Splash
Race Dog
My faith in humanity has been restored. As a novice to dirt bike riding, I think that I bit off more than I should have this time.
I was not a very happy soul to start off with, and this before even getting onto a bike. I got lost following my GPS. It had decided that I could cross the Drakensberg for the KZN side to get to Witsieshoek Mountain Resort in QwaQwa. After a frantic phone call I got the right directions and had to backtrack to just about Harrismith. Gadgets are apparently not to be trusted and I now can appreciate how people drive into canals following their GPS.
Luckily, Gary and Pieter waited for me (also a little late), after the main group had left with Gavin and Dudley. So the three of us went out to explore the mountains. I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for. Stupidity and ignorance cannot even come close to describing my situation. We started off along the paved road from the resort and at a point, rather suddenly, dropped down what looked like a cliff to me. I was not having any of this and decided to rather very gently walk my bike down. My two riding companions must have been amazed at the sight as this was a very easy route, as I was to later to discover.
And so started my journey of comfort zones being shattered. I got to ride the route again the next day and did try and ride a bit more instead of walk. And so, with a little pressure I started doing things that more or less terrified me. If things got technical, I was always helped out with endless patience. I am not exactly sure why, because I am sure they would have loved to carry on riding without the continual interruption of having to rescue me. I guess they are hoping that I will sooner or later figure this all out, or they do not want to call an ambulance in the worse case scenario. I hope it is the former.
At the end of the first days riding on the way back to the resort, I did an absolutely stupidity fall on a small step, by hitting a rut and the bike dropping me. This did not do my shoulder any good and I did have it on my mind for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately this little incident was way eclipsed the following day when I managed to summersault the whole bike. Not very difficult to do if one grabs the front brakes hard enough on a slope. To my surprise the bike behaved in a remarkably predictable way and with a lot of luck, and possibly with one of my nine live, I did not get hurt. The handle bars landed on my one thigh but that was minor. I was not going to let that upset the day and managed to put it behind me. Done that and hope to not do that again in a hurry.
I was continuously given encouragement to try new things which is really the only way to learn. I seemed to have had my bike ridden up or down hundreds of technical sections, but I guess I had also ridden may other sections I had never done before. Being a little chicken, or really a lot, may have masked many new things I was learning that more experienced riders would take for granted.
Riding on mountain footpaths was not what I had expected it to be like. It takes huge you know what and almost blind confidence in the bike. By Saturday afternoon, certain sections actually became fun and at least and I was starting to ride my bike instead of fighting it and my fears. One obviously needs to have ones boundaries stretched to really start learning. How one does this in such a dangerous environment is a tribute to the tour guides. Such unending tolerance and willingness to help. I think I did abuse the situation terribly but like a child one wants to have some reassurance that you will not be abandoned. One or two of the technical sections would definitely have turned ugly, so rather that I had a bit too much help than have crashed. Fatigue also eventually starts to take its toll and seemingly simple obstacles become mountains of potential trouble.
It is really a challenging thing to learn an extreme sport. How does one eventually get to the point of having fun by playing and discovering new things for oneself. It can only happen with the support of people who one trusts. Such a valuable trait and a very special person.
Enduro World Tours get a thousand thanks and my confidence to want to do another off road tour. Next weekend may be a little soon though, but lets see how the week goes!
I was not a very happy soul to start off with, and this before even getting onto a bike. I got lost following my GPS. It had decided that I could cross the Drakensberg for the KZN side to get to Witsieshoek Mountain Resort in QwaQwa. After a frantic phone call I got the right directions and had to backtrack to just about Harrismith. Gadgets are apparently not to be trusted and I now can appreciate how people drive into canals following their GPS.
Luckily, Gary and Pieter waited for me (also a little late), after the main group had left with Gavin and Dudley. So the three of us went out to explore the mountains. I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for. Stupidity and ignorance cannot even come close to describing my situation. We started off along the paved road from the resort and at a point, rather suddenly, dropped down what looked like a cliff to me. I was not having any of this and decided to rather very gently walk my bike down. My two riding companions must have been amazed at the sight as this was a very easy route, as I was to later to discover.
And so started my journey of comfort zones being shattered. I got to ride the route again the next day and did try and ride a bit more instead of walk. And so, with a little pressure I started doing things that more or less terrified me. If things got technical, I was always helped out with endless patience. I am not exactly sure why, because I am sure they would have loved to carry on riding without the continual interruption of having to rescue me. I guess they are hoping that I will sooner or later figure this all out, or they do not want to call an ambulance in the worse case scenario. I hope it is the former.
At the end of the first days riding on the way back to the resort, I did an absolutely stupidity fall on a small step, by hitting a rut and the bike dropping me. This did not do my shoulder any good and I did have it on my mind for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately this little incident was way eclipsed the following day when I managed to summersault the whole bike. Not very difficult to do if one grabs the front brakes hard enough on a slope. To my surprise the bike behaved in a remarkably predictable way and with a lot of luck, and possibly with one of my nine live, I did not get hurt. The handle bars landed on my one thigh but that was minor. I was not going to let that upset the day and managed to put it behind me. Done that and hope to not do that again in a hurry.
I was continuously given encouragement to try new things which is really the only way to learn. I seemed to have had my bike ridden up or down hundreds of technical sections, but I guess I had also ridden may other sections I had never done before. Being a little chicken, or really a lot, may have masked many new things I was learning that more experienced riders would take for granted.
Riding on mountain footpaths was not what I had expected it to be like. It takes huge you know what and almost blind confidence in the bike. By Saturday afternoon, certain sections actually became fun and at least and I was starting to ride my bike instead of fighting it and my fears. One obviously needs to have ones boundaries stretched to really start learning. How one does this in such a dangerous environment is a tribute to the tour guides. Such unending tolerance and willingness to help. I think I did abuse the situation terribly but like a child one wants to have some reassurance that you will not be abandoned. One or two of the technical sections would definitely have turned ugly, so rather that I had a bit too much help than have crashed. Fatigue also eventually starts to take its toll and seemingly simple obstacles become mountains of potential trouble.
It is really a challenging thing to learn an extreme sport. How does one eventually get to the point of having fun by playing and discovering new things for oneself. It can only happen with the support of people who one trusts. Such a valuable trait and a very special person.
Enduro World Tours get a thousand thanks and my confidence to want to do another off road tour. Next weekend may be a little soon though, but lets see how the week goes!
