Okay so after our last trip Bakkie asks if I won’t join him for a ride the next weekend taking a group of older BMW riders for a weekend ride.
No says I.:ohmy: I am way too far behind in my work and I’ve been riding every weekend this year.;)
By Wednesday he’s twisted my arm again
and the planning begins.
By Friday morning all the BM guy’s except one can’t make it. So we phone around and get one more rider, Rone’ on a KLR and a few “maybe we see you at the Campsite”.
So Saturday 14th march we meet at the Humewood garage at 08h00.
And we’re off - The overall route Day one in purple and day two in yellow.
The first section is the road we travelled last weekend, along the Kinklebos road to Alexandria and so I ride ahead taking photos of the guys and then shoot ahead for more pics. Having a ball.
Me
Rone … coming
And going
Geoff
Bakkie
Then on again past them to the next corner
Taking quite a few in ride as well
Eventually I get to this awesome spot, climb up the hill and wait for them.
This is going to be some good shots..
But they don’t arrive. (they’ve stopped for a smoke but there’s no cell reception here)
So as I ride back a bit Rone’ comes past signalling I must turn around and follow him and some other strange hand signals which it turns out was telling me the guys are smoking.
So I go back and climb my spot and wait…and wait… and wait. No sign of Bakkie and Geoff. So I decide to catch up to Rone’. But I don’t see he has turned of the road and is waving at me from on top of the hill.
I get to Alex … no one around. Cell phones not working.
I think they must have gone on ahead so I’m off down the Woody cape road. Luckily, no mist this time. Beautiful speed humps along the way and great views.
So I get to Cannon rocks and finally get hold of them. They’re in Alex. So I settle for a snack at this little spot and was pleasantly surprised at the food.
Eventually they rock up.
And it’s back along a different road to Alex.
Then on from Alex through some more dirt and a game farm over the Kariega river.
And on through Southwell to Grahamstown. (Road becomes tar for last stretch but with many corners. NICE..
Geoff in full flight through the bends.
Then on to the Rat and Parrot for a feast of eyes and food.
Derek, Bakkie’s father in law, who was driving Bakkie’s Bakkie up with all the baggage joined us for lunch.
Then a bit more tar
And into the game reserve.
To the old fort
Paulsky joined us at this stage.
And the double drift campsite around the corner.
We all pitched our tents
Paulsky
Rone
Bakkie
Geoff
Derek who brought the bakki
And Myself
The guys all settled down for drinks
While I decided to try the causeway with my fly rod for Yellow fish
Unfortunately I got bored quickly and felt more like exploring the game farm, especially when Paulsky came past on his KTM testing the water crossing.
It’s not that he’s scared of water…:laugh: he heard there are big Fish in the Fish river.
So I packed up and in shorts and slops went for a slow ride over the water and up the mountain with the river on either side. The views were excellent. Unfortunately I had not brought my camera. Saw buck, Ostriches & 3 jackals in a very short space of time.
Had a few near misses while concentrating too much on the view.
We all had a great braai and too many drinks in the evening
The next morning after our breakfast of more braai and stuph, Washed in the river, we went for some pics at the water crossing.
Then for a short game farm ride.
We then left the game farm and headed north to another great bit of dirt.
We took the first gravel left after crossing the fishriver again. This was a nice road with game farms on either side of the fence.
We came across this farm with at least 2km of number plate fencing.
Then there was a farmer that had a dead fox every 1km
After the second dead smelly fox we hooked a right and enter a awesome valley.
This was a great road and we often had to remind ourselves to go slow and look at the animals and awesome views.
It was awesome riding in the veld.
Bakkie decided to give it some gas on a brilliant winding section through little rivers etc. And waited for us at this crossing.
From here we went up a hill toward Grahamstown and here I gave some gas and this is where Bakkie got a snake bite on his back wheel...
I waited at this sign for the guys and got worried when no one showed up.
Phoned Bakkie and he said he had a puncture so I road back past the others who all turned around after him.
Back at the sign I climbed on top and asked Bakkie to do a power slide around the corner.
But first a back track
At about this part….
Bakkie predicted that I was going to fall today.
Needless to say my feelings were sore. Both of them. As I’m nervous at the best of times, I normally have to ride fast to get there before the accident can happen. That’s how nervous I am.
So Bakkie says I will fall. Not good for the psykee.
So, as mentioned I climb up the sign and ask him the do a power slide around the corner.
This is the video.
