Mr.T
Race Dog
KAROO TRIP IN WINTER
Stay at home; they all said when we announced the winter Karoo Trip. Explanations of how cold it would be did not deter Ettienne and myself. We are dirt bikers, not posers. So what is the problem?
So the time arrived and the trip commenced. No camping, only B&B. We are not that foolish to risk frozen balls, sorry BIKES on a winter morning at 3am.
My trip started in the rain and cold up to Duncan in Lady Grey on the Thursday. By the time I reached Aliwal North the temperature was a great 25C and no wind.
Duncan never the less had a great Anthracite fire going for the two days I spent there.
Ettienne travelled up on Friday to Middleburg where I would meet him that Saturday. He had to contend with a strong wind that was talking to him. On Saturday Duncan and I parted at Steynsburg. He went to Port Elizabeth and me to Middleburg. Perfect riding weather today, no wind and moderate temperature. This was to be the formula for the full trip until we got home the next Saturday. Had a braai that night in Middelburg, which was just the right launch for the trip.
Next day to Richmond, via a gravel road. The first section of 20km was great but then dirt road disappeared into a quagmire – washouts- sand-wet-muddy – congestion of pools of water and clay. Slip sliding away was the song that came to me, but I did not feel like singing! More like hair-raising moments between Ettienne and myself as we tried to keep it upright.
Stay at home; they all said when we announced the winter Karoo Trip. Explanations of how cold it would be did not deter Ettienne and myself. We are dirt bikers, not posers. So what is the problem?
So the time arrived and the trip commenced. No camping, only B&B. We are not that foolish to risk frozen balls, sorry BIKES on a winter morning at 3am.
My trip started in the rain and cold up to Duncan in Lady Grey on the Thursday. By the time I reached Aliwal North the temperature was a great 25C and no wind.
Duncan never the less had a great Anthracite fire going for the two days I spent there.
Ettienne travelled up on Friday to Middleburg where I would meet him that Saturday. He had to contend with a strong wind that was talking to him. On Saturday Duncan and I parted at Steynsburg. He went to Port Elizabeth and me to Middleburg. Perfect riding weather today, no wind and moderate temperature. This was to be the formula for the full trip until we got home the next Saturday. Had a braai that night in Middelburg, which was just the right launch for the trip.
Next day to Richmond, via a gravel road. The first section of 20km was great but then dirt road disappeared into a quagmire – washouts- sand-wet-muddy – congestion of pools of water and clay. Slip sliding away was the song that came to me, but I did not feel like singing! More like hair-raising moments between Ettienne and myself as we tried to keep it upright.
