THE ROAD TO HELL ..... and back (part 8 THE FINAL CHAPTER now up)

[Dustdevil]

Camping at the start of the Hell Road;

To get to the Hell road you have to come down along this valley in the background;

Parking at the top of the nek to go inspect the road further down;

 

[Dustdevil]

THE ROAD TO HELL;

 

[Dustdevil]

This shepard stays in this desolated valley and see people once a week when his boss drops of water and supplies;

 

[Dustdevil]

Just below our camping site the valley floor suddenly drops away over these rugged rocks;

On the way out we still traveled some truly spectacular two tracks;

Who knows who lives here and what inspires them to eek out a living in this harsh landscape;

 

[White Rhino]

It's a bit dissapointing that the storyline couldn't take us down to hell and back.  >

But sometimes you have to include a little savvy in the mix, it's not just about balls. Not cool to destroy body, bike and soul on route.

You guys must have had mixed feelings - but fear (read sanity) prevailed :thumleft:

 

[Piston Pete]

Great report as usual...yo'l deserve a  aw:

 

[Carrots]

It's a bit dissapointing that the storyline couldn't take us down to hell and back.  >

But sometimes you have to include a little savvy in the mix, it's not just about balls. Not cool to destroy body, bike and soul on route.

You guys must have had mixed feelings - but fear (read sanity) prevailed :thumleft:

I concur!!  :thumleft:

Great story and pics are even better!

 

[Roela]

Right, nou weer my beurt!
You must keep up troups/readers.

At Groenriviermond I stopped to have a wee bite. I was expecting the rest of the party close behind me and gulfed my snacks and water. I was sooooo tired of fighting this monster in the loose sand. Tip, get a steering damper, it helps a lot!

Waiting at the mond, I met a friend from boating days that I havent seen in maybe 15 years, man he got old. LOL >

He was driving an old Datsun camper and it was overheating. Turned out the fuse of the electric fan blew. I am so proud of this next picture, not often a KTM can solve somebody else's trouble! I had spare fuses with me and was glad I could help ou Koos!

I was worried that the rest would have past me 'but Koos assured me that no-one has passed them, so I waited, almost for an hour till the guys showed up. looks like hey had lots of sanding while Koos was returning the help I gave him in the form of some Branna's and pigblood.

 

[Circlip]

Gooi nog please.

 

[Roela]

When the rest of the guys showed up, we decided that 4 of us, Me, Beserker, Justin and Heddles would take the easy road to Hondeklipbaai. The rest would go the more sandy stretch on the shore to H Bay.
What a bloody mistake!  We followed my fancy new Montana bitch Gps like slaves. She took us on fancy lloking roads on the screen that was actually 2 spoor sand twisties going through skaapkampe. This is where Justin met the love of his live with a bang!

Here him and Heddles are bringing the sheep to me for inspection, kopafsny or mouth to mouth.
Thats when I told him to let go and ride, these boere still hang you for sheep theft. Luckily I felt nothing was broken and the sheep just had a tenderised boud.

This is what the road looked like. I took a videoclip that I posted to Michiel. I will defnitaly f@ck it up trying to post it here!

 

[Dustdevil]

I see the braai rooster and I see some fresh lamb chops but I didn't see the fire ???

 

[Roela]

Now I must tell you the way Dave(Beserker) rides in the sand. looks like he is behind the wheel of a beach buggy. Just going and now and then those telephone paal bene would touch the sand. I am calling him mr Sandman from now on!

Anyway, eventually we got on the main gravel road going from Garies to Hondeklip baai. It was about 18h00 and was getting dark quickly. Heddles was still on Daves Honda and Dave was smiling ear to ear on Heddles 950SE. What a beaut, one day, one day :drif:

The Honda's light was dead and it was turning dark. Dave swopped back to his bike and rode next to me. They tell me I have some kind of superbright HD something light. It was quite scary hearing this monster thumper at my backwheel and still thinking of Justins sheep as we sped along in now pitch darkness.  The road was OK ish with here and there some spoelslote. That we saw the next morning on the smiley on ROV Rats backwheel.

We got to Hondeklipbaai at a place I have slept before. The Hondehokke,what else, with Attie the owner and his ice cold beer. manne, dit was dieplekker!!

I went looking for the rest of our team but could not find them. We ate kreef and steak at the Rooi Spinnekop restaurant and had almost to much wine.
Next morning the rest of our group, the campers joined us.

 

[Snafu]

SeeDuiwel, dit is ook net jy wat iemand daar sal raak drink!!

 

[Roela]

Right, I am busy catching the rest of the guys with my RR.
Next morning we went to Koiingnaas to fill the tanks. As we were half a day behind the planned schedule, we decded to cut out some of the tracks and went to Springbok via one or other ecotrail. Was a lekker 2 spoor with lots of springbuck . As mentioned by another comrade before, we parted with Dave when we got to the N7. I still think he was homesick ot: :ricky: AHHH, youngsters in love! O0

Tired and hungry as we stopped at a reastaurant in Springbok, Altus casually asked me if my backwheel is usaually that flat.
For f$%#@!!
I had a flat . While the rest of the guys went in to get some grub, I asked some locals where a tyreplek is. Sped off while I still had some air left in the tyre and came to this place, not going to say the name.
As it was almost 13h00 and almost closing time, they were not very keen on helping me. The staff member assigned helping me was half drunk from the previous nights party. Growing up with these guys I knew how to get some speed out of him. Slipped him a Tenner and he was speeding repairing the flat. I did the desembling en opsit myself. that R10 was burning a hole in his pocket and he was in a hurry to get to the kantien. When I got back to the rest of my mates, they were just finishing up. I still remember Altus had a huge milkshake for desert. That's now from somebody telling us all the way what to eat and not! :imaposer:
We left for Steinkopft were we refuelled.
It was only a short ride from steinkopft till we got to te turn off.
A nice sandy road, the sand was not that deep that it was at the coast and you could let the horses loose. That's were ROVRat and me got in a bit of trouble for leaving the rest behind, sorry ouens.

These 2 pics are from just before we got to the vally going to the turn off to the hel.

 

[onmybike]

yes plse

 

[Roela]

I was riding at the back now, don't want to get bliksemd in the hell.
When we got to the road that leads to the klip at the hell's gate, the guys all stopped.  As the initial plan was to camp at the river, I shot past up the hill to get to the entrance of the hellroad going down to the river. It was quite steepgoing up with here and there some loose boulders. Getting on top I turned around expecting the rest to be following closely.

i took some pictures from the top.

I heard a bike growling in the valley and saw ROVRat coming up. He broke the news that the guys were going to camp at the bottom of the valley.
Michiel also came up and we decided to see if we can drive down to the river. Needless to say, we only did about 150m before we had to stop. The easiest to describe the road is that it looks like soccerballs covering the road. Steep with lots of turns,so you cannot get momentum to get you up there. maybe one day with a stofskoeter!

Here Michiel is making plans to get down.

 

[Roela]

We went down to camp at the bottom

Sleeping under the stars like that makes you feel very small.
The next mornings sunrise.

You already saw the fotos of the other guys, I'll just throw in mine as well. First one was just comparing my little mik en druk's to Michiels Supersport zoom capabilities. Amazing what technology can do.

Only life!

 

[Beserker]

I took off while the rest was still fiddling with the tyres. Partly cause I felt I was going to keep the guys waiting, I did not want to be embarressed falling around .....

And there I was thinking "Hell, this guy is fast, how are we supposed to keep up?"    :imaposer:

... of some Branna's and pigblood.

Havn't had that for a while...it was delicious. I can still taste it.

 

[JustBendIt]

mooi See Duiwel mooi !

Keep it coming - your command of the english language is excellent considering you are a boertjie  :biggrin:

Regards

Soutie

 

[Roela]

As the Sunday was my birthday and that of my youngest daughter, I decided to leave the guys and turn back. It was the plan to do the hell road but as you see, it's undoable.

While the rest of the comrades went up for some pics, I headed back but not before I saw Heddles taking a sore tumble on the way up. Ah man, respect for you with the cracked ribs!

I took the road towards Cookhouse and turned back towards Steinkopft when I reached the Henkries road. Was nice riding alone in that deserted area, felt like I was on Mars!
Here is my last pics, over and out! Oja, I got a flat at Garies, turned out the bribe came and bit me in the bum! I used a can of tyreweld and it kept till I loaded the bike at Citrusdal. Tightening the straps I saw the tyre going flat!