The Magnificent Seven- minus one, nearly minus another one. Waterberg, Sterkriv

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Armpie

Pack Dog
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Location
Pretoria
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Kawasaki KLR 650
On a late January Saturday morning we set of for the Bosveld.  It is a complicated group.  Me on my 2006 KLR, the Red Mare, my heavy on his 2010 KLR, my beerman Hennie, his son Chris on his new 2010 KLR, my beerman’s son Chris’s clean father Hannes, the beerman’s other son Charl and a running buddy of mine (we are not politicians- we run till we are tired).  Erich also has got a 2013 KLR.  My beerman also has got a KLR but in solidarity with his son Charl they both mount a Chinese  replica of some 1980’s 250 scrambler.  Then my beerman’s son Chris’s cleanfather rides a Truimp Tiger 800.  The Magnifisant Seven

So we set off on the Ou Warmbadpad till we reach the place of Radium.  There we turns left and after 12km we reachs  the dirt road.  We stops at a small little water pan.  Here the 7 of us have some general discussions.  I unearthed that Charl is new to the dirt road business.  So I gave him some compressed crash course on stands up, looks up and opens up- like a person from Natal will do with a masala shop. Open it up.

After some kilometers we suddenly reaches some serious mud from the rain of yesterday night.  I is very impressed with Charl’s new  find skills.  He negotiates the mud like a politician,  until his back wheel nearly comes past his front wheel.  I finds it very funny inside me helmet, but we go forward.

At Rooiberg we eat some serious brekfis.  I phoned the lady their at the Koekepan.  She opened up earlier for us and made some delightfull eating.  So phone Meronica at ”Die Koekepan” to arrange brefkis.  They are bigger on drinking stuff, but they make big brekfis, fast.  Not to let the barlady feel bad we make a order from her.  Here  my running buddy Erich decides that he will return home as he promises his girlfriend to go to some kind of wedding do. The Magnifisant Seven minus 1

Then we engage the dirt road further.  The place around Rooiberg  and up to the gate of Marakele Park is really pretty.  Like a pretty girl sitting ugly.  Really Beautifull.  Then we goes past the southern wire of Marakele.  All along the Kransberg. We takes plenty of aim and press pictures.  Then we go to Vaalwater.

When we comes close to Vaalwater it is already 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  It rains to the north and we have to go there.  So we stop at Vaalwater and drink some stuff to get us some momentum.  We turned on the Vryemans Rust road.  The road is dry but suddenly water is running on the side of the road.  Then from nowhere.   The flipping road is also wet.  Very wet. My Red Mare is second from the front.  Suddenly my frontwheel goes north and I on its heels.  Like we did in the army.  Op ‘n hakkejag.  Horizontal op sy hake me in hot pursuit.  But it is cold and wet.  I see the road and mud pass on the outside of me helmet.  Me and the Red Mare ends up on the side of the road.  In a poodle of mud.  So the Magnifisant Seven minus one,  nearly becomes the Magnifisant Seven minus one, minus another one.  But I am tough.  Wash the mud from the visor and I am ready.  The vents stays blocked.  But two lessons I learnt.  One is take it slow in the mud.  Two is Sirac  tyres is not good in mud, great in the rough, great on the road, but mud! NO!

My beerman’s son’s cleanfather  has slicks on his Tiger. Him and my heavy decides to canvas me to abandon the dirt road and go by tar road.  I tell them “Luister kerels (listen oaks, I thinks that is the correct English), after the number of 3 kilometers this rain will not have fallen.  It rains in such stripes here.”  So we go forth through the mud.  But very much slower.  Like the siener I am, and I am a humble man not blowing my own whistle, it for sure was dry after 3 kilometers.  So we  travelled safely to Sterkrivier through the sand and in some places mud.  Stopping a time or twice to drink something to keep the  courage levels high.  At Sterkrivier  we make a tactical move into the dusty swimming pool.  We travels 400km in 10 hours.  With mud and rocks and stuff.  So after some time and steak and porridge and beer we went to bed.

The next morning I stand up.  My heavy and my beerman’s son’s cleanfather say they is going back by tar road.  See now they are planning to chicken out by means of “work and family commitment”.  I did not say anything about them being whissies.  But when we proceed at 8 in the sonday morning our number remained at 6.  O well,  they are men of courage.  To ride that muddy roads with slicks are worth a mention in dispatches.

So we traveled past Entabeni, past Loubad and then up to Warmbad.  At Warmbad we drink something to settle the nerves for the tar road home.  Nearly 700km we ridden in 30 hours.  500 in the sand,  in mud and on the rocks.  The Magnifisant Seven become minus one, nearly minus another one, and nearly minus 2 more.  But hey what a weekend!




The slide

The 3 musketeers, with out muskets

The magnifisant 7 in the "Koekepan" not letting the barlady feel bad

The siener, said it would be dry after 3km

The siener in front of a hot business, just before the sunday morning month end rush

Lesson 3. Wash the mud from the visor.  Lesson 4 do not scrap the road with the helmet

Kransberg tube swinging

Kransberg aim and press session

Rooiberg Road to Marakele

Koekepan pub, but phone Meronica in advance  to make you breakfis

The beerman strapping everything to Bruce (Lee) at Redmountain shop

The sons of the beerman, Charl on his first ride and Chris with his new 2010 KLR

Some general discussion at Syferfontein.



Go for the ride, but dress for the slide.  The red mare resting a bit.



The Red Mare helped to her wheels after a nice muddy slide



The Sterkrivier Bridge photo session


Even if the mountain lay so blue, her words I will never forget- John Churchorgan


Taking something to keep up the mementum after the mud


Practicing the gala in the olympic size dust pool.  The outfits can be bought from Mr. Price sports
 
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