droffarc
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,370
- Reaction score
- 117
- Location
- Cape Toon - TransAlp XL650V 2004
- Bike
- Honda NC750X
Knysna Trip Report
Had to go up to Knysna for work ? meet up with and review the work of one of my staff. It rained the day I arrived and we dived headlong into the work at hand. The Tuesday was still wet and cold.
You know you are in Africa when you see a sign about recycling your staff ? !?
The Wednesday, after 5pm, by way of a team building exercise, I invited Mr. Momo to accompany me on a little exploration trip.
We took the road to the Prince Alfred?s pass. Most of the road was nice and firm. We stopped at the second big tree and took a walk to see it. He was quite astounded at the size of the tree and especially the age (300+ years) and indicated that he now could see a little of why I explore. We then took the right turn at the Ysternek sign and from here the road became progressively more interesting ? from a biking point of view ? If you can?t ride the one you want, drive the one you can!
After a long while the road became more boring and it was becoming dark so we turned back ? mostly (for me) so I could drive the interesting bit again ? cant help it!. We stopped for a pic (unfortunately only had my cell phone cam with me for the whole trip) where a crossing had been re-constructed ? the surface as you can see, was quite loose stuff ? the company Tazz handled it all quite well, just a few scrapes of the underside now and again.
Thursday morning and we parted ways as I had to attend a meeting on Friday. I only got away about 10:30 so I decided to return via the Phantom pass to Rheenendal, then on with the Homtini and Karatara passes. All very nice, pity it was not the bike.
Saw another large tree ? this one older than 600 years! I guess I will look as gnarly at that age. Spent a while just looking at the patterns and textures of the bark on the trunk.
I had hoped to be able to get to George via the old George Knysna road but found that this pass (Saasveld road) had been declared unsafe by the District Roads Engineer (044-272-6071) so I had to take the trip to Wilderness using a tarred road but very nice.
The Kaaimansriver pass was closed between 11: and 14:00, so I sat for almost three hours in the sun in a hot car in a long queue, not daring to lose my place lest I have to spend more hours in this queue!
Once through, I went to Oudtshoorn and took the road to the Cango Caves, intending to explore the road to Calitzdorp ? and what a lekker road!
I use lekker here as I find it more descriptive than any English word. It becomes gravel and is interesting all the way past Kruisrevier until it joins the R62. (Looking at the map I see I should have taken the route past Groenfontein which looks like it ends in Caltzdorp but saw the sign that said no heavy vehicles and caravans ? besides I did not have the map with me).
After the Huisrevier pass I turned right to the Seweweekspoort. There were also signs warning of flood damage ? but most had been repaired? I did, however, find one little water feature and the Tazz negotiated it without trouble.
Took the Laingsburg gravel highway ? some really fast long straight stretches there ? can now see why some guys travel at 180km/h on gravel ? but there was plenty of nice scenery at this time of the year ? quite green. Just before the Rooinekke is the turnoff to Anysberg and I was tempted but the light was failing so I kept on to Laingsburg and onto the boring, truck laden N1 where there were only two stops of about twenty minutes each ? waiting for oncoming traffic at the road works. I may have been better off on the Anysberg road.
I am now playing with the idea to ride this route with a sleep out under the stars later this year ? anyone interested?
Had to go up to Knysna for work ? meet up with and review the work of one of my staff. It rained the day I arrived and we dived headlong into the work at hand. The Tuesday was still wet and cold.
You know you are in Africa when you see a sign about recycling your staff ? !?
The Wednesday, after 5pm, by way of a team building exercise, I invited Mr. Momo to accompany me on a little exploration trip.
We took the road to the Prince Alfred?s pass. Most of the road was nice and firm. We stopped at the second big tree and took a walk to see it. He was quite astounded at the size of the tree and especially the age (300+ years) and indicated that he now could see a little of why I explore. We then took the right turn at the Ysternek sign and from here the road became progressively more interesting ? from a biking point of view ? If you can?t ride the one you want, drive the one you can!
After a long while the road became more boring and it was becoming dark so we turned back ? mostly (for me) so I could drive the interesting bit again ? cant help it!. We stopped for a pic (unfortunately only had my cell phone cam with me for the whole trip) where a crossing had been re-constructed ? the surface as you can see, was quite loose stuff ? the company Tazz handled it all quite well, just a few scrapes of the underside now and again.
Thursday morning and we parted ways as I had to attend a meeting on Friday. I only got away about 10:30 so I decided to return via the Phantom pass to Rheenendal, then on with the Homtini and Karatara passes. All very nice, pity it was not the bike.
Saw another large tree ? this one older than 600 years! I guess I will look as gnarly at that age. Spent a while just looking at the patterns and textures of the bark on the trunk.
I had hoped to be able to get to George via the old George Knysna road but found that this pass (Saasveld road) had been declared unsafe by the District Roads Engineer (044-272-6071) so I had to take the trip to Wilderness using a tarred road but very nice.
The Kaaimansriver pass was closed between 11: and 14:00, so I sat for almost three hours in the sun in a hot car in a long queue, not daring to lose my place lest I have to spend more hours in this queue!
Once through, I went to Oudtshoorn and took the road to the Cango Caves, intending to explore the road to Calitzdorp ? and what a lekker road!
I use lekker here as I find it more descriptive than any English word. It becomes gravel and is interesting all the way past Kruisrevier until it joins the R62. (Looking at the map I see I should have taken the route past Groenfontein which looks like it ends in Caltzdorp but saw the sign that said no heavy vehicles and caravans ? besides I did not have the map with me).
After the Huisrevier pass I turned right to the Seweweekspoort. There were also signs warning of flood damage ? but most had been repaired? I did, however, find one little water feature and the Tazz negotiated it without trouble.
Took the Laingsburg gravel highway ? some really fast long straight stretches there ? can now see why some guys travel at 180km/h on gravel ? but there was plenty of nice scenery at this time of the year ? quite green. Just before the Rooinekke is the turnoff to Anysberg and I was tempted but the light was failing so I kept on to Laingsburg and onto the boring, truck laden N1 where there were only two stops of about twenty minutes each ? waiting for oncoming traffic at the road works. I may have been better off on the Anysberg road.
I am now playing with the idea to ride this route with a sleep out under the stars later this year ? anyone interested?
