Tuareg
Race Dog
Solo it was.........
I set off at 07h00 on Saturday morning & after filling up I headed out via my usual escape route, linking up Vissershok, Malanshoogte, Adderley & Occultdale roads. Passing the Klipheuwel windpumps always feels like the gateway to me, probably 'cause it takes a few km's for me to settle down into a comfortable rhythm.
With Foo Fighters blasting through my earphones I could feel Cape Town disappearing in the dust behind me. After linking a few more tar & dirt stretches I slipped through Nuwekloof Pass & carved up Michell's Pass, passed through Ceres & filled up my mega-tanks in Prince Alfred Hamlet. I packed away my earphones & got psyched for the awesome ride that lay ahead. It was my first full tank excursion since fitting the Safari tanks & I was keen to feel exactly how the bike would handle. Climbing up Gydo Pass the bike handles very neutrally, with the only noticeable differences being the need for slightly earlier breaking & the smell of petrol from the vent holes near the top of the tanks. The rest of the trip also proved that the bigger tanks only minimally influenced the bikes handling. About 5km from the top of Gydo Pass I turned off to the right (S33 11.061 E19 19.865). It was the first time I had traveled this stretch of road. I wanted to link up with a track I had seen only on T4A, but not on any other map. I nearly missed the turn-off (S33 11.665 E19 29.117) 'cause its only signposted from the opposite direction.
The road was an absolute treat..... Easy going gravel with a few tighter sections that required a bit more concentration, but nothing too technical. The road also had a couple of rocky stretches, including this one that moved!
He retreated into his shell as I passed & wasn't too keen to show himself afterward. If my web-sleuthing is up to scratch, it looks like a small angulate tortoise.
The road wound down the Baviaanshoek valley passed a string of farms before breaking through to the wide open expanse of the Karoo. I hooked up with the R355 (S33 09.863 E19 44.967) to Calvina & burnt a dust streak northwards.
I turned off the R355 (S32 53.468 E19 46.178) again & headed back into the Koue Bokkeveld by ascending the Peerboomskloof Pass (another one for the Passes Index, LS), passed the old dilapidated stone houses & down the ever popular Katbakkies Pass.
Next move was another northwards turn (S32 56.136 E19 27.088), this time onto the road heading towards the Cederberg Oasis. No bike trip into the back of the Cederberg is complete without a stop at the Cederberg Oasis.
And no stop at the Cederberg Oasis is complete without devouring a whopping T-bone steak.
After refueling (my range is now substantially shorter than my bikes range) I headed further north. The day was getting hotter & hotter. 5 minutes out of the oasis & I was streaming sweat. The airflow into my helmet felt like it was coming straight off my exhausts. I have been wanting to ride the Eselbank section of road for some time now & finally here it was.......
Heading towards Wupperthal the road was in better shape than I had expected, being mostly hard packed gravel with short stretches of soft sand & loose marbles.
On approaching the Eselbank settlement (S32 20.996 E19 12.988) I encountered a Saturday afternoon car wash on the low level bridge. The locals waved me through an alternate route that proved a little more technical than I had expected. I managed to stay on the bike & dry, although a swim would have cooled me down. Between Eselbank settlement & the Eselbank Pass I encountered a longer stretch of soft sand that further tested my nerve. I was so relieved to get through that I forget to get a pic of the sand pit. The run down the Eselbank Pass (... and another LS) into Wupperthal was a bumpy descent with a lot of engine breaking.
I passed a couple of donkeys on the embankment leading into town, giving credibility to the pass's name.
On the other side of the road was a small herd of horses......... Clearly this was the right side of the track
At this point I was looking forward to an ice cold coke, but it seemed that Saturday afternoon is siesta time in Wupperthal. Everything was locked up & I had to push-on to my overnight stop at Mertenhof Farm (S32 09.470 E19 11.309). I dropped down into the Biedouw Valley & found the farm on the left at the crossroads.
I was greeted at the door by the entire Lubbe family & immediately offered an ice cold cool-drink. After being shown my room (I know, I wussed out & opted for a bed inside the house) I decided to head back out into the heat (mad dogs, Englishmen & Adv riders it appears) & headed off down the Biedouw Valley road to check out the Doring River crossing. The Biedouw River was almost completely dry, but the Doring River was quite a bit fuller.
Andy660, is that the road you were talking about..... the one running up the side of the hill?
I was too hot & tired to go looking for the access point.......
As for attempting a river crossing, I figured it was probably not the best thing to do solo.
The local neighbourhood watch seem well prepared......
The ride back up to the farm reminded me of one of the reasons why I enjoy having a pillion......
I also came across this old Chevy Fleetside wreck..... I have a soft spot for old Chevy's
By the time I got back to the farm I was ready to collapse. I stripped of my riding kit, put on a pair of board shorts & went for a swim in the concrete dam. It was heaven...... The water was chilled & came up to my top lip. After about half an hour of cooling off I headed back to the house & lay around on the grass in the fading afternoon sun.
After a hearty dinner my tiredness got the better of me & I slipped of to bed for a long, deep sleep........
Day 2 to follow..........
I set off at 07h00 on Saturday morning & after filling up I headed out via my usual escape route, linking up Vissershok, Malanshoogte, Adderley & Occultdale roads. Passing the Klipheuwel windpumps always feels like the gateway to me, probably 'cause it takes a few km's for me to settle down into a comfortable rhythm.
With Foo Fighters blasting through my earphones I could feel Cape Town disappearing in the dust behind me. After linking a few more tar & dirt stretches I slipped through Nuwekloof Pass & carved up Michell's Pass, passed through Ceres & filled up my mega-tanks in Prince Alfred Hamlet. I packed away my earphones & got psyched for the awesome ride that lay ahead. It was my first full tank excursion since fitting the Safari tanks & I was keen to feel exactly how the bike would handle. Climbing up Gydo Pass the bike handles very neutrally, with the only noticeable differences being the need for slightly earlier breaking & the smell of petrol from the vent holes near the top of the tanks. The rest of the trip also proved that the bigger tanks only minimally influenced the bikes handling. About 5km from the top of Gydo Pass I turned off to the right (S33 11.061 E19 19.865). It was the first time I had traveled this stretch of road. I wanted to link up with a track I had seen only on T4A, but not on any other map. I nearly missed the turn-off (S33 11.665 E19 29.117) 'cause its only signposted from the opposite direction.
The road was an absolute treat..... Easy going gravel with a few tighter sections that required a bit more concentration, but nothing too technical. The road also had a couple of rocky stretches, including this one that moved!
He retreated into his shell as I passed & wasn't too keen to show himself afterward. If my web-sleuthing is up to scratch, it looks like a small angulate tortoise.
The road wound down the Baviaanshoek valley passed a string of farms before breaking through to the wide open expanse of the Karoo. I hooked up with the R355 (S33 09.863 E19 44.967) to Calvina & burnt a dust streak northwards.
I turned off the R355 (S32 53.468 E19 46.178) again & headed back into the Koue Bokkeveld by ascending the Peerboomskloof Pass (another one for the Passes Index, LS), passed the old dilapidated stone houses & down the ever popular Katbakkies Pass.
Next move was another northwards turn (S32 56.136 E19 27.088), this time onto the road heading towards the Cederberg Oasis. No bike trip into the back of the Cederberg is complete without a stop at the Cederberg Oasis.
And no stop at the Cederberg Oasis is complete without devouring a whopping T-bone steak.
After refueling (my range is now substantially shorter than my bikes range) I headed further north. The day was getting hotter & hotter. 5 minutes out of the oasis & I was streaming sweat. The airflow into my helmet felt like it was coming straight off my exhausts. I have been wanting to ride the Eselbank section of road for some time now & finally here it was.......
Heading towards Wupperthal the road was in better shape than I had expected, being mostly hard packed gravel with short stretches of soft sand & loose marbles.
On approaching the Eselbank settlement (S32 20.996 E19 12.988) I encountered a Saturday afternoon car wash on the low level bridge. The locals waved me through an alternate route that proved a little more technical than I had expected. I managed to stay on the bike & dry, although a swim would have cooled me down. Between Eselbank settlement & the Eselbank Pass I encountered a longer stretch of soft sand that further tested my nerve. I was so relieved to get through that I forget to get a pic of the sand pit. The run down the Eselbank Pass (... and another LS) into Wupperthal was a bumpy descent with a lot of engine breaking.
I passed a couple of donkeys on the embankment leading into town, giving credibility to the pass's name.
On the other side of the road was a small herd of horses......... Clearly this was the right side of the track
At this point I was looking forward to an ice cold coke, but it seemed that Saturday afternoon is siesta time in Wupperthal. Everything was locked up & I had to push-on to my overnight stop at Mertenhof Farm (S32 09.470 E19 11.309). I dropped down into the Biedouw Valley & found the farm on the left at the crossroads.
I was greeted at the door by the entire Lubbe family & immediately offered an ice cold cool-drink. After being shown my room (I know, I wussed out & opted for a bed inside the house) I decided to head back out into the heat (mad dogs, Englishmen & Adv riders it appears) & headed off down the Biedouw Valley road to check out the Doring River crossing. The Biedouw River was almost completely dry, but the Doring River was quite a bit fuller.
Andy660, is that the road you were talking about..... the one running up the side of the hill?
I was too hot & tired to go looking for the access point.......
As for attempting a river crossing, I figured it was probably not the best thing to do solo.
The local neighbourhood watch seem well prepared......
The ride back up to the farm reminded me of one of the reasons why I enjoy having a pillion......
I also came across this old Chevy Fleetside wreck..... I have a soft spot for old Chevy's
By the time I got back to the farm I was ready to collapse. I stripped of my riding kit, put on a pair of board shorts & went for a swim in the concrete dam. It was heaven...... The water was chilled & came up to my top lip. After about half an hour of cooling off I headed back to the house & lay around on the grass in the fading afternoon sun.
After a hearty dinner my tiredness got the better of me & I slipped of to bed for a long, deep sleep........
Day 2 to follow..........
,wish I could join, . . . Lucky bastard! :thumleft:
