HHHusky
Pack Dog
Oops, I did it again . . . I now understand Britney?s pain. To explain, Didgitaldan posted an excellent ride report last week
https://www.wilddogtours.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5636
and it was the kind of ride I was looking for (or so I thought.) I recognized the general location of the track he described, and went on a solo ride on Saturday morning to look for it. I found it, and did I have a blast. It is certainly the toughest bit of riding I have done, and I am very proud of the fact I did not do a face-plant. Getting up was exhilarating, but coming down was scary One thing I did notice was that there were some tracks leading over the top of the hill, but I was too pooped to explore further. My sense of adventure was however tickled, and early Sunday morning I was back on my scoot to go and see where these tracks led. Second time round going up was a bit easier, and when I got to the top and I admired the view. That?s Silver Lakes in the middle distance and Mamelodi bottom right.
Being a sensible lad I parked my scoot in the shade and wandered down the track which was leading down the other side of the hill. And I didn?t like what I saw ? steep gradient, many many many many rocks of varying sizes.
My sense of adventure had its reality check, and I sensibly decided to park of in the shade and enjoy the view and silence. Then, down in the valley by the railway track I heard the distinct grumble of some kindred spirits out for a Sunday ride, and life was good. I sort of absent-mindedly thought that I will chill out for a half-hour or so at the top before going back down the sensible way (that?s roughly how long it took me to get to the top), just in case they were also coming up the same route. You don?t want to meet each other halfway on some tricky slope. Five minutes later they were there, with this dude in the front
Damm that was fast! This is actually significant, as we shall see later. KTM 525EXC, followed by a few minutes later by a Yamaha 450 WR something. The guys (I am useless with names, so I?ll make them up as we go along) pulled over and we talked some nonsense, and they seemed like nice enough people. After a few minutes they got ready to get going, and indicated that they were going down the other side. I said ?Hell no?, that bit is really steep and rocky and is best left to the professionals. KTM man then started getting all personal, and called me a fat middle aged poser with no balls etc. Not really, he just said come with, its fun. ?Uh, OK? my mouth said, but my brain was not happy. KTM man was wrong, it wasn?t fun. The track got steeper and the rocks got bigger and I got tirederer and tirederer, and it just went on and on and I held on for dear life and more by luck that any skill I made it to the bottom. By this time they had already got to the bottom, had a braai, had a nap, a few beers and were ready to go back up. Warrafuk you mean back up! I really wasn?t keen, but they started with the middle aged poser crap (not really), but more importantly the track ended up in the backyard of some dude in Mamelodi, and I actually couldn?t see how the hell I was going to get out of there any other way. I was relieved to see that Yamaha man also looked a tad winded, and also wasn?t smiling, so why not. So a few deep breaths later, and I led the way back up. Now I very soon realized that this was a big mistake, and I was by now woefully out of my league. I just couldn?t get momentum going, and I was so tired I just couldn?t stand up any longer, and sitting down while going up a steep rocky slope is just not a good idea.
Mirror, mirror on my bike, guess who bliksemed off his trike . . .
Yep, it happened. Came around a bend and there was this big rock. I thought I should really not ride into it, because it is going to hurt. So I looked at the rock very carefully to make sure it doesn?t do something stupid, but then it started chasing me. The more I looked at it the more it chased me, and I bliksemed straight into it, bike got pushed over the edge, and I went cartwheeling down the hill. Damn I should have taken a picture! I was pretty lucky and only bruised my knee, and all the PPE bits did their job admirably. Although hanging off the edge, the bike also looked OK, except for some minor cosmetic damage. Once I realized all was OK, it was sort of funny. KTM man then helped me get the bike back on the track, and the bike thanked me with a big cashaust burn to add insult to injury. I told KTM man to go ahead as I was slowing him down. Watching the guy fly up that track really depressed me. But back on, and after many more stalls and near misses and bucket of sweat and lots of praying and stuff I finally made it to the top. I was so totally pooped. Yamaha man arrived a few minutes later, and he also looked pretty tired, and he also had a spill coming up. Sorry dude, but that made me feel a little less of a poepol. We just sat under the trees to catch our breath, and guess what, KTM dude said that was fun, let?s do it again. Too tired to laugh, I told him to go kill himself, I?ll take some pictures. Off he went, and I helped a very tired looking Yamaha man panel beat his brake lever back into position, and down they went. Respect man!
Here are some picks of them coming back up the top, first the very impressive KTM man
And then my friend the Yamaha man, who had another ?detour? on the way up.
To Yamaha man I just want to say, be careful, your friend is evil and will turn you into a mean and skinny off-road animal. If he doesn?t kill you first, of course. And he we are all back at the top having a drink
So what have I learned from this experience? Rocks chase you and bite if you look at them. I am very unfit. Tires at 2 bar in rocks is a really, really bad idea. I have balls, but they are very bruised at the moment. I need some help, so its of to Off-road Taktix (actually turns out to be at Country Trax) in a few weeks for some training, then I?ll be back. And next time I will take Grand Sofa with me :twisted: :twisted:
https://www.wilddogtours.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5636
and it was the kind of ride I was looking for (or so I thought.) I recognized the general location of the track he described, and went on a solo ride on Saturday morning to look for it. I found it, and did I have a blast. It is certainly the toughest bit of riding I have done, and I am very proud of the fact I did not do a face-plant. Getting up was exhilarating, but coming down was scary One thing I did notice was that there were some tracks leading over the top of the hill, but I was too pooped to explore further. My sense of adventure was however tickled, and early Sunday morning I was back on my scoot to go and see where these tracks led. Second time round going up was a bit easier, and when I got to the top and I admired the view. That?s Silver Lakes in the middle distance and Mamelodi bottom right.
Being a sensible lad I parked my scoot in the shade and wandered down the track which was leading down the other side of the hill. And I didn?t like what I saw ? steep gradient, many many many many rocks of varying sizes.
My sense of adventure had its reality check, and I sensibly decided to park of in the shade and enjoy the view and silence. Then, down in the valley by the railway track I heard the distinct grumble of some kindred spirits out for a Sunday ride, and life was good. I sort of absent-mindedly thought that I will chill out for a half-hour or so at the top before going back down the sensible way (that?s roughly how long it took me to get to the top), just in case they were also coming up the same route. You don?t want to meet each other halfway on some tricky slope. Five minutes later they were there, with this dude in the front
Damm that was fast! This is actually significant, as we shall see later. KTM 525EXC, followed by a few minutes later by a Yamaha 450 WR something. The guys (I am useless with names, so I?ll make them up as we go along) pulled over and we talked some nonsense, and they seemed like nice enough people. After a few minutes they got ready to get going, and indicated that they were going down the other side. I said ?Hell no?, that bit is really steep and rocky and is best left to the professionals. KTM man then started getting all personal, and called me a fat middle aged poser with no balls etc. Not really, he just said come with, its fun. ?Uh, OK? my mouth said, but my brain was not happy. KTM man was wrong, it wasn?t fun. The track got steeper and the rocks got bigger and I got tirederer and tirederer, and it just went on and on and I held on for dear life and more by luck that any skill I made it to the bottom. By this time they had already got to the bottom, had a braai, had a nap, a few beers and were ready to go back up. Warrafuk you mean back up! I really wasn?t keen, but they started with the middle aged poser crap (not really), but more importantly the track ended up in the backyard of some dude in Mamelodi, and I actually couldn?t see how the hell I was going to get out of there any other way. I was relieved to see that Yamaha man also looked a tad winded, and also wasn?t smiling, so why not. So a few deep breaths later, and I led the way back up. Now I very soon realized that this was a big mistake, and I was by now woefully out of my league. I just couldn?t get momentum going, and I was so tired I just couldn?t stand up any longer, and sitting down while going up a steep rocky slope is just not a good idea.
Mirror, mirror on my bike, guess who bliksemed off his trike . . .
Yep, it happened. Came around a bend and there was this big rock. I thought I should really not ride into it, because it is going to hurt. So I looked at the rock very carefully to make sure it doesn?t do something stupid, but then it started chasing me. The more I looked at it the more it chased me, and I bliksemed straight into it, bike got pushed over the edge, and I went cartwheeling down the hill. Damn I should have taken a picture! I was pretty lucky and only bruised my knee, and all the PPE bits did their job admirably. Although hanging off the edge, the bike also looked OK, except for some minor cosmetic damage. Once I realized all was OK, it was sort of funny. KTM man then helped me get the bike back on the track, and the bike thanked me with a big cashaust burn to add insult to injury. I told KTM man to go ahead as I was slowing him down. Watching the guy fly up that track really depressed me. But back on, and after many more stalls and near misses and bucket of sweat and lots of praying and stuff I finally made it to the top. I was so totally pooped. Yamaha man arrived a few minutes later, and he also looked pretty tired, and he also had a spill coming up. Sorry dude, but that made me feel a little less of a poepol. We just sat under the trees to catch our breath, and guess what, KTM dude said that was fun, let?s do it again. Too tired to laugh, I told him to go kill himself, I?ll take some pictures. Off he went, and I helped a very tired looking Yamaha man panel beat his brake lever back into position, and down they went. Respect man!
Here are some picks of them coming back up the top, first the very impressive KTM man
And then my friend the Yamaha man, who had another ?detour? on the way up.
To Yamaha man I just want to say, be careful, your friend is evil and will turn you into a mean and skinny off-road animal. If he doesn?t kill you first, of course. And he we are all back at the top having a drink
So what have I learned from this experience? Rocks chase you and bite if you look at them. I am very unfit. Tires at 2 bar in rocks is a really, really bad idea. I have balls, but they are very bruised at the moment. I need some help, so its of to Off-road Taktix (actually turns out to be at Country Trax) in a few weeks for some training, then I?ll be back. And next time I will take Grand Sofa with me :twisted: :twisted:
