Springbok Rallye and Die Hell

[Piston Pete]

Note the spelling of Rallye

The idea to do the 25th Springbok Rallye came about last week and i found myself in a good space and was free to ride. Sprocketbek, the infamous photographer, said he was keen to join :thumleft: We met up with some usual suspects and hard riding men...Tweets, Nemodakar, Hazzard, Grysalp & MrT.
SP & myself did as much dirt as possible on the way up & arrived nicely warmed up for the following day...but not before we drank, braaied & told lies...

SP's clutch kakked a bit so he went & took a leisurely ride to top of Swartberg to braai with some mates.

The following morning found us up surprisingly early and eager to ride 8) It was my virgin maiden trip to Die Hell & i had no idea what to expect....really. We all rode Swartberg to Prince Albert for fuel & backtracked to the Hell turnoff (Gamkaskloof) https://www.diehel.com/    I was a little ahead & waited for the guys & saw a three quads on their way in atch:
It turned out that they stopped at the first gate & went to the shop with Dad in his 4x4. I thought i recognised him so we had a brief chat...its a customer....funny how one does not recognise folk sometimes out of context!

I had no idea of the road ahead but stories abound how difficult, treacherous & lewensgevaarlik. The Quads & the 4x4 were kicking up lank dust so i just sucked it up & eventually past them.....not before roosting the 4x4 who was taking up the whole road knowing i was behind.....sorry Graham! ;D

The road in had lots of giant whoops & a little bit of everything. Clear vision ahead in lots of places so you can hang on the cables a tad. Then comes the gradiants, switchbacks & moerse dropoffs....you don't want to leave the road here...ever :deal: A casavac scenario would be a nightmare!

On the way i picked off a few other bikes going in and was having one of the most memorable rides ever....no really....its just awesome :drif:

Finally i dropped into the first gate/camping area & met up with some of the guys & others :thumleft: Everyone looked chuffed & happy

Then we made our way to the locked gate where i found some Mountain Bikers having a rest. We chatted & compared bikes....

I read almost every bit of literature in the museum about the previous inhabitants but found no mention of inbreeding or skande...how disappointing... :biggrin:

Then the road out.....bloody hell....even better i tell ya! :ricky:

Was lekker riding by myself so i did not wait for the other chaps....went quickly to Oudshoorn for supplies & hit the campsite again...one very happy rider! :thumleft:

Don't have many pics at all as you can gather....i was having to much fun! 8)

 

[Piston Pete]

.

 

[Dusty Rusty]

Oe!  Dit lyk darem ma' lekker!  Eendag, eendag eendag, gaan ek ook daar uitkom!

 

[Berm_Rooster]

Lekke Pete. Nice chattting with you guys on the way back. :thumleft:

 

[Camelman]

Lekke Pete!  :thumleft:

 

[cassiebotha]

oom piston it looked like a big event.  How many  people was there?

 

[DRAZIL]

nice one Pete :thumleft:
The inbred chicks were hidden when they saw you rolling down the hill >

 

[Sprocketbek]

As PP mentioned, my bike's clutch seemed to develop a leak on the clutch slave cylinder. Before Worcester it started to go pap and we topped up the tiny little reservoir at the Overhex Cafe.

Within about 10 km it went duff again; at times the clutch would not disengage at all. I mastered the art of hitting the killswitch if I wanted to stop, to get going I had to start it in neutral, run with it, hop on and click it into gear. No way was this going to spoil my ride. We tackled the tweespoor route from Montagu that Leftless had shown us on a previous ride. Pretty technical 1st gear stuff: very character-building to tackle it without clutch. After that the more open, high speed gravel to Ladismith. Topped the clutch up with Baby Oil, that seemed to work better than the real thing and after that I had some use of the clutch again.

Groenrivier / Kruisrivier was a stunning ride and we hit the campsite mid afternoon. The Eastern Cape guys pulled in shortly after that. Pitched tents, braaied, partied, talked kak.

PP went to bed a lot earlier than myself, I'm always the last man standing (and the last to get up again).

Dogpatch looking after PP during the night:

Nemodakar, Grysalp, PP, Tweetie getting ready for Saturday's ride:

I had a leisurely breakfast, 2 coffees etc and took a ride to Prince Albert on my own. Swartberg Pass is beatiful, it always amazes me:

They even have Picnic tables for Hobbits and Gnomes:

Came across Pote and others. Just as I approached the lady (missus Pote?) did a very undignified dive into a ditch and a pile of rocks, with her Dakar trapping her underneath. She seemed to survive so I moved on.

Filled the tank and went back to the pass, waited a while at Eerstewater for my friends to arrive. The rock formations in that area are impressive:

A CMA chap came past on his Superten. First one I've seen with an aftermarket exhaust. He later gave PP a ride on it in the campsite. (now that's faith for you)  eepwall:

My friends all arrived in drip and drags, made a fire, had a braai, kuiered. Very relaxed scene.
This is what a G+T looks like in the outdoors:

Some of my friends:

A little lady needs to look pretty at a picnic:

And her sister too:

Two of the girls celebrated their bithdays, so we had "Swartbergkoek". It's a very dark chocolate cake:

They all left for Stompdrift Dam at De Rust via Meiringspoort; I saddled up and traversed Swartberg Pass with a vengance. The 640 did what it does best.....not a bike to be ridden slowly.

Met some more dogs briefly, back at camp the party restarted.
The band:

Sunday morning it was pack-up-time, yours truly once again not so quick out of the blocks.

Mr T, Hazzard, PyromaniacPete:

Had a great brekkie in a garden of a retaurant on the main street of Oudtshoorn. Thereafter it was Robinson Pass, Bonniedale, Attekwas, past Van Wyksdorp, Brandrivier to Barrydale. Tar from there onward. Hit some heavy rain over Du Toits Kloof pass, I was wet through from the waist down and semi-frozen when I got back.

Enjoyable weekend, many thanks to all.

 

[Crossed-up]

Very nice PP and Sprocket.  Looks like you guys had a lekker weekend.

 

[Piston Pete]

oom piston it looked like a big event.  How many  people was there?

Cassie...about 300 i hear. Not to big & generally a nice bunch of people....although some looked like decendants from De Hell....

nice one Pete :thumleft:
The inbred chicks were hidden when they saw you rolling down the hill >

We have pictures to prove it to...... >

Lekke Pete. Nice chattting with you guys on the way back. :thumleft:

Lekker one Bermie....nice to see you & the guys again :thumleft:

 

[Piston Pete]

Oe!  Dit lyk darem ma' lekker!  Eendag, eendag eendag, gaan ek ook daar uitkom!

DR...the road through to Die Hell looks nothing like the Enduro Route you were advised to do... ;D In fact after a 3 - 4 proper outings you could do it. We met up with a bunch of guys at the Springbok on TW200's a DR 250 i think & a few WR250-450'S.....from Langebaan nogall!
I would suggest trailering up for you for starters

 

[Tweetie]

Nemo Dakar, calls me on Tuesday and asks me if I’m game to do dirt with him most of the way to the Springbok rally outside Oudtshoorn. :biggrin: (Is the Pope Cathlic??)  :eek7: We are going to do the tent thing he says. (Mooi!!)  ;D  :thumleft: I am instructed to meet at the petrol station in Hankey early Friday morn to depart before 07h00. Ja, Ja, sal daar wees !

I haak NemoDakar at said rondeyvuuuu and we are off to tackle the Bavijaans…………at 06h30
Myself

NemoDakar

Ready to Roll

NemoDakar, negotiating with the Nature Conservation “toll gate” Amptenaar. He’s good at it, and on we go.

First Stop in the Bavi……………

NemoDakar, 1st water crossing for the day

More pics

2nd Water Crossing, NemoDakar Enjoying himself toooooooo much.

NemoDakar’s 650Dakar busy loosing the tailpiece. (weak point & design on these models)

Outside the Bavi……………. Conservation area, and open roads again.

Junction to Uniondale

2251

We had an very filling brunch at the Uniondale Hotel, then on to do the Kammanasie road.
Turn-off to the Kammansie

More on the Kammanasie road, this is always a lekker ride, the scenery is just magic.

Beautiful Kaffir boom flowering in the Kammanasie.

We arrive at the de Hoek Resort, do the entry thing to the rally (to be used as base, and water
hole), and here we meet up with the “Orange Legend” Piston Pete.

Camp Site

Early Saturday morning, we go up and over the Swartberg pass, with Piston Pete to Price Albert to top up with fuel, then backtrack , and on to The Hell.
The old signboard at the turn-off, and been replaced by a new, smaller one.  
Edgehog on the way up the Swartberg Pass.

Ettiene & Partner (from PE) Fellow Ulysseans

NemoDakar

Grysalp

Myself

More……

The end of the road into The Hell. ( A gate)

You cannot leave Piston Pete and NemoDakar with any chick, anywhere, anytime time. SKAANDE !!! I tells you!!

NemoDakar saddling up different colour blue pony. He really enjoyed this ride, and ride. :imaposer:

On the way out of THE HELL

View toward Oudtshoorn, from the top of the Swartberg Pass

My trusty steed, at Kareedow, on the way home. (took the R62 slab, to get home early)

NemoDakar’s  “Stopad Racer” 650Dakar

Boet, you really must be innovative, and fix this tail light situation now.

Thanks for the lekker weekend run Nemo, and great to see you again Piston Pete, and also meeting new dogs too. Was really lekker
See you guys at Vandekloof Dam in a months time ! :thumleft:

 

[DirtRebell]

Lekker report!

 

[Woestersous]

Lekker report Pete, passed you in Worcester yesterday, was on a bicycle though.

Saw lots of adv bikes passing through this weekend, Saturday the dude on the ST came through here with HP2 and 950SE just in front of him.

 

[Pote]

lekker pics daar Pistonpete, jy het verby ons "gery" daar langs die Calitzdorp dam pad Vrydag middag

 

[Piston Pete]

lekker pics daar Pistonpete, jy het verby ons "gery" daar langs die Calitzdorp dam pad Vrydag middag

Silver KTM640 & the 990? Then it was us :thumleft:

 

[Pote]

lekker pics daar Pistonpete, jy het verby ons "gery" daar langs die Calitzdorp dam pad Vrydag middag

Silver KTM640 & the 990? Then it was us :thumleft:

ons het by die Shell brandstof in gegooi en julle was daar by die slaghuis of daai winkel op die hoek met die skadu boom

 

[wayneh]

...Looks like DakarNemo has upgraded  :mwink:



Awesome RR guys. Seems fun was had by all.

 

[Piston Pete]

lekker pics daar Pistonpete, jy het verby ons "gery" daar langs die Calitzdorp dam pad Vrydag middag

Silver KTM640 & the 990? Then it was us :thumleft:

ons het by die Shell brandstof in gegooi en julle was daar by die slaghuis of daai winkel op die hoek met die skadu boom

Ja...i still got the steak!! :imaposer: There were so many bikes...we checked for paw stickers & waved madly ;D Pity we did not chat! :thumleft:

 

[Boere]

Pete. Went pass you as i was going into the hell on the Black Vara.

We also went pass one another leaving Calitzdorp towards the dam.