Solo across South Africa: Completed. All 11 days.

[Veldbrand]

Great RR so far!
Love the Tzaneen area. Started school there.
Really dig that Thai style house the old man built.
Looks authentic and lives in similar weather conditions as they do.
More please?! :biggrin:

 

[Big J]

Yip. I must say that I grew up in and around that area too. Good to see the old sites and area again. Keep on rollin cloudgazer. Nice report so far. :thumleft:

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 5: 300kms
The weather reports indicated clear skies for Tzaneen and Lydenburg – but only for a day or so. Another sign for me to move on.
So with a heavy heart I bade farewell to my dad, hopped on my faithful stead and rode away.

I was feeling a lot stronger, and still taking insane amounts of medication, but there was no doubt I’d seriously injured my back, and that I’d have to be very careful on the rest of the trip. In fact, I’d have to forego many of the dirt roads I’d originally planned to ride.

But right now that didn’t bother me – as I headed south again to the Abel Erasmus pass. From there I crossed out of Mpumalanga and into Limpopo and the magnificent Blyde River canyon.

As I marveled at the beauty of the canyon and the many vistas it never occurred to me that the sights I would see would continue to get better and better as the days past.
At that point it was hard to imagine anything more spectacular than the Blyde River Canyon, or the views of the Lowveld from God’s Window or the Berlin falls.

I wasn’t entirely comfortable on the dirt roads, and chose to stick to the tar wherever I could. I’d never planned on riding through Graskop, but oh man, am I glad that I did. What a cool little town. It seemed as there must be some festival going on, but it was probably just the last day of the Easter weekend.
I had no intention of stopping until I saw the biker bar. I would have been wrong not to go in and have a drink. This was the first beer of my trip and it went down in a matter of seconds. It was probably one of the best beers I’ve ever had.

From Graskop is a nice twisty route to Pilgrim’s Rest – and it would be a truly great ride if it weren’t for the threatening presence of those blasted potholes.

Pilgrim’s Rest was pumping, full of holiday spirit, its quaint and commercialized all at the same time. I remember visiting the place as a kid and loving it, which is why I stopped there, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember a damn thing about the place.

There was no reason to linger. I wanted to get back to Lydenburg and my cousins farm. I wanted to spend some quality time with her. Not like the other night where she rescued me from the clutches of the mud monster.

I spent a wonderful evening with my cousin and her friends eating tacos and fajitas, and was in bed by 10-ish.

The Drakensburg and Lesotho beckoned…


To Be Continued...

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 6: 370kms

Day 6 dawned bright and lovely, and strangely I was up at this very uncivilized hour. I was on a farm afterall, and apparently its normal to be up at this ungodly time.

A very leisurely breakfast and slow morning saw me leaving at about 10-ish. Not the best time to start riding, but I wasn’t expecting anything other than a highway ride all the way down to Chelmsford Nature Reserve about 80kms north of Ladysmith.
I should have made good time…. But didn’t!

The N11 was one of the most frustrating roads I’ve ever been on… the endless ‘stop and goes’ added an hour and a half to my travel time.
Which was very frustrating as I was racing the afternoon rains.
A long lunch at the Mugg & Bean in Ermelo didn’t help much either.

I was pretty lucky actually. I got rained on for about 10 minutes while riding, and then again for a few minutes when I finally setup camp at Chelmsford.

Day 6 seemed like a lull in my trip, and apart from Day 1 was the only day I didn’t encounter spectacular views. Which is saying quite a lot… practically everyday of my trip I was lucky enough to experience awe-inspiring vistas.

I guess I’m being a bit of a brat, yes, there were no magnificent mountains to ogle over, but the Dam at Chelmsford was very very pretty.

The Chelmsford Reserve was just a rest point for me, a place of no consequence en route to a place I couldn't wait to get to: Lesotho.

To Be Continued...

 

[madmike999]

:thumleft:

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 7: Approx 280kms

I was finding the early sunrises in the eastern part of the country quite disconcerting. The sun was up way too early.
Anyway, I didn’t mind too much. While brewing my coffee my guy in a delivery van pulled up, and asked if I’d seen any other campers. I pointed out to him the campsite about 200 metres further on. (I was actually camping in the area reserved for day visitors – but since there weren’t any it didn’t make a difference). He asked if I’d like a scone, I said sure, so he hopped out his cab, opened the back of his van and gave me an entire bag.
Fantastic!!

