Yes, not another Allen & Ian Ride Report.

[Ian in Great Brak River]

It's cold in Sutherland ... 4 degrees at 7pm and after some clouds push through we see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn ... with a clear moon as a free extra. In 6 trips to Sterland I have never seen all 4 of the major planets at once.



Day 8, it's -2'C and we are headed to Clanwilliam to the Ronderberg Resort for 2 days. It snows as we are about to leave! 





5 minutes after that it's sunshine again ...


We might have fuel issues today so fill the bladders.


We do not take the Ouberg Pass as it's probably very slippery but the Tankwa looks great as ever.






All too quick and we turn right to Calvinia ... again.



Odd spot this place ... nothing to eat other than Simba Chips ... Allen even says no to a beer ... it's somewhat disappointing.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

We turn left towards the Biedouwvallei via Uitspankraal. Great road and highly recommended ...










We make it to 4k's from the Hex/Buffels River (?) only 58k's to Clanwilliam and meet 10 people in two 4x4's that convince us that 6ft of rushing water might be a little more than we bargained for ... I regret to have no photos of that ... so it was 10ft of rushing water was it ... ?



We turn back to the R355 and Calvinia ... and just making it with less than a liter of fuel each. Its now a 165km detour to Ronderberg Resort for tonight.



8 and a half hours after leaving Sutherland and just on 500k's later we're braaing ... some repairs to speedometers, oil checks and a rest day for tomorrow.

 

[billy-joe]

I'm enjoying this. thanks!

 

[dpmza]

I'm enjoying this. thanks!

Find Ian's channel on YouTube, quite enjoyable

 

[XRRX]

Thanks Ian - great RR!! Was great to join you at the start for a few hours!! Really really really wish we could have been part of this trip the entire way - hopefully one day ...  :'(

I'll "high-jack" your RR with a few pics ...  :-[

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Thanks Ian - great RR!! Was great to join you at the start for a few hours!! Really really really wish we could have been part of this trip the entire way - hopefully one day ...  :'(

I'll "high-jack" your RR with a few pics ...  :-[

Yes, please do.

 

[XRRX]

Just some pics of the flat I had - having to fix it twice! (Thx again for the tyre weld Ian - at least it saved me from fixing the tyre on the ground next to the road...)
And then, as Ian have mentioned - thousands of "Trans Baviaans" cyclists - that kept us from the Baviaans, as everything was booked wall to wall !! 

At least we found a great spot in Aberdeen at the Blue Door - incl. some warmth and great food!!
In hindsight - we should have accompanied Ian to Graaff Reinet!!

 

[XRRX]

Next morning everything was "iced-up", we had no route plan, so we ended up exploring some new routes to Rietbron - where we couldn't find even an open Café!! An "old Tannie" sitting on her "stoep" - gave us each a long-tom Lion!!!  :biggrin: :biggrin:
From there it was back to Willowmore again, and then 20k's out of town to join some friends on a hunting trip ...

 

[XRRX]

Sunday morning back to George via Warmbad; De Rust and Montagu Pass... well at least we had a very enjoyable 800k's in the end! 

Thx for being able to "chirp" in Ian & Allen!!
BTW - I've noticed that the moment Allen joined up with Ian - there is immediate mentioning of food in the RR!!  eepwall: ot:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Nice shots and thanks for the company ... remember, cancelling going back to work is just 1 phone call away ...  8)

 

[ALLEN I]

Brilliant RR old Chap keep it up. And yip a "Ou" gets "Moerse" hungry riding around all bloody day. :imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer: :ricky: :ricky: :imaposer: :imaposer:. Need to recharge the energy "Gooites"  :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Day 9 is a rest/repair/clean up day. The weather is perfect, we get to doing a little this and that but mostly not much. Allen has speedometer issues, the delrin drive gear gets stripped by the steal worm drive ... no luck on the repair and he has no speedo for the next 4000km. 







For me this is what a Hot Chocolate explosion in a pannier looks like.


But this is why we are here ...


The intention for day 10 was to Hondeklip Baai, 480 odd k's away ... but after the last long saddle day we hit the N7 to Springbok ... with some detours.
Pitstop in Garies.







For years I have looked over my shoulder at the lekker service road that in places is practically parallel to the N7, at Bowesdorp we try it out.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

It last for about 15k's, some wire gates but not bad at all. It's a short 180k day today.


In Springbok we stay at the Mountain View B&B, nice place. The next morning we do 7k's and turn right to Concordia ... it's a nice looking side road that branches off to Steinkopf ... or continues on to Goodhouse. Starts off really nice.





We see no sign for Steinkopf and are just cruising along and it's here that my GPS SD card comes loose so I have no route map ... but it feels wrong, turn back 5k's and ask some locals if we can get to Steinkopf through their farm, we can and it's an adventure indeed. Sandy and twisty, with twee spoor branches going this way and that ... Al has a slow down off at one of the many gates.








Eventually the plastic bags in the veld let you know Steinkopf is near and the road comes out behind the EXEL station just outside town.


The border crossing is quick and easy apart from the new computer system on the Nam side doing the Road Tax certificate ... we decide to stay at Felix as we always do but it's too cold to camp ... Carlos gives us a special rate for two chalets, it's always good to be back in Namibia.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Luderitz is our destination for day 12. We have both done it before but the D212 is still one of the best roads in the country. There is more greenery on the SA side to be seen too ... and more and more grapes growing on this side.





A grader has just been down through the Transfrontier Park road ... super smooth and some new bridges being constructed along the route.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

In the original planning we decided to come in from Steinkopf via Sendelingsdrift ... this did not happen but we need to at least see the Pont. Al asks the Immigration dude if we can check it out and he is fine with it.






We stop for a cold one as we briefly contemplate the D727 to the D446 but then it's a long B4 tar section ...


The South wind is howling as we near Luderitz, feels like 35kn or about 60km side wind. Everything is sand blasted.



We stay at the Cormorant House on Shark Island, nice place but all night long I hear a ship being off loaded in the dockyard next door ... every bloody 30 seconds a dozer reverse alarm beeps, and beeps and fukken beeps ! ... we get a room price discount the next morning due to that ...

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Klein-Aus Vista at Piet Swiggers is days 13's stop over. But first we convince the Gate guy we just want breakfast at Kolmanskop ... he knows what we mean and is cool with it.



The restaurant boss lady makes the best toasted Cheese, Bacon and Tomato and we have 4, plus coffee and a lekker chat ... 












We stop at the feral horses and count 73 ... it has come down from over 100 the last time we were here 3 years ago, tough times and it's due to the concerted efforts of people like the Swiggers family and others that they even survive. Piet says there are presently 74 of them.





With a Gondwana Card one gets a worthwhile discount at KAV and 8 other lodges.



For the 3rd time so far we have Springbok on the menu ... it's prophetic ...

 

[XRRX]

:sip: :thumleft:

 

[PHILIPKUHN]

Lyk baie lekker!! thanx for the share!

 

[Rat Man]

Ian & Allen,
I always wait in great anticipatipon for your ride report, it inspire me to get out there.
Thank You!    and keep it coming!

 

[2StrokeDan]

Very lekker ride report!!

That "Malalla" guest house name must have the Muslims in a frenzy. :eek7: