R
Red Adventure
Guest
The Plan was to ride from Durbanville, through Bainskloof and over Mitchellâ??s Pass to Ceres for breakfast at Wimpy. Then over Theronsberg Pass to the R355. From there take the R356 towards Sutherland. As we ascend into the hills we will turn off on to a jeep track to Onder Wadriff. There we will take the right fork to Ouberg Pass. At the top of the pass we will keep left to join the R354 to Middelpos where we will overnight at the Hotel. The next day will find us descending the Gannaga Pass to transverse the Tankwa Karoo National Park till we reach the fork in the road that we turn off at the previous day, where we will keep straight on till we reach the R355 again. We will turn of the R355 at the Kattebakies Pass that is between Klien Cedeberg and Kaga Kama. Then we will join the R303 to the Gydo Pass leading into Ceres, over Mitchellâ??s Pass and through Bainskloof back to Durbanville.
Hey that is nine great passes in two days. :mwink:
The Group will consist of Solicitor (Dakar); Strawberry milkshake â??SMâ? (Dakar) Red Adventure â??Meâ? (XCountry) and for piece of mind a back-up crew Bernard & Merijke (who was caring a spare biker) :imaposer: in their Colt D/C 4x4.
Like all successful trips there is always something that sticks its head out at the last minuet that is a treat to the success of the trip.
What was it to be with this trip? :
Would it be the weather (Rain with possibility of snow) No, weâ??re tougher than that
Would it be the flue (suddenly everyone around us was sick) No, there we were blessed.
Oh, no, no. :xxbah:
Itâ??s 7.30am and we are all supposed to be here already, my phone rings, itâ??s Solicitor â??Strawberry milkshakeâ??sâ? Dakarâ??s battery is flat and wonâ??t startâ?.
We go to their house and try to run start the bike as the top box-mounting bracket makes it impossible to take off the seat. The roads are still wet and the back wheel just slides. L So off comes the mounting bracket and the seat to jump start the bike. SM who only learnt to ride last year, asks what would happen if she stalls the bike. We convince Solicitor to swap bikes for the first bit (just so we can all stay friends) ;D
The ride to Ceres is uneventful and with the roads still wet from the early morning rain the going is slow and cautious. We get to the Wimpy for breakfast at +- 9.30am. With the place being so full we only get going again at past 11.00am
The start of the R355 and itâ??s time to deflate tires. There will be no more tar till somewhere near here tomorrow. :ricky:
The rain is falling in the distance but we have been blessed with a clear road ahead with very little dusts on it. :ricky: So the time has come to turn up the pace and enjoy what lies ahead. :headbang:
A Pink house in the Karoo! Who would have thought :bunny:
By late afternoon we reach Ouberg pass. Now I deliberately didnâ??t tell SM that this pass was actually build to heard cattle up and down and itâ??s not quite one of the famous â??Bainâ??s passesâ?. :amazon: The sun is low and the clouds are thick, I look back and see a Dakar on itâ??s side. â??Who is it?â? I rush back to help lift the bike. (if there was no separation and no photo was it still a fall?). :scratch: We reach the top of Ouberg pass and I sense that somebody in the group wants something stronger than a milkshake :notworthy:
From here darkness looms and itâ??s again time to turn up the pace for the last stretch to Middlepos Hotel where a fantastic spread of â??boere kosâ? rounds up a great end to a awesome day.ccasion16:
Or so I think my phone rings and itâ??s my wife franticly telling me that my cat has been poisoned and the vet says things are not looking good. :cussing: Dammm :crybaby2:
(Iâ??m please to say that as I type this, my cat is on his way home. Shaken but not stirred). :hello2:
This morning Iâ??m keen to get an early start as I have places to be, but the cold combined with a beautiful Karoo morning makes Middelpos a difficult place to leave.
Hotel front
Petrol LRP and Diesel only
Undercover for the Bikes
Cold frost
Warming up the XCountry
Descending Gannaga pass is just awesome. This is truly one of the most beautiful passes of our backyard.
We made a decision not to fill the bikes at Middlepos as this is an ideal opportunity to see just how far the bikes can go under these circumstances. :book1:
Just short of joining the R355 I run out of fuel and see that Iâ??ve done 403km.
â??Man Iâ??m happy with this bike and the modifications Iâ??ve done to itâ?. :drif:
If you were wondering what this is?
Its for this :bom:
While we refill all the bikes, we are passed by three KTMâ??s and one 1150 ADV in two separate groups. (Any dogâ??s there?) Next a group of +-15 Qads comes flying passed (I must admit that the sight and sound of a group of Quads in pursuit is awesome.) :glasses9:
Next stop is on the Katebakkies pass to look back across the valley from where we came. (I could have stayed there for a while but time just didnâ??t allow for it.) :xxbah:
We stop on the Gydo pass for some last photos and a call to home to let all know we were on our way.
The final slog is against tiredness and the wind making for a slow finish. I say my good-byes at Wellington and high tailed my way to Durbanville at silly speeds ahead of the rest.ale:
720 km Total
+-200 km Tar
+-500 km Gravel
What a ride!!!!!!
Hey that is nine great passes in two days. :mwink:
The Group will consist of Solicitor (Dakar); Strawberry milkshake â??SMâ? (Dakar) Red Adventure â??Meâ? (XCountry) and for piece of mind a back-up crew Bernard & Merijke (who was caring a spare biker) :imaposer: in their Colt D/C 4x4.
Like all successful trips there is always something that sticks its head out at the last minuet that is a treat to the success of the trip.
What was it to be with this trip? :
Would it be the weather (Rain with possibility of snow) No, weâ??re tougher than that
Would it be the flue (suddenly everyone around us was sick) No, there we were blessed.
Oh, no, no. :xxbah:
Itâ??s 7.30am and we are all supposed to be here already, my phone rings, itâ??s Solicitor â??Strawberry milkshakeâ??sâ? Dakarâ??s battery is flat and wonâ??t startâ?.
We go to their house and try to run start the bike as the top box-mounting bracket makes it impossible to take off the seat. The roads are still wet and the back wheel just slides. L So off comes the mounting bracket and the seat to jump start the bike. SM who only learnt to ride last year, asks what would happen if she stalls the bike. We convince Solicitor to swap bikes for the first bit (just so we can all stay friends) ;D
The ride to Ceres is uneventful and with the roads still wet from the early morning rain the going is slow and cautious. We get to the Wimpy for breakfast at +- 9.30am. With the place being so full we only get going again at past 11.00am
The start of the R355 and itâ??s time to deflate tires. There will be no more tar till somewhere near here tomorrow. :ricky:
The rain is falling in the distance but we have been blessed with a clear road ahead with very little dusts on it. :ricky: So the time has come to turn up the pace and enjoy what lies ahead. :headbang:
A Pink house in the Karoo! Who would have thought :bunny:
By late afternoon we reach Ouberg pass. Now I deliberately didnâ??t tell SM that this pass was actually build to heard cattle up and down and itâ??s not quite one of the famous â??Bainâ??s passesâ?. :amazon: The sun is low and the clouds are thick, I look back and see a Dakar on itâ??s side. â??Who is it?â? I rush back to help lift the bike. (if there was no separation and no photo was it still a fall?). :scratch: We reach the top of Ouberg pass and I sense that somebody in the group wants something stronger than a milkshake :notworthy:
From here darkness looms and itâ??s again time to turn up the pace for the last stretch to Middlepos Hotel where a fantastic spread of â??boere kosâ? rounds up a great end to a awesome day.
ccasion16:Or so I think
my phone rings and itâ??s my wife franticly telling me that my cat has been poisoned and the vet says things are not looking good. :cussing: Dammm :crybaby2:(Iâ??m please to say that as I type this, my cat is on his way home. Shaken but not stirred). :hello2:
This morning Iâ??m keen to get an early start as I have places to be, but the cold combined with a beautiful Karoo morning makes Middelpos a difficult place to leave.
Hotel front
Petrol LRP and Diesel only
Undercover for the Bikes
Cold frost
Warming up the XCountry
Descending Gannaga pass is just awesome. This is truly one of the most beautiful passes of our backyard.
We made a decision not to fill the bikes at Middlepos as this is an ideal opportunity to see just how far the bikes can go under these circumstances. :book1:
Just short of joining the R355 I run out of fuel and see that Iâ??ve done 403km.
â??Man Iâ??m happy with this bike and the modifications Iâ??ve done to itâ?. :drif:
If you were wondering what this is?
Its for this :bom:
While we refill all the bikes, we are passed by three KTMâ??s and one 1150 ADV in two separate groups. (Any dogâ??s there?) Next a group of +-15 Qads comes flying passed (I must admit that the sight and sound of a group of Quads in pursuit is awesome.) :glasses9:
Next stop is on the Katebakkies pass to look back across the valley from where we came. (I could have stayed there for a while but time just didnâ??t allow for it.) :xxbah:
We stop on the Gydo pass for some last photos and a call to home to let all know we were on our way.
The final slog is against tiredness and the wind making for a slow finish. I say my good-byes at Wellington and high tailed my way to Durbanville at silly speeds ahead of the rest.
ale:720 km Total
+-200 km Tar
+-500 km Gravel
What a ride!!!!!!
