hartebees
Pack Dog
Jimbo at Palmwag.
The Unforgiven Trail - and the legends that tamed it
- Thread starter Hardy de Kock
- Start date
hartebees
Pack Dog
Some video moments from Day 10.
Last edited:
'tbc' means 'tis bleddie cold'!
(Day 9 still, sorry for the sequential mixup)
Stealing the names Jaco mentions because I dunno them, when hurrying over the wiiiiide sandy plains towards the Geinas mountains the temperature dropped markedly - so much so in fact that I was getting really cold, and was considering to stop and don my plastic bag I always carry to keep my core warm by taking off the wind.
This was marvellous riding - glorious sand, flat, hardly a hurdle in sight so everyone did a good clip here, and towards the end, where we would regroup under the tree (note the 'the'!) on the left hand side the temperature had risen again to warmish. The unmissable tree was there of course so we all stopped there.... but for Johan who as per his habit raced past, oblivious to anything but the horizon!
Jaco reeled him back in.
Then the riverbed followed with indeed quite a bit of game, and this was dispatched with via our stop&race style typical for us inbreds. Some ellies present, also some buck so no doubt there's lion frequenting there - which noone of us saw anywhere that day, let that be clear!
Then out of the river onto empty undulating rocky paths, past some parked game-viewing vehicles full of tourists who did not greet or reacted to us, they just stared.... I'm sure we must have come sortof out of the blue as the most-improbable thing they were expecting to see there in that vast desolate landscape!
We rode past exceptionally well-behaved, let that be said, and I really need some way more convincing arguments than only an SMS to believe that they were seeing lion there .... but hey, maybe they had some really potent binoculars?
Anyway, our route turned more tricky quick.
Nice stuff initially, but our 'work' was carved out for sure!
I remember (no pics, sorry) a relentlessly-long (what, 15km?) and relentlessly-strenuous jeeptrack which had to be followed, too much rocks & shrubs next to it to venture out of it, but worse still, one had to follow one track of the two.... which each consisted of deepish V-shaped coarse gravel, no doubt the result of the many 4x4's driving there over time.
Too slow won't work, and too quick also isn't advisable, and the various snake-like grooves/marks of others - and of me now, I had quite a number of 'moments' there also of course - were proof that this wasn't too easy going!
Long too, rather warm already, so a rest when it relented to just a rocky path was quite due... a breather, some water and a smoke.
Jaco joins me here and asks what I think of the track today - and gets 'dis n kak pad' from me.
He's highly upset: 'You can't tell Hardy that, he's done SO much work for us to be able to ride here!!!!' was his reaction
Well, jammer boet, dis donners moeilik om te navigate, daai los kak vir so lang is nie aangenaam nie - have I ever mentioned I'm somewhat assertive? I am!
Then Hardy & Chantal join us, and next the singlemost rememberable thing (for me, let wel) happens: they suggest I get into the cruiser and Hardy will ride my bike 'because I'm tired', their reason being that for the first time on the trip I now ride at the back of the group!
So, I surely may??
Hardy laughs when I say that I'm not tired - which I was not, and forget about me surrendering my ride's seat!
Sure, I had worked a bit so needed a break... but that's completely different than knacked or klaar or why, in fact I've been my fittest ever on these trips!
So.... nice try U2, but no cigar, I'll (of course!!) continue to ride this trail!
I later heard that this Crowter trail also is called the Unforgiven Trail .... an appropriate name due to the lenght, through exceptionally varied terrain most of which is difficult to navigate - in a 4x4 mind, so on a bike one's work is cut out, and take 'relentless' literally here please!
Oh, before I continue - I will do this same track again Hardy, with pleasure even, and yes, that includes that kak stuk met daai diep V-shaped gravel!
So I leave them and continue, and boy, 'rocky' takes on a whole new meaning there!!!!
Crisscrossing though the landscape, alternating from barren to sparsely populated with trees and shrubs, mostly rocky but also some sandy bits littered with lurkers... 'varied' is a gross understatement here. Sorry, no pics from me of this bit...
This is the part where Lion roam, remember please, hell, it's a Lion Conservancy nogals, so one keeps a perpetual eye out for anything that moves here, this all during negating the bad bits with half an eye on the GPS to see where one is supposed to go...
Didn't see the bakkie anymore but found Kobus somewhere, plus some others... which made me conclude that some must have taken a slightly different route there where the track allows for this, and were now behind me.
Anyway, we pass the 'gate' (just a building, didn't see any fencing) and are waved through - which means we're close to Palmwag Camp.
Ah, a cold beer would look good now.... so we arrived soon at our camp, and strangely enough most found the bar on autopilot!
"This was a good day one had to work for!!" seemed to be the general consensus, and even Martin on his half-aborted 990 made it without any hiccups - better still even, he picked up a piece of some bok's vel and beautified his fairing with it along the way! You're a nutter bru, but well done
I think it's a pity we didn't see any Lion though, in this area we crossed which is dedicated to them mainly... so I'll have to do this bit again!
Hope there's a 'next time' Hardy, and sure, no pressure....
Pic in logical order as per my phone - and if there's a few from others inbetween then blame my WhatsApp working again at Palmwag!
Zoom in, there's an elephant somewhere on the right in that riverbed's overgrown shoulder.
(Day 9 still, sorry for the sequential mixup)
Stealing the names Jaco mentions because I dunno them, when hurrying over the wiiiiide sandy plains towards the Geinas mountains the temperature dropped markedly - so much so in fact that I was getting really cold, and was considering to stop and don my plastic bag I always carry to keep my core warm by taking off the wind.
This was marvellous riding - glorious sand, flat, hardly a hurdle in sight so everyone did a good clip here, and towards the end, where we would regroup under the tree (note the 'the'!) on the left hand side the temperature had risen again to warmish. The unmissable tree was there of course so we all stopped there.... but for Johan who as per his habit raced past, oblivious to anything but the horizon!
Jaco reeled him back in.
Then the riverbed followed with indeed quite a bit of game, and this was dispatched with via our stop&race style typical for us inbreds. Some ellies present, also some buck so no doubt there's lion frequenting there - which noone of us saw anywhere that day, let that be clear!
Then out of the river onto empty undulating rocky paths, past some parked game-viewing vehicles full of tourists who did not greet or reacted to us, they just stared.... I'm sure we must have come sortof out of the blue as the most-improbable thing they were expecting to see there in that vast desolate landscape!
We rode past exceptionally well-behaved, let that be said, and I really need some way more convincing arguments than only an SMS to believe that they were seeing lion there .... but hey, maybe they had some really potent binoculars?
Anyway, our route turned more tricky quick.
Nice stuff initially, but our 'work' was carved out for sure!
I remember (no pics, sorry) a relentlessly-long (what, 15km?) and relentlessly-strenuous jeeptrack which had to be followed, too much rocks & shrubs next to it to venture out of it, but worse still, one had to follow one track of the two.... which each consisted of deepish V-shaped coarse gravel, no doubt the result of the many 4x4's driving there over time.
Too slow won't work, and too quick also isn't advisable, and the various snake-like grooves/marks of others - and of me now, I had quite a number of 'moments' there also of course - were proof that this wasn't too easy going!
Long too, rather warm already, so a rest when it relented to just a rocky path was quite due... a breather, some water and a smoke.
Jaco joins me here and asks what I think of the track today - and gets 'dis n kak pad' from me.
He's highly upset: 'You can't tell Hardy that, he's done SO much work for us to be able to ride here!!!!' was his reaction
Well, jammer boet, dis donners moeilik om te navigate, daai los kak vir so lang is nie aangenaam nie - have I ever mentioned I'm somewhat assertive? I am!
Then Hardy & Chantal join us, and next the singlemost rememberable thing (for me, let wel) happens: they suggest I get into the cruiser and Hardy will ride my bike 'because I'm tired', their reason being that for the first time on the trip I now ride at the back of the group!
So, I surely may??
Hardy laughs when I say that I'm not tired - which I was not, and forget about me surrendering my ride's seat!
Sure, I had worked a bit so needed a break... but that's completely different than knacked or klaar or why, in fact I've been my fittest ever on these trips!
So.... nice try U2, but no cigar, I'll (of course!!) continue to ride this trail!
I later heard that this Crowter trail also is called the Unforgiven Trail .... an appropriate name due to the lenght, through exceptionally varied terrain most of which is difficult to navigate - in a 4x4 mind, so on a bike one's work is cut out, and take 'relentless' literally here please!
Oh, before I continue - I will do this same track again Hardy, with pleasure even, and yes, that includes that kak stuk met daai diep V-shaped gravel!
