doing whatever and finally got a moment to lay down and catch up with the WhatsApp group. Phillip came in, sat down heavily, clearly something was up; he's normally a pretty unflappable sort. The photo was taken right about here.
“Hey, what’s up?” I gently enquired,
He couldn’t speak for a few moments and was close to tears, my mind was racing whilst waiting for him to gather himself, “****! he must have received some terrible news”.
Finally he manged to get it out; Due to his being close to his friends daughters cancer, some of her symptoms were also coming up in his daughter recently. His wife and he were greatly worried that she too may have it. They’d decided to have her checked out as soon as he had returned from Quest. Unbeknownst to him, whilst he was on Quest, his wife had managed to get some tests done and that day the results had come back. She’d typed out a very long message with the results only at the end. As he’d started reading it, and realising what the message was about, he’d gotten a huge fright and with mounting dread kept reading through the explanations and story. By the time he’d got to the end and finally the good news – she was clear - he was a wreck.
Such a rollercoaster of emotions! I was nearly in tears too after his retelling. I felt like a prize prick as well; just the day before, I’d shot down his idea, not realising that it was a LOT more personal for him.
I apologised for being insensitive. He would have none of it as how was I to know, and plus, I was right about the overall.
We had a good chat about life and stuff and much later had a few good beers. Such things happen on adventures, it’s not all about the bike but the stories and people one goes with that make the difference.
He’s a good man.
Scalpel
Grey Hound
Opuwo treated us to an amazing sunrise! Today we would head to the Angolan border and to Epupa falls. The last time I was in Angola I was there on official business without a passport. This time around we would stand in Namibia and look over to Angola. Memories both good and bad filled my head as we rode toward Epupa falls and the glimpse of Angola. These were memories of a time in my life when we were supposed to be young and carefree. This however were not to be. We saw and experienced and did things all beyond our age. We made friends and we lost friends all in a very short time span. We got scarred mentally and emotionally and we moved on. The closer we got to the border the more my thoughts went away to close to 30 years ago when I did what I believed was right! Sometimes it does help to visit these places in your mind again. Open the rooms up. Give them some air. Get all the stale stagnated air and smells out. Refresh yourself and carry on!
The ride out of Opuwo was Rockstar like!! Riding in a convoy with spectators lined next to the road. Ag ek bedoel voetgangers langs die pad! I felt alive although my mind was racing with thoughts suppressed for years. We left the metropole of Opuwo behind. The Capitol of Kaokoland. Soon we settled into the rhythm of the road and headed towards Swartbooisdrift.
We stopped at the Dorsland trekkers memorial and had lunch there. This with a view of Angola. I have to go back to Angola some or other time! Maybe another bucket list trip. Spirits were as high as the temeprture guage on this day. Ockie was going around with his ice cold water and cold drink. Whata medic!!
Hardy warned us of the road heading up along the Kunene River as we left Swartboois drift. My mind was still in places that I don’t really visit anymore. On this day I opened up a lot of unopened places for the first time in years, maybe decades.
We went through a small settlement with goats and dogs around. I was riding the DCT on this day. The DCT afforded me the luxury to have a wondering mind. We hit the first sandy river crossing and I went down. My DCT was in Namibia and my mind in Angola. The sand monster got me and I had to wake up back to reality quite fast. That settled and sorted my mind back on track I got through the sand. Thanks John Tau and Twister.
Onwards and upwards of so se hulle!! Riding along the Kunene River was absolutely a site to behold. Lush green vegetation. Green and bloody hot!! Numerous pictures of HONDA Africa Twin temperature dials going around to confirm the heat. We had to stop a few times to repair punctures. We just headed for the shade as fast as possible.
As KTMKobus explained we had to wait for Johannes and Tyrebraaier as they had a puncture. Myself, KTMKobus, Scrat and Twister were sitting in the shade waiting for them to catch up again. These were good times. Where new friendships were formed and any competition forgotten. It was only an adventure with friends doing what they do!! Earlier at Epuwo we found a red buff hanging over our wash line. We could not find the owner and we packed the buff away. Skywalker materialised out of nowhere like these sky walkers do and was looking for his buff. I knew I had it and I knew I packed it away but for the life of me I just could not remember where! Ouderdom is ‘n bliksem. Well I found it!! Whilst I was busy with my little tutorial on the Makalani palm tree used for beer and its pods used for curios I somehow found the buff stuffed into my jacket pocket. Skywalker was later very relieved to get his buff back as it had some sentimental value!
We eventually got going again. We got to our campsite for the evening. What a campsite. Fever tress right next to the Kunene River. What a spot. We set up camp. Unloaded the Iveco. I had my talk this evening. Ag nee so I couldn’t go to the pools but relieved to be able to finish my talk.
We all went up to the bar on a beautiful deck. Barend Fouche bought a round of beer and a coke and a Savannah. What a stunning view over the falls and Angola. Epupa is really a beautiful place. Do yourself the favour and visit.
Myself, Johannes and Skywalker had our talks on this evening at Epupa. Whilst we were busy with our talks Hinksding fell into the pool! What makes this a funny story is the fact that there was no water in the pool! Could have ended badly! We filled the bikes as well as some of the vehicles to get them lighter for the road ahead. Tomorrow we will start our approach to Van Zyls. Oom Ben built a special kind of stupid that we challenge ourselves against with modern equipment. In my mind I could just see how Ben van Zyl et al did Van Zyls pass with vehicles with drum brakes all around and no fancy 4x4 assist buttons you could use. These guys were the true adventurers.
We had a good night’s sleep under the stars and a mosquito net. Hardy’s words echoing in our minds about the day that lay ahead. John Tau read us a message he received from Rickus regarding Van Zyls pass. We were also informed about the abandoned KTM that had to be evacuated left behind somewhere in God’s country. Nonetheless sleep was good. I had the EDBLO of stretchers!!
Epupa to Van Zyls camp.
Morning dawned all too soon as it did everyday. We awoke with the sound of the Kunene River in the background. What would today hold for us? The first 70km flew by within the hour as predicted. With the sun rising on our left we were cruising on the dirt highways. We soon reached Okongwati. Here we regrouped and John Tau placed us in our new convoy format. Lekker man lekker!! Off we go. Not far out of town and we hit the first sandy riverbed. Johannes went down in spectacular fashion. Caught on TV. Man if this was the sign of things to come. As Kamanya explained we had the first ïssues” with a DCT. Grants bike had a bit of an issue after his fall but that was soon remedied and off we went.
The rest of the days riding was rocky with thorn bush. Great stuff I like. We enjoyed the riding although there was a puncture or two. We had the first steep rocky climb of the day and I suffered from short legs. Man o man. When I put the foot down I needed another few inches and down I went. KTMKobus did his best sprint with Twister on his heels to try and catch my fall but alas the boys are just not fast enough.
McSack had his incident just ahead of me. I was the first medically qualified person to reach him. When he saw me he blurted out that he is ok and doesn’t need any assistance. Did I mention I am a veterinarian? Mcsack was hit the only rock in that section with his ribs. He went down hard.
We go to Van Zyls camp. What a beautiful setting under the Anna trees. In the riverbed. It was truly amazing. God’s country. Here we prepared a large fire pit in the river bed and we had the evening talks in a stunning setting. Once again the food was great and we had a camp spot under the trees where we also had a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we will face the Van Zyls pass!!
We woke up to a beautiful morning under the Anna trees. We were truly blessed. Today we will face and hopefully conquer Van Zyls pass. Breakfast was great as always. Iveco loaded bikes had their pre ride check and we were ready. We had to get our sand legs early in the morning to get back through the riverbed.
Once through the riverbed we set out on the days ride. Not far out of camp we got the first rocky descents and steps. Nope this is not Van Zyls yet!! The route all the way to Van Zyls lookout was rocky and absolutely amazing. Views were stunning. We got to Van Zyls look out. Wow wow and wow. This is truly Gods country. We had a photo shoot with the bikes all lined up.
Then we headed down to oom Ben se pass. It got real. We parked the bikes and John then called us through. With the help of everyone I got through without any incidence. Early days! We all helped and made sure that the other contestants all got through in one piece as well.
Shortly after the steps we had a bit of carnage. As Hardy said earlier the section was washed out. Skywalker fell over right in front of me, then Charliepappa feel over in the same place. Low and behold I went over in exactly the same place. I fell on a rock that caused a dent in the Africa Twins tank.
We eventually got to the bottom of Van Zyls. Wrote our names on a rock and promptly hit the Marienfluss sand. Lekker man lekker. We had to get through some red sand and another rocky pass before we got to Marble camp. We were still in for some good riding.
Sand sand and more sand. Just got my rock feet sorted and now I need my sand feet. Oh wait no. Maybe I need a combo of sand and rock! Ok. We will go with a combo. Before we hit Jouberts pass we had another flat tyre. Lost count of how many and who had the flat. Between bike 1 and 17 the compressors were out and puncture sorted in no time. We sailed over Jouberts pass and we were blessed with no incidents. We regrouped and headed for Marble camp. What a lekker campsite. Spirits were high after conquering Oom Ben se pass. Later that evening some more spirits went around but alas splitting a bottle of rum between the contestants is no mean feat. Everyone was happy and team 9 and 10 was on cooking duty. As mentioned by KTM Kobus and Scrat the ladies from the crew made us look good with the tasty marinade they prepared for our steaks.
During the evening I was woken up by a noise in the river. I am quite a light sleeper. I took my torch and shone it into the river. There was a donkey family of three standing under the trees in the riverbed close to us. Maybe there way of feeling safe. As far as I can recall Skywalker went to relieve himself during the night in the riverbed. He got the fright of his life when the family of donkeys decided to move quite close to him.
Next morning after preparing a stunning breakfast and doing the dishes we were off heading for Purros. What more can I say about this day. Sand and more glorious sand. When faced with the decision to get out of the river I decided to get out and Twister was to carry on. I was riding the manual and he was on the DCT. Not long after we regrouped with the rest of the guys that got out of the river earlier we met up the sand masters again. From there on it was river bed all the way. It was fun. I have never ridden in so much sand on an Adventure bike. I got the hang of it and I really enjoyed it. The Africa Twin made me do it!!
Quick stop for the now famous jaffels. They went down like a home sick puppy!! From here we went through glorious land scape. Namibia is truly a place of contrasts. Namibia has really crept into my veins.
We got to Purros rest camp. An oasis beyond what one can describe with words. Much has been said about Purros in this report already but do yourself a favour. Go and experience it for yourself.
Purros service station erupted the next morning. Spanners is geswaai and we serviced the bikes. Team work was brilliant and everyone made sure that the environment was kept clean. Clothes was washed and clean for a change at $Nam5 per big ticket clothing item.
Janco and Mark let us know that we will have an activity that afternoon. No bike kit needed just boots and helmet. Speculation was rife. We left camp and was taken into the desert by Hardy. Dropped off at with about 200-300m between teams. From number 1 to number 20 was close on 4kilos.
We were left in the desert with our own thoughts. At first my brain was racing all over the show. Then it settled and the desert around me came to life. Small birds, Gemsbok in the distance and my mind at peace with itself. Decisions were made. Tears were shed but I was happy. That hour in the 12 days Quest had the biggest impact on my life going forward.
Next morning we left Purros. Excitement was tangible as we were heading into the canyon. Unfortunately our way was blocked by the ellies who had other plans. We turned around and headed for sesfontein. Here we filled up and hit the mall!! Yeah I mean the local shop. Supplies was bought by everyone and the local economy had a small boost. We eventually got to Palmwag where another ellie awaited us. Palmwag is such an oasis. Definitely worth a visit.
Next morning we hit the road from Palmwag to Brandberg. Lekker maklik!! Ons kan mos nou al scooter ry. We hit the tourist highways and we eventually get to Twyfelfontein. Not too bad. Dis lekker warm. Now the word lekker can mean so many different things. For once it was just stifling hot. We take a quick stroll through Twyfelfontein. Rock art really great. Lawn lush green. Swimming pool so inviting. Tourist types sitting in the restaurant looking down at us poor souls. The one thing they don’t know is were heading for the sand!! Yeah man!!
Leaving Twyfelfontein we go to burnt mountain. First another puncture. We are spoilt at this point with some cold drinks from the instructors. Dankie Janco en Garron. It was good. From here we started getting twee spoor paadjies. Our first welwichia of the trip as well. We all stopped and had a look. Slowly catching the worm we started getting more sand. Slowly but surely the sand monster appeared and reared its head. We had a long river bed stretch with river sand. Boy old boy. I was jiving all over the AT but it made me look good. I had an awesome sand day with no issues. The sand was reddish. To get going was quite a struggle. Once on the sand you could plane and it was easier. Instructions was given that once you get going keep momentum and don’t stop. A couple of us got to the top. As you crested the majestic Brandberg lay ahead of you. Here we stopped and waited. I asked Johannes Haasbroek when this fearsome dune will hit us. His comment Jinne my Bra jys klaar met die duine. Dit was Land Cruiser hill. I was elated. The view was stunnig. Angus even brewd himself a cup of cold tea to celebrate.
Once everyone was here we started with some downhill sand riding. Very different and not easy at all. Eventually we got to camp at White lady. What a spectacular welcoming camp. A nice little quiz awaited us to settle some scores.
The next morning we heard there was some lion very close to the camp. Wow. Today was the last day on the bike and probably one of the most difficult as well due to long straight roads. Heat and later the week end traffic on our way back to Windhoek. John Tau got the last puncture of the trip 10kilos out of Windhoek at over a 100km/h. I was riding behind him. Donner hy was amper daarmee heen. Daar is ‘n paar groot happe uit sy AT se seat gevat!! Well all is well that ends well. The end to a stunnig trip!!!!
My thoughts on the Africa Twin. I have always been a Honda fan but the new Africa Twin was admired from a distance. The DCT never even crossed my mind. At boot camp I had a couple of short rides on the AT. I took the DCT around the block and I was hooked. Between boot camp and actual Quest ADA gave me a demo for a week end or two. First week end was the DCT. I absolutely loved the bike. Effortless. It made me faster through corners and I could even enjoy the scenery without worrying about gears. The next week end was a manual. I really enjoyed this AT just as much as the DCT but in my mind the DCT was just better.
At the Quest I grabbed a DCT on day one out of Windhoek. This helped me getting comfortable riding adventure bikes again. As mentioned earlier this would be the fourth time this year riding an adventure bike. The DCT AT made it easy. It made me look good and gave me confidence. Throughout the Quest the AT delivered. On the day before Van Zyls and Van Zyls pass I was riding the DCT. It made my life easier. I used the manual function on most of these two days. The second gear on the AT is a tractor gear. You just chug along in 2nd and it eats up anything you can through at it. In my opinion the Africa Twin is probably the most underrated adventure bike in the market. Everything it does it does above average!!! There is nothing average on this bike. It’s a simple very effective bike. Built to last with the minimum electronics in. The suspension works well for me. My height and weight. The DCT in my opinion is the way forward. Nothing compares to it. The only negative comment regarding the DCT was the fact that 2nd gear pull away was not possible but I am sure Honda will remedy this with a software upgrade in the future.
If you haven’t been to your Honda dealer yet do yourself a favour and visit. Take the AT for a test drive, even better take the DCT. You will have a different opinion of the bike after riding it. Keep your eyes peeled. There will be Honda Test drive week ends held where you can test ride the AT and some other Honda’s in their natural habitat!!
The ride out of Opuwo was Rockstar like!! Riding in a convoy with spectators lined next to the road. Ag ek bedoel voetgangers langs die pad! I felt alive although my mind was racing with thoughts suppressed for years. We left the metropole of Opuwo behind. The Capitol of Kaokoland. Soon we settled into the rhythm of the road and headed towards Swartbooisdrift.
We stopped at the Dorsland trekkers memorial and had lunch there. This with a view of Angola. I have to go back to Angola some or other time! Maybe another bucket list trip. Spirits were as high as the temeprture guage on this day. Ockie was going around with his ice cold water and cold drink. Whata medic!!
Hardy warned us of the road heading up along the Kunene River as we left Swartboois drift. My mind was still in places that I don’t really visit anymore. On this day I opened up a lot of unopened places for the first time in years, maybe decades.
We went through a small settlement with goats and dogs around. I was riding the DCT on this day. The DCT afforded me the luxury to have a wondering mind. We hit the first sandy river crossing and I went down. My DCT was in Namibia and my mind in Angola. The sand monster got me and I had to wake up back to reality quite fast. That settled and sorted my mind back on track I got through the sand. Thanks John Tau and Twister.
Onwards and upwards of so se hulle!! Riding along the Kunene River was absolutely a site to behold. Lush green vegetation. Green and bloody hot!! Numerous pictures of HONDA Africa Twin temperature dials going around to confirm the heat. We had to stop a few times to repair punctures. We just headed for the shade as fast as possible.
As KTMKobus explained we had to wait for Johannes and Tyrebraaier as they had a puncture. Myself, KTMKobus, Scrat and Twister were sitting in the shade waiting for them to catch up again. These were good times. Where new friendships were formed and any competition forgotten. It was only an adventure with friends doing what they do!! Earlier at Epuwo we found a red buff hanging over our wash line. We could not find the owner and we packed the buff away. Skywalker materialised out of nowhere like these sky walkers do and was looking for his buff. I knew I had it and I knew I packed it away but for the life of me I just could not remember where! Ouderdom is ‘n bliksem. Well I found it!! Whilst I was busy with my little tutorial on the Makalani palm tree used for beer and its pods used for curios I somehow found the buff stuffed into my jacket pocket. Skywalker was later very relieved to get his buff back as it had some sentimental value!
We eventually got going again. We got to our campsite for the evening. What a campsite. Fever tress right next to the Kunene River. What a spot. We set up camp. Unloaded the Iveco. I had my talk this evening. Ag nee so I couldn’t go to the pools but relieved to be able to finish my talk.
We all went up to the bar on a beautiful deck. Barend Fouche bought a round of beer and a coke and a Savannah. What a stunning view over the falls and Angola. Epupa is really a beautiful place. Do yourself the favour and visit.
Myself, Johannes and Skywalker had our talks on this evening at Epupa. Whilst we were busy with our talks Hinksding fell into the pool! What makes this a funny story is the fact that there was no water in the pool! Could have ended badly! We filled the bikes as well as some of the vehicles to get them lighter for the road ahead. Tomorrow we will start our approach to Van Zyls. Oom Ben built a special kind of stupid that we challenge ourselves against with modern equipment. In my mind I could just see how Ben van Zyl et al did Van Zyls pass with vehicles with drum brakes all around and no fancy 4x4 assist buttons you could use. These guys were the true adventurers.
We had a good night’s sleep under the stars and a mosquito net. Hardy’s words echoing in our minds about the day that lay ahead. John Tau read us a message he received from Rickus regarding Van Zyls pass. We were also informed about the abandoned KTM that had to be evacuated left behind somewhere in God’s country. Nonetheless sleep was good. I had the EDBLO of stretchers!!
Epupa to Van Zyls camp.
Morning dawned all too soon as it did everyday. We awoke with the sound of the Kunene River in the background. What would today hold for us? The first 70km flew by within the hour as predicted. With the sun rising on our left we were cruising on the dirt highways. We soon reached Okongwati. Here we regrouped and John Tau placed us in our new convoy format. Lekker man lekker!! Off we go. Not far out of town and we hit the first sandy riverbed. Johannes went down in spectacular fashion. Caught on TV. Man if this was the sign of things to come. As Kamanya explained we had the first ïssues” with a DCT. Grants bike had a bit of an issue after his fall but that was soon remedied and off we went.
The rest of the days riding was rocky with thorn bush. Great stuff I like. We enjoyed the riding although there was a puncture or two. We had the first steep rocky climb of the day and I suffered from short legs. Man o man. When I put the foot down I needed another few inches and down I went. KTMKobus did his best sprint with Twister on his heels to try and catch my fall but alas the boys are just not fast enough.
McSack had his incident just ahead of me. I was the first medically qualified person to reach him. When he saw me he blurted out that he is ok and doesn’t need any assistance. Did I mention I am a veterinarian? Mcsack was hit the only rock in that section with his ribs. He went down hard.
We go to Van Zyls camp. What a beautiful setting under the Anna trees. In the riverbed. It was truly amazing. God’s country. Here we prepared a large fire pit in the river bed and we had the evening talks in a stunning setting. Once again the food was great and we had a camp spot under the trees where we also had a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we will face the Van Zyls pass!!
We woke up to a beautiful morning under the Anna trees. We were truly blessed. Today we will face and hopefully conquer Van Zyls pass. Breakfast was great as always. Iveco loaded bikes had their pre ride check and we were ready. We had to get our sand legs early in the morning to get back through the riverbed.
Once through the riverbed we set out on the days ride. Not far out of camp we got the first rocky descents and steps. Nope this is not Van Zyls yet!! The route all the way to Van Zyls lookout was rocky and absolutely amazing. Views were stunning. We got to Van Zyls look out. Wow wow and wow. This is truly Gods country. We had a photo shoot with the bikes all lined up.
Then we headed down to oom Ben se pass. It got real. We parked the bikes and John then called us through. With the help of everyone I got through without any incidence. Early days! We all helped and made sure that the other contestants all got through in one piece as well.
Shortly after the steps we had a bit of carnage. As Hardy said earlier the section was washed out. Skywalker fell over right in front of me, then Charliepappa feel over in the same place. Low and behold I went over in exactly the same place. I fell on a rock that caused a dent in the Africa Twins tank.
We eventually got to the bottom of Van Zyls. Wrote our names on a rock and promptly hit the Marienfluss sand. Lekker man lekker. We had to get through some red sand and another rocky pass before we got to Marble camp. We were still in for some good riding.
Sand sand and more sand. Just got my rock feet sorted and now I need my sand feet. Oh wait no. Maybe I need a combo of sand and rock! Ok. We will go with a combo. Before we hit Jouberts pass we had another flat tyre. Lost count of how many and who had the flat. Between bike 1 and 17 the compressors were out and puncture sorted in no time. We sailed over Jouberts pass and we were blessed with no incidents. We regrouped and headed for Marble camp. What a lekker campsite. Spirits were high after conquering Oom Ben se pass. Later that evening some more spirits went around but alas splitting a bottle of rum between the contestants is no mean feat. Everyone was happy and team 9 and 10 was on cooking duty. As mentioned by KTM Kobus and Scrat the ladies from the crew made us look good with the tasty marinade they prepared for our steaks.
During the evening I was woken up by a noise in the river. I am quite a light sleeper. I took my torch and shone it into the river. There was a donkey family of three standing under the trees in the riverbed close to us. Maybe there way of feeling safe. As far as I can recall Skywalker went to relieve himself during the night in the riverbed. He got the fright of his life when the family of donkeys decided to move quite close to him.
Next morning after preparing a stunning breakfast and doing the dishes we were off heading for Purros. What more can I say about this day. Sand and more glorious sand. When faced with the decision to get out of the river I decided to get out and Twister was to carry on. I was riding the manual and he was on the DCT. Not long after we regrouped with the rest of the guys that got out of the river earlier we met up the sand masters again. From there on it was river bed all the way. It was fun. I have never ridden in so much sand on an Adventure bike. I got the hang of it and I really enjoyed it. The Africa Twin made me do it!!
Quick stop for the now famous jaffels. They went down like a home sick puppy!! From here we went through glorious land scape. Namibia is truly a place of contrasts. Namibia has really crept into my veins.
We got to Purros rest camp. An oasis beyond what one can describe with words. Much has been said about Purros in this report already but do yourself a favour. Go and experience it for yourself.
Purros service station erupted the next morning. Spanners is geswaai and we serviced the bikes. Team work was brilliant and everyone made sure that the environment was kept clean. Clothes was washed and clean for a change at $Nam5 per big ticket clothing item.
Janco and Mark let us know that we will have an activity that afternoon. No bike kit needed just boots and helmet. Speculation was rife. We left camp and was taken into the desert by Hardy. Dropped off at with about 200-300m between teams. From number 1 to number 20 was close on 4kilos.
We were left in the desert with our own thoughts. At first my brain was racing all over the show. Then it settled and the desert around me came to life. Small birds, Gemsbok in the distance and my mind at peace with itself. Decisions were made. Tears were shed but I was happy. That hour in the 12 days Quest had the biggest impact on my life going forward.
Next morning we left Purros. Excitement was tangible as we were heading into the canyon. Unfortunately our way was blocked by the ellies who had other plans. We turned around and headed for sesfontein. Here we filled up and hit the mall!! Yeah I mean the local shop. Supplies was bought by everyone and the local economy had a small boost. We eventually got to Palmwag where another ellie awaited us. Palmwag is such an oasis. Definitely worth a visit.
Next morning we hit the road from Palmwag to Brandberg. Lekker maklik!! Ons kan mos nou al scooter ry. We hit the tourist highways and we eventually get to Twyfelfontein. Not too bad. Dis lekker warm. Now the word lekker can mean so many different things. For once it was just stifling hot. We take a quick stroll through Twyfelfontein. Rock art really great. Lawn lush green. Swimming pool so inviting. Tourist types sitting in the restaurant looking down at us poor souls. The one thing they don’t know is were heading for the sand!! Yeah man!!
Leaving Twyfelfontein we go to burnt mountain. First another puncture. We are spoilt at this point with some cold drinks from the instructors. Dankie Janco en Garron. It was good. From here we started getting twee spoor paadjies. Our first welwichia of the trip as well. We all stopped and had a look. Slowly catching the worm we started getting more sand. Slowly but surely the sand monster appeared and reared its head. We had a long river bed stretch with river sand. Boy old boy. I was jiving all over the AT but it made me look good. I had an awesome sand day with no issues. The sand was reddish. To get going was quite a struggle. Once on the sand you could plane and it was easier. Instructions was given that once you get going keep momentum and don’t stop. A couple of us got to the top. As you crested the majestic Brandberg lay ahead of you. Here we stopped and waited. I asked Johannes Haasbroek when this fearsome dune will hit us. His comment Jinne my Bra jys klaar met die duine. Dit was Land Cruiser hill. I was elated. The view was stunnig. Angus even brewd himself a cup of cold tea to celebrate.
Once everyone was here we started with some downhill sand riding. Very different and not easy at all. Eventually we got to camp at White lady. What a spectacular welcoming camp. A nice little quiz awaited us to settle some scores.
The next morning we heard there was some lion very close to the camp. Wow. Today was the last day on the bike and probably one of the most difficult as well due to long straight roads. Heat and later the week end traffic on our way back to Windhoek. John Tau got the last puncture of the trip 10kilos out of Windhoek at over a 100km/h. I was riding behind him. Donner hy was amper daarmee heen. Daar is ‘n paar groot happe uit sy AT se seat gevat!! Well all is well that ends well. The end to a stunnig trip!!!!
My thoughts on the Africa Twin. I have always been a Honda fan but the new Africa Twin was admired from a distance. The DCT never even crossed my mind. At boot camp I had a couple of short rides on the AT. I took the DCT around the block and I was hooked. Between boot camp and actual Quest ADA gave me a demo for a week end or two. First week end was the DCT. I absolutely loved the bike. Effortless. It made me faster through corners and I could even enjoy the scenery without worrying about gears. The next week end was a manual. I really enjoyed this AT just as much as the DCT but in my mind the DCT was just better.
At the Quest I grabbed a DCT on day one out of Windhoek. This helped me getting comfortable riding adventure bikes again. As mentioned earlier this would be the fourth time this year riding an adventure bike. The DCT AT made it easy. It made me look good and gave me confidence. Throughout the Quest the AT delivered. On the day before Van Zyls and Van Zyls pass I was riding the DCT. It made my life easier. I used the manual function on most of these two days. The second gear on the AT is a tractor gear. You just chug along in 2nd and it eats up anything you can through at it. In my opinion the Africa Twin is probably the most underrated adventure bike in the market. Everything it does it does above average!!! There is nothing average on this bike. It’s a simple very effective bike. Built to last with the minimum electronics in. The suspension works well for me. My height and weight. The DCT in my opinion is the way forward. Nothing compares to it. The only negative comment regarding the DCT was the fact that 2nd gear pull away was not possible but I am sure Honda will remedy this with a software upgrade in the future.
If you haven’t been to your Honda dealer yet do yourself a favour and visit. Take the AT for a test drive, even better take the DCT. You will have a different opinion of the bike after riding it. Keep your eyes peeled. There will be Honda Test drive week ends held where you can test ride the AT and some other Honda’s in their natural habitat!!
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Scalpel said:
I like your work, personally signed...
Sheepman
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Kamanya said:When you spend such a concentrated amount of time together, there’s far more to the adventure than just riding.
See Phillip and I in our tent on the left there? This picture of Kobus' in Palmwag has a much bigger story behind it…
At Winhoek, we were told that at some point, we would have to present a charitable humanitarian idea that would be worthy of being supported by Honda and Specialised adventures. Not a lot of detail was given other than that. On the rest day Phillip told me of his;
He was going to suggest supporting a kid with a specific cancer of the blood as he had a friend whose daughter was going through this. Maybe she could be the beneficiary of this cause?
It was laudable, but, I was anticipating that this exercise wasn’t just about a good idea. It would also contribute to our competition and count in ways that spoke to being a future brand ambassador. My thinking was, not only are they looking for the best team out here in the bush, but they would have to also become spokespeople for the brand after the fact. Being able to speak a clear corporate message that reflects passion and compassion would be a good thing. Towards this end I tried to be diplomatic, but using cold logic said, “realistically, I don’t see Honda getting behind one little white girl. It’s tragic but what’s the message? Can you somehow tie it to a bigger picture that Honda can use? Maybe a current cancer project that focuses on types often contracted by kids?”
Phillip grasped the message but seemed a little quiet. I presumed it had to do with empathy for his friends plight and left it at that.
So, we put up that tent there and I was busy doing whatever and finally got a moment to lay down and catch up with the WhatsApp group. Phillip came in, sat down heavily, clearly something was up; he's normally a pretty unflappable sort. The photo was taken right about here.
“Hey, what’s up?” I gently enquired,
He couldn’t speak for a few moments and was close to tears, my mind was racing whilst waiting for him to gather himself, “****! he must have received some terrible news”.
Finally he manged to get it out; Due to his being close to his friends daughters cancer, some of her symptoms were also coming up in his daughter recently. His wife and he were greatly worried that she too may have it. They’d decided to have her checked out as soon as he had returned from Quest. Unbeknownst to him, whilst he was on Quest, his wife had managed to get some tests done and that day the results had come back. She’d typed out a very long message with the results only at the end. As he’d started reading it, and realising what the message was about, he’d gotten a huge fright and with mounting dread kept reading through the explanations and story. By the time he’d got to the end and finally the good news – she was clear - he was a wreck.
Such a rollercoaster of emotions! I was nearly in tears too after his retelling. I felt like a prize prick as well; just the day before, I’d shot down his idea, not realising that it was a LOT more personal for him.
I apologised for being insensitive. He would have none of it as how was I to know, and plus, I was right about the overall.
We had a good chat about life and stuff and much later had a few good beers. Such things happen on adventures, it’s not all about the bike but the stories and people one goes with that make the difference.
He’s a good man.
I agree that bike trips are much more than just a few bikers riding together. Its more important for me to be able to have proper, unpomplicated, relaxing interaction with my fellow riders when the helmets come off.We once had a chap join our group and every time he took off his lid he started to lecture the group on lines to be taken and not taken.....this to be done and that to be done in a particular way......these tyres to be fitted instead of the ones which your bike was fitted with and all sorts of other uncolicited advice and direction given :
Needless to say, he doesn't ride with the group anymore and the idle biking chatter has returned in the group :thumleft: Smart alexes ought to share their smartness with only themselves, at least on bike trips.
