Ama ride ride
Grey Hound
â??Fokâ? followed by â??hoop jy weet wat jy doenâ? I mumbled to myself when a Uno comes flying past, where I stand at the Rooiberg Pass / Vanwyksdorp T junction. The cloud of dust trailing the little car tells of a fairly high speed. I took my time and finished my apple first and turn right on way to the R62. Half an hour later I come round a bend and see this..........
Backtrack a few days. It had been a hard year at work for me and I had about 40 days overtime so I decide to take the long way down to Onrusrivier where I would spend the holidays with my family. As I am single again and doing the trip solo it took just a few emails and sms messages to set a route and a rough date.
My trip started in Ladysmith (KZN) where I chilled a few days on a friendâ??s farm. The first dayâ??s route was from Ladysmith to East London via Rhodes. Itâ??s a road I have never ridden. In a sms to Michnus I asked â??Is it possible to do in one day? â??No problemâ?â?¦. he replied and add.â?¦â?as jy kole gooiâ? More about this â??kole gooiâ? later but I must add that itâ??s a bit difficult to â??gooi koleâ? when the â??kole is natâ?
Part 1 (Ladysmith to top of Naudes Pass)
Leaving early morning I decide to skip the dirt road from Nothingham Road to Himeville, which I did with Leo in 2007 and opted for tar to Underberg via the R103 and Howick. Tar or not itâ??s a beautiful area and the road surface very leker. Breakfast in Underberg and then gravel to Matatiele. Then tar again to the real nr one arshole town of SA , Mount Fletcher.
A few km after MF I turned right at on a piece of gravel road I had wet dreams about, after Beemerman said to me. â??If that road is wet stay awayâ?. The start of the gravel road to Rhodes via Naudesnek Pass.
KZN Highlands Meander.
Start of the Rhodes via Naudesnek road. Hard packed gravel
Beautiful surroundings. Green everywhere
A small pass somewhere
Pine plantations.
Around the foot of Naudesneck Pass
The direction I come from (note the clouds)
It may be the highest mountain pass in SA but the road is a bit of a let down. I expected a challenge. Not a smooth easy ride.
Other landmark mark visited. Other memory for the mental movie I am making, to be screened in my mindâ??s eye, in the far future when the only riding I will be able to do is with a wheelchair from the stoep to the toilet.
The road further up to the top.
The road I come with. Looks a lot like Sani.
And then the real top.
I had just enough time to put my camera in its waterproof bag when the grandmother of all storms hit us, right here where we stood on the highest mountain pass in SAâ?¦.
To be continuedâ?¦.
Backtrack a few days. It had been a hard year at work for me and I had about 40 days overtime so I decide to take the long way down to Onrusrivier where I would spend the holidays with my family. As I am single again and doing the trip solo it took just a few emails and sms messages to set a route and a rough date.
My trip started in Ladysmith (KZN) where I chilled a few days on a friendâ??s farm. The first dayâ??s route was from Ladysmith to East London via Rhodes. Itâ??s a road I have never ridden. In a sms to Michnus I asked â??Is it possible to do in one day? â??No problemâ?â?¦. he replied and add.â?¦â?as jy kole gooiâ? More about this â??kole gooiâ? later but I must add that itâ??s a bit difficult to â??gooi koleâ? when the â??kole is natâ?
Part 1 (Ladysmith to top of Naudes Pass)
Leaving early morning I decide to skip the dirt road from Nothingham Road to Himeville, which I did with Leo in 2007 and opted for tar to Underberg via the R103 and Howick. Tar or not itâ??s a beautiful area and the road surface very leker. Breakfast in Underberg and then gravel to Matatiele. Then tar again to the real nr one arshole town of SA , Mount Fletcher.
A few km after MF I turned right at on a piece of gravel road I had wet dreams about, after Beemerman said to me. â??If that road is wet stay awayâ?. The start of the gravel road to Rhodes via Naudesnek Pass.
KZN Highlands Meander.
Start of the Rhodes via Naudesnek road. Hard packed gravel
Beautiful surroundings. Green everywhere
A small pass somewhere
Pine plantations.
Around the foot of Naudesneck Pass
The direction I come from (note the clouds)
It may be the highest mountain pass in SA but the road is a bit of a let down. I expected a challenge. Not a smooth easy ride.
Other landmark mark visited. Other memory for the mental movie I am making, to be screened in my mindâ??s eye, in the far future when the only riding I will be able to do is with a wheelchair from the stoep to the toilet.
The road further up to the top.
The road I come with. Looks a lot like Sani.
And then the real top.
I had just enough time to put my camera in its waterproof bag when the grandmother of all storms hit us, right here where we stood on the highest mountain pass in SAâ?¦.
To be continuedâ?¦.
