“Bastervoetslaanpad: a thriller on a big dual sport bike in wet weather!”

[Heimer]

I crossed the Bastervoet with Velbrand on his 1150GS and me on the SE...in serious pouring rain !!!

We know that song well !

Ja it goes like this:

Thshloop splash “F@k!”
“Aargh J&*^$! tog!
Wrrrthshloop splash “F@k!”
Heave, help me (again), ok please?!
(Smoke break)
Right, wrrrthshloop splash “F@@k!”
Ok, heave, sliiip shlop “Nooit!”
Right, again.
Heave, aah YES!
(Smoke break)
“How far have we gone?
“Dunno, about 4 k’s….. in 45mins…”
“We better get movin’”
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop splash “F@@@k!”
“Jees, now it’s pouring!”
“We better get movin’!”
This time! Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@k!”
Pant, pant, pa….
Smoke break. Phew!
“Naught Bru, just keep momentum man!”
Whaddya mean china, I can’t even get out this rutt man!
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@@k!”
“Have you fallen enough now?”
Pant, sigh, growl: “F@ck right off, do you think I like this? K@k question, sit!”
“Kom boet, it’s getting dark!”
Heave....Yes!
And so on and so on and…
6 hours and 16 heaves later: “But Bru, your bike is like 100kgs lighter than mine and you’ve got knobblies on!”
“Ja, jy wil mos…”
@Rhodes, Ktssssh! Glug, glug, glug: “Thanks brother, I would not have made it withou…..snorrr…..snorrr”
F@@@@@k.

 

Wonderlik Veldtie 

"In the moment" woordkuns

[Valiant]

I crossed the Bastervoet with Velbrand on his 1150GS and me on the SE...in serious pouring rain !!!

We know that song well !

Ja it goes like this:

Thshloop splash “F@k!”
“Aargh J&*^$! tog!
Wrrrthshloop splash “F@k!”
Heave, help me (again), ok please?!
(Smoke break)
Right, wrrrthshloop splash “F@@k!”
Ok, heave, sliiip shlop “Nooit!”
Right, again.
Heave, aah YES!
(Smoke break)
“How far have we gone?
“Dunno, about 4 k’s….. in 45mins…”
“We better get movin’”
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop splash “F@@@k!”
“Jees, now it’s pouring!”
“We better get movin’!”
This time! Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@k!”
Pant, pant, pa….
Smoke break. Phew!
“Naught Bru, just keep momentum man!”
Whaddya mean china, I can’t even get out this rutt man!
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@@k!”
“Have you fallen enough now?”
Pant, sigh, growl: “F@ck right off, do you think I like this? K@k question, sit!”
“Kom boet, it’s getting dark!”
Heave....Yes!
And so on and so on and…
6 hours and 16 heaves later: “But Bru, your bike is like 100kgs lighter than mine and you’ve got knobblies on!”
“Ja, jy wil mos…”
@Rhodes, Ktssssh! Glug, glug, glug: “Thanks brother, I would not have made it withou…..snorrr…..snorrr”
F@@@@@k.

 

Wonderlik Veldtie 

"In the moment" woordkuns

F@@@@@@KKen STUNNING FOTO`S, maak my sommer F@KKEN JALOERS !!!

NOG !!

[DRAZIL]

I crossed the Bastervoet with Velbrand on his 1150GS and me on the SE...in serious pouring rain !!!

We know that song well !

Ja it goes like this:

Thshloop splash “F@k!”
“Aargh J&*^$! tog!
Wrrrthshloop splash “F@k!”
Heave, help me (again), ok please?!
(Smoke break)
Right, wrrrthshloop splash “F@@k!”
Ok, heave, sliiip shlop “Nooit!”
Right, again.
Heave, aah YES!
(Smoke break)
“How far have we gone?
“Dunno, about 4 k’s….. in 45mins…”
“We better get movin’”
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop splash “F@@@k!”
“Jees, now it’s pouring!”
“We better get movin’!”
This time! Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@k!”
Pant, pant, pa….
Smoke break. Phew!
“Naught Bru, just keep momentum man!”
Whaddya mean china, I can’t even get out this rutt man!
Ktschirrr, wrrrthshlooop rutt slide splat, “F@@@@@k!”
“Have you fallen enough now?”
Pant, sigh, growl: “F@ck right off, do you think I like this? K@k question, sit!”
“Kom boet, it’s getting dark!”
Heave....Yes!
And so on and so on and…
6 hours and 16 heaves later: “But Bru, your bike is like 100kgs lighter than mine and you’ve got knobblies on!”
“Ja, jy wil mos…”
@Rhodes, Ktssssh! Glug, glug, glug: “Thanks brother, I would not have made it withou…..snorrr…..snorrr”
F@@@@@k.

  :lol8:brilliant

[Lem]

This is going to be fun to watch....

 

you have some history  with that pass

Bet ya all the tyre hugger breaks off that GSA somewhere in this awesome report and now for the rest

ek dink weer tussen daai geselskap behoort hy goed te doen, beter as die 1200's met daai donkie 1ste gear.