So I leave them and continue, and boy, 'rocky' takes on a whole new meaning there!!!!
Crisscrossing though the landscape, alternating from barren to sparsely populated with trees and shrubs, mostly rocky but also some sandy bits littered with lurkers... 'varied' is a gross understatement here. Sorry, no pics from me of this bit...
This is the part where Lion roam, remember please, hell, it's a Lion Conservancy nogals, so one keeps a perpetual eye out for anything that moves here, this all during negating the bad bits with half an eye on the GPS to see where one is supposed to go...
Didn't see the bakkie anymore but found Kobus somewhere, plus some others... which made me conclude that some must have taken a slightly different route there where the track allows for this, and were now behind me.
Anyway, we pass the 'gate' (just a building, didn't see any fencing) and are waved through - which means we're close to Palmwag Camp.
Ah, a cold beer would look good now.... so we arrived soon at our camp, and strangely enough most found the bar on autopilot!
"This was a good day one had to work for!!" seemed to be the general consensus, and even Martin on his half-aborted 990 made it without any hiccups - better still even, he picked up a piece of some bok's vel and beautified his fairing with it along the way! You're a nutter bru, but well done
I think it's a pity we didn't see any Lion though, in this area we crossed which is dedicated to them mainly... so I'll have to do this bit again!
Hope there's a 'next time' Hardy, and sure, no pressure....
Pic in logical order as per my phone - and if there's a few from others inbetween then blame my WhatsApp working again at Palmwag!
Zoom in, there's an elephant somewhere on the right in that riverbed's overgrown shoulder.
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This just makes me want to go back there!
Keep it coming!
Keep it coming!
Chantal Burger
Pack Dog
Dankie vir die korreksie Jaco, ek's 1 dag voor oppi wa - daai riverbed-sprintrace was die voldende dag, Dag 10!
En n race is was, my my my..... and I will plead guilty first, ******** immature behaviour of what is supposed to be a group of adult if not mature men, pathetic!!!
But, please don't confuse my confession for an apology: I will do it again, simply because it was awesome FUN!
Sal dit selfs graag n keer langs jou doen daar agter, ek dink jy's maat-materiaal
En @ETS , waardeer en dankie, maar het nie n idee waarvan jy praat nie!
Maar kom weer saam asseblief, dan gesels ons daaroor met n koffietjie of watookal - ek sal downwind van jou sit!
Chantal Burger
Pack Dog
Bart - jy is iets tussen Spike van “Nottinghill” en Breyten Breytenbach se ouer en meer rebelse boetie, en ons is bitter dankbaar jy toer saam met ons.'tbc' means 'tis bleddie cold'!
Stealing the names Jaco mentions because I dunno them, when hurrying over the wiiiiide sandy plains towards the Geinas mountains the temperature dropped markedly - so much so in fact that I was getting really cold, and was considering to stop and don my plastic bag I always carry to keep my core warm by taking off the wind.
This was marvellous riding - glorious sand, flat, hardly a hurdle in sight so everyone did a good clip here, and towards the end, where we would regroup under the tree (note the 'the'!) on the left hand side the temperature had risen again to warmish. The unmissable tree was there of course so we all stopped there.... but for Johan who as per his habit raced past, oblivious to anything but the horizon!
Jaco reeled him back in.
Then the riverbed followed with indeed quite a bit of game, and this was dispatched with via our stop&race style typical for us inbreds. Some ellies present, also some buck so no doubt there's lion frequenting there - which noone of us saw anywhere that day, let that be clear!
Then out of the river onto empty undulating rocky paths, past some parked game-viewing vehicles full of tourists who did not greet or reacted to us, they just stared.... I'm sure we must have come sortof out of the blue as the most-improbable thing they were expecting to see there in that vast desolate landscape!
We rode past exceptionally well-behaved, let that be said, and I really need some way more convincing arguments than only an SMS to believe that they were seeing lion there .... but hey, maybe they had some really potent binoculars?
Anyway, our route turned more tricky quick.
Nice stuff initially, but our 'work' was carved out for sure!
I remember (no pics, sorry) a relentlessly-long (what, 15km?) and relentlessly-strenuous jeeptrack which had to be followed, too much rocks & shrubs next to it to venture out of it, but worse still, one had to follow one track of the two.... which each consisted of deepish V-shaped coarse gravel, no doubt the result of the many 4x4's driving there over time.
Too slow won't work, and too quick also isn't advisable, and the various snake-like grooves/marks of others - and of me now, I had quite a number of 'moments' there also of course - were proof that this wasn't too easy going!
Long too, rather warm already, so a rest when it relented to just a rocky path was quite due... a breather, some water and a smoke.
Jaco joins me here and asks what I think of the track today - and gets 'dis n kak pad' from me.
He's highly upset: 'You can't tell Hardy that, he's done SO much work for us to be able to ride here!!!!' was his reaction
Well, jammer boet, dis donners moeilik om te navigate, daai los kak vir so lang is nie aangenaam nie - have I ever mentioned I'm somewhat assertive? I am!
Then Hardy & Chantal join us, and next the singlemost rememberable thing (for me, let wel) happens: they suggest I get into the cruiser and Hardy will ride my bike 'because I'm tired', their reason being that for the first time on the trip I now ride at the back of the group!
So, I surely may??
Hardy laughs when I say that I'm not tired - which I was not, and forget about me surrendering my ride's seat!
Sure, I had worked a bit so needed a break... but that's completely different than knacked or klaar or why, in fact I've been my fittest ever on these trips!
So.... nice try U2, but no cigar, I'll (of course!!) continue to ride this trail!
I later heard that this Crowter trail also is called the Unforgiven Trail .... an appropriate name due to the lenght, through exceptionally varied terrain most of which is difficult to navigate - in a 4x4 mind, so on a bike one's work is cut out, and take 'relentless' literally here please!
Oh, before I continue - I will do this same track again Hardy, with pleasure even, and yes, that includes that kak stuk met daai diep V-shaped gravel!
So I leave them and continue, and boy, 'rocky' takes on a whole new meaning there!!!!
Crisscrossing though the landscape, alternating from barren to sparsely populated with trees and shrubs, mostly rocky but also some sandy bits littered with lurkers... 'varied' is a gross understatement here. Sorry, no pics from me of this bit...
This is the part where Lion roam, remember please, hell, it's a Lion Conservancy nogals, so one keeps a perpetual eye out for anything that moves here, this all during negating the bad bits with half an eye on the GPS to see where one is supposed to go...
Didn't see the bakkie anymore but found Kobus somewhere, plus some others... which made me conclude that some must have taken a slightly different route there where the track allows for this, and were now behind me.
Anyway, we pass the 'gate' (just a building, didn't see any fencing) and are waved through - which means we're close to Palmwag Camp.
Ah, a cold beer would look good now.... so we arrived soon at our camp, and strangely enough most found the bar on autopilot!
"This was a good day one had to work for!!" seemed to be the general consensus, and even Martin on his half-aborted 990 made it without any hiccups - better still even, he picked up a piece of some bok's vel and beautified his fairing with it along the way! You're a nutter bru, but well done
I think it's a pity we didn't see any Lion though, in this area we crossed which is dedicated to them mainly... so I'll have to do this bit again!
Hope there's a 'next time' Hardy, and sure, no pressure....
Pic is logical order as per my phone - and if there's a few from others inbetween then blame my WhatsApp working again at Palmwag!
Zoom in, there's an elephant somewhere on the right in that riverbed's overgrown shoulder.
Dankie vir als
Chantal
JeanDV
Pack Dog
Day 10: Cameraman on a Cruiser 
Hierdie is baie cool!
dirtWarp
Grey Hound
Lyk soos n refuel punt in die Dakar Rally
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Twyfelfontein se Puma vulstasie
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nee, dit was flippen warm
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My Day 9
I dont remember much of the day, other than that the morning was one of my best rides ever. I decided the morning to take my extreme weightshedding to the next level and also removed two tubes, compressor, tyre levers and some other tools from the bike. Somehow my bike felt the best its ever felt, super light, I think the open cockpit also helped. FOr the first time I also rode with Andrew on that fast open stretch and it was a blast!
That T7 is a great looking bike and even better looking if you gunning it, look to your left and see that blue and yellow machine on the rear wheel at speed. Some epic moments and really an epic morning. Andrew share some of your footage you mentioned? Sucks that I dont have much.
Afternoon was less fun going back to Palmwag. Murphy stipulated I had to get a flat rear, ek wou mos my tools uithaal. And then the rocky road in the afternoon was neverending! It was hard work on the big bike. I think if I had not fitted the flexxbars to the 990 on a whim I would have made my hands beyond tyred and not had much fun for the rest of the trip.
but all in all my bike was riding well and I had a good day.
That night at Palmwag things changed a little for me. I managed to sort out my roaming and finally spoke to my wife and children again. Didnt really tell them yet about all my drama but I really missed them. Discussing this later with her it was the same at home, everything was fine when we had almost zero contact, but here things changed, and I was missing them.
I dont remember much of the day, other than that the morning was one of my best rides ever. I decided the morning to take my extreme weightshedding to the next level and also removed two tubes, compressor, tyre levers and some other tools from the bike. Somehow my bike felt the best its ever felt, super light, I think the open cockpit also helped. FOr the first time I also rode with Andrew on that fast open stretch and it was a blast!
That T7 is a great looking bike and even better looking if you gunning it, look to your left and see that blue and yellow machine on the rear wheel at speed. Some epic moments and really an epic morning. Andrew share some of your footage you mentioned? Sucks that I dont have much.
Afternoon was less fun going back to Palmwag. Murphy stipulated I had to get a flat rear, ek wou mos my tools uithaal. And then the rocky road in the afternoon was neverending! It was hard work on the big bike. I think if I had not fitted the flexxbars to the 990 on a whim I would have made my hands beyond tyred and not had much fun for the rest of the trip.
but all in all my bike was riding well and I had a good day.
That night at Palmwag things changed a little for me. I managed to sort out my roaming and finally spoke to my wife and children again. Didnt really tell them yet about all my drama but I really missed them. Discussing this later with her it was the same at home, everything was fine when we had almost zero contact, but here things changed, and I was missing them.
dirtWarp
Grey Hound
We stopped at the customary 'big tree' to gather all the riders. Only to have Jan Liebenberg ride right past all of us
He has the most amazing focus, when on a dirtbike, the man stops for nothing
So goed soos nuut..
Check die brake line guides.
@Catchy loving life on his T7
While we were waiting, we felt the temperature dropping and saw an ominous fog moving in..
We headed into the mist
Boys feeling a bit cold
He has the most amazing focus, when on a dirtbike, the man stops for nothing
So goed soos nuut..
Check die brake line guides.
@Catchy loving life on his T7
While we were waiting, we felt the temperature dropping and saw an ominous fog moving in..
We headed into the mist
Boys feeling a bit cold
Last edited:
dirtWarp
Grey Hound
hartebees
Pack Dog
You are on Day 11 at Brandberg. Going to wrap up my writing with Day 11 and 12 in a moment.
hartebees
Pack Dog
Day 11 – Brandberg
Another day where riders had the freedom to choose their own adventure. A track was provided to circumnavigate Brandberg and a couple of riders chose to do so.
Lunch consisted of DIY jaffles. Later in the afternoon we went for a short but scenic drive in the Cruiser.
Day 12 – Branberg to Usakos & Windhoek
Waking up on this day you realise that you've spent your last night under the stars. That first night with the full moon at Spitzkoppe you struggled to fall asleep – but tonight you will miss the cool fresh air and sleeping in a bed will feel a bit strange.
The last 170 odd kilometers back to Usakos goes quicker than you'd like because you want to savour these last moments in Damaraland and your head is filled with so many thoughts about everything that transpired in the last two weeks. For me personally I'm also a little bit depressed at this point because the realities that await back at home start creeping into my thoughts. Without much ceremony we arrive at Usakos, load the bikes and the tour is over.
Looking forward to the next one!
Another day where riders had the freedom to choose their own adventure. A track was provided to circumnavigate Brandberg and a couple of riders chose to do so.
Lunch consisted of DIY jaffles. Later in the afternoon we went for a short but scenic drive in the Cruiser.
Day 12 – Branberg to Usakos & Windhoek
Waking up on this day you realise that you've spent your last night under the stars. That first night with the full moon at Spitzkoppe you struggled to fall asleep – but tonight you will miss the cool fresh air and sleeping in a bed will feel a bit strange.
The last 170 odd kilometers back to Usakos goes quicker than you'd like because you want to savour these last moments in Damaraland and your head is filled with so many thoughts about everything that transpired in the last two weeks. For me personally I'm also a little bit depressed at this point because the realities that await back at home start creeping into my thoughts. Without much ceremony we arrive at Usakos, load the bikes and the tour is over.
Looking forward to the next one!
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