Over the Hills and Far Away (Complete)
- Thread starter HennieF
- Start date
Crispie
Race Dog
Hennie/Juan
Ek haat lees en moes myself dwing om julle storie te lees. Rede: Ek en twee vriende beplan ook al vir die laaste jaar n trip. Die fotos het my laat terugkeer om te lees en toe ek eers aan die lees kom kon ek weer nie ophou nie. Sommer beide vriende n paar keer ge-sms om te se hulle moet julle storie lees!
BAIE BAIE nice. Ek is sommer jaloers maar is bly julle het dit hier so lekker uiteen gesit. Dankie daarvoor ek het dit baie geniet.
Ons eerste groot uitdaging was om elk n fiets te kry wat die ding sal doen. Dit was baie ure se bespiegeling oor wat die regte fiets gaan wees. Nooit regtig geweet hoe sal die terein dan nou regtig lyk wat ons beplan om te ry nie. Soos ons almal weet sodra jy vir meer gemak gaan raak die fietse baie swaarder. Ek en een vriend het toe albei op XT660R's opgeeindig en die ander vriend n KTM990S. Glo hy gaan baie lekkerder ry as ons maar brandstof mag dalk n probleem raak. Na julle storie is ek sommer weer verlief op die F800GS en wonder ek of ek nie verkeerd gekoop het nie.
Wel ons moet ophou beplan en ons gatte ook in rat kry soos julle. Wag in spanning om die res te lees sodra julle klaar gepost het. Ek sal graag een of ander tyd paar vrae aanstuur as jy nie omgee om te antwoord. Soos bande vrae ens. 8)
Ek haat lees en moes myself dwing om julle storie te lees. Rede: Ek en twee vriende beplan ook al vir die laaste jaar n trip. Die fotos het my laat terugkeer om te lees en toe ek eers aan die lees kom kon ek weer nie ophou nie. Sommer beide vriende n paar keer ge-sms om te se hulle moet julle storie lees!
BAIE BAIE nice. Ek is sommer jaloers maar is bly julle het dit hier so lekker uiteen gesit. Dankie daarvoor ek het dit baie geniet.
Ons eerste groot uitdaging was om elk n fiets te kry wat die ding sal doen. Dit was baie ure se bespiegeling oor wat die regte fiets gaan wees. Nooit regtig geweet hoe sal die terein dan nou regtig lyk wat ons beplan om te ry nie. Soos ons almal weet sodra jy vir meer gemak gaan raak die fietse baie swaarder. Ek en een vriend het toe albei op XT660R's opgeeindig en die ander vriend n KTM990S. Glo hy gaan baie lekkerder ry as ons maar brandstof mag dalk n probleem raak. Na julle storie is ek sommer weer verlief op die F800GS en wonder ek of ek nie verkeerd gekoop het nie.
Wel ons moet ophou beplan en ons gatte ook in rat kry soos julle. Wag in spanning om die res te lees sodra julle klaar gepost het. Ek sal graag een of ander tyd paar vrae aanstuur as jy nie omgee om te antwoord. Soos bande vrae ens. 8)
HennieF
Pack Dog
Crispie said:
Persoonlik dink ek nie een fiets is beter as 'n ander een nie. As ons almal dieselfde fietse gery het sou dit maar 'n bra vervelige wereld gewees het waarin ons bly. So nee jy het nie verkeerd gekoop nie. Begin met 'n naweek trip om jou toerusting te toets en werk dan van daar af. Die hoeveelheid goed wat ek al saam ry is eintlik skokkend. So kry jou maats by mekaar en GO net vir dit. Moet net nie te veel beplan nie dit haal die verassings element uit die avontuur uit. Hou ook net jou kilometers vir 'n dag min anders word dit net 'n gejaag as jy ook begin agter raak.
Jong op teginiese aspekte soos bande ens. weet ek maar min. Ek luister ook maar na ander en dan is dit maar trail en error. Maar vra gerus as ek nie kan help nie glo ek daar sal wel iemand anders wees wat kan. Hier is sommer baie inlingting op die forum wat gekom het vanaf ouens wat die omstandighede self beleef het.
Hopenlik sal ek vanaand weer 'n stuk kan post. Dit gaan maar stadig want vir elke paragraaf wat ek tik delete ek twee. Ek sukkel maar om in woorde te beskryf waar deur ons gegaan het.
HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 11.
Planned route: Rest day in Wilderness.
Actual route: Patensie to Uniondale. 252 km
Schedule: Behind 1 day.
Bobbejaan klim die berg
So haastig en so lastig
Bobbejaan klim die berg
So haastig en so lasting
Bobbejaan klim die berg
Om die boere te vererg
Hoera vir die jollie bobejaan. (old Afrikaans folk song.)
Baviaanskloof - myth or legend.
I believe the above song had its origin in the Anglo Boer war. Boer commandos probably sang the song as the Kakies (English) came up the hills to engage them in battle. If it was up to me I would have let whoever turn is was to sit up that hill just stay there and let the sun sort it out. But that’s just me.
So Tribbes and I came to the Baviaans to see if we could find these Bobbejaans that the place was named after and if the Baviaanskloof with its famous water crossings is actually a myth or true to legend. We definitely saw a couple of vererg persons in their fancy 4 × 4 in the valley but it was not the Bobbejaans that did the climbing, it was us.
We were met with a fine drizzle that morning as we crawl out of the old tent. Last night I did not want to pitch the tent as I wanted to sleep under the starts. Luckily Tribbes convinced me and we did pitch the tent and if he did not we would be pretty wet and miserable by now. There would not be any breakfast today or a change of clean clothes since my fall yesterday in the vrot soup. Everything in my pannier that has got wet smells of rotten oranges. My handle bars are also still slightly bent and make riding uncomfortable. I wanted to get this sorted out before I had to attempt the days riding.
Standing in our rain gear we stripped off my handle bars. As we reassembled them again I manage to drop a bolt. By now I am hungry and wet and cold and the day has only started. I am really pissed off at myself. Tribbes remains calm but the missing bolt is nowhere to be found. Eventually after removing the crash bars and the fairings the missing bolt is located. A cool headed Tribbes manages so save the morning. Somehow 11 days of riding has caught up with me. I always felt that as the Captain of the ship I was not allowed to show any weakness. Today I would have to bite down hard if I want to pull trough. Well we have lost a lot of time and after we manage to wash the bikes for the first time on this trip we are finally ready to depart.
The charge for our overnight stay came to R45 again. The same as in Rhodes a couple of nights ago. This time however we had no idea where to pay the fee as there was no indication of an owner or caretaker that looks after the place. Our neighbors said the owner would be back later during the day to collect his fee so I left our R45 with them. I could just pack up and leave without paying but I do not know if I am emotionally strong enough to deny someone an income.
We left the same way we came in but this time I was careful not to fall again. On the tar we made a right and headed towards the Baviaanskloof turn off. One thing about Patensie that I knew is that there are a lot of Ferreira’s living there. As I am a Ferreira myself I wanted to see how many names on farm gates I could spot. There would not be time to meet some of my namesake but at least it would give me an idea of how many Ferreira’s is living in the area. At the gate to the Baviaanskloof nature reserve we paid our entry fee and made some new friends. No pictures unfortunately. He was on a KTM 990 adventure and his whole family was driving behind him in the bakkie. If I remember correctly he is in the road building business in the Eastern Cape and that he was old school or varsity of SGB. It is a small world that we lived in.
From the outset I saw that today we would be riding in rush hour traffic. There were a lot of holiday makers and day visitor’s around and all came to see what all the fuzz was about. The Patensie side of the Baviaanskloof is pretty much commercialized and with the roads been in such a good condition we did not hang around for long. On top of the escarpment it was a whole different story. The road has seen some rain and was pretty torn up.
With all the mud on the roads we are now faced with an unsuspected problem. Every morning before we start off we do our mechanical checks on the bikes to look for loose or missing bolts but especially to make sure that the chain is clean and lubed. For the last couple of days we had no proper chain lube and relied on Q20 as our lubricant. With all the loose mud on the road the Q20 seemed to be failing us. The chains links gets clogged up and it gives up a terrible sound as it moves over the sprockets. Numerous times we had to stop to try and clean off some of the mud from the chains. It seemed that the last 11 days of not been able to clean the chains of both bikes properly have now caught up with us.
Water crossings is what we came here to do but by now we had seen so much water on our trip that it was just another obstacle that needed to be crossed to get to our final destination. We learned our lesson in Lesotho so this time we would be much more careful. Before we started off on our long trip I knew that this area was experiencing a harsh drought. When we passed through things had changed drastically. It seemed that water would be following us where ever we would go.
At some of the narrower spots I was expecting Outsurance point’s man to jump out of the bushes to direct the traffic trough. Like I said I saw a lot of verergd drivers in that valley sitting in their fancy air-conditioned 4WD vehicles with their little trailers bouncing along behind them. A lot of mommies are going to be pissed at the daddies later on when she finds her vanity case shaken to bits in the back of the little trailers. Next time stick to the N1 dad and make some space so that the two dirty bikers can pas safely. We are quicker than you, you know. Bobbejaan klim die berg ja.
I can say this for sure. Everything that has been said about the Baviaanskloof is true. It’s an amazing place to ride trough. I would definitely return one day to ride it again but in a quieter season. Looking back into the valley before we head down into the Uniondale side we could still see the bakkies battling to get trough. It was still an amazing view.
I was still on the lookout for the most famous water crossing of them all here in the Baviaanskloof. Reading trough ride reports on the forum I knew that it would be drained with all the trenches that they dug in the side of the road. I was hoping that with all the rain it would be somewhat of a challenge at least. Well it was not much to write home about but it was pretty much over grown. I think the drivers of the normal vehicles can get lekker vererg with all the scratches on their paint work caused by the bushes that are so close to the road. Next time all this trees and bushes that are standing so close to the road would probably be gone as well.
Tribbes manage to spot the only wildlife that we saw in the valley. A Karoo fresh water crocodile also known as a likkewaan, leguaan or monitor lizard. It is waiting patiently to pounce on any unsuspected passersby and drag them into the depts. of the nearby pool. Never to be seen again. Maybe it is the legendary water meid that took the form of a likkewaan.
eepwall:
At the exit of the Baviaanskloof nature reserve I consult the GPS once more. According to the bikes on board computer I still had 120km of fuel available in the tank. Uniondale was 130km away but Willowmore only 100km. In Lesotho I ran out of fuel with 9 km still on the clock so this would mean that we definitely will not make Uniondale. To reach Willowmore we would have to be very gentle on the throttle. The road from the western gate to Nuwekloof pass is extremely corrugated (sink plaat). It was teeth shattering bad. For the first time on the trip I was worried about the bike as it felt if it can come apart any second. None of the general dealerships on route was open but we finally arrived in Willomore with only 12km remaining in the tank. This would mean that we had only 3km left before we both would have been out of petrol. Strange as it may sound but we but we both had exactly the same fuel consumption even with my bike been heavier laden with kit.
In Willowmore I found this sign. It seems my brother got a hiking trail names after him that he does not know about.
In Willowmore we had our first decent meal in four days. We could actually sit down and ate from a plate with knives and forks. On a trip like this it is the little things that matter the most. The last time we ate a decent meal was at the Katse lodge. From there on it was primarily fast food, chocolates and peanuts.
We were pretty much knackered from the days riding and if we want to keep to the plan we still have to be in Wilderness by tonight. This was going to be a tuff challenge as it was already 16h00 and we were still having a couple of beers in Willowmore. We made a decision to ride to Uniondale and then see if we still had enough will power left to ride over the mountain.
In Uniondale we called it a day. Our families was called up and informed that we will only arriving the next day so they don’t need to worry. I tried to do some washing but no amount of scrubbing and washing could get the rotten orange smell mixed with days of sweat out of my clothes.
I slept like a log that night. If there was a ghost in Uniondale I didn’t new about it.
Planned route: Rest day in Wilderness.
Actual route: Patensie to Uniondale. 252 km
Schedule: Behind 1 day.
Bobbejaan klim die berg
So haastig en so lastig
Bobbejaan klim die berg
So haastig en so lasting
Bobbejaan klim die berg
Om die boere te vererg
Hoera vir die jollie bobejaan. (old Afrikaans folk song.)
Baviaanskloof - myth or legend.
I believe the above song had its origin in the Anglo Boer war. Boer commandos probably sang the song as the Kakies (English) came up the hills to engage them in battle. If it was up to me I would have let whoever turn is was to sit up that hill just stay there and let the sun sort it out. But that’s just me.
So Tribbes and I came to the Baviaans to see if we could find these Bobbejaans that the place was named after and if the Baviaanskloof with its famous water crossings is actually a myth or true to legend. We definitely saw a couple of vererg persons in their fancy 4 × 4 in the valley but it was not the Bobbejaans that did the climbing, it was us.
We were met with a fine drizzle that morning as we crawl out of the old tent. Last night I did not want to pitch the tent as I wanted to sleep under the starts. Luckily Tribbes convinced me and we did pitch the tent and if he did not we would be pretty wet and miserable by now. There would not be any breakfast today or a change of clean clothes since my fall yesterday in the vrot soup. Everything in my pannier that has got wet smells of rotten oranges. My handle bars are also still slightly bent and make riding uncomfortable. I wanted to get this sorted out before I had to attempt the days riding.
Standing in our rain gear we stripped off my handle bars. As we reassembled them again I manage to drop a bolt. By now I am hungry and wet and cold and the day has only started. I am really pissed off at myself. Tribbes remains calm but the missing bolt is nowhere to be found. Eventually after removing the crash bars and the fairings the missing bolt is located. A cool headed Tribbes manages so save the morning. Somehow 11 days of riding has caught up with me. I always felt that as the Captain of the ship I was not allowed to show any weakness. Today I would have to bite down hard if I want to pull trough. Well we have lost a lot of time and after we manage to wash the bikes for the first time on this trip we are finally ready to depart.
The charge for our overnight stay came to R45 again. The same as in Rhodes a couple of nights ago. This time however we had no idea where to pay the fee as there was no indication of an owner or caretaker that looks after the place. Our neighbors said the owner would be back later during the day to collect his fee so I left our R45 with them. I could just pack up and leave without paying but I do not know if I am emotionally strong enough to deny someone an income.
We left the same way we came in but this time I was careful not to fall again. On the tar we made a right and headed towards the Baviaanskloof turn off. One thing about Patensie that I knew is that there are a lot of Ferreira’s living there. As I am a Ferreira myself I wanted to see how many names on farm gates I could spot. There would not be time to meet some of my namesake but at least it would give me an idea of how many Ferreira’s is living in the area. At the gate to the Baviaanskloof nature reserve we paid our entry fee and made some new friends. No pictures unfortunately. He was on a KTM 990 adventure and his whole family was driving behind him in the bakkie. If I remember correctly he is in the road building business in the Eastern Cape and that he was old school or varsity of SGB. It is a small world that we lived in.
From the outset I saw that today we would be riding in rush hour traffic. There were a lot of holiday makers and day visitor’s around and all came to see what all the fuzz was about. The Patensie side of the Baviaanskloof is pretty much commercialized and with the roads been in such a good condition we did not hang around for long. On top of the escarpment it was a whole different story. The road has seen some rain and was pretty torn up.
With all the mud on the roads we are now faced with an unsuspected problem. Every morning before we start off we do our mechanical checks on the bikes to look for loose or missing bolts but especially to make sure that the chain is clean and lubed. For the last couple of days we had no proper chain lube and relied on Q20 as our lubricant. With all the loose mud on the road the Q20 seemed to be failing us. The chains links gets clogged up and it gives up a terrible sound as it moves over the sprockets. Numerous times we had to stop to try and clean off some of the mud from the chains. It seemed that the last 11 days of not been able to clean the chains of both bikes properly have now caught up with us.
Water crossings is what we came here to do but by now we had seen so much water on our trip that it was just another obstacle that needed to be crossed to get to our final destination. We learned our lesson in Lesotho so this time we would be much more careful. Before we started off on our long trip I knew that this area was experiencing a harsh drought. When we passed through things had changed drastically. It seemed that water would be following us where ever we would go.
At some of the narrower spots I was expecting Outsurance point’s man to jump out of the bushes to direct the traffic trough. Like I said I saw a lot of verergd drivers in that valley sitting in their fancy air-conditioned 4WD vehicles with their little trailers bouncing along behind them. A lot of mommies are going to be pissed at the daddies later on when she finds her vanity case shaken to bits in the back of the little trailers. Next time stick to the N1 dad and make some space so that the two dirty bikers can pas safely. We are quicker than you, you know. Bobbejaan klim die berg ja.
I can say this for sure. Everything that has been said about the Baviaanskloof is true. It’s an amazing place to ride trough. I would definitely return one day to ride it again but in a quieter season. Looking back into the valley before we head down into the Uniondale side we could still see the bakkies battling to get trough. It was still an amazing view.
I was still on the lookout for the most famous water crossing of them all here in the Baviaanskloof. Reading trough ride reports on the forum I knew that it would be drained with all the trenches that they dug in the side of the road. I was hoping that with all the rain it would be somewhat of a challenge at least. Well it was not much to write home about but it was pretty much over grown. I think the drivers of the normal vehicles can get lekker vererg with all the scratches on their paint work caused by the bushes that are so close to the road. Next time all this trees and bushes that are standing so close to the road would probably be gone as well.
Tribbes manage to spot the only wildlife that we saw in the valley. A Karoo fresh water crocodile also known as a likkewaan, leguaan or monitor lizard. It is waiting patiently to pounce on any unsuspected passersby and drag them into the depts. of the nearby pool. Never to be seen again. Maybe it is the legendary water meid that took the form of a likkewaan.
eepwall:
At the exit of the Baviaanskloof nature reserve I consult the GPS once more. According to the bikes on board computer I still had 120km of fuel available in the tank. Uniondale was 130km away but Willowmore only 100km. In Lesotho I ran out of fuel with 9 km still on the clock so this would mean that we definitely will not make Uniondale. To reach Willowmore we would have to be very gentle on the throttle. The road from the western gate to Nuwekloof pass is extremely corrugated (sink plaat). It was teeth shattering bad. For the first time on the trip I was worried about the bike as it felt if it can come apart any second. None of the general dealerships on route was open but we finally arrived in Willomore with only 12km remaining in the tank. This would mean that we had only 3km left before we both would have been out of petrol. Strange as it may sound but we but we both had exactly the same fuel consumption even with my bike been heavier laden with kit.
In Willowmore I found this sign. It seems my brother got a hiking trail names after him that he does not know about.
In Willowmore we had our first decent meal in four days. We could actually sit down and ate from a plate with knives and forks. On a trip like this it is the little things that matter the most. The last time we ate a decent meal was at the Katse lodge. From there on it was primarily fast food, chocolates and peanuts.
We were pretty much knackered from the days riding and if we want to keep to the plan we still have to be in Wilderness by tonight. This was going to be a tuff challenge as it was already 16h00 and we were still having a couple of beers in Willowmore. We made a decision to ride to Uniondale and then see if we still had enough will power left to ride over the mountain.
In Uniondale we called it a day. Our families was called up and informed that we will only arriving the next day so they don’t need to worry. I tried to do some washing but no amount of scrubbing and washing could get the rotten orange smell mixed with days of sweat out of my clothes.
I slept like a log that night. If there was a ghost in Uniondale I didn’t new about it.
HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 12.
Planned route: Wilderness to Vleesbaai. 110km
Actual route: Uniondale to Wilderness 120km.
Schedule: Behind 2 days.
Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
Far from the mountains and the seas,
back in her arms he swears he'll be.
Over the hills and far away.
[as performed by Nightwish]
Dus mos Saul Barnard se plek die.
At last after 12 days of riding we were now closing in on our final destination for this year anyway. We still had the long journey back to Gauteng ahead of us but that would be next year’s first problem. For now we both wanted to get over the mountain as soon as possible. Tribbes had is girlfriend wainting for him in Wilderness and I had my family wainting for me in Vleesbaai.
I have been over the Prince Alfred pass many years ago with the family. On that day our Volksie bus broke down on the pass. The wiring burned all the way from the battery to the engine. For those of you that don’t know a Volksie bus battery sits under the driver’s seat with its engine at the back. It was a lot off wiring that burned that day. My mom still has a photo of the whole family peeking into the open engine compartment trying to fix the problem. At the end another Good Samaritan helped us all the way to Knysna. It seems that breaking down next to the road runs in the family. I will add this photo to this post as soon as I can get my hand on it again.
Before we got under way in Uniondale I final found some decent batteries for my helmet cam again. I could not film our ride through the baviaans yesterday but now I could at least get some of the route over the Prince Alfred pass on tape. Is tape still the right word? Prince Alfred pass would be our last pass for 2010 and to think it all started so many days ago at Normandiens pass in Natal.
I guess I can describe the pass in two words. Dry and overcrowded. It seemed just as the Baviaans the Prince Alfred pass were a prime place to be this time of year. Well we were traveling into the garden route in of the busiest time of the year so it was probably expected.
With all the rush hour traffic that was going on around us we did find some time for our bike photo on top of the pass.
The last time I passed through here I was very young. I gotten car sick and slept most off the way so I missed the whole pass and the well known Knysna forest. This time I would be on a bike and I would experience the trip over first hand. I even spotted Angies G spot as we passed through the Vlugt. There were some DS bikes parked there but as we had already had breakfast and the Boeing was not over yet, we passed on without stopping. It is another place that we missed out on but will definitely come and see it on our next visit.
The road over the pass is pretty well documented on this forum so I would not go into finer details. All I could say that it is for sure one off our countries true gems. For me it could probably been seen as a pilgrimage. I had to come back after so many years. Doing it by bike made it even more special.
When I think off Knysna the first things that come to mind is the book Fiela se kind. Saul Barnard, Groot voete en Kringe in ‘n bos and o yes wooden furniture. I had to read Kringe in ‘n bos in Grade 11 (St 9) in Afrikaans class. It took me 3 days to get through the book. Some of the kids in the class never manage to read trough it that whole year.
We were now riding trough the place that inspired Daleen Mathee to write the book. I must say Saul Barnard would be pissed if he sees what we have done with the place. I was expecting a lot more indigenous trees.
We were riding side by side into Knysna. It was Tribbes first visit to the place. I was fortunate enough to have experience the magic of Knysna before the property boom. I always had to accompany my father when he came here to do furniture shopping in the early days. Now it’s overcrowded and the furniture stores are no more. For me Knysna has lost that magic feeling. Nowadays Knysna is known for its oysters and restaurants. Things I share no interest in.
Wilderness was a short hop away but it was bumper to bumper traffic the whole way. It seemed the whole of South Africa has converged on the Garden Route. We stuck out like a sore thumb. Two dirty smelly sore thumbs.
12 days on the road and two days later as planned we have finally arrived in Wilderness. The occasion had such an effect on us that we actually forgot to take any pictures. Tribbes has reunited with his girlfriend and I had to literally pull them apart to allow both some time to breath. After 12days on the road surviving a broken bike a near drowning and a head on collision with another vehicle I cannot afford to lose my travel partner now due to suffocation. I know 12 days is a long time apart for a couple but now they have four days together to catch up.
I decided to stay one more day to watch over them and make sure that they do not get in to any mischief. That is what good friends do.
I haven’t seen my family in four months but one day more cannot hurt too much. Hey like Saul Barnard said: Die blou bokkie se gal sit nie in sy brein nie dit sit in sy bal. Or something like that.
Planned route: Wilderness to Vleesbaai. 110km
Actual route: Uniondale to Wilderness 120km.
Schedule: Behind 2 days.
Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
Far from the mountains and the seas,
back in her arms he swears he'll be.
Over the hills and far away.
[as performed by Nightwish]
Dus mos Saul Barnard se plek die.
At last after 12 days of riding we were now closing in on our final destination for this year anyway. We still had the long journey back to Gauteng ahead of us but that would be next year’s first problem. For now we both wanted to get over the mountain as soon as possible. Tribbes had is girlfriend wainting for him in Wilderness and I had my family wainting for me in Vleesbaai.
I have been over the Prince Alfred pass many years ago with the family. On that day our Volksie bus broke down on the pass. The wiring burned all the way from the battery to the engine. For those of you that don’t know a Volksie bus battery sits under the driver’s seat with its engine at the back. It was a lot off wiring that burned that day. My mom still has a photo of the whole family peeking into the open engine compartment trying to fix the problem. At the end another Good Samaritan helped us all the way to Knysna. It seems that breaking down next to the road runs in the family. I will add this photo to this post as soon as I can get my hand on it again.
Before we got under way in Uniondale I final found some decent batteries for my helmet cam again. I could not film our ride through the baviaans yesterday but now I could at least get some of the route over the Prince Alfred pass on tape. Is tape still the right word? Prince Alfred pass would be our last pass for 2010 and to think it all started so many days ago at Normandiens pass in Natal.
I guess I can describe the pass in two words. Dry and overcrowded. It seemed just as the Baviaans the Prince Alfred pass were a prime place to be this time of year. Well we were traveling into the garden route in of the busiest time of the year so it was probably expected.
With all the rush hour traffic that was going on around us we did find some time for our bike photo on top of the pass.
The last time I passed through here I was very young. I gotten car sick and slept most off the way so I missed the whole pass and the well known Knysna forest. This time I would be on a bike and I would experience the trip over first hand. I even spotted Angies G spot as we passed through the Vlugt. There were some DS bikes parked there but as we had already had breakfast and the Boeing was not over yet, we passed on without stopping. It is another place that we missed out on but will definitely come and see it on our next visit.
The road over the pass is pretty well documented on this forum so I would not go into finer details. All I could say that it is for sure one off our countries true gems. For me it could probably been seen as a pilgrimage. I had to come back after so many years. Doing it by bike made it even more special.
When I think off Knysna the first things that come to mind is the book Fiela se kind. Saul Barnard, Groot voete en Kringe in ‘n bos and o yes wooden furniture. I had to read Kringe in ‘n bos in Grade 11 (St 9) in Afrikaans class. It took me 3 days to get through the book. Some of the kids in the class never manage to read trough it that whole year.
We were now riding trough the place that inspired Daleen Mathee to write the book. I must say Saul Barnard would be pissed if he sees what we have done with the place. I was expecting a lot more indigenous trees.
We were riding side by side into Knysna. It was Tribbes first visit to the place. I was fortunate enough to have experience the magic of Knysna before the property boom. I always had to accompany my father when he came here to do furniture shopping in the early days. Now it’s overcrowded and the furniture stores are no more. For me Knysna has lost that magic feeling. Nowadays Knysna is known for its oysters and restaurants. Things I share no interest in.
Wilderness was a short hop away but it was bumper to bumper traffic the whole way. It seemed the whole of South Africa has converged on the Garden Route. We stuck out like a sore thumb. Two dirty smelly sore thumbs.
12 days on the road and two days later as planned we have finally arrived in Wilderness. The occasion had such an effect on us that we actually forgot to take any pictures. Tribbes has reunited with his girlfriend and I had to literally pull them apart to allow both some time to breath. After 12days on the road surviving a broken bike a near drowning and a head on collision with another vehicle I cannot afford to lose my travel partner now due to suffocation. I know 12 days is a long time apart for a couple but now they have four days together to catch up.
I decided to stay one more day to watch over them and make sure that they do not get in to any mischief. That is what good friends do.
I haven’t seen my family in four months but one day more cannot hurt too much. Hey like Saul Barnard said: Die blou bokkie se gal sit nie in sy brein nie dit sit in sy bal. Or something like that.
HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 13.
Actual route: Wilderness to Vleesbaai. 110km
Early the morning I get a call from the family asking that I get myself in Vleesbaai early as possible. I guess they are a little worried about me. My mom is always a bit worried when I am on one of my little expeditions. It would have been rude to leave Tribbes in Wilderness without having breakfast first. Food was a scares commodity on the trip so far so it would have been kind of hard to say no for the offer.
After breakfast I quickly pack and was ready to leave for my final destination for 2010. My parents were waiting for me and it has been quite a while since I have last seen them.
I was a little but concerned for the safety of Tribbes girlfriend but it seemed that he was settling in well after been away from civilization for so long. I said my good buys and was off on the last leg of our trip before we have to head north again in 4 days time. I was hardly out of the gate when he lost all self control and took her for a quick spin around the block. Maybe I left to soon.
At least he thought of the people that would be sharing the same living space as him for the next four days and left his smelly boots outside.
I arrived without incident in Vleesbaai an hour and a half later.
Actual route: Wilderness to Vleesbaai. 110km
Early the morning I get a call from the family asking that I get myself in Vleesbaai early as possible. I guess they are a little worried about me. My mom is always a bit worried when I am on one of my little expeditions. It would have been rude to leave Tribbes in Wilderness without having breakfast first. Food was a scares commodity on the trip so far so it would have been kind of hard to say no for the offer.
After breakfast I quickly pack and was ready to leave for my final destination for 2010. My parents were waiting for me and it has been quite a while since I have last seen them.
I was a little but concerned for the safety of Tribbes girlfriend but it seemed that he was settling in well after been away from civilization for so long. I said my good buys and was off on the last leg of our trip before we have to head north again in 4 days time. I was hardly out of the gate when he lost all self control and took her for a quick spin around the block. Maybe I left to soon.
At least he thought of the people that would be sharing the same living space as him for the next four days and left his smelly boots outside.
I arrived without incident in Vleesbaai an hour and a half later.
HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 14 to 16.
All 4 days that I spent with the family down by the coast the weather kept us in doors. The body needed the rest and we as a family had a lot of catching up to do. My career keep us as a family apart for most of the year so whatever time we can spent together we treasure.
In those 4 days I learned probably every card game imaginable. I was crowned king of monopoly multiple times and my eye improved a lot on the dart board. I have also built up one hell of an appetite on the road the last couple of days and my mother saw it as a personal challenge to get the massive hole filled up again. She did an excellent job I might say.
Jaun arrived in Vleesbaai on the 31ste as his girlfriend had to travel back north that same day. The 4 days apart did us good and whatever issues that had manifested between us on the first 13 days of the trip had disappeared. We both were looking forward to get going again.
Weather24 predicted tons of rain on our planned route for the 1ste. If we only knew then how much tons of rain was back then we would probably have stained another day or retuned back to JHB by another route
All 4 days that I spent with the family down by the coast the weather kept us in doors. The body needed the rest and we as a family had a lot of catching up to do. My career keep us as a family apart for most of the year so whatever time we can spent together we treasure.
In those 4 days I learned probably every card game imaginable. I was crowned king of monopoly multiple times and my eye improved a lot on the dart board. I have also built up one hell of an appetite on the road the last couple of days and my mother saw it as a personal challenge to get the massive hole filled up again. She did an excellent job I might say.
Jaun arrived in Vleesbaai on the 31ste as his girlfriend had to travel back north that same day. The 4 days apart did us good and whatever issues that had manifested between us on the first 13 days of the trip had disappeared. We both were looking forward to get going again.
Weather24 predicted tons of rain on our planned route for the 1ste. If we only knew then how much tons of rain was back then we would probably have stained another day or retuned back to JHB by another route
DRAZIL
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2008
- Messages
- 4,219
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- Port Elizabeth
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
A truely fantastic trip and stunning photos. :thumleft: :thumleft:
"I saw a picture of the Katberg pas in the Spot the location tread where two 1200GS’s are standing in the mist with a dead tree in the back ground. Only then did became aware of the pass existence and scouting trough Mapsource it became clear that the pass was situated on our route between Queenstown and Baviaanskloof and was put on the too do list as well. "
that was me and my mad buddy on our 1200GSAs.
How you two did not kill each other is awesome,best friends are hard to find. :thumleft: :thumleft:
"I saw a picture of the Katberg pas in the Spot the location tread where two 1200GS’s are standing in the mist with a dead tree in the back ground. Only then did became aware of the pass existence and scouting trough Mapsource it became clear that the pass was situated on our route between Queenstown and Baviaanskloof and was put on the too do list as well. "
that was me and my mad buddy on our 1200GSAs.
How you two did not kill each other is awesome,best friends are hard to find. :thumleft: :thumleft:
HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 17.
Planned route: Vleesbaai to Vosburg 600km
Actual route: Vleesbaai to Oukloof pass 350km.
Happy New Year – with tons of rain.
Part 1.
Reunited again after spending 4 days apart with our separate families and friends, we were eager to get going once more. I must be back in Rustenburg in 3days time to start working again but Tribbes still had a couple more days leave. Just because we were now turning our noses north again did not mean that the trip must be over as well. The return leg would form part of the trip and we always knew that the last 3 days would mean long days in the saddle. To be in JHB in time we must at least average 600km per day which is easily do able if nothing goes wrong.
It is never nice to have to say good bye to family specially if you get to spent so little time together but I had responsibilities that needed my attention at work and Tribbes wanted to continue the rest of his leave with his girlfriend which is already back in JHB.
The Montague pass features a lot in the George WD’s ride reports so I decided that it would be our exit point out of the Garden Route. My mother always tell us her story of how she had learned to drive on the Montague pass many years ago. She is not the best driver and learning to drive on the pass probably had something to do with it but don’t tell her I said so.
In my book the Montague pass score higher marks that the Prince Alfred pass. Probably because the vegetation is much greener and there was no traffic on the road. My great grandfather was a transport rider many years ago with the ox wagons and seeing the old toll house reminded me of stories my grandmother always told us about him. The twisties to the top makes for excellent riding conditions and I can see why the George WD’s came this way so often.
I did not inform Tribbes of the nature of our first stop but if you know him personally you would see the irony in this picture. I never knew that there are actually a real grave at the sight. What a wonder full place to be laid to rest.
We were already spending too much time enjoy ourselves and taking in the surroundings so now we had to make haste and try to get over the Swart berg pass before midday if we still want to reach Vosburg before the sun goes down. We raced too Outshoorn and by the look of things everyone was still indoors nursing their hangovers. The streets were almost empty. Passing next to the ostrich farms I could see why the farmers here have such a problem with bikers. These stupid birds start running like crazy if you pass by them. I one start running the others follow behind him probably not even knowing what they was running away from anyway. These dumb beasts deserve to be made into tasty treats.
The cloud cover over the Swartberg did not look that friendly and it seemed a storm was brewing up there. We put on our rain clothes once again and proceed up the mountain but not before Tribbes take a picture of me trying to do my part for drought relief in this region. Because this is a family site I will refrain from posting these pics.
We rode into a thick mist but likely no rain or cars on the road.
Reaching the famous top of the pass the cloud cover lifted and we could now see far into the Great Karoo.
Moving further down the pass we were met with fields of proteas right at the entrance way to Gamkaskloof. This is another place that I will have to come and see for myself one day. That is one thing that I like about touring by bike. You get so much closer to nature. People traveling in cars tend to miss all these things. Most of the times it is just so much more rewarding to travel by bike than by car.
Note to self: Get prettier traveling companions.
We moved on again and stopped at the bottom of the pass to admire one man’s years of hard work. Mister Bain must have been a very patient man when he took it upon himself to carve a road trough this mountain.
I wanted to stop in Prins Alfred and see if I can get some homemade Ginger beer. Real Ginger with raisins in not this fake gassed factory fizzy drinks. Prins Albert was in the same state as Oudtshoorn. It seemed everybody was still indoors. No shops were even open. I will have to wait for another time for my home made ginger beer.
We were now on route to Leeu Gamka and on our first Karoo dirt highway. For once it was nice to open up the throttle and hear the machine hum underneath me. I was riding in front and flying looking in the mirror every now and again to see if Tribbes is still following behind me. There was not much dist been kicked up from my bike and usually Tribbes follows close behind me but this time he was far behind. Around a slight bend in the road I lost sight of him but continued on none the less. On the next hill I looked back once more but still no sign of him. I stop and the wait begins. About 5 minutes later I can see him coming towards me.
He has stopped for a pedestrian of some sorts. It seemed the little fellow was in some kind of race with a crazy rabbit. Someone has read in a book that another fellow had won a race against a rabbit many years ago and now the rabbit nation is up in arms and they felt the record needed to be set straight. This little guy was the tortoise champion over the half marathon with a winning time of 7 weeks 3 days and a couple of hours but today he did not feel up for a little jog. He wanted a lift but as we all know the F800 is not pillion friendly and to help a participant in an official race would be seen as cheating. Sorry mate maybe we would see you at the finish line next month – Not.
Riding next to the Gamka River we were surprise to see that it was in flood. It was a 200m wide torrent of muddy brown water that is at some places almost over the road. This water came from somewhere as the surrounding country side did not show any evidence of rain yet. If only we knew then where this water actually came from we would probably have been in JHB on time. The little man in my head that was usually banging a warning message into my ear drums were probably still hung over as well as he was dead quiet. I think the thought of having to go back to work after such an amazing trip dulled the senses a bit.
Sometime last night this bridge was under water. I stopped to take the photos and Tribbes was the first to cross.
We were now in high spirits after the few high speed runs that we managed so far. Quickly we were back up to speed again and doing some more low flying. I am following some way behind Tribbes and coming over a rise I suddenly see a cloud of dust as Tribbes hits the breaks.
O shit something is up
Fark me.
Brieeeeeeek.
Planned route: Vleesbaai to Vosburg 600km
Actual route: Vleesbaai to Oukloof pass 350km.
Happy New Year – with tons of rain.
Part 1.
Reunited again after spending 4 days apart with our separate families and friends, we were eager to get going once more. I must be back in Rustenburg in 3days time to start working again but Tribbes still had a couple more days leave. Just because we were now turning our noses north again did not mean that the trip must be over as well. The return leg would form part of the trip and we always knew that the last 3 days would mean long days in the saddle. To be in JHB in time we must at least average 600km per day which is easily do able if nothing goes wrong.
It is never nice to have to say good bye to family specially if you get to spent so little time together but I had responsibilities that needed my attention at work and Tribbes wanted to continue the rest of his leave with his girlfriend which is already back in JHB.
The Montague pass features a lot in the George WD’s ride reports so I decided that it would be our exit point out of the Garden Route. My mother always tell us her story of how she had learned to drive on the Montague pass many years ago. She is not the best driver and learning to drive on the pass probably had something to do with it but don’t tell her I said so.
In my book the Montague pass score higher marks that the Prince Alfred pass. Probably because the vegetation is much greener and there was no traffic on the road. My great grandfather was a transport rider many years ago with the ox wagons and seeing the old toll house reminded me of stories my grandmother always told us about him. The twisties to the top makes for excellent riding conditions and I can see why the George WD’s came this way so often.
I did not inform Tribbes of the nature of our first stop but if you know him personally you would see the irony in this picture. I never knew that there are actually a real grave at the sight. What a wonder full place to be laid to rest.
We were already spending too much time enjoy ourselves and taking in the surroundings so now we had to make haste and try to get over the Swart berg pass before midday if we still want to reach Vosburg before the sun goes down. We raced too Outshoorn and by the look of things everyone was still indoors nursing their hangovers. The streets were almost empty. Passing next to the ostrich farms I could see why the farmers here have such a problem with bikers. These stupid birds start running like crazy if you pass by them. I one start running the others follow behind him probably not even knowing what they was running away from anyway. These dumb beasts deserve to be made into tasty treats.
The cloud cover over the Swartberg did not look that friendly and it seemed a storm was brewing up there. We put on our rain clothes once again and proceed up the mountain but not before Tribbes take a picture of me trying to do my part for drought relief in this region. Because this is a family site I will refrain from posting these pics.
We rode into a thick mist but likely no rain or cars on the road.
Reaching the famous top of the pass the cloud cover lifted and we could now see far into the Great Karoo.
Moving further down the pass we were met with fields of proteas right at the entrance way to Gamkaskloof. This is another place that I will have to come and see for myself one day. That is one thing that I like about touring by bike. You get so much closer to nature. People traveling in cars tend to miss all these things. Most of the times it is just so much more rewarding to travel by bike than by car.
Note to self: Get prettier traveling companions.
We moved on again and stopped at the bottom of the pass to admire one man’s years of hard work. Mister Bain must have been a very patient man when he took it upon himself to carve a road trough this mountain.
I wanted to stop in Prins Alfred and see if I can get some homemade Ginger beer. Real Ginger with raisins in not this fake gassed factory fizzy drinks. Prins Albert was in the same state as Oudtshoorn. It seemed everybody was still indoors. No shops were even open. I will have to wait for another time for my home made ginger beer.
We were now on route to Leeu Gamka and on our first Karoo dirt highway. For once it was nice to open up the throttle and hear the machine hum underneath me. I was riding in front and flying looking in the mirror every now and again to see if Tribbes is still following behind me. There was not much dist been kicked up from my bike and usually Tribbes follows close behind me but this time he was far behind. Around a slight bend in the road I lost sight of him but continued on none the less. On the next hill I looked back once more but still no sign of him. I stop and the wait begins. About 5 minutes later I can see him coming towards me.
He has stopped for a pedestrian of some sorts. It seemed the little fellow was in some kind of race with a crazy rabbit. Someone has read in a book that another fellow had won a race against a rabbit many years ago and now the rabbit nation is up in arms and they felt the record needed to be set straight. This little guy was the tortoise champion over the half marathon with a winning time of 7 weeks 3 days and a couple of hours but today he did not feel up for a little jog. He wanted a lift but as we all know the F800 is not pillion friendly and to help a participant in an official race would be seen as cheating. Sorry mate maybe we would see you at the finish line next month – Not.
Riding next to the Gamka River we were surprise to see that it was in flood. It was a 200m wide torrent of muddy brown water that is at some places almost over the road. This water came from somewhere as the surrounding country side did not show any evidence of rain yet. If only we knew then where this water actually came from we would probably have been in JHB on time. The little man in my head that was usually banging a warning message into my ear drums were probably still hung over as well as he was dead quiet. I think the thought of having to go back to work after such an amazing trip dulled the senses a bit.
Sometime last night this bridge was under water. I stopped to take the photos and Tribbes was the first to cross.
We were now in high spirits after the few high speed runs that we managed so far. Quickly we were back up to speed again and doing some more low flying. I am following some way behind Tribbes and coming over a rise I suddenly see a cloud of dust as Tribbes hits the breaks.
O shit something is up
Fark me.
Brieeeeeeek.
Just Blip It!
Race Dog
Excellent! More please.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 3,605
- Reaction score
- 174
- Location
- I would rather be in Great Brak...
- Bike
- Honda CRF-1000L Africa Twin
Another excellent instalment .
GIDEON
Race Dog
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2006
- Messages
- 4,856
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Gauteng, Pretoria Tuine
- Bike
- Triumph 800 XC
Great report really nice
HennieF
Pack Dog
Happy New Year – with tons of rain.
Part 2.
It seemed the water monster has passed through here not so long ago and left its brother the mud monster behind. The monster of the mud has chose the perfect spot to lay its ambush to catch unsuspected riders like ourselves expecting to be able to do some low flying on the famous Karoo dirt highways.
Tribbes almost gets caught by the mud monster. The marks of their skirmish are still visible in front of me. Not to get caught out myself I choose a different line at a slower pace and manage to pass the lair of the mud monster unchallenged.
The Karoo is such a fascinating place. How so much water can come through here and disappear so quickly is beyond me. The dark clouds in front of us and the evidence of a flash flood behind us started to worry me slightly. Our route has the potential to get a lot more challenging so close to the end of our trip.
In Leeu Gamka we fill our tanks again. Almost a year ago we stopped here as well on our way back to JHB after our 5 days West Coast trip. It felt like a small reunion with the only two members in attendance. The 2009 trip was a minor against this one.
The no tar or little as possible tar rule was still in effect. We could have followed the nice smooth tar road all the way to Frazerburg from Leeu Gamka but what would be the fun in that. Instead I chose a slight detour over the Oukloof pass. It’s another place that I found in the spot the location treads. It seems that a lot of places get mentioned there that is not mentioned in the ride reports section.
On the first opportunity we got we left the tar behind us and made our way direction Oukloof pass. About 10km in we caught up with the water monster and the mud monster. They have teamed up and together they make a serious partnership that needs to be reckoned with. We have dealt with allot of water crossings the last two weeks and lost out badly on one occasion. This incident is still fresh in our minds and to lose a bike again due to drowning we cannot afford right now.
We decide to play it safe this time and back track a little bit and try to find another route that can get us to Oukloof pass. We are in luck and low level bridge allows for save crossing. The children standing on the other side have probably never seen this dry river bed in flood before in their lives. It is truly a rare occasion and we were about to experience something that would probably not happen to us again very soon.
The first part of the route did not show any signs of what we were about to get ourselves into. Even the dark clouds have opened up in front of us and the day was looking promising.
Another dry river bed was lying in front of us. But just like the previous one this one is also in flood with a muddy bank 50 or so meters wide. We have come too far now to turn back so we decide to go for it. The flood water must have been very high as it has left a mud trail more or less 50m from its banks up the road. Closer inspection revealed that the water is very shallow but the sandy bottom could be a hand full if not careful. There are also a lot of soccer ball size rocks hidden under the water and if you run into one of these it would stop you dead in your tracks for sure. Bundu bashing through the veldt would not be an option as the risk of getting a puncture is too great with all of the Aksia thorns that the water has left behind. The only option is to stick to the road and give that mud monster a go.
Tribbes decides to have the first go. Paddling through the mud seemed to be the safest option and he get’s thought with out to mush hassle.
The water part is next and this tends to be more of a challenge as we expected. The water logged sand does not allow for any wheel spin and too keep that forward momentum up you need to be careful what you do with that throttle. Any wheel spin and the bike would immediately dig itself in.
I am next and choose to stick to the track that Tribbes has left in the mud with the hope that I would get a little better traction.
Close to the water’s edge I found myself in a deep mud hole that has been turned upside down with Tribbes passing trough first. I get bogged down but with a little help I manage to get free again.
I have watched what Tribbes have done to get trough and I try to get the bike to idle trough. The bank on the other side is a little steep. To climb this bank I needed to get some momentum but too much wheel spin would get me stuck in the river bed. So as I make my approach Tribbes gets in behind me again for a little push and I gun it.
The bike shoots forward up the bank and I make the mistake of stopping on top and thus losing all my momentum to get clear of the muddy bank. The bottom of the bash plate is scraping along the sand and this does not help at all as the extra resistance keeps me from going forward. The bike digs itself in properly.
Once again Tribbes have to lend a hand and with a roaring engine and mud flying every where I manage to get through to a dryer safer location. The bikes seemed slightly different in looks. Hope I don’t get fined for a dirty number plate but for now that would be the least of my worries. If the route was going to be like this for the rest of the way it could turned out to be a very long day.
Looking back to what we have just managed to ride trough I spot an actual waterfall in the Karoo. You can also see how high the water must have been if you look at the flood debris still stuck in that tree on the right of the picture.
The water crossing has kept us busy for a while and it seemed that the clouds are gathering again and moving our way from the west. It starts to rain slightly and now it would seem that we would get wet from the bottom and the top. Once again it would seem that our route would become a race against time as I make peace with the fact that we would not make Vosburg today. Hell if we are lucky we would make Frazerburg.
As timing is now critical again we make the mistake of not scouting the next flooded dry river bed first. I wait for Tribbes as he makes the first attempt to get through the muddy bank to the water edge. Half way through the bike digs in completely. The mud monster is holding tight and it is not even necessary to put the bike on its side stand.
It is fast approaching 17h00 and we are completely stuck. This is going to be a long day.
Part 2.
It seemed the water monster has passed through here not so long ago and left its brother the mud monster behind. The monster of the mud has chose the perfect spot to lay its ambush to catch unsuspected riders like ourselves expecting to be able to do some low flying on the famous Karoo dirt highways.
Tribbes almost gets caught by the mud monster. The marks of their skirmish are still visible in front of me. Not to get caught out myself I choose a different line at a slower pace and manage to pass the lair of the mud monster unchallenged.
The Karoo is such a fascinating place. How so much water can come through here and disappear so quickly is beyond me. The dark clouds in front of us and the evidence of a flash flood behind us started to worry me slightly. Our route has the potential to get a lot more challenging so close to the end of our trip.
In Leeu Gamka we fill our tanks again. Almost a year ago we stopped here as well on our way back to JHB after our 5 days West Coast trip. It felt like a small reunion with the only two members in attendance. The 2009 trip was a minor against this one.
The no tar or little as possible tar rule was still in effect. We could have followed the nice smooth tar road all the way to Frazerburg from Leeu Gamka but what would be the fun in that. Instead I chose a slight detour over the Oukloof pass. It’s another place that I found in the spot the location treads. It seems that a lot of places get mentioned there that is not mentioned in the ride reports section.
On the first opportunity we got we left the tar behind us and made our way direction Oukloof pass. About 10km in we caught up with the water monster and the mud monster. They have teamed up and together they make a serious partnership that needs to be reckoned with. We have dealt with allot of water crossings the last two weeks and lost out badly on one occasion. This incident is still fresh in our minds and to lose a bike again due to drowning we cannot afford right now.
We decide to play it safe this time and back track a little bit and try to find another route that can get us to Oukloof pass. We are in luck and low level bridge allows for save crossing. The children standing on the other side have probably never seen this dry river bed in flood before in their lives. It is truly a rare occasion and we were about to experience something that would probably not happen to us again very soon.
The first part of the route did not show any signs of what we were about to get ourselves into. Even the dark clouds have opened up in front of us and the day was looking promising.
Another dry river bed was lying in front of us. But just like the previous one this one is also in flood with a muddy bank 50 or so meters wide. We have come too far now to turn back so we decide to go for it. The flood water must have been very high as it has left a mud trail more or less 50m from its banks up the road. Closer inspection revealed that the water is very shallow but the sandy bottom could be a hand full if not careful. There are also a lot of soccer ball size rocks hidden under the water and if you run into one of these it would stop you dead in your tracks for sure. Bundu bashing through the veldt would not be an option as the risk of getting a puncture is too great with all of the Aksia thorns that the water has left behind. The only option is to stick to the road and give that mud monster a go.
Tribbes decides to have the first go. Paddling through the mud seemed to be the safest option and he get’s thought with out to mush hassle.
The water part is next and this tends to be more of a challenge as we expected. The water logged sand does not allow for any wheel spin and too keep that forward momentum up you need to be careful what you do with that throttle. Any wheel spin and the bike would immediately dig itself in.
I am next and choose to stick to the track that Tribbes has left in the mud with the hope that I would get a little better traction.
Close to the water’s edge I found myself in a deep mud hole that has been turned upside down with Tribbes passing trough first. I get bogged down but with a little help I manage to get free again.
I have watched what Tribbes have done to get trough and I try to get the bike to idle trough. The bank on the other side is a little steep. To climb this bank I needed to get some momentum but too much wheel spin would get me stuck in the river bed. So as I make my approach Tribbes gets in behind me again for a little push and I gun it.
The bike shoots forward up the bank and I make the mistake of stopping on top and thus losing all my momentum to get clear of the muddy bank. The bottom of the bash plate is scraping along the sand and this does not help at all as the extra resistance keeps me from going forward. The bike digs itself in properly.
Once again Tribbes have to lend a hand and with a roaring engine and mud flying every where I manage to get through to a dryer safer location. The bikes seemed slightly different in looks. Hope I don’t get fined for a dirty number plate but for now that would be the least of my worries. If the route was going to be like this for the rest of the way it could turned out to be a very long day.
Looking back to what we have just managed to ride trough I spot an actual waterfall in the Karoo. You can also see how high the water must have been if you look at the flood debris still stuck in that tree on the right of the picture.
The water crossing has kept us busy for a while and it seemed that the clouds are gathering again and moving our way from the west. It starts to rain slightly and now it would seem that we would get wet from the bottom and the top. Once again it would seem that our route would become a race against time as I make peace with the fact that we would not make Vosburg today. Hell if we are lucky we would make Frazerburg.
As timing is now critical again we make the mistake of not scouting the next flooded dry river bed first. I wait for Tribbes as he makes the first attempt to get through the muddy bank to the water edge. Half way through the bike digs in completely. The mud monster is holding tight and it is not even necessary to put the bike on its side stand.
It is fast approaching 17h00 and we are completely stuck. This is going to be a long day.
Looking at these pics again it brings back a lot of memories!!! This is a trip of a lifetime and it will be very hard to beat, all the elements played a roll of some sort... Rain, rain and more rain!
Hennie, all honors to you!!!
Farken fish with his big farken eyes...
Hennie, all honors to you!!!
Farken fish with his big farken eyes...
HennieF
Pack Dog
Happy New Year – with tons of rain.
Part 3.
No matter how we push and pull the bike remains firmly stuck in one place. Our only option is to dig this bike out of the mud. Using our hands we clear a track for the bike to get trough. A ditch gets dug by hand to let the water drain out so we can at least have a better idea of what we are up against. This is back breaking stuff and a lot off our energy gets drain doing this.
Our water supply in our Camelbaks’s is now starting to run low as we are sweating away in full rain gear trying not to get wet from the constant rain. We are not prepared for these conditions at all. This morning when we left Vleesbaai we each have filled our Camelbak's only halfway to keep the weight down. This is now proving to have been a big mistake. Tribbes is already complaining of headaches as dehydration is starting to show. At least the rain gear is keeping our riding kit clean form the mud.
With most of the mud cleared away and the water drained we make the decision to hook the tow rope onto my bike to see if we can pull Tribbes’s bike out with mine. My bike is still standing in front of the mud hole on the road so we break a open a access way towards the river bed trough the trees. Rolling a few rocks out of the way and dragging a couple of fallen tree branches out of the way we got ourselves a suitable way forward. We should have probably done this in the first place before attempting the mud pool.
With my bike now in front and the tow rope hooked up to Tribes bike we are now ready for the recovery attempt. As I pull away with wheels spinning my bike just digs itself in without moving forward one inch. Tribbes bike is still going nowhere. We will have to free the wheels from the mud first as it is still holding the bike down. Even as we walk into the mud our feet would get bogged down halfway to our knees and with each step you must first dig yourself free before you can move forward again.
The bike now gets tipped onto its side to get the wheels free and we remove some more mud in front of the bike to allow it to gain some momentum if we can get it to move. Pushing from the back does not help as there is no grip and most of the energy gets lost sinking further in to the mud with each push. I take the tow rope by hand and move to the front again. With Tribbes giving it a lot of revs and trying to push with his legs and me pulling from the front the bike finally moves free.
With both bikes now on firmed ground we can now concentrate on the next objective. To get both bikes with gear safely trough the river and on to the opposite bank. It is a daunting task.
Upstream the river is a little narrower but about hip deep and there is now way up the opposite bank. Downstream the river runs wide but the river bed is made entirely of soccer ball size boulders. The opposite bank is washed away so I wade through the water to break down the river bank to get a path up to the top.
With all my gear carried trough Tribbes makes the first attempt to cross. I would assist from the back and keep the bike from toppeling over if need be.
He chose to go a little bit too far down stream and finds himself some large boulders.
The water seems a little bit calmer 10m or so upstream.
We decide that it would be safer to push the bike trough the boulders than trying to ride over them. At least this way we are sure that the bike cannot fall over and drown. It is however hard work and by now we could feel our energy level is dropping fast. This is no more a nice fish its damn hard work.
Close to the bank Tribbes hops back on to the bike as it would almost be impossible to push the bike up there in our tired state.
He takes aim and guns it. With sand flying everywhere and a slight push from me the bikes climb the bank. I throw my arms up in celebration.
Unfortunately Tribbes makes the same mistake as what I did on the previous crossing and stops on top off the muddy bank and not riding trough to the dry road surface. As he pulls of the bike break through the crust and digs in deep.
I have a nice video clip of him loosing it completely. He asked me not to post the video here as kids might view it as well. This time however there is no water involved so we tip the bike over ones more and move the back out of the mud hole a bit. Freed again he blast of and full revs and roost me properly. Thanks friend.
I choose a different line than him as I have now learned from a couple of mistakes. I do however meet up with a couple of boulder in my way and Tribbes rolls them out of the way allowing me to cross.
Now we take a breather and reflect on what we have just achieved. It took us more than an hour to cross this one particular stream and from the looks of things this road seem to snake trough the valley and through the same river numerous times. Our ordeal is not over yet.
Every kilometer or so we would have to cross the stream again and every time it is the same thing. Get of the bikes. Do some scouting. Mark a suitable route with rocks. Carry the luggage trough if necessary and lend a hand. And off course get ROOSTED by your best friend.
Some of the crossings was a little bit easier that others which allowed for quick crossing times. I remember one crossing in particular where we had to break open some bush next to the road again. My first concern riding trough the bush was punctures as there were a lot of thorns lying around that has been washed down with the water. Somehow our luck hold regarding getting punctures on this trip.
So far we have not seen other vehicles or tracks. We were probably the first coming through here in quite a while. Passing a farm house the farm workers wave at us. Only later on would I realize that we are probably the first vehicles that they have seen in a while.