And because I’m known to overpack, I actually had some jam and butter in my panniers. Perfect stuff.
I packed my stuff and headed for Ladysmith where I needed to refuel. From there it was a short trip on tar to Estcourt, where I finally got onto the dirt again for the first time in 2 days.

Almost immediately the landscape began to change. The rolling green hills were like nothing I’d seen before.
It felt like I was on a different continent, not just heading for a little landlocked country within our own.

Despite just getting over my illness and my injured back I was very happy to be back on gravel. Although the fear of dropping my bike and not been able to pick it up again was constantly in the back of my mind. But I didn’t think I had any reason to worry. The roads were nice and dry, and I was confident of my abilities.
The views were just spectacular, and made me more eager than ever to finally reach Lesotho.

The ride passed all to quickly and I found myself at Himeville at about 2 in the afternoon.
I’d originally planned to camp there, but figured I’d spoil myself and stay at the Himeville Arms Hotel (what a great little spot). It would give me time to do some washing (socks, undies and shirts), and I could relax and gather my strength in comfort before my big day.

Later in the afternoon a group of bikers pulled into the hotel (1x 1200gs, 2x1150gs, a 650 Tenere and a KLR), they were joined by more people in two backup vehicles.
I started chatting with the guys and they were also planning on doing Sani the next day. They asked me to join them – and initially I declined their offer. But later at the bar while discussing our proposed routes I realized it would be foolish not to ride with them.

The gang (as I will call them from now on) were heading directly to Thaba-Tseka, a distance of about 180kms. My route took my north above Katse dam before turning south again to Katse Lodge, a distance of 275kms.
Considering these guys thought the 180kms would take them all day, I began to think I’d bitten off more than I could chew with my route. I certainly didn’t want to be riding in the dark, and I certainly didn’t want to experience any difficulties on my own.

So, I took up their offer to ride with them.

Another reason I wanted a shorter route is that I was 2 days behind schedule already, and could not afford to stick to my original plan of spending 3 nights in Lesotho. Now I planned to spend just one night (but would end up spending 2 nights thanks to the brilliant company of The Gang – to whom I’ll be forever indebted).
After a dinner of mountain trout and a glass of wine, I bid goodnight to my new friends, eager to get a good night’s rest before finally tackling the infamous Sani Pass…

To Be Continued…

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 8: SANI PASS (187kms)
This was it. Finally. I’ve heard about Sani practically since the day I started riding. Now I was going to tackle this infamous pass myself. AWhoooHooo.
I set off with my new friends pretty early, and the beginning part of the pass was just lovely. Perfect DS roads all the way to the SA border.

I was loving it, and having people to share the experience, made it even better. It was a huge comfort to know I was not alone, and that there were even back-up vehicles if necessary. I didn’t need to fret though. I’ve ridden far more technical roads than Sani before.

The road changes quite drastically after the border post though. Suddenly you climb like 1500 feet in less than 9 kms. It’s pretty steep and the hairpins are quite tight.

I had only one sphincter tightening moment when riding over some ice and the bike want to slip away from me. I managed to keep it upright and keep going.
We stopped a couple of times to admire the incredible views and to take pics. This turned out not to be the best idea for me.

The rapid climb in altitude left me feeling pretty weak, and I found the last few turns to the top difficult going, not so much because it was technical, but because I was suddenly exhausted.
I got off my bike at the top of the pass to take some pics, and when I tried getting back on we both simply just fell over.

I had to wait for the rest of the guys to reach the summit (I was the first) so they could help me pick up my bike.

After going through the Lesotho side of the border we all went to the Sani Top pub, but as it was only 10;30 they restaurant wasn’t open yet, and our hopes of bacon and eggs were dashed.
No worries though, our backup vehicles were packed with yummy boerewors rolls. At least the pub was open so we could get coffee and sherry, cause damn it was cold up there. The clear blue skies seemed so incongruous with the sheets of ice on the ground and the biting wind.

It was so damn cold when we continued on our merry way that I had to put on surgical gloves under my riding gloves to cut out the chilly wind.
Much to my surprise, Sani is not really the top, you continue to climb on the Lesotho side.

