Solo ride to Klaserie

[DirtRebell]

So, my 1st official RR for you disposal.
Together with my 2 brothers and a few friends, we were invited with to a private farm inside the Klaseire Game Reserve. I decided it would sommer make a lekker trip with Oupoot, so when the 2 bakkies left on last Friday morning at 6, I was already on the road halfway to Witbank.

Made the stop at the one and only petrol station on the N12 twrds Witbank, just to discover the bathrooms has no hot water and the coffee machine is broken. Needless to say I was my hands were like ice-cubes connected to my arms with no notion of blood-circulation to my fingers. The only help was the hand-dryer in the men’s-rooms, where I stood for 10minutes, just to defrost the worst.

I must say that the road from Jo’burg to Middelburg is one very boring piece of road and it was difficult to find a good balance between the highest speed possible and not freazing to death.
Then stopped at the Belfast Royal Hotel in the hope of a nice breakfast and the 1st Red-Hartjie for the weekend, but great was my disappointment when it was, what seemed to be, closed for any business.

Stuff ol’Belfast then I reckoned, and got back on the road to and soon got a nice gravel-travel turn-off that spat me out again on the N4, just to get Millies (?) oasis for that long awaited Red-Hartjie and a brekkie.

Thereafter took in the direction of the Sudwala caves (for a fly-past) and got to the next stop in Sabie. Made a vinnige pannekoek-break and and admired the view (cant recall the restaurant with that nice view), and the road just traveled. That was quite nice - so many S’s and curves have I not done in quite a while.

From Sabie I took in the direction of Pilgrims Rest. Now; I have never been in this part of our country, so my general perception up to that point in time, was that the most beautiful views and county-sides was to be found in our Down-under province, Aka any province with the word ‘Cape’ in it. It was really a pleasant eye-opener to discover what could be found on this side of the Vaal!

Just outside Pilgrims Rest, instead of making the left turn to head for Origstad, I kept on straight on the rd what soon became a very good and sometimes better/rougher gravel-travel route. I took a few pics there by the stream, maybe some of you might even recognize the spot.

Soon after I hit tar again I had to speed it up again to catch up with the bakkies again in Hoedspruit. I have by then lost quite a bit of time due to wrong turn-offs (see pic of my ‘GPS’) and more time lost making admiring-the-view-aka-Red-Hartjie stops.
Wow, what a view when you get through the tunnel and into the Laeveld!


Got to the Klaserie gates just after luchtime and had to leave Oupoot at the gates. No bikes allowed from there on as from there you are between whatever animals you might encounter. Our destination was still about one and half hours in from the gates and the road looked like much bike-fun, so needless to say I was slightly pee-ed off for having to leave Oupoot where I wont be able to see it for 3 nights. My disappointment did luckily not last for long though. We were hardly into the park-area for 30min when we encountered a leopard crossing the road.

 

[DirtRebell]

Continue...


And from there on it was a variety of buck, giraffes, elephants, buffalo, 2 hippos, some lion noise and track with alarmingly no visibility of the King of the jungle. Apparently we were quite lucky in getting to see so many animals as the area is huge (fences between there and the Kruger park has been taken down).
We have had the perfect men’s-weekend in a rather primitive camp-setting with lots of game-drives, beers, some stronger stuff, bush-veld fires, braai-broodjies, splendid company and Other Lewensgevaarlike Animals.


4 days of heaven!

Got back to Oupoot on Monday morning at 9 and were soon on the road again.

This time I went further down to Graskop, hoping the get some more gravel-travel, as shown on the map – NO!! Just village upon village and to scared to verdwaal in the squatter camps to dare taking a turn-off.

Stopped in Graskop and met up with my 2 brothers and George to get a lekker Salmon-stuffed pancake down the throat. The was also a guy on a red 1200 with his wife, al the way from Dronkwordspruit. With openfaced helmets. Now. Not to be rude (I am velly large myself), but he and his wife was sitting that GS rather plat, and my brother’s, who can never keep his mouth shut, made some comment about them making the GS look like a Fifty. It did not go down so well. Oops. I past them again later passed Belfast and mine was returned with an equally friendly wave. But I could see they were fighting it out with the strong side-wind with their open-faced helmets. And Bronkhorstspruit was still far to go. I did not see any WD stickers. But I really felt for them.

 

[DirtRebell]

Last part...


Well off I went and made a quick stop at God’s Window. Pretty awesome view but the wind was pumping and I was out and about in no time. Thereafter on my way to Lydenburg, I took a very nice detour through some plantations – and also almost saw my gat a few times with the Sand-Monster. You will see Oupoot is parked on the otside of that one particular corner. I did not parked it there intentionally but aimed to go through the corner on the inside. But next thing I saw that’s where I was. Had to stop to get the rattleling legs calmed down again. Definitely considering to get some knobblies for trips like this.

Headed on to Lydenburg via LongTom’s Pass with more spectacular views. By then the wind was not my friend anymore and it just increased in strength. Continued through Dulsstroom and Belfast back home and had that side wind until I stopped back home.

Tired and dirty as hell but experiencing that feeling you can only get from a weekend away on the back of your beloved bike…

 

[Riaanrw]

Nice RR!!! Solo rides are sometimes what we all need just to think about life. Thanks for sharing. :thumleft:

Cheers :ricky:

 

[LeonDude]

Thanks for the nice report!  :thumleft:

 

[dieterf]

very nice  :thumleft:

 

[fat b]

Nice RR ! This solo riding is starting to appeal to me more and more !

 

[rcerrie]

Lekker een die  :salut:

 

[Oetie]

:thumleft:

 

[ATysterperd]

ouneef, dit lyk soos pret. Volgende keer gan ek saam!