IN and OUT of SNOW VALLEY ~ 2012

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wildside

Pack Dog
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
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Location
Howick
Bike
Honda XR650R
IN and OUT of SNOW VALLEY ~ 2012
 

YUP......this is another Snow Valley RR. There are a lot of photies here but it also includes our trip to and from the Bash and I’m also doing it for my reference........ so I do apologise if you find this RR a bit repetitive .

I would like to take this opportunity to thank IDR and all the other people involved for organising an enjoyable event at a beautiful venue. The food and drink was plentiful, ablutions clean and functioning properly and the people entertaining. All the ingredients for a good weekend.

Kingsley (Offside) and I snuck away from work and out of Howick at 3.00 pm to arrive in Matatiele at about 5.45 pm where we spent a comfortable night at the Rest Haven Guest Lodge.

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At 9.00 am Friday we met up with ZooDog, DYL, and other Pietermaritzburg Wild Dog members which included IanB and WildDoc at the BP petrol station.

IanB and his group departed for a quick breakfast before heading off in the Mount Fletcher direction, while ourselves, ZooDog and DYL headed bravely for ONGELUKS NEK. After following our GPS for about 1 hr 45 and being buffeted by a relentless wind, we came to the conclusion that we were lost and had missed a turnoff somewhere and finally turned back to the Ongeluks Nek Nature Reserve. Sure enough.....we were meant to enter through here.


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ZOODOG

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LOST AND LOOKING FOR DIRECTIONS

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FINALLY AT THE CORRECT SPOT

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THE OFFENDING ROAD CURVING TO THE RIGHT IN THE DISTANCE


At the SA border Post we agreed to meet Zoo Dog and DYL  up at the top of the pass........well, that was not to be !!  We seemed to have difficulties as soon as we started up the pass as we encountered a section of track that had been washed away and not being familiar with this route we had no idea how long this would continue for. With a feeling of disappointment we decided to throw in the towel and head back in the direction of Mount Fletcher and approach Snow Valley via NAUDES NEK PASS.

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SA BORDER POST ~ FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THERE IS NO LESOTHO BORDER POST HERE.

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THIS WAS WHERE WE THREW IN THE TOWEL!


After passing Mount Fletcher we turned off onto a scenic gravel road  with only a fierce wind making it a demanding ride. By the time we got to the bottom of Naudes Nek Pass I had gotten over the disappointment of failing Ongeluks Nek as in front of us was another stunning pass with a user friendly road. The wind challenged us all the way up but I couldn’t resist stopping at the view point near the top and while Kingsley clung onto the bikes, preventing them from blowing over, I gaily took photos. Stopping here wasn’t such a good idea, as a few other Wild Dog members also discovered, because I was no sooner back on my bike and the wind blew both bike and myself completely over. Apparently we were dealing with a 71 km/hr wind !!!

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THE VIEW POINT IS UP NEAR THE SNOW PATCH

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KINGSLEY HANGING ON TO THE BIKES.

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BLOWN OVER !

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ON OUR WAY DOWN WITH BOBBEJANSKOP IN THE BACKGROUND.


We eventually descended the pass and arrived at Rhodes for a much needed rest. Now this little village is a place lost in time with its quaint little dwellings, old fashion tills and ticki box.

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It was with great relief that we arrived at Snow Valley half an hour before sunset. It’s set at the base of some spectacular mountains and edging the perimeter of a bright green field was a colourful splash of already pitched tents.


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