We stopped again for the wondrous scenery right by another group of bikers. Turns out I knew a few of them, Generaal and Nismark from WD and Noeline from the BMW club. Amazing how you can bump into people you know seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Another thing that amazed me is the road to Thaba-Tseka, it was just brilliant. You can't get an idea of it looking at Google Earth or Basecamp (Mapsource), its called the A3 and looks to be a fairly major thoroughfare – but it’s not. Its very misleading. There isn’t a single road indicator or name along its entire length. The only signs I saw the entire day were for primary schools. The road winds its way through the mountains and at times seemed so far removed from civilization it’s crazy.

We passed numerous little villages that seemed nothing more than a gathering of huts. I could see no shops of any sort. And I was very surprised at how clean the place was. There was no litter lining the streets, not a single discarded plastic bag to be seen anywhere (unlike the northern parts of Lesotho I was later to discover).
The gang liked to stop every 30kms or so for extended smoke breaks, which explains why it took us all day to cover 180kms. But I couldn’t complain, the company and scenery more than made up for my eagerness to keep going.

Due to all the rains the road was full of potholes, you’d swerve to miss one, and ride straight over five more, and there was no respite. Every time you wanted to sit and relax, you’d be forced onto your feet again by the blasted things.

As the day wore on and we started chasing the light it felt tedious and never ending. Fatigue and hunger were setting in, and at that point you just want the road to smoothen out and end.
Eventually it did – and not a moment too soon. Darkness had descended upon the land.

Our destination for the night was the Buffalo’s Hotel. A quaint little hotel in Thaba-Tseka, the most modern thing we’d seen since entering Lesotho. The rooms were simple, clean and warm. What more could you ask for?
I’d definitely recommend the place to anyone passing through there.
We had a couple of drinks and a hearty dinner. Most of us were in bed pretty early. Well, I was anyway. It had been a long, tiring, but above all, very satisfying day.

To Be Continued…

 

[Fuzzy Muzzy]

my miss wants more photos of your dads house.. pfff.. women

 

[cloudgazer]

my miss wants more photos of your dads house.. pfff.. women

hahaha - hers is not the first request.
;D

I'll post more about the house as soon as the trip report is complete... 3 more days to be added.

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 9: 60kms (Thaba-Tseka to Katse)

Another clear ice-cold day dawned in the mountains. I’d been superlucky this trip – so far the weather (with the exception of the first day) had been excellent. Better than I could have hoped for.
Today was gonna be a short ride, something I should have done yesterday, but I’d decided to stick with the gang for their support and camaraderie. It would have been stupid to blast through Lesotho without taking time to actually enjoy it.

The same road that seemed so tiring the night before appeared much better after a good night’s sleep. Or it was simply that we didn’t care about the potholes anymore... We simply rode straight over them, as trying to avoid them was pretty pointless.

The Gang = Mike, Frisso, Mark, Greg and Warwick

I spent most of the morning riding at my own pace, and didn’t see much of the gang. We stopped to repair a rattling windshield on one of the 1150s. After that I rode pretty slowly just soaking up the incredible views.

I rode straight past the others who’d stopped at the dam itself, and continued to Katse Lodge where I booked myself a room.
I also ventured up into Katse Village on the hill to get some petrol. I was expecting an actual petrol station, and not a makeshift Lucky 7 store that dished petrol out of jerrycans.
I rode back to the dam, and found the rest of the gang getting ready to go on a tour of the facility, so I joined them. We rode down to the base of the wall, and then took a quick tour inside it. Man, it’s a serious feat of engineering, and very… excuse the pun… damn impressive. We then rode up and onto the wall itself.
Katse is spectacular.

After the tour we all rode back to the lodge for lunch, and to catch the last part of the royal wedding. It was quite funny to see so many people glued to the TV watching what is arguably the most boring television event in recent history. But yes, the dress was lovely.

The gang had rented a house just a few roads down from the lodge and I joined them there for a fantastic braai that evening.

 

[Spore]

Very nice thanks cloudgazer, especially bits on my home town-area for 20 years, Tzaneen! :thumleft:

 

[White Rhino]

Fantastic RR CG. :thumleft:

It's amazing how many dogs climbed Sani this Easter. I made it there shortly before the winds iced up the top. Nice pictures.

