Sidetracking

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sidetrack

Grumpy Mutt
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
23,349
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Location
Pretoria
Limpopo 2016

Holidays is a wonderous time untill you have to go back to work and realize you never got around to riding your bike like planned. Decided to stop watching videos of guys going on trips on youtube and do some myself. Boxing day I went to Limpopo, decided to go look for a pass I rode back in 2006 on my DRZ. Found it 725km round trip. Then new year off to the Vredefort dome which I also last visited in 2007, shorter but still managed to add 500km to my odo  :thumleft:

Limpopo
It was May 2006, on my trusty DRZ I navigated through some Limpopo backroads and rode over some poor guys field. Totally lost thanks to my Etrex with a loose connection - it was the best !

https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=7514.0

Found a great mountain pass so fast forward 9 years and I decided to go look for it again, this time I was armed with a slightly more modern Quest - awesome  :biggrin: Well I found it, still just as beautifull and yes Limpopo still has it's fair share of donkey's and goats. Dont know where or near what town, it's all Greek to me. Just followed some tracks to the waypoint I had stored.

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Bit greener in summertime, nice.

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Saw these rock formations and outcrops for the entire trip, some are cracked right down the middle and seems as they can roll down the mountain at any moment. Some crazy / brave goats were jumping around on the koppie above.

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Eventually made it to the pass and parked off at the top admiring the view. Noticed a Baberton daisy growing at the foot of some boulders and a Agama lizard running for cover. Hot as hell but worth every kilometer.

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The track snakes down the mountain and is about 4km in length, rocky in places but still an easy but enjoyable ride.

Rock Fig ?

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Like the good (foolish) old days I took  no spares with, confident I would have a trouble free ride - which I did. I was back home just before dark.

Vredefort / Parys

I decided to head Southwest, have not been for ages yet Parys is quite close to GP. Bummer as the first bit is highway but an hour later and the worst bit was over as I got on the dirt near Randfontein. Past Baragwanath Airfield where I admired a Harvard and a Impala (I think). Then onwards, the river called.

Straight and fast but all good as this was all new to me ! To the side I spotted the railway service road, worth taking a look next time.

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Through Parys just after 9, I was making good time and now entered the Vredefort dome running next to the river. One mother of a rock landed here many moons ago, biggest meteor impact site in the world I believe it to be. The valley is a joy to ride as it zig zags between the koppies. Some parts tight others wide open, nice contrast. I was busy riding a loop posted by Kydaar back in 2010.

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Old farm building seems to be abandoned.

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Look at this peach must be a 1190's dream :)

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Met a fellow WD'er - Roughdog and his buddy. Chatted a bit and they headed off, told them I would catch up later down the valley at the local pub. First pub was closed - bummer was really looking forward to a beer !

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But then around the corner like an oasis in the desert I found a pub that was open along with Roughdog allready enjoying a cold one.

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Well we chatted and shared some motorcycle adventures before we went our seperate ways. I had about 30 - 40 km's to do back to Parys where I refilled and headed off home. Another day well spent. The next day would be back to work .... but at least I gor to ride my bike !

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