The comeback ride RR - Complete - via the Old Postal Route in the Cederburg

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Buff

Grey Hound
Joined
Aug 14, 2008
Messages
7,591
Reaction score
153
Location
Western Cape
Bike
KTM 690 Adventure
After 5 and a bit months of recovering from a broken femur sustained in the Atlantis dunes this ride was to mark my return to riding bike again. It was the proverbial “carrot in front of the donkey” trip, something to aim towards and look forward it and it lived up to all expectations.

I don’t have the time right now to delve into an in-depth RR but I thought I’d kick it off so that the guys who have photos and stories to share can start so long.

Out of the initial 32 riders who hoped to attend, eventually these are the diehards that made it to the start line  ;)

1.Buff
2.Buffs Cat
3.Kubus – Non WD
4.Nicky – Non WD
5.Shaun – Non WD
6.Kaspaas
7.Vlam
8.DikZol & son
9.Remy
10.Socket
11.Pluto
12.Mrs Pluto
13.Yami Super10
14.Worth It (Yami's better half) – Support driver & rider
15.Renier – (Yami’s laaitie)
16.Rustyb  - Support driver

One day guests:
GJ
2StrokeDan

It was a great group of riders and each one made the trip something special. Thank you to each one of you for sharing the ride with Cathy & myself  :thumleft:
The weekend had all the usual drama of thrills & spills but that will come out in the RR’s to follow.

This trip cleared up a few things in my mind, one of them being that with all the nonsense going on in the country, South Africa is still a beautiful country with wonderful people, you just need to reach out and grab hold of the good.

The RR

I was so keen for this trip I even put in a day’s leave for Friday, just to get into the spirit of things. I was packed and ready by 11am, all dressed and nowhere to go so I sat on the couch whatsapping Yami… seems they were in the same predicament… hurry up and wait

Worth-It in wait mode

xUIoeT.jpg


A few of us met at the 1 Stop while the rest made their way to Oasis through the course of the day. After brief introductions and sorting out some logistics with Rustyb, our support service for the trip, along with Worth-It, we hit the black top for Oasis, hooking up with Yami & Remy along the way.

Rustyb sorting out our fuel packing at Oasis

0tCHTI.jpg


Quick stop at Op-die-Berg to top up two very clean bikes

eOg9Dc.jpg


Yami Super10’s Toymotor and his youngster Renier who pillioned up with him before jumping on his plastic at Oasis

LivxBl.jpg


Oasis was its usual self… Stunning. It was wonderful to catch up with Gerrit & Chantal again and see the changes they’ve made over the past year before Chantal treated us to an outstanding supper. I’m not sure if the ribs were just so awesome because I was looking forward to this trip for so long or if Chantal put in extra effort for us but either way, we nearly ate our fingers to the bone.

Most of the evening was spent meeting new WD’s and a few non-WD’s that were joining us for the trip and having a good laugh while hydrating sufficiently for the next morning’s challenge. We sure were a mixed bunch, riding a wide variety of bikes, from a Super Tenere 1200Z right down to a Honda CFR150 MX bike.

Our digs for the night, the old farmer house

Sg4Juy.jpg


Buffs Cat & Shaun tucking in

DUucsJ.jpg


After enjoying an Oasis breakfast and loading the vehicles, we finally hit the dirt on the way to Eselbank.

Dikzol helping load Toymotor

0Vxad5.jpg


Buff ready to rumble

BXrGtk.jpg


On your marks, get set, GO

9ONbRJ.jpg


Unfortunately it wasn’t too long before we had our first incident when a tie down strap broke and Worth-Its 230 tried to climb off the trailer. It necessitated me & Yami going back to find the support vehicle and assist. This happened a few more times during the course of the day until Yami Super10 hauled out his best bondage moves and finally secured it at full suspension compression.  

This was followed by a minor scare when Buffs Cat took the smallest bike through the deepest water hole she could find and it died. Some TLC and plenty kicking by Socket finally got it going again.

qcb3Rv.jpg


That was followed by Vlam (our route leader), overcooking a corner and putting his 800GS down into the rocks. This was unfortunately a ride ending crash as Vlam injured his ankle and decided to bail out at Wuppertal and take the easier route home rather than pick up complications later in the day.

