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Race Dog
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- Messages
- 3,555
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Gauteng 1150ADV
- Bike
- BMW R1150GS Adventure
Can you use nightmare and fun in the same sentence? If you ride a 250kg machine through tough conditions and smile at the end, then yes!
African Sky, RTR and I, have tried this trip before and failed, due to a BMW that does not like to swim in the Senqu River! We went back for more last weekend, but armed with a new plan ? only one objective, conquer the Kao Mine road.
Day1, Friday 13
We set off early on Friday morning and headed for Clarens for breakfast.
It looked gloomy most of the day with a bit of mist rain here and there along the way. After a good hearty breakfast, we set off towards Golden Gate. Just before you complete the ride through the park, there is a turnoff to Heuweltop. Here we stopped to let down the tire pressure and we see coming down the road in the opposite direction, Wino, heading home from his epic journey. Quick chat about the weather and he is off.
This is a very interesting road, supposed to be a jeep track, but eventually dissolves to a path and comes out on the outside of Qwa Qwa, then follows the track up the mountain pass to the Monontsha Border. Visibility here was very poor, but you had the feeling that you were very high up and on the edge of a very long drop.
We followed the dirt road towards Butha-Buthe, this is an awesome road that follows the Caledon River which borders South Africa.
This stretch has lots of river crossings, villages and entertaining kiddies on the side of the road. I spent a lot of time laughing in my helmet at the kids, they always have a pose that they strike or mimic a stone throw after the wave and screech of ?SWEETS!!!?
The rain was threatening, but luckily nothing yet. We refueled at Butha-Buthe and headed towards Oxbow. This road has some very nice twisty?s (like most of Lesotho) as well as the highest pass in Southern Africa (Moteng Pass, Pass of Guns and Tlaeeng Pass).
Going up Moteng Pass
Contemplating the dark side on Moteng Pass
About 200m before we reached Oxbow lodge, the heavens opened. We rode straight in and asked for 3 rooms. Dinner, bed and breakfast for R400 per person, worth it when you are cold and wet.
At 3.00pm it was 10 degrees with plenty of rain and hail around. We sat in the bar by the fire, played pool and passed the afternoon away until dinner at 7.00. Dinner was fantastic and we hit the sack soon thereafter.
Oh, and my bike has finally been run in!
Day 2, Saturday 14 April:
Saturday morning we awoke to open skies, no wind, looked like a perfect day to ride. At breakfast we discussed the plan for the day. We came here to ride the Kao mine road, that was the objective!
We discussed how the road is only 30 odd kms, we can shoot down, come back up and then head towards Sani top, have a drink and get a bed at Himeville Arms, have some Ribs and catch the cricket. With a plan in place, we set off.
As soon as we were around the corner, we saw that the weather was only good above the lodge; the weather did not look that great everywhere else! We reached the site of AfriSki resort and decided to follow the ski slope down instead of the main road. Activity is heavy as they prepare for the winter months.
You can see the road running across at the back of the lodge
It was not long before we reached the turnoff to Kao mine. That was at 9.00 in the morning. It is rather difficult to describe the road, but I will try. In places it is washed away, lots of rocks lying loose as well as embedded in the road, plenty of step ups and step downs, obstructions and water. The pics below will give an idea, but you need to live it to understand it.
There was plenty of this:
Some of this:
and lots of rocks and water:
Needless to say that 3 and a half hours later and only 31km, we reached Kao Mine!
That was hard work, too much concentration and plenty of lying around in uncomfortable places. At this point we were glad we came this way round, if we had opted for the opposite direction, it would not have happened.
We decided to head to Ha-Lejeone and decide on the route from there as clearly our breakfast plan was not an option!
On route we stopped at one of the villages for a coke, much to the amusement of the locals who gathered in the rain to stare at us.
The rain looked like it was going to get worse and was directly in our path. We decided to head for the border post at Caledon Poort and then go to Clarens and find a spot for the night.
There was rain and hail along the road, and when we reached Mafika Lisiu Pass, visibility was barely beyond the handlebars. I was relying on the GPS for navigation as I could not see the road.
From the border all the way to Clarens, it poured with rain. We got a house for the night (part of Lake Clarens Guest House) for R700 including breakfast for the 3 of us. We hit town early looking for ribs, we had been thinking about them since breakfast. Nothing good was happening with the cricket, so again we hit the sack early.
Day 3, Sunday 15
What a beautiful day, but the muscles in the body were hurting.
After a fantastic breakfast, we hit the fast road home. Mission accomplished!
In summary:
- The Kao Mine road is a must-do for any adventure rider looking for a challenge.
- A BMW1150 ADV is not the best bike for the trip! AfricanSky managed well on the KTM (good skill, big front wheel and knobblies). Personally nothing bigger than a 650 will suffice.
- Knobblies is a must. RTR and I managed with the Anakees, but had to fight most of the way.
Lesotho finally conquered, watch out Mozambique! :wink:
(pictures courtesy of AfricanSky)
African Sky, RTR and I, have tried this trip before and failed, due to a BMW that does not like to swim in the Senqu River! We went back for more last weekend, but armed with a new plan ? only one objective, conquer the Kao Mine road.
Day1, Friday 13
We set off early on Friday morning and headed for Clarens for breakfast.
It looked gloomy most of the day with a bit of mist rain here and there along the way. After a good hearty breakfast, we set off towards Golden Gate. Just before you complete the ride through the park, there is a turnoff to Heuweltop. Here we stopped to let down the tire pressure and we see coming down the road in the opposite direction, Wino, heading home from his epic journey. Quick chat about the weather and he is off.
This is a very interesting road, supposed to be a jeep track, but eventually dissolves to a path and comes out on the outside of Qwa Qwa, then follows the track up the mountain pass to the Monontsha Border. Visibility here was very poor, but you had the feeling that you were very high up and on the edge of a very long drop.
We followed the dirt road towards Butha-Buthe, this is an awesome road that follows the Caledon River which borders South Africa.
This stretch has lots of river crossings, villages and entertaining kiddies on the side of the road. I spent a lot of time laughing in my helmet at the kids, they always have a pose that they strike or mimic a stone throw after the wave and screech of ?SWEETS!!!?
The rain was threatening, but luckily nothing yet. We refueled at Butha-Buthe and headed towards Oxbow. This road has some very nice twisty?s (like most of Lesotho) as well as the highest pass in Southern Africa (Moteng Pass, Pass of Guns and Tlaeeng Pass).
Going up Moteng Pass
Contemplating the dark side on Moteng Pass
About 200m before we reached Oxbow lodge, the heavens opened. We rode straight in and asked for 3 rooms. Dinner, bed and breakfast for R400 per person, worth it when you are cold and wet.
At 3.00pm it was 10 degrees with plenty of rain and hail around. We sat in the bar by the fire, played pool and passed the afternoon away until dinner at 7.00. Dinner was fantastic and we hit the sack soon thereafter.
Oh, and my bike has finally been run in!
Day 2, Saturday 14 April:
Saturday morning we awoke to open skies, no wind, looked like a perfect day to ride. At breakfast we discussed the plan for the day. We came here to ride the Kao mine road, that was the objective!
We discussed how the road is only 30 odd kms, we can shoot down, come back up and then head towards Sani top, have a drink and get a bed at Himeville Arms, have some Ribs and catch the cricket. With a plan in place, we set off.
As soon as we were around the corner, we saw that the weather was only good above the lodge; the weather did not look that great everywhere else! We reached the site of AfriSki resort and decided to follow the ski slope down instead of the main road. Activity is heavy as they prepare for the winter months.
You can see the road running across at the back of the lodge
It was not long before we reached the turnoff to Kao mine. That was at 9.00 in the morning. It is rather difficult to describe the road, but I will try. In places it is washed away, lots of rocks lying loose as well as embedded in the road, plenty of step ups and step downs, obstructions and water. The pics below will give an idea, but you need to live it to understand it.
There was plenty of this:
Some of this:
and lots of rocks and water:
Needless to say that 3 and a half hours later and only 31km, we reached Kao Mine!
That was hard work, too much concentration and plenty of lying around in uncomfortable places. At this point we were glad we came this way round, if we had opted for the opposite direction, it would not have happened.
We decided to head to Ha-Lejeone and decide on the route from there as clearly our breakfast plan was not an option!
On route we stopped at one of the villages for a coke, much to the amusement of the locals who gathered in the rain to stare at us.
The rain looked like it was going to get worse and was directly in our path. We decided to head for the border post at Caledon Poort and then go to Clarens and find a spot for the night.
There was rain and hail along the road, and when we reached Mafika Lisiu Pass, visibility was barely beyond the handlebars. I was relying on the GPS for navigation as I could not see the road.
From the border all the way to Clarens, it poured with rain. We got a house for the night (part of Lake Clarens Guest House) for R700 including breakfast for the 3 of us. We hit town early looking for ribs, we had been thinking about them since breakfast. Nothing good was happening with the cricket, so again we hit the sack early.
Day 3, Sunday 15
What a beautiful day, but the muscles in the body were hurting.
After a fantastic breakfast, we hit the fast road home. Mission accomplished!
In summary:
- The Kao Mine road is a must-do for any adventure rider looking for a challenge.
- A BMW1150 ADV is not the best bike for the trip! AfricanSky managed well on the KTM (good skill, big front wheel and knobblies). Personally nothing bigger than a 650 will suffice.
- Knobblies is a must. RTR and I managed with the Anakees, but had to fight most of the way.
Lesotho finally conquered, watch out Mozambique! :wink:
(pictures courtesy of AfricanSky)
