JustBendIt
Grey Hound
I joined this forum at end March 2007, never having ridden a bike offroad. A few days later I bought my first DS bike, a BMW Dakar - forgive me 2SD but I was still young and dumb.
In 2009 I stumbled across the infamous Road To Hell in the Richtersveld (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=68096.0) - thankfully we never rode down that trip because we probably would have died there.
I went back in 2012 (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=97854.0) only to chicken out again because we were on totally unsuitable equipment.
I went back a 3rd time determined to conquer "The Road" (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=104029.0) and succeeded - albeit in a dismal summit time of 6 hours to do 4 km. Heddles (WR450) and myself (Husky TE450) rode our bikes but we literally dragged Gareth and his 950SE to the top - this is not a place for big heavy bikes piloted by inexperienced and unfit riders.
The Road To Hell was built over a 100 years ago as an escape road from the mine at the bottom - only to be used in an emergency if the river flooded and you could not get back along the usual access road. Maintenance on the road stopped completely when the mine closed - today it is just rocks and holes.
I went back again last week with my younger brother Aidan - me on my Amageza 525 and him on his new Husky FE501.
My heart was beating like a drum in my chest - I knew what lay ahead and I was shitting myself.
There are no pics of the descent - it is so steep and was over so quickly - there is almost no place to stop, balance, take camera out, take photo, put camera back, start bike and continue on.
The river level was very low - in the photos you see the exposed rocky river bed which we rode all the way to the water's edge. At 11 am last Wednesday 17 August it must have been close to 35 degrees already so before we began the return climb we had a swim in the river in all gear to cool off - we would need this for the hard work that lay ahead.
The photos never do the terrain or the gradient of a climb justice - they make everything look rather flat. Riding a bike up here is kak hard work, but easier than walking up - it is very steep and very loose - momentum is key.
I will let the photos do the talking.
In 2009 I stumbled across the infamous Road To Hell in the Richtersveld (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=68096.0) - thankfully we never rode down that trip because we probably would have died there.
I went back in 2012 (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=97854.0) only to chicken out again because we were on totally unsuitable equipment.
I went back a 3rd time determined to conquer "The Road" (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=104029.0) and succeeded - albeit in a dismal summit time of 6 hours to do 4 km. Heddles (WR450) and myself (Husky TE450) rode our bikes but we literally dragged Gareth and his 950SE to the top - this is not a place for big heavy bikes piloted by inexperienced and unfit riders.
The Road To Hell was built over a 100 years ago as an escape road from the mine at the bottom - only to be used in an emergency if the river flooded and you could not get back along the usual access road. Maintenance on the road stopped completely when the mine closed - today it is just rocks and holes.
I went back again last week with my younger brother Aidan - me on my Amageza 525 and him on his new Husky FE501.
My heart was beating like a drum in my chest - I knew what lay ahead and I was shitting myself.
There are no pics of the descent - it is so steep and was over so quickly - there is almost no place to stop, balance, take camera out, take photo, put camera back, start bike and continue on.
The river level was very low - in the photos you see the exposed rocky river bed which we rode all the way to the water's edge. At 11 am last Wednesday 17 August it must have been close to 35 degrees already so before we began the return climb we had a swim in the river in all gear to cool off - we would need this for the hard work that lay ahead.
The photos never do the terrain or the gradient of a climb justice - they make everything look rather flat. Riding a bike up here is kak hard work, but easier than walking up - it is very steep and very loose - momentum is key.
I will let the photos do the talking.
;D
