The odd one out - Witsand 2016

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NIMMO

Race Dog
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
3,265
Reaction score
334
Location
Colesberg
Bike
KTM 990 Adventure
I had already done my trips I wanted to do this year, but when Tribes asked if I wanted to go I committed to a last 3 day trip for the year.

It was the HP guy’s get-together but I would tag along on the weekend.

I left Colesberg thankful for the cloud cover as the days leading up to the trip was to say the least HOT.  Witsand would obviously be a bit worse than the Karoo. I had been to Witsand once before for the Country Trax Sand course and it was ironic that I rode there without worrying about sand, confidence is a strange thing.  :biggrin:

First section CBG to Petrusville


IMG_5110 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


I have for some reason always had the best trips when I get a tortoise along the way and this was no different.  Can you imagine moving over uneven earth and at that speed the whole of your life?  If I had to allocate a name to them it would be “perseverance”.  :ricky:


IMG_5113 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5114 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


I decided on making up time and rather not take the Kraankuil road and head for Hopetown via Orania – I have heard a lot of them expanding and wanted to have a look around.


IMG_5115 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


After filling up in Hopetown I took the Douglas dirt road on the east side. 


IMG_5116 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5118 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


I decided to take the road via Douglas and do the road parallel with the Orange River up to Niekerkshoop. 


Now my experience with Douglas coming from Papkuil was that they have the WORST roads leading to their town  :patch: :patch: :patch:  – this was no different.  It is not that you can ride it, it is simply a road that has no “rhythm” - there is no sweet spot to ride it on.  You shake or you bounce – if I had to be brutally honest I was glad I was on the 990 not he HP this time.  :lamer:
From Orania to Douglas was UGLY – I pity the farmers there it was DRY & BARREN. :'(


Sections reminded me of the Askam road to VanZylsrus.


IMG_5120 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5119 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


Douglas


IMG_5121 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


One section was so bad I kept on having to push the GPS powerjack in.  At one stage I hammered it to hard and the power point’s bottom section broke of  :peepwall: :peepwall: – hence no more GPS.  I always have my roadmap with me and just made sure I did not miss any turnoffs.


IMG_5123 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


At a certain point on this road It made a huge Plato from which you could see the Orange River snaking through this barren landscape as a green line as far as the eye could see.


IMG_5125 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5126 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5127 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5128 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr
IMG_5130 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


Excellent signage


IMG_5131 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr


I made Niekerkshoop obviously while the Koöp was still closed and had to wait for them to open.  :deal:


IMG_5132 by Jean van der Walt, on Flickr

 
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