You've just reminded me, Magoebaskloof and surrounds is next on my list. Did 3 years schooling in Tzaneen a few hundred years ago. Can't wait to go back. Thanks for sharing.

 

[CAR6850]

Lekr report & would also like to see more of the house :mwink:

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 10: (unknown amount of kms)

I awoke pretty early. So uncivilized. But what you gonna do? I was already a day or so behind schedule, and I had some serious miles to eat.
It was also time to shake off the comfort and good company of The Gang. I packed my bike and had a ridiculously over-priced breakfast at the lodge. R110 for a breakfast buffet? I’m sorry but I don’t eat an entire pigs’ worth of bacon to justify that cost.

I knew the roads today would be mostly tar, and my only concern was black ice at higher elevations.
It also looked like all my previous good luck with the weather had run out. It was grey and misty and freezing cold, and then it started to rain. Visibility was reduced to a few metres, and was constantly worried about some large buses I’ve overtaken when just leaving Katse. Thankfully they never caught up to me.
The cold bit into my fingers like nothing I’ve every experienced before, and I was forced to stop and warm my hands on the bike’s motor. I was not what you’d call a happy camper. I had no idea how long the mountains would last or how high I’d have to climb. And just when I thought I was in for a tough and miserable day I came over the Mafika Lisiu pass….
Ohhh.My.Fuck!

I’ve never in all my life seen such a spectacular view. It seems the clouds, rain and mist ended right where I stood, and the endless valley below was drenched in beautiful clear sunlight. It was such a contrast to the icicles covering the rocks beside me.

Abel Erasmus. Blyde River Canyon. God’s Window. Sani. All paled in comparison to the vista in front of me. My spirits soared. Forgotten was my aching back. Forgotten was the biting cold. There existed only the awesome ride down into the valley below.

This northern part of Lesotho reminded me of South Africa. Dirty little towns, plastic bags fluttering on road-side fences. I pushed hard for the border. Now that I was in the foothills of the mountains I doubted there was anything spectacular to see.

I crossed the border at Ficksburg and filled up there. I didn’t bother stopping to look around and made my way to Ladybrand, where I finally stopped for lunch.
From there I missioned to Bloemfontein and the dreaded N1 – and made my way to Gariep Dam.
The landscape of the Free State is so flat and barren compared to the majestic mountains I’d descended from earlier in the day.

I arrived just as the sun was setting. The resort was fully booked, and the receptionist directed me to an establishment called the Purple Doors. They too were full. But some lady overheard my enquiries and offered me a flatlet for R150. I took her up on the offer.

A quick dinner of leftover pizza from lunch and a disappointing luke warm shower before I hopped into bed.
I wasn’t sure how many kilometres I’d covered, but I knew it was nothing in comparison to the final stretch that awaited me.

To Be Continued…

 

[letsgofishing]

Great stuff CG - that view from the top of the pass is awesome!!!

 

[cloudgazer]

DAY 11: (800+ kms)
I was not looking forward to this. I had run out of time and needed to get home the shortest, quickest way possible – and that meant barreling along the N1 the whole way. I’d never ridden such a long distance in a single day before. Doing such gargantuan distances goes against everything I love about riding.

I’d originally planned to got to Prince Albert, do Swartberg, Oudtshoorn and Seweweekspoort – but alas….
There is nothing pleasant about the N1… its pretty much kak all the way to Laingsburg.
From there, the wind want to twist my head off my shoulders, but thank god it died down after a while.
The only interesting part of the whole day was riding through the incredibly beautiful Hex River Valley.

Surprisingly I made pretty good time, and was home about 17:30.
I couldn’t believe it.
It was over.

I was both elated and miserable. I was glad to be home and at the same time not.
It had been an incredible adventure for me, despite the few days I was ill, and despite the fact I had to do more tar than originally planned due to my back.
I was taken out of my comfort zone a few times, and experienced some great roads and views, met fantastic people, and can’t wait for the next adventure…

THE END!

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Great trip and photo's, thanks for sharing !

8)

 

[roxenz]

Excellent cloudgazer! Hope your back is well by now and you are planning the next trip!

 

[Ganjora]

nice RR.
thanks.

 

[IceCreamMan]

Lekker Cloudgzer ...thanks for sharing lekker pics and lekker words  :thumleft: