DjfLoYd
Pack Dog
It's October 2014 and I'm itching to do a lengthy ride somewhere. Lesotho is high on my list since
I only just got a taste of it while doing Sani on a previous trip a year prior. Settled. Lesotho it is.
Phase one - wrangle the mates and get a nice group going. Check.
Here already we had one mate abandon us. No worries we're still three strong (a 990, a 690 and a Honda Trans-Alp).
We're green for go. I start planning our trip to Lesotho around the Roof of Africa Enduro. I figure we could start there, watch some
hard enduro guys (maybe pick up a tip or two) and then head home via Lesotho. November rolls around and one mate suggests
we join the guys from RAD moto and head down to watch the Roof with them. Ok, makes planning a little easier. So we sign up with them.
We'll do the first few days watching the roof from a central location then head south into Lesotho and then back north again to get home to Gauteng.
Phase Two - hit the road.
December rolls around, bikes are packed, route is committed and we're good to go.
Mate number two drops a bomb and abandons us the night before we're due to leave. Hmmmm. I'm bummed and not happy but I'm committed.
No going back now. Besides, we're still two strong and that still meets my wife's Minimum-Requirements-for-Adventure-Riding-in-Africa rules.
The Route. Big thanks to everyone (especially Losper) for all the input on the forum.
Phase three - The Roof of Africa Enduro.
So Wednesday the 3rd of December we meet up and hit the road. Two mates, two bikes and a day in the saddle. I figure on a quick route
so we can get there and be done. Didn't want to get there late at night or such like so it was mostly tar back roads with small smattering of dirt
here and there. We made our way to Peka Bridge but elected to keep going on dirt to Ladybrand and then into Lesotho at Maseru.
It's worth mentioning at this point that Maseru is a complete shit hole. I fekkin hate that place. I have yet to put my finger on it but I suspect it has
something to do with the fact that it's full of cars, taxis and buses that are actively trying to kill you. I had one very close call a few days later whilst
going to Maseru looking for some tools whereby a taxi sedan car nearly ended my trip right there. But I digress. I survived. I rode on and the magic
I experienced later more than made up for it. If you can avoid that place then by all means do so.
We were based with the RAD guys at a place called Khotsong Lodge, just a few short clicks south of Maseru. To say the place was a bit shyte
would be somewhat kind and would be like saying Jacob Zuma is only moderately stupid and corrupt. It was at the very least a room, with a bed and
a bath. I believe these features make it meet the minimum accepted standard of accommodation but nothing more.
We spent the duration of the first few days in a haze of riding. Either from one spectator point to another or out exploring some or other goat track
with the RAD guys leading the way. And boy are those guys crazy mofo's! Never seen 1190's and 990's do routes like that. Hats' off! I rode some
tracks that I probably should not have, considering they all trailered down (and back) and I still had many more kilo's to do after the Roof event and
I was risking damaging the bike but once you see a 1190 or 990 do it all sense goes "fuggit! I can do that!".
Anyway - as we all know, Saturday rolled around and our very own Wade Young took the premier class win and everyone pretty much fekked off home
with the party animals waking up on Sunday all hung over and heading home slightly later.
Myself and my mate on the other hand went into phase four.
Some of the other RAD people arriving at Khotsong Lodge. Mostly a KTM affair but there was a KLE and my mate on his Trans-Alp
At the Start/Finish watching the mad men take on the mountains.
Also at the Start/Finish - we saw two or three guys come pipe on this piece of rock alone
Near one of the DSP's. Stunning spot where three rivers met.
Myself with a gent called Vern I think it was watching the competitors.
Myself against a fairly timid back drop compared to what's out there.
My riding buddy, Morne.
Some of the spots we stopped at while just following Dave from RAD around. Pictured is Pascal, a frenchman from Motul head office.
This guy is friends with people like Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards and so on and yet is such a friendly gent.
Another random spot to stop and have a quick breather.
A narrow bridge crossing.
I only just got a taste of it while doing Sani on a previous trip a year prior. Settled. Lesotho it is.
Phase one - wrangle the mates and get a nice group going. Check.
Here already we had one mate abandon us. No worries we're still three strong (a 990, a 690 and a Honda Trans-Alp).
We're green for go. I start planning our trip to Lesotho around the Roof of Africa Enduro. I figure we could start there, watch some
hard enduro guys (maybe pick up a tip or two) and then head home via Lesotho. November rolls around and one mate suggests
we join the guys from RAD moto and head down to watch the Roof with them. Ok, makes planning a little easier. So we sign up with them.
We'll do the first few days watching the roof from a central location then head south into Lesotho and then back north again to get home to Gauteng.
Phase Two - hit the road.
December rolls around, bikes are packed, route is committed and we're good to go.
Mate number two drops a bomb and abandons us the night before we're due to leave. Hmmmm. I'm bummed and not happy but I'm committed.
No going back now. Besides, we're still two strong and that still meets my wife's Minimum-Requirements-for-Adventure-Riding-in-Africa rules.
The Route. Big thanks to everyone (especially Losper) for all the input on the forum.
Phase three - The Roof of Africa Enduro.
So Wednesday the 3rd of December we meet up and hit the road. Two mates, two bikes and a day in the saddle. I figure on a quick route
so we can get there and be done. Didn't want to get there late at night or such like so it was mostly tar back roads with small smattering of dirt
here and there. We made our way to Peka Bridge but elected to keep going on dirt to Ladybrand and then into Lesotho at Maseru.
It's worth mentioning at this point that Maseru is a complete shit hole. I fekkin hate that place. I have yet to put my finger on it but I suspect it has
something to do with the fact that it's full of cars, taxis and buses that are actively trying to kill you. I had one very close call a few days later whilst
going to Maseru looking for some tools whereby a taxi sedan car nearly ended my trip right there. But I digress. I survived. I rode on and the magic
I experienced later more than made up for it. If you can avoid that place then by all means do so.
We were based with the RAD guys at a place called Khotsong Lodge, just a few short clicks south of Maseru. To say the place was a bit shyte
would be somewhat kind and would be like saying Jacob Zuma is only moderately stupid and corrupt. It was at the very least a room, with a bed and
a bath. I believe these features make it meet the minimum accepted standard of accommodation but nothing more.
We spent the duration of the first few days in a haze of riding. Either from one spectator point to another or out exploring some or other goat track
with the RAD guys leading the way. And boy are those guys crazy mofo's! Never seen 1190's and 990's do routes like that. Hats' off! I rode some
tracks that I probably should not have, considering they all trailered down (and back) and I still had many more kilo's to do after the Roof event and
I was risking damaging the bike but once you see a 1190 or 990 do it all sense goes "fuggit! I can do that!".
Anyway - as we all know, Saturday rolled around and our very own Wade Young took the premier class win and everyone pretty much fekked off home
with the party animals waking up on Sunday all hung over and heading home slightly later.
Myself and my mate on the other hand went into phase four.
Some of the other RAD people arriving at Khotsong Lodge. Mostly a KTM affair but there was a KLE and my mate on his Trans-Alp
At the Start/Finish watching the mad men take on the mountains.
Also at the Start/Finish - we saw two or three guys come pipe on this piece of rock alone
Near one of the DSP's. Stunning spot where three rivers met.
Myself with a gent called Vern I think it was watching the competitors.
Myself against a fairly timid back drop compared to what's out there.
My riding buddy, Morne.
Some of the spots we stopped at while just following Dave from RAD around. Pictured is Pascal, a frenchman from Motul head office.
This guy is friends with people like Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards and so on and yet is such a friendly gent.
Another random spot to stop and have a quick breather.
A narrow bridge crossing.