[ThomTom]

I posted a question on Wilddogs;
Bastervoetslaanpad; Is it easy to do on bigger dual sport bikes? BMW1200 GSA, BMW 1150 GSA, KTM 950?, what if its wet?

http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=111973.msg2178622#msg2178622

Only one problem, I posted the question after the trip, to check if we were just stupid inexperienced riders. 

On Sunday morning we set out to ride a loop back to Snow Valley, doing some of the stunning passes in the area.  Bastervoetslaan was a thriller. 

It took us many hours (more than 3 hours on the pass), in misty and rainy conditions, with exhausted, tired and sore bodies, to just complete the Batervoetslaan.  The problem is that on the big bikes it is more a sort of "baster-voetslaan-proses", than proper riding.  It rained on the east side of the pass the night before and let's just say it was an experience on big bikes, mostly fitted with more road and off road tires.  No one was injured with only some minor damages to the bikes.

I have a limited number pictures of this ordeal as we we all in survival mode.  The mist only cleared at the bottom of the pass.

[White Rhino]

Veldie, luv it when you talk forrin

[ThomTom]

On Sunday we planned a circular route, doing all the passes;



All went well up to the top of Batervoetslaanpad!





Gangnam Style...



UNTILL THE TOP , over the mountain and into a wet misty road.



No grip on the tyres...



My new second hand KTM has a battery problem (later diagnosed as loose terminal)



and we slip and slide down to the bottom, many spills but nothing to serious..



we did not take many pics, near the bottom, the mist lifted out ..





Respect; he took the big adventure over the wet Bastervoetslaan, with a smooth road tyre, the BMW rider courses were put into good use.



We regrouped in Ugie at Spar; some tired bodies; ..

[ThomTom]

From Ugie, over McLear and Naude's, quick stop in Rhodes.  We made it back to Snow Valley at sunset , in time to watch the second half of the Springboks playing Scotland, must be high on the list of “Most Boring Bok Games” ever.



We did not do the planned passes to Tiffendale, no time.

[ThomTom]

http://www.snowvalley.co.za/

This is a great place to stay!  Note the empty field where we had the bash.  And the barn, where many dogs were "kicked" on the head!?

[Difflock]

Baie mooi wereld daai, netjiese RR.

[wolfman]

Nice one!

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Nice indeed.

[cheesy]

Good report and excellent photographs, however, whilst in the area you might've sneaked in a ride to Lundeans Nek. Stunning area.

[StuartLittle]

ThomTom

Please tell me more about the logistics of the Shosholoza Meyl, what does it cost to take the bike on board.  I have read that it can be taken on board as luggage or at minimal cost and is therefore much cheaper than taking a car on board but I haven't been able to find out any reliable info.

Thanks,
Stuart

[jimjim]

Lekker 

[ThomTom]

ThomTom

Please tell me more about the logistics of the Shosholoza Meyl, what does it cost to take the bike on board.  I have read that it can be taken on board as luggage or at minimal cost and is therefore much cheaper than taking a car on board but I haven't been able to find out any reliable info.

Thanks,
Stuart

I used this info;
http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/Articles/Trains%20and%20bikes.htm

It's old and rates changed, but mostly correct.  Best to go and buy your tickets at the station, easy enough to get there using Gautrain.  Making contact by phone is almost impossible.  The transport for the bike it is not that cheap, I think it was R 1300 per bike from Johannesburg to East London and the train ticket; R 390 pp.  They also charge cheaper for smallet bikes; I think less than 650 cc?  They actualy never check.  You need to be there at least 1-2 hours before departure.  You are required to load your bike on and tie down (need your ropes and tie downs).   In Johannesburg, its possible to ride right down to the platform.  In summer, best to get into shorts, T shirts, its hot in the car to load the bike.

[ThomTom]

Good report and excellent photographs, however, whilst in the area you might've sneaked in a ride to Lundeans Nek. Stunning area.

yip, thats what we did after Snow Valley;
EarlyMonday, we washed Bastervoetslaan of the bikes, did Lundean’s Nek over to Telebridge, tucked along the Lesotho border along the dirt roads to Ladybrand.

Then on to Clarens where we stayed the night.  We even managed to find a restaurant in Clarens with live music, and that on a Monday night!  Back home to Johannesburg early Tuesday, in time for a 14:00 meeting at the office.

Will post some pics tonight.

[StuartLittle]

Perfect, thanks for the info

[Firesquirrel]

Not wanting to Hi-Jack your RR but here is a link to the RR Veldbrand wrote after the sad farewell of our mate Glen.

We pretty much had the same ride and experience.

http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=90925.0

[ThomTom]

Not wanting to Hi-Jack your RR but here is a link to the RR Veldbrand wrote after the sad farewell of our mate Glen.

We pretty much had the same ride and experience.

http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=90925.0

No problem, respect, the pig up Bastervoetslaan in wet weather, we went down and I think it is easier.  I think if I did see your mail before I would have skipped the pass.  The problem we had that it was dry on the West side, rain and mist only from the top.  As you said, once you commit, difficult to decide to go back.

Sorry to read about your friend Glen....