DEON 1190
Race Dog
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2018
- Messages
- 828
- Reaction score
- 549
- Bike
- KTM 1190 Adventure
The long weekend of 14-17 June has become out POLAR BEAR RUN date . No different this year , but with early snow falls in June we needed to add to the preparations to keep warm riding at very low temps , I was more or less sorted , biggest concern was good winter gloves, the ones i have did not make the grade , on tets to the shop my hands were cold , so gloves was top of the list . With Temo I had the chance to address thermal base layers , bought some great heat holder top and leggings . was a blessing . My riding buddy works for BMW and he said I should look at there gloves as he could get them for me at a staff price , saw some that looked the ticked , and ordered them , misread his reply and received another pair , they also very good but I have to be honest just not 100% for minus 12 degree riding , even with heated grips !
Ok packed and ready to go , departure time is 14h00 from Modderfontein rd Edenvale , I was leaving from Randburg and my friend from Mooikloof Pretoria , 1 PM I close shop , send staff home just to receive a message that he is being delayed by work and will only make the meeting point by 3 pm , small fubar , but still plenty time to for daylight to Clarence . I park in my office , do some paperwork and leave by 2.30 . Get onto the highway and its craze busy , make it to the meeting point just after 3 pm , stop and wait , lights approach but not my friend , traffic builds up to snails pace , I wait , by 3.50 I get a message from him that he is on the N3 near Villiers , He used the R21 instead of coming Ben SCHOEMAN HIWAY , so missed me , I head into the traffic , must make hay while the sun shines , Once past Alberton the traffic eases and I can up the pace , Letting the big dogs run . Just past Tweeling it starts getting dark , but spots work and I can ride . Fill up in Bethlehem and ride the 38 ks to Clarence as fast as I can see . arrive at 6.40
Change into warm comfortable clothing and we go to the POSTHOUSE for dinner , In my opinion best steaks in Clarens! We discuss the next days departure times would have been 7 am , but winter in the Eastern freestate it could be 2 degrees or less , so we decide to move it to 9 am and we would then enjoy breakfast before we go . Relay the decision to Grant McSACK whom was joining us , all in agreement we met at 9 , filled up And was introduced to Carlos , a friend of Grants joining the adventure . It just so happened that it was my friends birthday on Saturday , Carlos had a tiny bottle of medicine for each of us just to warm up , this was used as a celebratory shot for his birthday same time , After sing song it was helmets on side stands up and we were on the road , Not even 10 kilos out of clarence the ice warning was flashing on the dash , but we were dressed well , Some hard riding and we made it to Lady brand by 10.45 . filled up and headed to the border . Crossing was a breeze , and by now the temps had climed to 14 degrees , I was cooking and had to take of some of the layers , more comfortable we negotiated the bypass road in MASERU . Local traffic is just craze and the taxis are way worse than ours , do the same as in stopping any ware any time , but in most cases drive at about 30kph , holding everyone up . but seems its accepted . We make out way to the turn off , We slightly ahead , and Grant does not see us turn , we stop and wait for them , no show , I turn around and go look for them , LUCKY THE REALIZED they made a mistake and also made a U turn back , regrouped we head out on the Mohale dam road , It ascends into the mountains quickly constantly going higher . many corners and switchbacks . some U turns has to be taken at 20 , anything faster is a big chance of not making the turn . We encounter snow on the mountains as we ride , stop for some photos . And arrive at the lodge at about 1 .20 pm . Drinks turn into lunch , SURPRICINGLY good food , service is very slow , but was worth the wait .
We / I am concerned that we have left things a bit late with lunch , and we are going to run out of daylight on our way home ,So we give it stick back to MASERU . cross back into SA and stop in Ladybrand again to fill up , We have 150 kilos to ride , it 5 pm sunset is at 5.40 pm So again we let them dogs run hard , way above legal limit , arrive in Clarens at 6.05 pm .
Change and its dinner time again , Spend the evening with good friands , I start feeling a bit fluish , dry cough , But nothing to bad . of to bed .
Sundays ride we will go in at Caledons poort , with the option of checking the new Monatsa pass road , if not viable we would turn around and ride to AFRI SKI .
SUNDAY
After breakfast we fill up again and head out , its not as cold a the day before , so a pleasant ride , arrive at Caledon's poort , SA side easy peasy , on the Lesotho side . they have some alterations , seems this never ends . Stamp passports and then get shown to another office , have to pay R100 TOURISM levy PP .and when you leave the toll is 90 rand . We did not pay the levy at Maseru . I was aware of the levy charge at Sani , now also at Caledons poort , seem they dont want us the visit . I will admit I got a bit agro about this . but paid and made our way to the MONANTSA PASS road .
Some roadworks at the turn off , we ride on , some more roadworks about 8 kilos in , My friend says he not so sure about this ride , I say lets push on . He reluctanly agree , the raod is not 100% done yet , needs a good sweep to remove the loose stones , and armco need to be installed .
We ride on , and join a new part that must have been built by the Chinese , the paving is smooth , we ride on , very nice but super dangerous , blind rises with turns that you only see when on top of it . ARMCO will hopefully fix this .
Map says the distance to Monatsa is 60 kilos , but with the turns I think closer to maybe 80 , Eventually the paving stops , I ask a local how far to Monantsa . he indicates 10 kilos , we decide to ride it , The dirt is ready to be paved , so very smooth , about 4 kilos in they dumping rocks , there is a caterpillar track and we hobble along this , stop for a P break and 2 ks later we at the new border post being built .
22 Years ago I drove my jeep down Monatsa pass , and when we arrive at the Lesotho border post it was an abandoned caravan . now a new modern border id being built , The road from the SA side was a 2 track donkey path , this has been replaced by a concrete road , linking the border controls .
Once back in SA we made out way thru PUDADITJABA and then via Golkden gate park to Clarens
Our last nights Accommodation was at the GOLDENGATE HOTEL
Friend wanted to be home early , I felt feverish from my flu symptoms so a early departure was cool by me , Up at 5 am ready to go by 6 and we hit proper polar bear weather , ice warning on dash 2 degrees
We fill up in Bethelehem , sun is coming up and the temps drop below zero - 3 at one stage . Now add in wind chill and we down to -13 . we are freezing . but ride on , no choice , go home by 9.30 , change and off to chemist for meds . in bed for the rest of the day , cold shivers and fever at same time .
meds seems to have worked , feeling better today .
all in all a great weekend once again !!
Ok packed and ready to go , departure time is 14h00 from Modderfontein rd Edenvale , I was leaving from Randburg and my friend from Mooikloof Pretoria , 1 PM I close shop , send staff home just to receive a message that he is being delayed by work and will only make the meeting point by 3 pm , small fubar , but still plenty time to for daylight to Clarence . I park in my office , do some paperwork and leave by 2.30 . Get onto the highway and its craze busy , make it to the meeting point just after 3 pm , stop and wait , lights approach but not my friend , traffic builds up to snails pace , I wait , by 3.50 I get a message from him that he is on the N3 near Villiers , He used the R21 instead of coming Ben SCHOEMAN HIWAY , so missed me , I head into the traffic , must make hay while the sun shines , Once past Alberton the traffic eases and I can up the pace , Letting the big dogs run . Just past Tweeling it starts getting dark , but spots work and I can ride . Fill up in Bethlehem and ride the 38 ks to Clarence as fast as I can see . arrive at 6.40
Change into warm comfortable clothing and we go to the POSTHOUSE for dinner , In my opinion best steaks in Clarens! We discuss the next days departure times would have been 7 am , but winter in the Eastern freestate it could be 2 degrees or less , so we decide to move it to 9 am and we would then enjoy breakfast before we go . Relay the decision to Grant McSACK whom was joining us , all in agreement we met at 9 , filled up And was introduced to Carlos , a friend of Grants joining the adventure . It just so happened that it was my friends birthday on Saturday , Carlos had a tiny bottle of medicine for each of us just to warm up , this was used as a celebratory shot for his birthday same time , After sing song it was helmets on side stands up and we were on the road , Not even 10 kilos out of clarence the ice warning was flashing on the dash , but we were dressed well , Some hard riding and we made it to Lady brand by 10.45 . filled up and headed to the border . Crossing was a breeze , and by now the temps had climed to 14 degrees , I was cooking and had to take of some of the layers , more comfortable we negotiated the bypass road in MASERU . Local traffic is just craze and the taxis are way worse than ours , do the same as in stopping any ware any time , but in most cases drive at about 30kph , holding everyone up . but seems its accepted . We make out way to the turn off , We slightly ahead , and Grant does not see us turn , we stop and wait for them , no show , I turn around and go look for them , LUCKY THE REALIZED they made a mistake and also made a U turn back , regrouped we head out on the Mohale dam road , It ascends into the mountains quickly constantly going higher . many corners and switchbacks . some U turns has to be taken at 20 , anything faster is a big chance of not making the turn . We encounter snow on the mountains as we ride , stop for some photos . And arrive at the lodge at about 1 .20 pm . Drinks turn into lunch , SURPRICINGLY good food , service is very slow , but was worth the wait .
We / I am concerned that we have left things a bit late with lunch , and we are going to run out of daylight on our way home ,So we give it stick back to MASERU . cross back into SA and stop in Ladybrand again to fill up , We have 150 kilos to ride , it 5 pm sunset is at 5.40 pm So again we let them dogs run hard , way above legal limit , arrive in Clarens at 6.05 pm .
Change and its dinner time again , Spend the evening with good friands , I start feeling a bit fluish , dry cough , But nothing to bad . of to bed .
Sundays ride we will go in at Caledons poort , with the option of checking the new Monatsa pass road , if not viable we would turn around and ride to AFRI SKI .
SUNDAY
After breakfast we fill up again and head out , its not as cold a the day before , so a pleasant ride , arrive at Caledon's poort , SA side easy peasy , on the Lesotho side . they have some alterations , seems this never ends . Stamp passports and then get shown to another office , have to pay R100 TOURISM levy PP .and when you leave the toll is 90 rand . We did not pay the levy at Maseru . I was aware of the levy charge at Sani , now also at Caledons poort , seem they dont want us the visit . I will admit I got a bit agro about this . but paid and made our way to the MONANTSA PASS road .
Some roadworks at the turn off , we ride on , some more roadworks about 8 kilos in , My friend says he not so sure about this ride , I say lets push on . He reluctanly agree , the raod is not 100% done yet , needs a good sweep to remove the loose stones , and armco need to be installed .
We ride on , and join a new part that must have been built by the Chinese , the paving is smooth , we ride on , very nice but super dangerous , blind rises with turns that you only see when on top of it . ARMCO will hopefully fix this .
Map says the distance to Monatsa is 60 kilos , but with the turns I think closer to maybe 80 , Eventually the paving stops , I ask a local how far to Monantsa . he indicates 10 kilos , we decide to ride it , The dirt is ready to be paved , so very smooth , about 4 kilos in they dumping rocks , there is a caterpillar track and we hobble along this , stop for a P break and 2 ks later we at the new border post being built .
22 Years ago I drove my jeep down Monatsa pass , and when we arrive at the Lesotho border post it was an abandoned caravan . now a new modern border id being built , The road from the SA side was a 2 track donkey path , this has been replaced by a concrete road , linking the border controls .
Once back in SA we made out way thru PUDADITJABA and then via Golkden gate park to Clarens
Our last nights Accommodation was at the GOLDENGATE HOTEL
Friend wanted to be home early , I felt feverish from my flu symptoms so a early departure was cool by me , Up at 5 am ready to go by 6 and we hit proper polar bear weather , ice warning on dash 2 degrees
We fill up in Bethelehem , sun is coming up and the temps drop below zero - 3 at one stage . Now add in wind chill and we down to -13 . we are freezing . but ride on , no choice , go home by 9.30 , change and off to chemist for meds . in bed for the rest of the day , cold shivers and fever at same time .
meds seems to have worked , feeling better today .
all in all a great weekend once again !!
Last edited:
