HennieF
Pack Dog
Day 18.
Planned route: Vosburg to Kroonstad 670km
Actual route: Oukloof pass to my parent’s farm near Hopetown 530km.
Behind schedule 400km
Homeward – Bound.
We wake up to a beautiful morning and are met with a cloudless sky. At least for now. It did not rain any more during the night and the river has gone down a bid. During the night we have made the final decision that we would continue forward. Frazerburg is about 40km away and Beaufort West 190mm via Leeu Gamka if we go back the way we came. My recce on last light yesterday has revealed 5 more river crossings that is not difficult but at two of the crossings the road has completely washed away and we would have to engage in some road building of our own if we want to continue on our planned route.
By now any power that was still left in my camera’s battery after yesterday ordeal were gone so any further pictures would have to be taken with cell phones and my helmet cam.
The first obstacle in our way forward lay right in front of us. The road was completely washed away with a meter drop off to the river bed and a lot of huge rocks that lay in our way to get to what have been the road on the other side.
Our only option is to back track a little bit and try to ride up the river bed and trough the rocks and up onto the road surface. We were a little concerned about the success of our plan. Yesterdays experience has taught us that riding wet river sand can be tricky and if we fail we could be spending the whole morning getting ourselves unstuck again. Before we could test our plan we would first have to do some road building to get through the rocks.
Our gear gets carried trough to the other side to get the bikes a light as possible and the time to test our plan as come.
Video Hennie Up stream.
I did not want to post any video in this ride report but this one I just had to share. At the end we both make it through without any problems. One down four to go.
With the water level that has gone down crossing the streams are fairly easy.
Our next big obstacle looms in front of us. Here we have to break part of what is left of the road down to gain access to the top and a lot of rocks would have to be cleared to gain a path trough.
While we get to work our trusty steeds are waiting patiently at the bottom.
Tribbes takes the first go. There is a small ridge that we have to follow. In the middle the ridge disappears and we have to ride on rocks for a couple of meters and then a slight step up to get back onto the ridge again. The ridge is about two foot wide with half a meter drops off on both sides. The whole obstacle is about 20m long.
It takes us a couple of minutes for both of us to get a food hold on the other side of the obstacle. We have now gone through the worst and with one last water crossing to go I put my bike down for the last time on the trip. Final score 4 against 3. It seems if you want to avoid a big rock it is best not to look at it. Rather look ahead where you want to go.
We come across our first vehicle tracks. This is a good sign. If regular vehicle can reach up to here that could only mean that the rest of the road to Frazerburg is still intact. This proves to be true as half an hour later we are filling our bikes up again at the Frazerburg filling station. Now we stock up on enough water for the rest of the day and get ourselves something eat. Do not want to run out of water again.
The dirt road between Frazerburg and Loxton is what we came here to find. A Karoo super dirt highway. Flood warning signs were posted just outside town but the road showed evidence of recent traffic so we proceed. Here and there we still had to ride around the occasional water pool but for most of the way it was high speed low flying action.
I came on to one road side swimming pool a little too fast and tapped of a little too late. Momentum and luck would have to carry me trough this one so I climb back on to the throttle again and charged trough. Tribbes later said that all he saw was me disappearing in a cloud of water. He trough I had come off but my luck hold and I made it through.
I would say that in Loxton our dirt riding part of the trip has officially come to an end. With all the rain in the area and us been almost one day late again on our schedule we thought it best to do what normal people do and stick to tar for the rest of the way.
We rode trough Victoria West and on to Britstown were we had our last run in with the law. They were a very friendly bunch and after checking the road worthiness of the bikes they let us go. The bikes and ourselves now in a terrible state from been dirty turned a lot of heads and received a lot of attention as we stopped at the garage for a breather. Everyone that came over for a chat could not believe that we have traveled so far and so long by bike trough South Africa. Unfortunately no girls came over for a chat. Smelly hairy bikers it seems is just not a turn on anymore.
From Britstown to Hopetown we once again meet up with our old friend rain. This time however we chose to ride trough it as it was not so consisted as we had gotten used to over the last couple of days. You can actually feel when it would start raining in the drop in air temperature. The temperature gauge would suddenly drop from 28 degrees to 23 degrees and then the rain would start to coming down.
Stopping in Hopetown Tribbes said something was wrong with his bike. On closer inspection we found this.
His trip has come to an end in a bad way. With my parents farm just 60km away I left him there to go and fetch transport. As my parents are still in Vleesbaai on holiday the neighbors are looking after the place so it no problem getting stuff organized. Two hours later the bike is loaded.
We would not reach Kroonstad anymore today. At least we are now back in my part of the country and plans could be made to get him and the bike back to JHB.
I would have to continue on my own as soon as we could sort out the bike and his travel arrangements.
Planned route: Vosburg to Kroonstad 670km
Actual route: Oukloof pass to my parent’s farm near Hopetown 530km.
Behind schedule 400km
Homeward – Bound.
We wake up to a beautiful morning and are met with a cloudless sky. At least for now. It did not rain any more during the night and the river has gone down a bid. During the night we have made the final decision that we would continue forward. Frazerburg is about 40km away and Beaufort West 190mm via Leeu Gamka if we go back the way we came. My recce on last light yesterday has revealed 5 more river crossings that is not difficult but at two of the crossings the road has completely washed away and we would have to engage in some road building of our own if we want to continue on our planned route.
By now any power that was still left in my camera’s battery after yesterday ordeal were gone so any further pictures would have to be taken with cell phones and my helmet cam.
The first obstacle in our way forward lay right in front of us. The road was completely washed away with a meter drop off to the river bed and a lot of huge rocks that lay in our way to get to what have been the road on the other side.
Our only option is to back track a little bit and try to ride up the river bed and trough the rocks and up onto the road surface. We were a little concerned about the success of our plan. Yesterdays experience has taught us that riding wet river sand can be tricky and if we fail we could be spending the whole morning getting ourselves unstuck again. Before we could test our plan we would first have to do some road building to get through the rocks.
Our gear gets carried trough to the other side to get the bikes a light as possible and the time to test our plan as come.
Video Hennie Up stream.
I did not want to post any video in this ride report but this one I just had to share. At the end we both make it through without any problems. One down four to go.
With the water level that has gone down crossing the streams are fairly easy.
Our next big obstacle looms in front of us. Here we have to break part of what is left of the road down to gain access to the top and a lot of rocks would have to be cleared to gain a path trough.
While we get to work our trusty steeds are waiting patiently at the bottom.
Tribbes takes the first go. There is a small ridge that we have to follow. In the middle the ridge disappears and we have to ride on rocks for a couple of meters and then a slight step up to get back onto the ridge again. The ridge is about two foot wide with half a meter drops off on both sides. The whole obstacle is about 20m long.
It takes us a couple of minutes for both of us to get a food hold on the other side of the obstacle. We have now gone through the worst and with one last water crossing to go I put my bike down for the last time on the trip. Final score 4 against 3. It seems if you want to avoid a big rock it is best not to look at it. Rather look ahead where you want to go.
We come across our first vehicle tracks. This is a good sign. If regular vehicle can reach up to here that could only mean that the rest of the road to Frazerburg is still intact. This proves to be true as half an hour later we are filling our bikes up again at the Frazerburg filling station. Now we stock up on enough water for the rest of the day and get ourselves something eat. Do not want to run out of water again.
The dirt road between Frazerburg and Loxton is what we came here to find. A Karoo super dirt highway. Flood warning signs were posted just outside town but the road showed evidence of recent traffic so we proceed. Here and there we still had to ride around the occasional water pool but for most of the way it was high speed low flying action.
I came on to one road side swimming pool a little too fast and tapped of a little too late. Momentum and luck would have to carry me trough this one so I climb back on to the throttle again and charged trough. Tribbes later said that all he saw was me disappearing in a cloud of water. He trough I had come off but my luck hold and I made it through.
I would say that in Loxton our dirt riding part of the trip has officially come to an end. With all the rain in the area and us been almost one day late again on our schedule we thought it best to do what normal people do and stick to tar for the rest of the way.
We rode trough Victoria West and on to Britstown were we had our last run in with the law. They were a very friendly bunch and after checking the road worthiness of the bikes they let us go. The bikes and ourselves now in a terrible state from been dirty turned a lot of heads and received a lot of attention as we stopped at the garage for a breather. Everyone that came over for a chat could not believe that we have traveled so far and so long by bike trough South Africa. Unfortunately no girls came over for a chat. Smelly hairy bikers it seems is just not a turn on anymore.
From Britstown to Hopetown we once again meet up with our old friend rain. This time however we chose to ride trough it as it was not so consisted as we had gotten used to over the last couple of days. You can actually feel when it would start raining in the drop in air temperature. The temperature gauge would suddenly drop from 28 degrees to 23 degrees and then the rain would start to coming down.
Stopping in Hopetown Tribbes said something was wrong with his bike. On closer inspection we found this.
His trip has come to an end in a bad way. With my parents farm just 60km away I left him there to go and fetch transport. As my parents are still in Vleesbaai on holiday the neighbors are looking after the place so it no problem getting stuff organized. Two hours later the bike is loaded.
We would not reach Kroonstad anymore today. At least we are now back in my part of the country and plans could be made to get him and the bike back to JHB.
I would have to continue on my own as soon as we could sort out the bike and his travel arrangements.
- ek kan net beaam - versigtiger wees is beslis veiliger!!!