Unfortunately, when I saw he’s slowing down I stopped the recording. That’s just when he fell. Then I was eers Pee’d off with him. Especially when he refused to do it again. You can see the start of the wobble just as the video stops.
Here’s Bakkie in the dirt...
Then after we get our breath back from laughing, Bakkie’s gone like a presidential promise. Rone’ after him then me then Geoff. Bakkie scares a buck out the bush which gave Rone’ a few hairy moments as it swerved back and forth in front of him.
He was then determined to catch up to Bakkie again with a few K’s of high speed riding. We were all travelling a bit too fast at this stage, and when I came around a blind bend were the road was full of large rocks, I noticed Rone’ and his KLR lying down on the side of the road.
I think he now knows to
brake a bit more
BEFORE the corner to avoid
breaking up a bit more
in the corner.
Recovering from shock
And the bits left behind
Needless to say I still refrained from saying anything about Bakkie’s prediction that I was going to fall This Day. But the thought stayed there in the back of the pip with all the other ^%$# in there.
The stretch from there to Riebeeck East was done at a much more sober pace enabling a few scenic photo’s. (funny how you slow down after the prang)
Trusty steed waiting patiently while we help Rone’
Just after the accident scene.. You can see the rode about to be travelled ahead
And looking back after about 5 Km’s
Then on to Riebeeck East. When we got there I see a message from Bakkie. They’ve gone to Bushman sands. I don’t register right and think he’s off to bushman’s river mouth. (Bushman sand is the golf club in Alicedale) So I just send a message back to carry on, don’t worry about us, thinking him and BD and Edgy will be racing around the eastern cape.
As we got there they had just closed shop, but reopened so we could get some drinks and munchies. They say they are waiting for their Liquor licence and then will be opening a nice pub at the place.
We’ll have to plan a ride there in about two months to give them a boost.
We then went through Burchells game farm to Alicedale. There are three different routes I’ve taken before and it’s always a good scenic ride.
This time we took the road from the East side on RE, over the mountain and straight to Alice.
At Alicedale the Petrol Station is closed so we shoot off to Paterson.
Gravel Highway and tar.
Finally I get Bakkie on the cell. Rone’ and Geoff are hitting tar home, Bakkie’s going to ride with BD & Edgy to GHT. I decide to complete the route we’d planned as I was looking forward to the Krom river road stretch that Paulsky had told us about.
I’m so glad I did. I love riding with mates, but then when I do a solo stretch it’s always extra special. But I always end up wanting to take guys back to show them.
This stretch of rode is seldom used and has some slightly technical stretches but nothing to serious for even a GSA rider. A lot of winding up and down with plenty of river crossings. Unfortunately very dry when I went through. There was more water on the road further on than in the river.
Then you get to a stretch of Addo Elephant back Safaris.
Once again, being a chicken I’m never sure whether or not I actually want to see elephants in the road when I come around the corner.
There where a lot of very large prints in the road which were fresher than the last car that had being through. And lot’s and lot’s of fresh dung.
Definitely big s--- here.
But the road is great and the views are awesome.
No Phant a sizers this time.
As you come out the other side you turn left into the Zuurberg road.
Once again, awesome views. I enjoy this stretch but hate the boring stretches you have to ride to get here.
The flowers are in bloom colouring the valleys and hills.
Close up of the bush responsible for all the colour
And the result…
Then a short winding stretch after the hotel.
As I come around the corner I see this oke in the road. I stop for a pic and to move him to safety. Just as I’ve taken the pic a car comes around the bend and rides over him. Luckily he survived, but you should have seen him go after that.
As I came out of the pass I took the dirt road to Kirkwood where I stopped for a cooldrink. I walked into the shop, paid and walked out and already the back of my hands were wet with sweat. It was HOT.
Casual ride on the Gravel Highway To Kirkwood.
The Mall on Main Street.
Then the boring tar road home.
The overall route Day one in purple and day two in yellow.
And the summary.
.
Thanks Bakkie for organising everything.
Thanks Derek for taking the Bakkie’s Bakkie out with all the stuph and for putting up with their K@K.
Thanks Rone’ for warning us about the R899 and for taking the fall for me.
Thanks Geoff for representing the BMW crowd and for joining us and riding sweeper.
And helping Bakkie and Rone’ pick up bikes.:lol:
Thanks Paulsky for the evening’s entertainment, advice and the Krom river route.
And most of all Thanks God for the awesome views and that I didn't fall.
