Over the Hills and Far Away (Complete)

[BlueBull2007]

Excellent stuff!!

You need to name and shame that swine who sold you the bike with the triple clamp broken. That could have resulted in something really serious.

 

[HennieF]

Excellent stuff!!

You need to name and shame that swine who sold you the bike with the triple clamp broken. That could have resulted in something really serious.

I don't want to get involved in Jaun's business. I will get him to join and he can tell us the full story.

 

[HennieF]

Day 5. Part 1.
Planned route: Katse dam via Thaba Tsheka on the A4 to Tele bridge border post 470km.
Actual route: Himeville to some where wet in Lesotho 200km.
Schedule: Behind 1 day.

Paying the ferry man his dues.


This morning Jaun managed to be up before me. I guess the lack of sleep the previous night had something to do with it. He takes a pic of me still fast asleep as proof. Since Jaun off yesterday we are now keeping score. Even who gets up first.

I am a stomach sleeper and like to sleep with my head on the corner of the bed rather than on a cushion. The ATG stretched with its metal polls running on the sides is does not fit into my sleeping profile that well. Still it is much better that sleeping on the ground.

We make extra sure this morning to clean the chains properly and get them lubed well. After yesterdays muddy route who know what Lesotho have in store for us? The plan was to ride trough Lesotho keeping on the A1 up to Letseng diamond mine. Just passed the mine there is a gravel road via Kao diamond mine that will take us back to Katse dam.

Before we could head up Sani we first had to shoot trough to Underberg for some provisions and a new rain suite for Jaun. He’s pants section got torn as it was a little small for him. We also bought some energy bars and a couple of packets of peanuts with raisins for the road. As Jaun was looking around in the shops a friendly man came over for a chat. He was a tour guide that takes tourist on day trip up into the mountains. Today he was doing the Sani as well.  He said the pass was in a very good condition but that we must just be careful of one bad section where there is a slight rocky step up in one of the bends towards the top. We finally managed to locate a replacement set of rain clothes for Jaun at the Famers market (Kooperasie). He only needed the pants but had to by a full set to get them.

Now finally ready we head for the Sani turn off. The route up until the border post makes for some interesting riding. They are busy resurfacing the road and it is now covered in a lot of loose pebbles. Sand is one thing but pebbles another. The back of the bike slides all over the place and it feels like riding on ball bearings. You just have to keep in the vehicles tracks and power trough it. We stopped at this beautiful waterfall still unaware on how big influence water would have on the outcome of this day.

Border formalities was quick and upon asking one of the border officials if I may take some pictures his answer to me was do has you like. They were more interested in dancing with the occupants in a nearby taxi with its music blaring out of it open window and doors. As we get ready to leave the border post the tour guide that I met in Underberg pulled into the parking area behind us.

I went up Sani in April 2010 and struggled a lot to get to the top. Now the road is graded and all the rocks that I struggled to get across back then were covered. There were still some water in the road but the surface was hard underneath our wheels so the going was quick and the views spectacular.

We made some time to stop for a couple of pictures with this one been one of my favorites of the whole trip.

We are now nearing the famous switch backs at the top and the struggle to the top in April 2010 was still fresh in my memory.

The Country trax training now kicked in. Just relax look ahead where you want to go and move your weight onto the pegs as you lean the bike into the corners and do not lose momentum. I was at this stage only thinking of myself. Jaun was a first timer up here and he had his own battle to fight. I was on the lookout for the rocky step up that I was warned about. Found it right on a bend in the middle somewhere of the switch backs. My first thought was shit this is to high the bike would not clear this. Too late to stop and pick the best line just commit and whatever you do, do not lose that momentum. The bike handled it amazingly. At the top I asked Jaun did you see that rocky outcrop that we had to climb. Nope he did not too much concentration.

At the top Jaun was a little emotional must be height sickness or something.

We cleared the Lesotho border formalities with relative ease. The one official warned us that a couple of roads are flooded and that we should rather phone ahead to gather more information before we ride any further into the Mountain Kingdom. I’ve and hear a lot about the Sani top pub but have missed it the previous time up here. Today I would not make that same mistake again. We had a couple of beers and had the soup of the day. Yes we took a pic of that too just to show our mother that we ate as well on the trip and did not only drink beer as they believed.

There is a little pass a couple of kilometers away from the border post. I believe it’s the Black Mountain pass but I not sure. I found it a little trickier than Sani because of the wash outs and loose rocks that were used to cover all these gaps in the road. We were also been chased by a fleet of taxis. I believe these drivers must be veteran Roof of Africa participants by now. Honorary members even. You could hear how these taxis are hitting their chassis on the rocks as they climb up the pass. The Gauteng taxis drivers are pissies against their Lesotho counterparts.

Another famous stretch of road that I have seen many pictures of is this one. We had to stop here to give the mad taxi drivers a chance to get ahead.  I fit was not for them I would have missed it. There were also a lot of animals been herded on the road today. It seems to be shaving season up here.

Somehow it slipped my mind that we would probably need some money while traveling through this place. I forgot to draw money in Underberg and now we had only R380 between the two of us. In Mokhotlong there is a bank and we would try our luck there for more funds. When reaching the bank we saw a line stretching from it longer than a 1994 voting line. We don’t have the time for this and decided to push on.

At 15h00 we called for a break and pulled of the road. True to Lesotho a place that seemed quite suddenly is not. We attract some attention from local herders and true to form they come closer to ask for sweets and money. So far on the trip we had been in 1 Wimpy and 2 Spurs so I had a couple of sweets in my pockets specifically for this situations. They were small kid’s dresses in oversized gumboots and covered in blankets. Two sweets each and they were off. The clouds were starting to build up again and our chances of getting wet again seemed very likely.

By now a little warning light should have come on in my head. If it did I missed it completely.

 

[BlueBull2007]

Cant wait for the next episode.....

 

[HennieF]

Day 5. Part 2.
Paying the ferry man his dues.

The clouds start building up again as we were parked off next to the road taking a breather. We still had 50km to ride to Letseng diamond mine and to the turn off towards Katse dam. We had to hurry not to get wet as the rain closed in on us quickly. The 50km to Letseng mine is very badly potholed and now with the rain the potholes is full with water which makes it difficult to choose a line trough what little tar is left. So often you get surprised as the road disappears underneath you.

Finally arriving at the turn off to the B804 that would take us to Katse dam we find a 4WD truck parked in the road. It was still raining heavily and we could see that the route was going to be tuff. The driver of the truck is unsure to the road condition ahead because of low level river crossings that could be impassable. He was especially worried about the main river down the valley that could be completely impassable. He was waiting for word from someone ahead before attempting the road himself. We took his number and told him we would give him a call if we get trough. If he hear nothing from us then we did not made it. We probably should have stayed there as well but what would be the fun in that.

The road was freshly graded and with the rain it was a mud bath. We were also the first on the road so there were no vehicle tracks so follow. Up hills and down hills was especially a challenge as there was very little grip in the mud. You touch the brake and you would be sliding around and if you throttle up just a bit too much the back wants to slide out from underneath you. The worst thing about this road is that some sadistic bastard has gone and paint the kilometers to Koa mine on rocks next to the road. So now we could experience the suffering in detail as each kilometer goes by and with each kilometer been indicated to us it went by very slowly.

We found the grader with its driver on top off a hill. He warned us not to proceed any further as most of the little streams in the valley are now in flood and getting trough them will be impossible. We said sorry we came all this way through the mud and we are not turning around to do it all over again. The going from here was a little easier as the grader has not messed up the road yet and something heavy has passed here before us. Unfortunately whatever it was has torn up the road badly. In the next valley we slip and slide pass two bull dozers on their way to Koa mine. Now the road becomes somewhat ride able again.

We had now work out a system were whomever would pass through an obstacle first would stop and wait for the one riding at the back to show him a line trough. Some of the water crossings seemed innocent but you would find your front completely swallowed up by some of the wash outs. This one in particular caught us by surprise as it was not so wide but the front wheel just fell down into the deep hole that the water has carved. Jaun was trough first and showed by hand gesture how deep the water was. I thought it can’t be and went in slowly. Suddenly I find myself almost sitting in the water and had to throttle up hard to climb up the other side again.

We could see the sun coming through the clouds ahead of us and knew the worst was over. However we were not in the valley below yet and the streams that we crossed so far were not too difficult.

Finally we got to a drier bit again and out progressed increased somewhat. At some stages it was arm pumping action and we enjoyed this piece of road especially. This is why we came to Lesotho in the first place.

We finally pass Koa diamond mine but had a little scare when a water crossing comes up very suddenly. At the Koa mine entrance the road makes a very sharp horse shoe turn to the right and in the turn there is a water crossing. I found myself at too high a speed with Jaun following to close behind me. I had to go far to the outside of the turn to allow Jaun some space on my inside and I find myself between a couple of large boulders. I had to fight hard to remain in control and not to go down with the bike. From now on we would take it slow and if we find water that had to be crossed we would walk it first to determine the depth of the water and the best line to follow.

As we follow the route further down the valley the deeper the water crossings get as more water is fed into the main stream. Each one has to be scouted first to determine the best line to follow and to determine water dept.  Large boulders that could stop a bike in its tracks had to be marked as well. Only then was it save to proceed. As one takes a picture of the other one crossing the stream the one that gets across now get his camera out to do the same.

As Jaun gets trough this stream he did not stop for me as usual and ride on. I still had to get back into my gloves and my helmet and that took a minute or two. By then he could be 200 meters away already when I start up my bike to give chase. As I am coming over small rise I can see a commotion in front of me as people are shouting and making their way down to the next stream in front of me that needs to be crossed. I can’t see Jaun in front of me but something as exited the crowd that has now stopped from coming down any further as they saw me approaching.

As I come to a standstill a head in the water caught my eye. It’s Jaun helmet sticking out of the water. I drop my bike and rush over to him. By now he has managed to free himself from the bike and gets up from the water completely soaked. He’s first word to me was shit he did not manage to kill the bike as he was going down. A large boulder has stopped him dead in his track and the bike toppled over as he lost forward momentum.

We managed to push his bike out of the stream. The bike is completely dead. Not even the computer comes on. Jaun is in a bad way. He is cold and wet. All his clothes and items that he was carrying on the back are completely wet. We had a slight argument about riding my bike trough but I convince him that the water is flowing to deep and to strong and that it is now safer for us to push my bike trough. We cannot afford to lose another bike.

On my bike computer the temperature is shown as 6 degrees. The sun is going down fast now and we will not be going anywhere soon. A place to spend the night has to be found quickly and Jaun needed to get out of his wet clothes as soon as possible.

A local farmer was busy tending to his field a little farther down the road. I approached him to ask for permission to sleep next to his field. It was the only spot that was flat enough and high enough from the water so that if the river would rise in the night we would still be safe. He could only speak Sotho and I could not so with hand motions I asked him for permission to spend the night there. We had no choice it was a risk that we had to take.

As we finished pitching the tent and moved the bikes out of the road it starts to rain. Jaun gets in his sleeping bag that was a little moist but not wet with a jacket and some pants of mine. As it is now raining we cannot start the stove inside the tent so hot coffee is out of the question. The surface underneath out tent is uneven and not suitable for sleeping.

It was going to become a very long night.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Mooi Man, Mooi !

..and good lessons to be learned...

You guys rock big time.. 8)

 

[baiker 2]

Great report, subscribed

 

[HennieF]

Day 6.
Planned route: Tele bridge border post via Rhodes to Maclear 200km.
Actual route: Somewhere very wet in Lesotho to Katse dam 75km.
Schedule: Behind 2 days.

Live is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still.

We did not sleep much during the night. I believed I dosed off a bit between 2 and 4 in the morning. Constantly aware of what was going on outside of our little shelter. It rained right through the night and we were just too aware of the fact that we have made our shelter in a low lining area. If the water was going to rise we would probably be in trouble.

I was also worried about unwanted visitors but hoped that the rain that was falling steadily outside would keep them indoors for the night. A local convoy with 4WD vehicles came past in a convoy and one fuel delivery truck. Each time had peek out of the tent just to make sure that they leave our things alone that was standing next to the road.

By 4h00 we were both awake and awaiting first light so that we can asses our predicament. Both of us have a technical back ground and spent some time around engines but this would be the first time that we would have to drain water out of one. We will have to get the water out of the engine and replace both the oil and the filters. To get the water out of the engine would be possible but finding new filters and oil could be a challenge.

The local population did not attempt the water crossing on foot but preferred a foot path on the other side of the stream to move between villages in the valley. I was cold and wet and desperate for some hot coffee but our matches is now wet and of no use. The last time we had to camp was two days ago in Sterkfontein dam and a member of our team that I would not mention had lost his temper while lighting our fire and smashed our only lighter in to pieces. We never replaced it.

A little herd boy less that 6 years old came past to see what the crazy white people are up to and with hand gestures I managed to get one match from him. He only had two and those two was probably worth a fortune to him. I gave him a couple of sweets and R2. The most expensive match ever but the most appreciated one as well. He waited a while for me to light my stove and then he left again. Over some coffee and one sweet each we contemplate our situation. Black coffee with two sugars and a cappuccino flavored Spur sweet. The best dam breakfast ever. We both just looked at each other and smiled.

This was a real farking nice fish with big farking eyes. But it was still a pretty awesome fish.

We started stripping of the crash bars, fairings, battery and then we opened up the air filter cover. The air filter chamber was completely flooded and somehow we would have to get the air filter dry. On opening the throttle we could now see into the air intake manifold which was also under water. The bike was laid down onto its side to get the water to drain out.

About this time a bakkie on a delivery run came past. We flagged it down and asked the driver if he would be able to assist us to get the bike to Katse dam. A deal was made and he would come back this way in two hours time. We were desperate to get closer to civilization and out of this pissing valley. Even if we did managed to get the bike’s engine dried out we still have to change the oil and filter. We rushed to reassemble the bike and to break camp. Two hours later the bakkie was back and we proceed to load the bike. While we were busy the grader that we passed yesterday came passed. It was quite embarrassing to see the driver again after we did not listen to his advice.

I took of my panniers and loaded that onto the bakkie as well. I would be riding behind them all the way to Katse dam and want the bike as light as possible since the roads was now torn up and in a bad state. We came upon the main river that we were told would be impossible to cross but it turned out to be the easiest.

I followed behind Jaun and the driver in the bakkie and we rode through the most unbelievable scenery. I probably would have been able to enjoy it more if I did not have to concentrate on the road so much.

It was still raining as we eventually reached the Katse dam at 13h00 and booked ourselves into the Katse Lodge. First up was a hot shower and then off to the restaurant for a decent meal. Our clothes were spread out in the room to dry.

After all this we started again in stripping the bike to pieces. We phoned BMW for some advice as we were a little worried to how much damaged the bike could have got from its drowning ordeal. We had most of the kit to fix our problem but the 24no. ring spanner that came with the BMW tool kit did not fit on the sump plug and to get the bash plate of we needed a 13mm socket. We attracted a lot of attention while busy with this small operation and had a few good laughs. Everyone that we met was incredibly supportive towards us.

Jaun was off to find the missing tools in the village and I set off to collect a few empty containers for the oil. At the end the hotel manager borrowed us some of his tools but we still could not find a plug spanner to remove the spark plugs. Once again my white elephant BMW toolkit would came to save the day. I have never taken any notice of the extendable handle that came with the toolkit. Now that we are looking for a plug spanner I noticed that the end of the handle are shaped like a socket and there is a rubber insert attached to the inside of it. It fits perfectly over the spark plugs and another problem was solved.
I went into the village to find some oil but the only oil that was available to us was normal motor oil SAE 30 and SAE 40 in 500mil cans. We needed about 3 liters but because we could remove the filter we made the decision to flush the engine with oil to get the remaining water out. That would mean we are going to need a lot more oil.

With the engine oil out of the sump and the spark plugs removed the remaining water was now out of the engine and the cylinders. We now had to assemble everything again. It is the best feeling ever as you turn the key in the ignition and the computer comes back on. Now if it would only start.

