- Joined
- Feb 6, 2006
- Messages
- 10,551
- Reaction score
- 4,178
- Location
- Cape Town, deep in the lentils
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
I’ve always loved the Richtersveld particularly the Orange river bit; my will states that my ashes will be scattered there. I feel peaceful and centred when travelling through. It’s a harsh place with little room for error if not respected. But, if you play by its rules, the rewards, for me, are deep.
This was the route, it doesn’t include the boring bit up from Cape Town to Springbok.
There is video that I will put in. I had some issues with the charging so I missed some of the trip. This is part one of five, they are about 7-8 minutes each. Click on this photo and it takes you to the video. Once it starts playing you can click on the wide screen icon on the bottom right and then from there you can stipulate HD and see it in almost the same resolution as original.
I had some work fall away and synchronicity called on Justin of Powerflow fame to ask me about the Namakwa 4x4 eco route for a trip that he was due to depart on. Was it do-able by “fairly competent and confident travellers”? Of course was my reply, although my actual words were a bit more direct and have something do with the title of the report and come up again in the second video. With the newly made hole in my diary the timing was perfect for me to tag along. Only, I needed to get my bike and kit in order as well as tie up a few loose ends.
In getting ready for the trip again and again I had things go against me. I would say, “Ok, one more and I will take it as a sign” Fortunately I am stubborn in some ways and despite many issues, some last minute and expensive, I was not going to be dissuaded.
Friday came and my loose ends were not completely tied up so I was going to have to meet Justin and his mates in Springbok.
Packed, ready to roll...
Not so fast sunshine... As I was climbing on I saw a big issue.
I know I had recently had it renewed, but do you think I could find it!
Fuck!
Off to the Civic Centre to get a copy and finally at 10.44 with full tanks, I pulled onto the N7.
I had just the day before put a new Pirelli MT21 on the front and a TKC 150 on the back. I had ordered a Dunlop 908RR but the courier truck got hijacked in the Eastern Cape somewhere so I got to try one of these. I hate the TKC 140’s, but have heard good things about the 150’s. I kept it below 150 for till Klawer with frequent stops in the recent rain water pools on the side to try artificially heat cycle them. From there it was just over the 150 all the way to Springbok. It showed little wear for the 600k’s, I know the 140, from experience wouldn’t have looked as good.
As it happened I arrived 10 minutes after them. It was a near run thing and with an express throwing up the tent in the caravan park it was off to the local watering hole to watch the opening game of the WC.
Lead me to your taker!?
The gang in fine form...
All 8 of us squeezing into Lee’s car that he and Jaco and Henk had towed their bikes from Secunda with. Then a quick bite at the local steak house where a lot of the conversation was first class banter and questions about the ride to come.
A bit of after dinner camp Old Brown Sherry and Kak praat... Not sure what as going on here...
It was a good night to be a South African!
I was glad to have packed my liner for my sleeping bag as it was flipping cold during the night, ice on the saddle the next morning type temperatures.
After a quick shop in Springbok for last minute stuff we headed north to the start of the Eco Trail some 40k’s north of Steinkopf. Not before some surgery was required. I had got my iphones speaker rubber for the inear earphones stuck in my ear.
It was a glorious day for riding; cool, clear and sunny with high visibility.
George and Mike GS, Justin and Lee’s Dad’s respectively has voiced their concerns about the trail (there was a another Mike, named for confusions sake Mike Dakar) I had persuaded them to come and at least see the start of the trail. Once right at the turn off they wisely decided to take the scenic route to Goodhouse. We’d meet them there and decide the next steps. Big hats off to George, he’s 67 and to be riding around in this part of the world is something to be admired. Mike GS had a faithful 1150 daily ride that would have been a handful on the trail. He was very happy to cruise rather than sweat. It would prove to be a wise choice!
We’d not got 800 meters into the trail when Mike Dakar took a dive and trashed his pannier. It was almost new with a few well placed cable ties.
Henk giving some muscle to the problem.
The morning and early afternoon saw almost everyone take a dive of some sort or another. I toppled over twice whilst stopping in the deep sand.
It was not long before the first river bed section comes up. There was a lot of sweaty bodies, the Secunda boys had very little experience in this kind of sand and did really well. The video shows the degree of difficulty quite well.
This was the route, it doesn’t include the boring bit up from Cape Town to Springbok.
There is video that I will put in. I had some issues with the charging so I missed some of the trip. This is part one of five, they are about 7-8 minutes each. Click on this photo and it takes you to the video. Once it starts playing you can click on the wide screen icon on the bottom right and then from there you can stipulate HD and see it in almost the same resolution as original.
I had some work fall away and synchronicity called on Justin of Powerflow fame to ask me about the Namakwa 4x4 eco route for a trip that he was due to depart on. Was it do-able by “fairly competent and confident travellers”? Of course was my reply, although my actual words were a bit more direct and have something do with the title of the report and come up again in the second video. With the newly made hole in my diary the timing was perfect for me to tag along. Only, I needed to get my bike and kit in order as well as tie up a few loose ends.
In getting ready for the trip again and again I had things go against me. I would say, “Ok, one more and I will take it as a sign” Fortunately I am stubborn in some ways and despite many issues, some last minute and expensive, I was not going to be dissuaded.
Friday came and my loose ends were not completely tied up so I was going to have to meet Justin and his mates in Springbok.
Packed, ready to roll...
Not so fast sunshine... As I was climbing on I saw a big issue.
I know I had recently had it renewed, but do you think I could find it!
Fuck!
Off to the Civic Centre to get a copy and finally at 10.44 with full tanks, I pulled onto the N7.
I had just the day before put a new Pirelli MT21 on the front and a TKC 150 on the back. I had ordered a Dunlop 908RR but the courier truck got hijacked in the Eastern Cape somewhere so I got to try one of these. I hate the TKC 140’s, but have heard good things about the 150’s. I kept it below 150 for till Klawer with frequent stops in the recent rain water pools on the side to try artificially heat cycle them. From there it was just over the 150 all the way to Springbok. It showed little wear for the 600k’s, I know the 140, from experience wouldn’t have looked as good.
As it happened I arrived 10 minutes after them. It was a near run thing and with an express throwing up the tent in the caravan park it was off to the local watering hole to watch the opening game of the WC.
Lead me to your taker!?
The gang in fine form...
All 8 of us squeezing into Lee’s car that he and Jaco and Henk had towed their bikes from Secunda with. Then a quick bite at the local steak house where a lot of the conversation was first class banter and questions about the ride to come.
A bit of after dinner camp Old Brown Sherry and Kak praat... Not sure what as going on here...
It was a good night to be a South African!
I was glad to have packed my liner for my sleeping bag as it was flipping cold during the night, ice on the saddle the next morning type temperatures.
After a quick shop in Springbok for last minute stuff we headed north to the start of the Eco Trail some 40k’s north of Steinkopf. Not before some surgery was required. I had got my iphones speaker rubber for the inear earphones stuck in my ear.
It was a glorious day for riding; cool, clear and sunny with high visibility.
George and Mike GS, Justin and Lee’s Dad’s respectively has voiced their concerns about the trail (there was a another Mike, named for confusions sake Mike Dakar) I had persuaded them to come and at least see the start of the trail. Once right at the turn off they wisely decided to take the scenic route to Goodhouse. We’d meet them there and decide the next steps. Big hats off to George, he’s 67 and to be riding around in this part of the world is something to be admired. Mike GS had a faithful 1150 daily ride that would have been a handful on the trail. He was very happy to cruise rather than sweat. It would prove to be a wise choice!
We’d not got 800 meters into the trail when Mike Dakar took a dive and trashed his pannier. It was almost new with a few well placed cable ties.
Henk giving some muscle to the problem.
The morning and early afternoon saw almost everyone take a dive of some sort or another. I toppled over twice whilst stopping in the deep sand.
It was not long before the first river bed section comes up. There was a lot of sweaty bodies, the Secunda boys had very little experience in this kind of sand and did really well. The video shows the degree of difficulty quite well.
