The travelling salesman - dial-up beware, lots of pics

[Aquatic]

Blikners

Do you need an appy???

[Ratsalad]

With the forum on and off last week, I never got round to post some pics. So heres some from last weeks ride. I will try to give some more info.
I was in Montagu when I got called out to Touwsriver. I had two options, take the Koo tar road or the gravel road through Ouberg Pass. Obviously I took the gravel road. You turn right just outside Montagu on the Barrydale side and head into the mountains.
1 - This sign is still in mph and I thought it quant.
2 - One day son, all this will be yours...
Then, while in Touwsriver, I got send out to Barrydale - after some swearing I realised it's on my way home anyway. Quite a ride, but hey the roads are awesome. I had to go back the way I came, as the road forks to Ladismith and Montagu. I hoped I could get to Warmwaterberg and Barrydale via this road.
3 - Things went great after the turn off, but the road is long and straight. There were a lot of driffies, most without water and before to long I hardly noticed them. then I came over a hill and saw one with some water in it. Slipping and sliding to go slower I hit the water, slid on some silt and went down like a sack of sweet potatoes (sak patats). No harm done, just a bit wet, I pushed on.
4 - Then the road forked. No signs to say which way Barrydale is, but it had a sign for a driffie to the right and the general direction was right so I took that one.
5 - only to be confronted by this. Nothing even rings a bell (apart from Warmwaterberg which is where I was going) and it has got to be some of the silliest or greatest place names on one road sign that I have ever seen!
I'll continue later as I can only attach 5 pics per post.

[Eisbein]

Hahahaha!

Check this out - from http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=6352.0

[Ratsalad]

Enjoyed that one, great write up and good to see the snot-driffie almost caught you out too! And great photos!

[Eisbein]

Thanks !

Was it the same driffie ?

Hahahahahaha!

Sorry for the 9/11 !

[Ratsalad]

Must have been! Wonder how many others soiled their pants there!
No problem with the 9/11 at least someone bothers reading this~
Soooo, back to the ride last week.
1 - As I got to the Warmwaterberg entrance, I was confronted by this Lions, elephants?! WTF was that all about! I didn't go in there but took the road to the right and after about 5km's came upon an Eishkom guy sitting in his bakkie. We chatted for a while and he said he think I should turn around as he wasn't certain the road I was on went all the way to Barrydale.
2- So I had to take my chances with maybe becoming lunch to a lion. Great. After I went in I saw a road sign for buffalo, then rhino, then giraffes. While pondering my relarive position on the food chain I came around a corner and saw something moving in the bushes right next to the road, against the fence. Next moment a great bloody 300kg koedoe bull charged across the  road right in front of me. I got such a fright I could only skid to a halt 500m further and start fishing for my cellphone camera but by that time they were gone. So I took this photo instead!
3 - Almost at Warmwaterberg. I was looking forward to a cold coke ans something to eat.
But the shop only opens at 5. So I pushed on to Ronnies and had a beer and a road kill burger!

[LuckyStriker]

A whole lot of us rode through that reserve on our way to the 2006 Wild Dog bash

we saw no wild animals ... but were a little worried that we would though

[Ratsalad]

Ja, okay genoeg met die "been there done that" nonsies julle twee!
Wag tot julle vandag se ride sien - ek is nog besig om dit uit te dink!

[Eisbein]

Ja, okay genoeg met die "been there done that" nonsies julle twee!
Wag tot julle vandag se ride sien - ek is nog besig om dit uit te dink!

Bwaaahahahahahaha!

[Ratsalad]

Had to goto Ashton today. Boring tar ride is the quickest way. But wait, I thought, why not take the Voorhuis/Bruintjiesrivier road to Bonnievale and from there to Ashton. Dirt, scenic, some water crossings, hopefully.
I got to Ashton and had my work done in 5 minutes, then saw a sign to a Viewpoint and decided to check it out. must have taken a wrong turn somewhere so I ended up on the koppies outside the town. Man if I lived in Ashton! There are km's of roads in those koppies.
1 - the road just seems to go on and on. Some scary uphill parts with lots of loose rocks. I went into the mountains about 2km.
2 - then came across this dam. Obviously a favourite with the local "jonk en jukkerig" crowd judging by all the beer cans and condoms laying around. On a warm day it would have been nice to take a dip here, but it is overcast today.
3,4,5 - I had a brunch in Ashton, then took the tar back. Soon I was bored with the tar and the wind and decided I'll go back the way I came, so took the dirt road back to Bonnievale. Then back to Bruintjiesrivier. About 100m past Bruintjiesrivier theres a jeep track that turns right and follows the railway line to Voorhuis siding. I have been eyeing the railway line for a long time and decided today is the day. The Transnet boards doesn't say "To trespassing" just "Use at own risk" so I thought it would be OK. Anyway, the jeep track runs for about 1 km then crosses the railway line and disappears into a farm. Theres a gate there where the railway service road once ran and I could see the road but it was badly overgrown.
The road was almost non existent but I wasn't about to turn around, so kept going. More pics in the next post.

[Eisbein]

Awesome!

[zetman]

bliksem jy het n lekkr werk 

[Ratsalad]

1 - All to soon I found myself on the wrong side of the fence, so to speak. The "road" is now 2 ruts filled with water and mud and badly overgrown. Still I pushed on. A real danger here was overgrown (hidded) muddy streams that will swallow your whole bike and that disappear into pipes that take it underneath the railway line. I had to ride on the stones on which the railway line is laid once or twice and believe me it's quite difficult to climb onto those as it's about a meter high and slippery because you have to approach at an angle.
2 - I kept going stubbornly. Soon I could see the Breede River on my right. Still the road was almost non existent and I rode through one or two camps, having to open and close gates that I had to fight with to get it over young trees that had grown over it's swing path since it was last opened. Vegetation includes pendorings and some of those yellow plants that has tiny thorns that can penetrate jeans and socks. I was glad I had the heavy duty tubes and relatively new tires on because those thorns will give punctures.
3 - Just as I thought it couldn't get any more difficult I saw this train bridge. I was riding right next to the tracks on the loose stones. There was no way I could keep riding there. I would have to get my bike between the tracks if I wanted to cross the bridge. I tried picking my bike over the right hand side track but it was difficult with the stones under my feet and the line looked like it was high enough to hit my sump. And off course, what would I do if a train comes!
4 - After much huffing and puffing, I got the bike turned around and rode back, trying to find the place where the service road disappeared, because it had to go somewhere. Then I found it. I had to cut off some small trees to get the gate open. Then brave some pendorings to open it and get the bike through and close the gate once again.
5 - Finally, I found the crossing. Protected by a loose wire gate. It was obviously a cow path and the cowsh1t was everywhere and slippery. There was an escape here to get to the main gravel road and I'm not ashamed to admit I took it, although the railway service "road" could be seen to continue on the other side.
That will have to wait for another day.

[Ratsalad]

1- Abandoned railway house. lots of these around and a sad sight.
2 - Inside is in a sad state. Wonder whom these properties belong too.
3 - Back over Tredouws Pass
4 - Getting creative
5 - Suurbraak, need to see whats on the other side of the river.

[Ratsalad]

Mod, LS, this thread was intended as a pics only thread but it's impossible not to write something like when, where etc.
Feel free to move it somewhere else - I'd prefer to add some more text, anyway.

[Ratsalad]

While in Suurbraak, I ventured into the mountains.
Firstly I followed a trial that headed towards a ravine (pic 1) and came upon this small keerwal (pic 2). After contemplating a quick dip I decided against it as the water looked deep, icy cold and it really wasn't that hot!
I turned around and tried another trial, and was soon crossing deep gully's and mud patches. The jeep trail petered out and became a goat track.
You can go up into the Langeberg mountains quite a way but you are on the wrong (mountain) side of the river and will have to go back eventually because this is part of the Marloth nature reserve and hikers on the grueling 5 day hiking trail frown upon men in ATGATT on bikes tearing along on the hiking trail. Pic 3
Soon, though, the gully's became tiresome and I knew I would have to cross them again as I couldn't follow the trail much further than the first ravine and waterfall.
Pic 4 shows one of the gully's I had to walk the bike through.
Pic 5 shows Suurbraak from the hiking trial.

[LuckyStriker]

Mod, LS, this thread was intended as a pics only thread but it's impossible not to write something like when, where etc.
Feel free to move it somewhere else - I'd prefer to add some more text, anyway.

Hey, it's your thread and so far it's been quite interesting
If you want me to move it to another section I will, but it is fine here just the way it is IMHO
just shout if you want it altered or moved

[Meerkat]

This is one of the highlights of my day, sussing new pics and dreaming bout going there...

You should consider mapping your routes for us to enjoy them as well!!!

[Ratsalad]

LS, thanks, I'll keep going here then.
Meerkat, I don't have a GPS unfortunately, but when I do get one (hoping for them to get cheaper soon) I will do that.

[Meerkat]