Alpine Al
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2012
- Messages
- 813
- Reaction score
- 35
- Location
- Western Cape , West Coast
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
The day dawned with frost on the ground but the clear sky carying the promise of a sunny, warm winters ride. Some of our club members didnt do this ride as they are convinced I'm colour blind. (Last year my orange route was aparently black)!
This year we only had one guy wanting to do the orange so thirteen bikes left for Zingela ranch and the "Zingela Highway". Known wild dogs were Rhino 2 (who pillioned one of his sons on his Triumph, accompanied by his other son on a 650 Dakar), Anything V on his Suzuki V Strom and guys who are also club members: Gyro Ratfink (Anton), K9 (Kean) and my neighbour Andy XR.
We took backroads and tarr to Colenso then wound our way through one of those dry thornveld roads that seem to go nowhere and you may see one motor vehicle from beginning to end. As always happens you end up with some guys much slower than others so we had to stop on occasion. I decided it would be a good idea to let someone else lead so I could go up ahead to take pics of them coming through, then shoot ahead of them again to take more pics. This, of course allowed me to ride at my preferred pace, which is a tad quicker than most. The first off was when Otto came around one of those steep, loose decents with a sweeping bend to the right and a bit of rough "no man's land" on the inside. He took the "shortcut" and ended up in the rough without actualy dropping the bike. His eyes were big and he rode slowly for a while so we supposed he'd crapped himself. He later confirmed it was only skid marks and threatened to sue me for "false advertiseng the route as "green". (a joke of course).
The second off I know of was when there was too much of a gap between the group while I was taking photos. I went back to find a rather shaken Johan (Rhino 2) and his sons. Johan had taken a low speed tumble and wasnt looking happy so I offered to pillion his son for the rest of the journey. It is, of course difficult to know people's skills levels unless youv'e ridden with them and I'll admit that the route is not green so I do apologise guys. We saw Deon ( Anything V ) praying next to his bike a few times, we were facing east but it was not quite midday yet. We later found out that he was checking his bashplate (see pic). Andy and his wife Sarah also had a slow speed off on the red sandy "holes" shortly after one of these pics of them were taken, then they later tumbled when their momentum was lost (caused by our club Chairman deciding to take a shortcut up a rocky ascent, ditching his bike and creating a bottleneck).
Once everyone had got to Zingela they realised why we go there. It's a special place, a camp frequented and patronised by hunters and those wishing to get away from city life. . . FAR AWAY! In fact it's not far but it feels like it because most city dwellers **** themselves when they first experience the "Highway", even if they're not the driver. If you take your kids there they have to spend time with you because theres no cell signal, no tv ( with exception to major sport ) and no shopping mall! Your host at Zingela, Mark Calverly, looks like Kingsley Holgate but doesnt like leaving his piece of paradise where the happenings in the rest of the world seem not to bother them.
We had one of Linda Calverly's fantastic lunches, a few of our favourite thirst quenchers and sat in the bohma area overlooking the Thukela River, chatting about all sorts of things, not excluding the ride so far. We had nearly every pillion wanting to squeeze themselves into the Jeep which was already full of the "non pillioning" wives and a daughter.
I think everyone did a bit better on the way back as they knew what they were in for and knew there was no other option. There were, of course, amoungst us who love this kind of riding.
We went down the infamous "little sani" with no problems as Mark must have repaired it and thrown all the loose rock over the edge recently.
When we got to the Weenen tarr road Deon had headed home and Johan and his boys left to overnight with family near Mooi River. The rest of us rode back to Blue Haze through the Weenen game reserve and then Estcourt.
Although some participants were a bit bummed with me and the condition of the road, they were all later thanking me and saying it was a great day. Nobody was hurt and the worst was a few bike scratches.
Johan you did well, your sons and you should consider it a privelege to be able to do these things together, before they move away and do their own thing.
Once again I do apologise about the route grading but who am I to argue with the likes of Alfie, Jon W, Outhere and the boys when they call it a green route? !!
This year we only had one guy wanting to do the orange so thirteen bikes left for Zingela ranch and the "Zingela Highway". Known wild dogs were Rhino 2 (who pillioned one of his sons on his Triumph, accompanied by his other son on a 650 Dakar), Anything V on his Suzuki V Strom and guys who are also club members: Gyro Ratfink (Anton), K9 (Kean) and my neighbour Andy XR.
We took backroads and tarr to Colenso then wound our way through one of those dry thornveld roads that seem to go nowhere and you may see one motor vehicle from beginning to end. As always happens you end up with some guys much slower than others so we had to stop on occasion. I decided it would be a good idea to let someone else lead so I could go up ahead to take pics of them coming through, then shoot ahead of them again to take more pics. This, of course allowed me to ride at my preferred pace, which is a tad quicker than most. The first off was when Otto came around one of those steep, loose decents with a sweeping bend to the right and a bit of rough "no man's land" on the inside. He took the "shortcut" and ended up in the rough without actualy dropping the bike. His eyes were big and he rode slowly for a while so we supposed he'd crapped himself. He later confirmed it was only skid marks and threatened to sue me for "false advertiseng the route as "green". (a joke of course).
The second off I know of was when there was too much of a gap between the group while I was taking photos. I went back to find a rather shaken Johan (Rhino 2) and his sons. Johan had taken a low speed tumble and wasnt looking happy so I offered to pillion his son for the rest of the journey. It is, of course difficult to know people's skills levels unless youv'e ridden with them and I'll admit that the route is not green so I do apologise guys. We saw Deon ( Anything V ) praying next to his bike a few times, we were facing east but it was not quite midday yet. We later found out that he was checking his bashplate (see pic). Andy and his wife Sarah also had a slow speed off on the red sandy "holes" shortly after one of these pics of them were taken, then they later tumbled when their momentum was lost (caused by our club Chairman deciding to take a shortcut up a rocky ascent, ditching his bike and creating a bottleneck).
Once everyone had got to Zingela they realised why we go there. It's a special place, a camp frequented and patronised by hunters and those wishing to get away from city life. . . FAR AWAY! In fact it's not far but it feels like it because most city dwellers **** themselves when they first experience the "Highway", even if they're not the driver. If you take your kids there they have to spend time with you because theres no cell signal, no tv ( with exception to major sport ) and no shopping mall! Your host at Zingela, Mark Calverly, looks like Kingsley Holgate but doesnt like leaving his piece of paradise where the happenings in the rest of the world seem not to bother them.
We had one of Linda Calverly's fantastic lunches, a few of our favourite thirst quenchers and sat in the bohma area overlooking the Thukela River, chatting about all sorts of things, not excluding the ride so far. We had nearly every pillion wanting to squeeze themselves into the Jeep which was already full of the "non pillioning" wives and a daughter.
I think everyone did a bit better on the way back as they knew what they were in for and knew there was no other option. There were, of course, amoungst us who love this kind of riding.
We went down the infamous "little sani" with no problems as Mark must have repaired it and thrown all the loose rock over the edge recently.
When we got to the Weenen tarr road Deon had headed home and Johan and his boys left to overnight with family near Mooi River. The rest of us rode back to Blue Haze through the Weenen game reserve and then Estcourt.
Although some participants were a bit bummed with me and the condition of the road, they were all later thanking me and saying it was a great day. Nobody was hurt and the worst was a few bike scratches.
Johan you did well, your sons and you should consider it a privelege to be able to do these things together, before they move away and do their own thing.
Once again I do apologise about the route grading but who am I to argue with the likes of Alfie, Jon W, Outhere and the boys when they call it a green route? !!