By 19H00 we finally meet out match as we run out of road completely. By now we have both made peace with the fact that we would not sleep in Vosburg tonight but deep inside I had hoped that we would at least get as far as Frazerburg. Now with no road to continue on that dream goes out the window as well.
We are both complete paste. We both are dehydrated but our water supply is almost depleted. His Camebak is empty but mine still holds at least 300mil. Drinking from the muddy stream is not an option. Diarrhea is the last thing that I want right now. We would just have to man up and get through this somehow. We each swallow a headache pill and we pitch the tent one again. Not one of us has thought that we would use the tent again and once again we are sleeping next to a flowing river but this time in the Karoo of all places.
Tomorrow we would have to find a way out of here. Turning around seem now like the best option as going forward is completely blocked. Never the less I decide to walk further up the valley to see what challenges lies ahead and if we can make a plan to get trough here. The way forward seems reasonable with only two places that the road is completely washed away and we would have to improvise. I just cannot see myself going back through all that hell again so forward it is.
Our tent is pitched on what has been the road. If the same amount of water comes down this valley again we could be in trouble. Our only option would be to abandon the bikes with all our gear and climb to higher ground. No one knows where we are so who knows how long it would take to walk out of here.
Back at camp Tribbes is already in bed sucking on a can of condensed milk. Our only meal for tonight. I make some coffee with half of our last bit of water and use the condense milk as a sweetener.
After a day like today a little bit of luxury goes a long way.
Part 3.
No matter how we push and pull the bike remains firmly stuck in one place. Our only option is to dig this bike out of the mud. Using our hands we clear a track for the bike to get trough. A ditch gets dug by hand to let the water drain out so we can at least have a better idea of what we are up against. This is back breaking stuff and a lot off our energy gets drain doing this.
Our water supply in our Camelbaks’s is now starting to run low as we are sweating away in full rain gear trying not to get wet from the constant rain. We are not prepared for these conditions at all. This morning when we left Vleesbaai we each have filled our Camelbak's only halfway to keep the weight down. This is now proving to have been a big mistake. Tribbes is already complaining of headaches as dehydration is starting to show. At least the rain gear is keeping our riding kit clean form the mud.
With most of the mud cleared away and the water drained we make the decision to hook the tow rope onto my bike to see if we can pull Tribbes’s bike out with mine. My bike is still standing in front of the mud hole on the road so we break a open a access way towards the river bed trough the trees. Rolling a few rocks out of the way and dragging a couple of fallen tree branches out of the way we got ourselves a suitable way forward. We should have probably done this in the first place before attempting the mud pool.
With my bike now in front and the tow rope hooked up to Tribes bike we are now ready for the recovery attempt. As I pull away with wheels spinning my bike just digs itself in without moving forward one inch. Tribbes bike is still going nowhere. We will have to free the wheels from the mud first as it is still holding the bike down. Even as we walk into the mud our feet would get bogged down halfway to our knees and with each step you must first dig yourself free before you can move forward again.
The bike now gets tipped onto its side to get the wheels free and we remove some more mud in front of the bike to allow it to gain some momentum if we can get it to move. Pushing from the back does not help as there is no grip and most of the energy gets lost sinking further in to the mud with each push. I take the tow rope by hand and move to the front again. With Tribbes giving it a lot of revs and trying to push with his legs and me pulling from the front the bike finally moves free.
With both bikes now on firmed ground we can now concentrate on the next objective. To get both bikes with gear safely trough the river and on to the opposite bank. It is a daunting task.
Upstream the river is a little narrower but about hip deep and there is now way up the opposite bank. Downstream the river runs wide but the river bed is made entirely of soccer ball size boulders. The opposite bank is washed away so I wade through the water to break down the river bank to get a path up to the top.
With all my gear carried trough Tribbes makes the first attempt to cross. I would assist from the back and keep the bike from toppeling over if need be.
He chose to go a little bit too far down stream and finds himself some large boulders.
The water seems a little bit calmer 10m or so upstream.
We decide that it would be safer to push the bike trough the boulders than trying to ride over them. At least this way we are sure that the bike cannot fall over and drown. It is however hard work and by now we could feel our energy level is dropping fast. This is no more a nice fish its damn hard work.
Close to the bank Tribbes hops back on to the bike as it would almost be impossible to push the bike up there in our tired state.
He takes aim and guns it. With sand flying everywhere and a slight push from me the bikes climb the bank. I throw my arms up in celebration.
Unfortunately Tribbes makes the same mistake as what I did on the previous crossing and stops on top off the muddy bank and not riding trough to the dry road surface. As he pulls of the bike break through the crust and digs in deep.
I have a nice video clip of him loosing it completely. He asked me not to post the video here as kids might view it as well. This time however there is no water involved so we tip the bike over ones more and move the back out of the mud hole a bit. Freed again he blast of and full revs and roost me properly. Thanks friend.
I choose a different line than him as I have now learned from a couple of mistakes. I do however meet up with a couple of boulder in my way and Tribbes rolls them out of the way allowing me to cross.
Now we take a breather and reflect on what we have just achieved. It took us more than an hour to cross this one particular stream and from the looks of things this road seem to snake trough the valley and through the same river numerous times. Our ordeal is not over yet.
Every kilometer or so we would have to cross the stream again and every time it is the same thing. Get of the bikes. Do some scouting. Mark a suitable route with rocks. Carry the luggage trough if necessary and lend a hand. And off course get ROOSTED by your best friend.
Some of the crossings was a little bit easier that others which allowed for quick crossing times. I remember one crossing in particular where we had to break open some bush next to the road again. My first concern riding trough the bush was punctures as there were a lot of thorns lying around that has been washed down with the water. Somehow our luck hold regarding getting punctures on this trip.
So far we have not seen other vehicles or tracks. We were probably the first coming through here in quite a while. Passing a farm house the farm workers wave at us. Only later on would I realize that we are probably the first vehicles that they have seen in a while.
By 19H00 we finally meet out match as we run out of road completely. By now we have both made peace with the fact that we would not sleep in Vosburg tonight but deep inside I had hoped that we would at least get as far as Frazerburg. Now with no road to continue on that dream goes out the window as well.
We are both complete paste. We both are dehydrated but our water supply is almost depleted. His Camebak is empty but mine still holds at least 300mil. Drinking from the muddy stream is not an option. Diarrhea is the last thing that I want right now. We would just have to man up and get through this somehow. We each swallow a headache pill and we pitch the tent one again. Not one of us has thought that we would use the tent again and once again we are sleeping next to a flowing river but this time in the Karoo of all places.
Tomorrow we would have to find a way out of here. Turning around seem now like the best option as going forward is completely blocked. Never the less I decide to walk further up the valley to see what challenges lies ahead and if we can make a plan to get trough here. The way forward seems reasonable with only two places that the road is completely washed away and we would have to improvise. I just cannot see myself going back through all that hell again so forward it is.
Our tent is pitched on what has been the road. If the same amount of water comes down this valley again we could be in trouble. Our only option would be to abandon the bikes with all our gear and climb to higher ground. No one knows where we are so who knows how long it would take to walk out of here.
Back at camp Tribbes is already in bed sucking on a can of condensed milk. Our only meal for tonight. I make some coffee with half of our last bit of water and use the condense milk as a sweetener.
After a day like today a little bit of luxury goes a long way.
HennieF
Pack Dog
Country Trax Moolmanshoek
Got a little side tracked last weekend and so missing my usual Saturday post. We had the opportunity to take part in the Country Trax Intermediate course that was held last weekend at Moolmanshoek in the Free State and what an excellent event it was.
Will swop out the small pic’s with bigger ones when I receive the DVD.
To SGB, Bees, Cecelia and the staff of Moolmanshoek thank you for a well organized event and it was great to see you guys once again.
Just for the record I am now the proud owner of several small plots of land in the Eastern Free State and I had a slight taste of the Dark Side.
Got a little side tracked last weekend and so missing my usual Saturday post. We had the opportunity to take part in the Country Trax Intermediate course that was held last weekend at Moolmanshoek in the Free State and what an excellent event it was.
Will swop out the small pic’s with bigger ones when I receive the DVD.
To SGB, Bees, Cecelia and the staff of Moolmanshoek thank you for a well organized event and it was great to see you guys once again.
Just for the record I am now the proud owner of several small plots of land in the Eastern Free State and I had a slight taste of the Dark Side.
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