Malibu
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2007
- Messages
- 11,170
- Reaction score
- 64
- Bike
- NER-A-CAR
So, they have failed! Miserably. Dark Horse and Mark, as the designated writers of this thread, well, it just never happened. So I guess I’ll have to suck it up and put fingers to keyboard and try and find the words to impress on you the utter awesomeness of the ride we did.
It all started with Just-Blip-It hearing we were to spend the holidays down in Mpumalanga, and he quietly mentioned that he could take us on a ride.
So, after working our rear ends off at Mom’s house (we built cupboards, put doors up, put awnings up, etc) we took off just after 5.30am to get to WhiteRiver for the 6.30 departure time. What a surprise, ONLY KTM’s arrived for the ride. An orange fiesta on a grey day. I was on the only bike which was not a 990 or 950. The little girl rider!
The Plan. Breakfast in Sabie, lunch in Pilgrims Rest… all the dirt we can find.
We shot off and hit the forestry roads. The roads were fantastic, the recent rains laying the dust down, and we skinted along in pure DS heaven with scenery that was just too beautiful. Waterfalls, deep valleys, exquisite horizons…
The Group
Malibu and Dark Horse.
Malibu
Dark Horse
Sabie was quickly reached, and we met up with Chopper Pilots family who joined us for the meals. A jovial meal was devoured, and off we went again.
I have to say, these guys can ride. JBI and his mates are no slouches on their big machines, Mark was in his element. He blasted off with the fast guys, while Dark Horse, Chopper Pilot and I tootled along behind. I’d like to say it was only because I was appreciating the scenery, but the truth is that some areas were pretty challenging. Guess that is what happens when you ride with enduro boys!
The two Mark’s bikes, Just blip It and Mark Hardy
Chillin…
We eventually reached such heights that we rode in a perpetual mist blanket, now and then breaking out the cloud to such incredible views, I was left breathless.
Sooo pretty!
The Group
The road up… and Malibu’s ride, ain’t she pretty!
And Dark horses toy!
And Marks…
Some more pretty.
The group!
Heaven…
The trail ran through the Hartebees Vlaktes, where zebra, blesbok and a variety of other game dotted the mountain sides and it was tremendous seeing them kicking up a ruck on the slopes.
The jeep track in places was so carved from the rains, that the route ran along the mountain edges, in places displaying only vast drops and deep valleys.
There was little to no other human contact up there, in the heights. A couple of hikers, sitting, soothing their feet was a chance sighting, and we could have been lost in time if not for their intrusion on the road.
The day proceeded from one torturous descent, to another vista, to another exquisite painting, to another track, up to 7000 ft, down, and so we proceeded.
And we start descending… JBI, Denzel and DH…
Mal and CP
One of the last of the few stops we had…
The rain, that had been storing itself up for a vicious onslaught, eventually determined that we had earned the right to it’s fury. We were assaulted with a vision numbing downpour that quickly rendered the road to quagmire. We all hightailed our way down the last part of the slopes, Pilgrims Rest, out of view but close. The larger bikes battled with the moving, slick surface, at least my little baby skipped down happily.
Lunch was terrific, the entire area was covered with all our wet gear, and as it was already almost 3pm, we all decided to find our way home via tar.
Bunch of very happy bikes!
I need to say a HUGE thank you to JBI and his friends, for taking the time to show us some of their turf. It’s some of the best riding I have done in a long time. Hope to ride with you guys again soon!
It all started with Just-Blip-It hearing we were to spend the holidays down in Mpumalanga, and he quietly mentioned that he could take us on a ride.
So, after working our rear ends off at Mom’s house (we built cupboards, put doors up, put awnings up, etc) we took off just after 5.30am to get to WhiteRiver for the 6.30 departure time. What a surprise, ONLY KTM’s arrived for the ride. An orange fiesta on a grey day. I was on the only bike which was not a 990 or 950. The little girl rider!
The Plan. Breakfast in Sabie, lunch in Pilgrims Rest… all the dirt we can find.
We shot off and hit the forestry roads. The roads were fantastic, the recent rains laying the dust down, and we skinted along in pure DS heaven with scenery that was just too beautiful. Waterfalls, deep valleys, exquisite horizons…
The Group
Malibu and Dark Horse.
Malibu
Dark Horse
Sabie was quickly reached, and we met up with Chopper Pilots family who joined us for the meals. A jovial meal was devoured, and off we went again.
I have to say, these guys can ride. JBI and his mates are no slouches on their big machines, Mark was in his element. He blasted off with the fast guys, while Dark Horse, Chopper Pilot and I tootled along behind. I’d like to say it was only because I was appreciating the scenery, but the truth is that some areas were pretty challenging. Guess that is what happens when you ride with enduro boys!
The two Mark’s bikes, Just blip It and Mark Hardy
Chillin…
We eventually reached such heights that we rode in a perpetual mist blanket, now and then breaking out the cloud to such incredible views, I was left breathless.
Sooo pretty!
The Group
The road up… and Malibu’s ride, ain’t she pretty!
And Dark horses toy!
And Marks…
Some more pretty.
The group!
Heaven…
The trail ran through the Hartebees Vlaktes, where zebra, blesbok and a variety of other game dotted the mountain sides and it was tremendous seeing them kicking up a ruck on the slopes.
The jeep track in places was so carved from the rains, that the route ran along the mountain edges, in places displaying only vast drops and deep valleys.
There was little to no other human contact up there, in the heights. A couple of hikers, sitting, soothing their feet was a chance sighting, and we could have been lost in time if not for their intrusion on the road.
The day proceeded from one torturous descent, to another vista, to another exquisite painting, to another track, up to 7000 ft, down, and so we proceeded.
And we start descending… JBI, Denzel and DH…
Mal and CP
One of the last of the few stops we had…
The rain, that had been storing itself up for a vicious onslaught, eventually determined that we had earned the right to it’s fury. We were assaulted with a vision numbing downpour that quickly rendered the road to quagmire. We all hightailed our way down the last part of the slopes, Pilgrims Rest, out of view but close. The larger bikes battled with the moving, slick surface, at least my little baby skipped down happily.
Lunch was terrific, the entire area was covered with all our wet gear, and as it was already almost 3pm, we all decided to find our way home via tar.
Bunch of very happy bikes!
I need to say a HUGE thank you to JBI and his friends, for taking the time to show us some of their turf. It’s some of the best riding I have done in a long time. Hope to ride with you guys again soon!