Our oil situation seemed dire but we had to do with what we got. With 1.5 liter of oil into the engine Jaun pushed the start button and I am holding thumbs. To hear that engine turn and then burst into life must be how it feels for mother to hear her new born baby first scream. We let the engine run for a couple of minutes and drain the oil again. After doing this for 5 times we were finally satisfied that the oil is now free of water.

We had a little celebration on our achievement and went to bed early. Tomorrow we could get back on the road and try to catch up with the time that we had lost.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Well done guys, good recovery proceedure.

 

[TornadoF5]

Very nice guyz!

 

[Gee eS]

This is a great RR! Keep it coming :thumleft:

 

[myni]

Epic stuff!  Respect ... can't wait for the next installment.

 

[zetman]

Goeie werk manne

 

[LeonDude]

Greath stuff!  :thumleft:

 

[houbie]

Sounds like it was a hell of a trip :thumleft:, and all the mishaps makes for great memory's and story's to tell to your kids and grand children one day. I always love to listen to the stories from my ou toppie about his biker days!

 

[Oetie]

Subscribed!!

A true adventure!!

 

[HennieF]

Day 7.
Planned route: Rest day.
Actual route: Katse dam to Hobhouse via Maseru 290km.
Schedule: Behind 2 days.

Get me out of farking London. (Ewan Mcgregor – Long Way Round)

Today was the 22rd of December and we were supposed to be in the Eastern Cape by now. We were two days behind schedule and it would probably take us another day or two to get out of Lesotho. We only had three days left till Christmas so we had a lot of catching up to do.

Since late yesterday we had some sunshine and we were able to dry out our clothes and kit. The sun was still shining this morning but the clouds were already moving in over the mountains. Up here the weather changes very quickly.

Before we could leave we first had to go and thank Roy and his team at Katse lodge for their help and assistance. Without their help we would probably been stuck there for a little while longer. The service we received from your team was excellent and Katse lodge will defiantly see me again in the future. You guys ROCK. :thumleft:

I had to do the customary stop at the dam wall for a pic. This is one place with huge potential. I can see myself floating around on this dam in a house boat but only in summer time. Winter would be just a little too cold.

At Katse dam we could not find any petrol so we put our hope on finding petrol in Thaba Tseka. Reading trough a lot of ride report on the forum before our departure I know that petrol in Thaba Tseka is available if you are lucky. So far on the trip we had no luck at all just lots of fun so that would have to do.

Arriving in Thaba Tseka we run into the law for the second time so far on our trip. It was just a routine road block so paperwork was checked and a few questions were answered. I asked the madam in charge to the availability of fuel in town. She said that there was none but we could probably find some from street vendors.

So far we were still heading for Tele bridge border post via Qachas neck so finding petrol was crucial. I could only do another 50km before running out. We asked around at a couple of places but nobody could help us but was informed that someone has gone to the next town to buy petrol in containers and he would be back at 15h00. I always thought that the Chinese would see and opportunity in the fuel market here but even they could not help us. Jaun did find some more oil for his bike and we could at least add another 500mil to the bike.

We attracted a lot of attention from the locals and some of them came over for a chat. Here a funny thing happened that we would still have a laugh over days after. A 4WD stopped next to us and young women jumps out. Let’s call her Lekker. From Lekkers accent we could see that she was not from SA and that English was not here first language as well. As she came over all I could say was fark nice fish some nice eyes  too. She wanted to know if the route to Mokhotlong was open. We know that the bridge could be under water but no one in town could give us a definite answer. As we were on bikes we could make alternative arrangement to cross the river if we could only find petrol. She was in a 4WD so she could not. So we could not give her a definite answer but told her maybe she must go down to the river and check it out for herself. By now I was praying for petrol. Hell I would gladly spend another night in Lesotho to help her across the river. Well with our bad luck and still no petrol to be seen we had to say our good buys. Nice meeting you Lekker and damn you Petrol.

It was already 12h00 and we had to make a decision. Either wait until 15h00 or we must head towards Maseru and petrol.  I could only do 50km and the next town is 45km away and there could probably be petrol. I emptied the 500mil from my stoves fuel bottle into the tank and we set of on the A3 towards Mantsonyane. It was a nice tar road at least for 20km of the way. The tar road made way for the shittiest gravel road of the whole trip. Some fool has built a road out of rocks and I was deeply concerned about my tires. If we lose a tire now we would be in big trouble again.

Going up and down mountain passes did not help my fuel consumption at all. I finally came to a stop out 4km before Mantsonyane. Jaun took an empty container and headed off to see if he could find some fuel. As I am sitting there waiting for him to return I once again attracted a lot of attention. Most of the passersby were on foot and most of our conversation was in hand signatures. As I am also a farm boytjie the little herders that came past interest me a lot. I asked them questions about what kind of sheep they have to how many and what would happen if one goes missing. It took some time to get the message across. I still can’t believe how young these kids are and already have to fend for themselves.

Juan returned a little while later and we ride into town to fill up our bikes. It was already getting late and we did not know if the route to Qachas neck was passable so we made the decision to get out of Lesotho via Maseru and then meet up with our route again in Rhodes. One day we would be back again to complete our route as planned. Two days is just not enough to ride through Lesotho at all.

From Mantsonyane to Maseru its tar road all the way. The road is one constant mountain pass and after a while 120km of twisties can get to you. We also had to get back into our rain clothes once again and had to pass through our first hail storm of the trip. Before heading down into the plains a last rest stop was called so that we can admire the beauty of this place for the last time.

Before Maseru we packed away our rain gear and made our way to the border post. Border formalities were relatively quick and the plan was to see if we can still get to Zastron before the sun goes down.

A few kilometers after the border post I had enough of tar for the day and made a left on to a dirt road that I hoped would take me all along the border to Zastron. These eastern Free State dirt roads are some serious DS heaven.

We were just flying along when my eye could a young man stuck in a sunflower field with his motor bike. He was in quite a predicament from the looks of it and we stopped and jumped over the fence to lend some assistance. It was a plastic scrambler completely covered in mud and literally buried up until its belly. He would not get this bike out by himself. We pushed the bike over and pulled it to a harder spot. Now it could be picked up and pushed out of the sunflower field. For us this was some practice for what was to come in the days ahead but we did not know this yet.

Conversation went something like this:

Me. Wat soek jy in die land jong?

Laaitie. Ek wou net kyk of die land nat is oom.

Jaun. Magtig man ons kon dan sien die land is nat vanaf die draad. Kon jy nie?

Just then ‘n bakkie came to stop next to the fence.

Laaitie. O held dus my pa, hy is baie kwaai en gaan my seker nou bliksem.

Well his father did not bliksem him right there in front of us maybe later at home when they were alone. He had to push the bike all the way back home and it was getting late for both of us. We were now heading for Hobhouse and a late afternoon thunder shower was heading straight for us. I stopped to take a picture of this old farm house and wondered what history this old building could have. How many generations had been living here before modernization had caught up with their way of living? Now it was standing empty and nature is slowly taking it back.

I spent one week of my life in Hobhouse back in primary school. It was the norm that once a year the STD 5 class would attend a one week outdoor adventure type of school. In Afrikaans it is called a buitelug skool. Hobhouse had a permanent establishment in place that catered for this purpose. After 1994 it closed down as our new government did not see a purpose for such a place anymore. I wanted to stop here and see if I can recognize some of the places that I been at that week in STD 5. Just before Hobhouse the rain caught up with us again but been so close to town we pushed trough and reached the local Chinese grocer stoep completely drenched.

After asking around we managed to find a place to stay in Hobhouse called The Emily Guesthouse. It was the old Hobhouse hotel but its new owner is now busy with restoration work to get the old building back to what it once was. It’s also here that we met Dust Rat and Twister after their Riding the Brown Snake day trip. We joined them at the nearby pub and had something to eat. It was nice to be able to put faces to forum names. Over a couple of beers we discussed our trip so far and received a lot of pointers on how to ride the Mud monster and what routes to take as we went farther south. The Free State dogs are a lekker bunch so maybe I must come through for a weekend to join them for a ride.

We only had 14days of riding planed into our trip and today were day number 7 and we still had 2/3rd in distance of our trip in front of us. However we were back in South Africa now and things were looking up for us again.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

 

[philgil]

:drif:

 

[rubiblue]

awesome hennie, these pics bring back fond memories of lesotho.