gcsvShredder
Pack Dog
Sup dogs, sorry for the late reply....
the route details...
katbakkies-tankwa R355-Uitspankraal-doring rivier-Biedouw 4x4 campsite-Wupperthal-Eselsbank-oases and back home again.
my firts ride in cpt on my machine, so i was super stoked! we left cpt @ about 9am. Being exposed to the new scenery i had to stop at every spot that had a view and snap a few.
1st stop for breakfast was right on top of Bains kloof pass where we enjoyed some left over braaivleis from the previous night.
The gravel started just outside Op die berg Ko Op and this was our last stop where we could fill our tanks. pleco had inside info and was told that there was no fuel in Wuppertal, the locals in Op die berg confirmed that. We made some modifications to pleco's carrier to be able to carry atleast an extra 10 litres of fuel. Planning on which routes to take to Wuppertal was critical...we passed through Katbakkies pass with yet again some awesome views!!
The torture began when we hit the R355 toword calvinia where we continued on a 100km strait gravel road. we only did 80km/h as fuel was an issue. Passing uitspankraal, we got to the fork where we had to make a very important decision +/- 40ks to campsite via doring rivier, that is if the river was not to deep and if we were to make it across, if not, we would have to come back up to the fork and do the chicken run which is about +/-120km from the fork to the campsite, so you can do the math...
We decided to go check out the river; getting there we found the river about 50m in width, we were not sure what to do at first glance, spotted a raft on the otherside of the river with people also looking at crossing from the other side. we asked them if the raft would be able to take a motorbike, without giving it some thought they yelled..." no ways, too small!" they turned around and left. So we sat down had something to eat and drink, we both looked at each other and said " F@#k IT, LETS DO IT!!"
Pants down, shirts off, the water was FFFRRREEEEEEZZZING and freakin 4 inches above waist deep!!! plecos bike was the first to go over ( unfortuanately i am still waiting on these pictures from our onlookers who captured the whole river crossing ) followed by mine. we were able to get the bikes front wheel and chassie on the raft while the back wheel was floating in the water.
pleco held onto the bikes while i prevented the raft from floating away down stream, this operation was EEEPIC!!! it took us about an hour and a half to get our bikes and kit across the river, by that time we were both numb from the waist down!
after the whole ordeal the farmer cornered pleco to ask how we got across and after explaining he got a bit pissed off with us for using his raft and not asking, so let this be a warning, if you do pass through there ask him and leave it where you found it. pleco softened him up and we set throttle to the campsite(Biedouw 4x4 campsite) where we enjoyed some braaivleis and good company with people from the Netherlands chatting bout their month trip through africa.
Next morning we were off to Wuppertal, no alcohol allowed in this town, shop was closed and the whole town in church, we were hoping to find something to drink, but no luck!
Passing through Eselsbank( who wouldve thought of creating this lil town ) where the people are probably in-breading, our next stop for something to eat and drink would be Oasis.
There you can find yaself a bed, chow and drinks if you are planning to sleep over and at reasonable prices. We stuffed our faces with toasted sarmies and 4 juices. Just keep an eye out for the dogs there, they like setting foot and teeth after bikes. When you do leave there be sure that they will wait for you to leave and they will be all paws and theeth blazing at you
From there it was about +/-40 ks to the tar where we head back home, our fuel just made it to ceres where we re-fueled....
This was an awesome ride, special thanks to pleco for putting it together!
The trip really had a bit of everything in it, long sweeping tar and gravel roads, technical sections up the mountains and some sand and last but not the least an awesome river crossing!
the route details...
katbakkies-tankwa R355-Uitspankraal-doring rivier-Biedouw 4x4 campsite-Wupperthal-Eselsbank-oases and back home again.
my firts ride in cpt on my machine, so i was super stoked! we left cpt @ about 9am. Being exposed to the new scenery i had to stop at every spot that had a view and snap a few.
1st stop for breakfast was right on top of Bains kloof pass where we enjoyed some left over braaivleis from the previous night.
The gravel started just outside Op die berg Ko Op and this was our last stop where we could fill our tanks. pleco had inside info and was told that there was no fuel in Wuppertal, the locals in Op die berg confirmed that. We made some modifications to pleco's carrier to be able to carry atleast an extra 10 litres of fuel. Planning on which routes to take to Wuppertal was critical...we passed through Katbakkies pass with yet again some awesome views!!
The torture began when we hit the R355 toword calvinia where we continued on a 100km strait gravel road. we only did 80km/h as fuel was an issue. Passing uitspankraal, we got to the fork where we had to make a very important decision +/- 40ks to campsite via doring rivier, that is if the river was not to deep and if we were to make it across, if not, we would have to come back up to the fork and do the chicken run which is about +/-120km from the fork to the campsite, so you can do the math...
We decided to go check out the river; getting there we found the river about 50m in width, we were not sure what to do at first glance, spotted a raft on the otherside of the river with people also looking at crossing from the other side. we asked them if the raft would be able to take a motorbike, without giving it some thought they yelled..." no ways, too small!" they turned around and left. So we sat down had something to eat and drink, we both looked at each other and said " F@#k IT, LETS DO IT!!"
Pants down, shirts off, the water was FFFRRREEEEEEZZZING and freakin 4 inches above waist deep!!! plecos bike was the first to go over ( unfortuanately i am still waiting on these pictures from our onlookers who captured the whole river crossing ) followed by mine. we were able to get the bikes front wheel and chassie on the raft while the back wheel was floating in the water.
pleco held onto the bikes while i prevented the raft from floating away down stream, this operation was EEEPIC!!! it took us about an hour and a half to get our bikes and kit across the river, by that time we were both numb from the waist down!
after the whole ordeal the farmer cornered pleco to ask how we got across and after explaining he got a bit pissed off with us for using his raft and not asking, so let this be a warning, if you do pass through there ask him and leave it where you found it. pleco softened him up and we set throttle to the campsite(Biedouw 4x4 campsite) where we enjoyed some braaivleis and good company with people from the Netherlands chatting bout their month trip through africa.
Next morning we were off to Wuppertal, no alcohol allowed in this town, shop was closed and the whole town in church, we were hoping to find something to drink, but no luck!
Passing through Eselsbank( who wouldve thought of creating this lil town ) where the people are probably in-breading, our next stop for something to eat and drink would be Oasis.
There you can find yaself a bed, chow and drinks if you are planning to sleep over and at reasonable prices. We stuffed our faces with toasted sarmies and 4 juices. Just keep an eye out for the dogs there, they like setting foot and teeth after bikes. When you do leave there be sure that they will wait for you to leave and they will be all paws and theeth blazing at you
From there it was about +/-40 ks to the tar where we head back home, our fuel just made it to ceres where we re-fueled....
This was an awesome ride, special thanks to pleco for putting it together!
The trip really had a bit of everything in it, long sweeping tar and gravel roads, technical sections up the mountains and some sand and last but not the least an awesome river crossing!