G9RO9Q.jpg


This cost us a little time but the rest of the group was fortunate enough to enjoy some chill time at the Eselbank waterfall.

qD9X0W.jpg


After a quick head count we made our way down to Wuppertal. As much as I love this quaint little town it saddens me to see them concreting this pass into town. I realise that’s only my own selfish adventure biking way of thinking and that the people of the growing little village of Eselbank need easy access to civilization but I can’t help feeling that they’re destroying the uniqueness of the area.

Concrete highway

3bbXGz.jpg


Encountering these trucks on the way down was interesting

nFe7Sm.jpg


The bridge crossing into town with Buffs Cat leading the way

3XAQHl.jpg


The smile says it all; my wife was in her element

srjSOm.jpg


A little bromance between myself and Yami Super10

1eYEov.jpg


But is seems Worth It had more to offer. They're working on the 10sec kiss per day, apparently it allows you to get funky more often  ;)

YR57DU.jpg


So I headed back to my stukkie.  I’m truly blessed to be able to share stuff like this with a woman who loves the outdoors and her biking as much as I do.

ENGVPS.jpg


We said our goodbyes to Vlam who sadly was on his way home and we headed for the Biedouw Valley. There we regrouped before the real adventure started, the Old Postal Route.

You just know you’re in for a treat when the very first pass you go up within the first kilometre looks like this. We had to stop and take in the splendour.

CaZjky.jpg


93I0OC.jpg


From the top of the pass you enjoy some pretty easy riding over the plateau until you reach the farm of Mr Albie Bakker. Here we pit stopped for lunch on his lawn and got the chance to chat to him before he got back to ploughing his fields.

spRRIH.jpg


Just as we were about to leave, we were joined by GJ & 2StrokeDan who rode all the way up via Citrusdal to join us for the day. GJ was using the outing as training for the Amageza next week. He sure as hell got enough saddle time on Saturday.

DDPhhR.jpg


Shortly after leaving the farm, Shaun had a moment when a rut caught him out and he dropped his Transalp. Luckily no damage besides a few bruises and he was on his way again.

pWx7AP.jpg


The road started becoming rockier the further East we headed and every now and then the odd lurker would catch you unawares. Shaun was unlucky enough to become puncture victim number 1 but fortunate to be riding in a group because he had zero spares, not even puncture kit. By this time it was around midday and Mr Spikes was baking down. With not a tree in sight for shade the sweat was running freely. It literally feels like you’ve been deposited on a lunar landscape up there.

Yami came to the rescue with a spare tube and some impressive tube changing skills and we were on the track in no time again. Shaun can be glad he’s not a WD otherwise we would have torn him a new one  :eek: ;)

Yami, Worth-It supervising and Shaun

yjzM34.jpg


After a few more kays of meandering across the moon you start the gradual decent towards the Doring River and then this magnificent sight awaits you. The starkness of it is something quite amazing.

aX0pvj.jpg


From here the road pretty much falls apart and you start riding on some hectic rocky terrain which wreaks havoc on tires if not inflated sufficiently. Kaspaas was the next to suffer a puncture.

Kaspaas, Dikzol & Buffs Cat look on while 2StrokeDan explains the superior build quality of Yamaha bearings compared to BMW  ;D

R15ypj.jpg


We finally arrived at the Tra-Tra River and I was somewhat relieved to find the water level low enough to cross without any problems. Here a few of the front group had waited and we all enjoyed a cool down from the sweltering heat.

The 3 wise men, Yami, 2StrokeDan & GJ

kQB5W6.jpg


Kubus going his best turtle impersonation

wFpJaY.jpg


Kaspaas crossing the Tra-Tra

tzg82b.jpg


Yami crossing the Tra-Tra

TJCj0f.jpg


Buff crossing the Tra-Tra

PveRF0.jpg


2StrokeDan crossing the Tra-Tra

bXqkV3.jpg


Buffs Cat taking a swim

okEfG9.jpg


Dikzol on the climb out the Tra-Tra

EVuEs3.jpg


Marlene climbing out the river bed

Stekz0.jpg


At this point things went a little pear shaped when a few of the riders took the alternative route to the Doring River without realising first group turned off. Both routes end up at Stonehenge but the uncertainty was unpleasant as that’s not the environment you want to get lost it. A big thanks to GJ for doing around 15km’s extra looking for them. But more about that tomorrow evening

PART 2 of the RR is on Page 3
 

Attachments

  • Africa.jpg
    Africa.jpg
    82.2 KB · Views: 766
Top