droffarc
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,371
- Reaction score
- 121
- Location
- Cape Toon - TransAlp XL650V 2004
- Bike
- Honda NC750X
Day 4 Prince Albert to Heidelberg over the Swartberg pass.
Got off to a late start leaving this morning. Was all packed and ready but breakfast, for which I had paid, was only served from 8am, in the slow country manner.
By 9 am I was going up the scenic pass, stopping at every turn to gawk at the morning beauty. Near the top I began to encounter traffic approaching and not very sympathetic towards a lone bike.
Over the top and WOW! I can find no words to aptly describe the green scene of the little Karoo â?? what a feast for the eyes. I again cursed myself for not packing my camera cable â?? Oh well!
A little way down and I encountered a German Shprekende gentleman with his Dakar in the ditch. From what I understood, the bike had slept the night up there with a flat front wheel. They had just come back from the Hell where he picked up two little dorns. So they had gone off to Oudtshoorn for milch and now had returned with two bottles of Trailriderâ??s finest â??waste of time and moneyâ? B Max flat fix.
This is him in black â?? his English is not too good Ja? And ther rest of the party pumping the goop into his front. Before he started I stated Trailriderâ??s sentiments but â?? what else â?? remove the wheel? Ve hav no torx. Oh great, Special tool needed on a Dakar! Bummer! Vy kan der Chermans not be de zame as efryvun else Ja?
Needless to say, the goop started to froth forth from Ze valve Ja! But Ve qvikly ride Ja! To the bottom of the pass where another can was applied.
This is were I bade them good luck as I was headed towards Groenvlei unt Calitzdorp.
What a lovely enjoyable ride â?? ups and downs and even a few places for a free tyre wash â?? nothing too ostentatious though, and even a little mud puddle!
From Calitzdorp I chose to go over the Huisriver pass â?? which had been damaged in the recent rains. I had to stand in a 5 minute queu before proceeding and the road was not even properly damaged â?? just some hooligan rocks that lost their footing and now lay lazily across the road, childishly trying to trip passers-by.
I stopped in Ladismith for a refresher and then proceeded towards Montagu but soon found the gravel road to van Wykâ??s dorp. I had often seen this road from behind a steering wheel and wondered about it, having always gone from Calitzdorp over the rooi-gevaar to van Wykâ??s. It was a fast, hard-packed road with very little by way of features.
From there I opted to visit old ghosts â?? the Garcia pass and the plek I had bought.
Just before Riversdale I took the road to Korrenteriver and was very glad I did.
Following my front wheel as usual I ended up at the N2, but quickly beat a hasty retreat lest some of my many fans should see me. This was the Spiegelsrivier road and I put it to you that it is arguably as pleasant as the Gysmanshoek pass.
Eventually I came to the Heidelberg Jonkersvalei junction and went on to Uncle Happyâ??s heerlike herberg and here I hide happily till my next episode.
Continued at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=15158.msg233313#msg233313
Got off to a late start leaving this morning. Was all packed and ready but breakfast, for which I had paid, was only served from 8am, in the slow country manner.
By 9 am I was going up the scenic pass, stopping at every turn to gawk at the morning beauty. Near the top I began to encounter traffic approaching and not very sympathetic towards a lone bike.
Over the top and WOW! I can find no words to aptly describe the green scene of the little Karoo â?? what a feast for the eyes. I again cursed myself for not packing my camera cable â?? Oh well!
A little way down and I encountered a German Shprekende gentleman with his Dakar in the ditch. From what I understood, the bike had slept the night up there with a flat front wheel. They had just come back from the Hell where he picked up two little dorns. So they had gone off to Oudtshoorn for milch and now had returned with two bottles of Trailriderâ??s finest â??waste of time and moneyâ? B Max flat fix.
This is him in black â?? his English is not too good Ja? And ther rest of the party pumping the goop into his front. Before he started I stated Trailriderâ??s sentiments but â?? what else â?? remove the wheel? Ve hav no torx. Oh great, Special tool needed on a Dakar! Bummer! Vy kan der Chermans not be de zame as efryvun else Ja?
Needless to say, the goop started to froth forth from Ze valve Ja! But Ve qvikly ride Ja! To the bottom of the pass where another can was applied.
This is were I bade them good luck as I was headed towards Groenvlei unt Calitzdorp.
What a lovely enjoyable ride â?? ups and downs and even a few places for a free tyre wash â?? nothing too ostentatious though, and even a little mud puddle!
From Calitzdorp I chose to go over the Huisriver pass â?? which had been damaged in the recent rains. I had to stand in a 5 minute queu before proceeding and the road was not even properly damaged â?? just some hooligan rocks that lost their footing and now lay lazily across the road, childishly trying to trip passers-by.
I stopped in Ladismith for a refresher and then proceeded towards Montagu but soon found the gravel road to van Wykâ??s dorp. I had often seen this road from behind a steering wheel and wondered about it, having always gone from Calitzdorp over the rooi-gevaar to van Wykâ??s. It was a fast, hard-packed road with very little by way of features.
From there I opted to visit old ghosts â?? the Garcia pass and the plek I had bought.
Just before Riversdale I took the road to Korrenteriver and was very glad I did.
Following my front wheel as usual I ended up at the N2, but quickly beat a hasty retreat lest some of my many fans should see me. This was the Spiegelsrivier road and I put it to you that it is arguably as pleasant as the Gysmanshoek pass.
Eventually I came to the Heidelberg Jonkersvalei junction and went on to Uncle Happyâ??s heerlike herberg and here I hide happily till my next episode.
Continued at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=15158.msg233313#msg233313
