-Riding in a Dead man's Jacket-

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Wow, this Midgard place looks great!!

 

[Rynet]

- Ride a bike on gravel roads with a hint of sand at speeds higher than safe wearing a dead man’s jacket singing songs that don’t exist whilst screaming when I enter a corner too fast and exit it like a freaking legend-
Yes people I was in my church.

Beautiful Tau , I can hear Bruce Springsteen's voice singing this . :drif:

Day 3.

So I wakeup at 6:30 feeling brand new. I get dressed look at my bike with love, as that is all you do to a GSA maintenance wise and set off for breakfast.

yes I had the same feeling about my GS.  :thumleft:

Thanks for sharing your love of the country, it's animals and plants with us. :3some:

 

[DirtyHarry]

Nice one Tau.
A good trip is not always about extreme riding or how often you have risked your life.
This trip had a purpose for you and you had fun :thumleft:

Who knows, you might even ride your own GS one day :biggrin:

 

[tau]

We Walk around and look at the old cars the bowling alley and the old buildings. The service was brilliant and I felt like staying here, unfortunately the next day was work for my friends. We left Midgard at 18:00 and made the 60km journey on dirt in the dark to Okahandja. Awesome views and a stunning sunset. We get to Okhandja and take the B1 South. My friend was born and raised in Namibia and lived in Kanjab en Tsumeb for 4 years so he knows this road very well. He puts the cruise control at 80km/h and tells me that there is just too many animals on this road to go any faster. Not even 5 seconds later an uncoming vehicle swings off the road and spins around we brake like crazy…his brand new Hilux is fitted with fancy Halogen bulbs and KC spots as we switch them on a HUGE black and grey Brahman bull stand 5m from our car in the middle of the road. The other car swung out for a different cow 50 meters ahead of us. He just missed it and was getting back on the road. We were shocked like I have not been in a long time my friends pregnant wife and 18 month old son was still sleeping on the back seat. I was grateful this moment could have been horrible for us. I have hit a cow half this bull’s size in 2008 destroying my Mercedes-Benz Vito. Anyway we let car after car pass us. Not normal for either of us but hey we wanted to get home in one piece. If any of you ever find yourself North of Rehoboth at night be careful please.

Anyway back to fun. We dropped my friend’s wife and kid of at home and go to Joe’s Beerhouse. We have had some legendary nights here when we were students and wanted to relive our past…..ons is nou oud en fade sommer vining. I have a great Eisbein and some Jagers and Kleine’s. Something interesting NO public place allows smoking anymore not even in a bar so my stay at Joe’s is even better.

Day 7
I wake up and start packing my bike. We take the car and have breakfast at a German café for the last time. As always one Egg salad, one cheese and salami and my favourite Rouhack and onions.

I only leave Windhoek after buying my wife 3liters of German Kreuter balm bubble bath remember this for the wife on your next trip they love it. I also bought my dad Biltong and myself 2 liters of water a liter of coke and some emergency foods supplies. My empty left pannier was now full. Because I was late and know the gravel from Windhoek to Dordabis I take the B1 to Rehoboth and then left towards Uhlenhorts on the C25. This was the only dangerous or bad Gravel road on my trip. The middelmannetjies was deep and loose. So I got up on the pegs and kept my speed at 140km/h until I reached Uhlenhorst. On this road I started finding the first Red Kalahari dunes of my trip. I was happy. Oh I also had 1 x Celestamine and 1x Texa hay fever pill the morning as I knew with all the good rains the Suurgras was going to hit me. I was right the Kalahari looked Like a Freestate Wheat farm.

I stayed on the C25 to Derm and then turned left passed the new Police station the D1328. This was the start of some amazing roads. I started crossing over dunes and there was Springbok everywhere. The top of some of the dunes had broken away so you would find some sandy hole on the top of the crests.

I followed the D1239-D1318-D1770-D1775 Then on the C20 towards Aranos. I tried staying on the roads going West-east as I was loving the dune crossing roads more than the ones winding down, I lie I enjoyed all the roads. This is really an awesome ride with some looooooong sandy section where you need to be wakeup with a loaded bike. I arrived in Aranos at 14:00 at a friend’s parents’ house. Here I loaded tobacco, tea, printer cartridges and a Man Magnum gun magazine  I was now loaded like a proper moegoe.
I filled up with fuel in Aranos and took the M39 out of town southwards. I decided stuff this main gravel road riding I want some more dune crossing. So I turned right onto the D1052 and then D1053-D1109 and then left on the D1032 and arrived there 155km later at the entrance of my friend’s farm. Aranos is his closest town. Can you imagine? I had done 500km on the dot for the day. I had some awesome times cresting dunes and sweeping around corners, however now I had come to this……

Yes people sand the one thing a GS 1200 ADV loaded with clothes, bubble bath, tobacco, printer cartridges, tools, camping gear, emergency food and beer is not happy with. I wanted to deflate the tyres, but decided against it as I was lazy. I opened the gate and entered the 7km stretch towards the farmstead. After 1.8km I reached a gate. Stopped and had to get going again it was interesting. Something like 1 wobble wobble wobble hit second stand-up get to 60km/h and hope for the best. 1.5 km later another gate. The farm is stunning red rolling dunes and silence everywhere. I start the bike and pull off after taking some pictures……around the next bend I spot the small dune and climb. As I accelerate to go up the bike starts spinning which is normal in this sand, however the bike starts missing. ***** never switch the anti-skid control off after stopping at the gate. Riding in sand is nothing. Riding in deep jeep track sand is different especially if you find yourself steering a loaded bike with no power on the rear wheel. I leave the road in ride into the meter high grass hopefully there is nothing big like a tree ahead. I get back on the road somehow and manage to stop before the 3rd and final gate on the 7km stretch. I remember to switch off the anti-skid and abs and drive into his yard. The sun starts to set and we have a braai on his lawn with a sunset that looks like it was photo shopped.

We have a great chat and he braai’s us a well-balanced diet. Lamb chops, lamb rib, game sausage, vet derm and some skilpaaitjies. We talk hunting, farming and living in the Middle of the Kalahari Desert. I go to bed well fed and very tired.
Day 8
I leave early as I wanted to be across the border tonight as I am scared of getting stuck on the border on Sunday which is tomorrow.

But first the sandy path back to the main gravel road.

The righthand cylinder is STUFFED with suurgras seeds and it starts a small fire around the exhasut.

I take the dune road D1109 towards Koes.

Here I stop at the Hotel and phone fellow Wilddog Rickus. We have breakfast and some beer…..the last time I was here I left on a stretcher in an Ambulance with an injured back with some crushed and some fractured vertebrae.
I decide to take the dirt towards Karasburg and over the Groot Karasberge. The first section from Koes I cross many pans that still have loads of water in them. The Karasberge is stunning with loads of ditches washed in the roads from the good rains.

I pass my in-laws farm and house in Karasburg the actual home of the jacket I am riding in. I thought I would want to stop here and take pictures, however I feel that the jacket and myself needs to get away from the sadness of losing a fellow dust bike traveler. I don’t even stop for fuel and hit the dirt towards the border. I have done this road numerous times and on a bike with my father in-law in tow.

I feel like he would have loved this trip and the spirit with which I did it. Enjoy the scenery and ride until you relax.

I roll into the border and it is 43”C again!!!!!! I roll in and out in 30 minutes both sides. I get on the tar and ride towards Springbok. I want to go further, but unfortunately I realize that the dark will get me before Garies or Bitterfontein where I can sleep. So I go camping in the Springbok caravan park.

 

[Karel Kat]

Great writing and pics. Enjoying this very much, thank you.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

I am following every road you mention on my Nam map.

Thanks for sharing.

8)

 

[billy-joe]

very interesting report, thanks a ton  :thumleft:

 

[Frannarossi]

Flippen nice RR en fotos! :thumleft:

 

[Vosperd]

Awesome RR Tau en dit maak my sommer erg home sick! Ek gaan dit my missie maak om n bier eendag saam jou te drink. Ek dink dit sal interresant wees! Daai suide van Nam is waar ek groot geword het en Damaraland en Kaokoveld ken ek ook baie goed so ja, dit het die hart snare nou nogal geroer.  :drif:

BAIE dankie.

 

[Kameel]

Ai. Die tipe RR maak my huilerig. Wanneer gaan ek dit doen? Hoekom het ek dit nog nie gedoen nie? Wens ek kon. Dankie dat ons saam met jou kon kuier Tau. Het dit geniet! Ek verlang terug na Nam. En sy vlaktes. Die oop ruimtes. Daar waar jy die druk en die angstigheid en die juk van die stad van jou skouers kan afgooi.  :sip:

Ek hou van die sentiment waarmee jy dit kon doen. En boonop met jou skoonpa se baadjie. The spirit lives on. Good on you. :thumleft: Salute.

 

[J-dog]

:sip:

 

[Chrisl]

Tau ek dink jou skoonpa het saam met jou gery met n smile op sy gesig. :'(
Ek hoop jy kan dit n jaarlikse trip maak. :deal:

 

[Orangeswifty]

Mooi storie John :thumleft:
Ek hunker al jare daarna om 'n lang trip in Nam te doen
Dis nice as mens nog mense ken ook
Daai Karasberge bly darm ma mooi jong
......en n ou kan seker daai 1200 mooi opwen op daai paaie?
Dankie dat jy met ons deel
:thumleft:

 

[Jors Troelie]

Ja, dankie Tau dat jy die moeite gedoen het om met ons te deel. Wat 'n voorreg.

 

[JACOVV]

Dankie vd deel.

Moes voorwaar 'n belewenis gewees het.  :thumleft:

 

[Bokveld]

  Dankie Tau.Soos wyle Pieter Pieterse sou se: Dit was H trip.