Abu
Pack Dog
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2008
- Messages
- 308
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Deep South - Western Cape
- Bike
- BMW G650 X-challenge
This is my first trip report and the writing out ways the pictures so please bare with me!
Part1- Scarborough to Fraserburg (Trial Post)
Having been biking for about 4 years I felt that I wanted to do more than a weekend trip so when the Great Karoo gathering came up I decided that this was the chance to extend those weekend trips a bit. Shortly after the the GKC dates,18 to 20-03-2011, were posted on the Wilddog forum Pistonpete chirped that it was close too the WC bash, so not wanting to let the old airheads down I thought why not incorporate it as well.
So I now had the GKC at Nieu Bethesda and a week later the WC bash at Stonehenge. What was going to happen in between was of little concern to me at that stage.
My middle daughter Jessica was working on a Cruise liner out of Miami and was due to come back home on the 13th of March, I was leaving for the GKC early on the 17th. When she heard that I was leaving so soon after her arrival she staked her claim of the pillion seat. Now the only time she has ever been on the bike was for two lifts home from college, about 50km of tar. I tried my best to dissuade her as a. I was pretty sure that she did not know what she was letting herself into. b. This was supposed to be a solo - extend the skills - type of ride and c. I have not ridden with a pillion off road and did not want to hurt my daughter. But Jessica was adamant. Later on in the trip she pleaded ignorance of inviting herself and blamed it on the time lag – every time she phoned it was early hours of the morning and she was feeling talkative courtesy of Southern Comfort.
So as we got closer to the time the bike, a 1996 BMW GS Kalahari, was serviced, a new rear tyre purchased, along with self inflating mattresses etc.
Riding kit also had to be obtained for Jessica. So a new Richa Airflow jacket, Maverick MX boots, Klim dakar pants for dad (his old ones went to Jess), gloves and helmet from Mom and rain-suit pants from a friend. All ready waiting her return.
Fortunately she arrived home two weeks early which was to give us some time time on the bike, or so I thought. We took one 30km ride and around Cape Point and then tried to ride some cones. What a disaster the cones were. She was hanging onto me, I was exhausted after 10 meters and we could not make the cones. How were we ever going to do this. Those who ride dirt with pillions suddenly went right up in my esteem. We gave it a break for a few days, Jess was always busy. We then tried again but just rode around, off road, in big circles whilst standing. This went a lot better but still very tiring. Two days before we left we rode to the mall for last minute shopping and then back to the practice field. We managed a tiny bit better but still not confidence inspiring.
Wednesday night we packed the bike and laid out our gear to be on our way at 7 the next morning.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
So it was that we said our good byes and headed off to Simonstown and then onto Wellington and Bains kloof. Our first stop was at the look out near the top.
The weather was fine the trip was under way at last, you all know that feeling, and life was great. We cautiously wound our way to Ceres and, with a stop for some biltong, grog and breakfast at the wimpy, filled up with fuel and headed out for the R356 and Sutherland.
Our first real dirt, great trepidation – later on this would all seem rather silly- the first section of this road is great for training as it is like a gravel highway and then it slowly gets worse without you realising it. We practised standing up for a bit and then sitting down and repeated this a number of times. In fact we could not stand for too long as Jess still pulled me down a bit, but we were a lot better and starting to feel comfortable.
As the morning went it got hot so we stopped for a cool of and drinks break.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Through out the trip we would try and stop at either about 1 hour or 100kms unless there was a reason to stop sooner. This suited us quiet well.
At Sutherland we stopped at the shop for Coke and then pushed on to Fraserburg. I guess they do not get much traffic on that road as a blue Pajero coming from the Observatory slowed at the intersection and then just turned right across our bows causing a bit of apprehension.
After travelling awhile on the the R356 we came across a Road Closed sign.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
This was at a point where there was a fork in the road.( I later learned that this is the “om die berg” or the scenic route) My logic was that if the one fork has a closed sign the other must be better. Jessica was saying the road looks good so keep on straight, but me being rather correct took the fork to the right. Needless to say the quality of the road went downhill quickly. I was getting a lot of I told you so's from the pillion. We came across a farmer who informed me that the road was “uiters sleg en daar is n mooilke pass voor, julle moet omdraai” at this point his worker on the back says “ nee manier, daar was n mashine op die pad” at this point the farmer says okay carry on its fine. Needless to say the road had not seen a “mashin” in a long time and it had extensive rain damage. The rest of the afternoon turned into a crash course of technical riding. Jessica was a star and our confidence grew. We had sand, pebbles, water crossings, a washed out road and an eroded mountain pass as well as some sheep adding an extra bit of interest to an already interesting sand section.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
When the road started to get better we stopped for an afternoon drink, which was also to become a routine, sitting in the road not a soul nearby what bliss. We then pushed on for Fraserbug and could see it getting closer. The road as you approach is flat and runs virtually next to the village heading to a T junction with the the R356. A bakkie turns out of a field with some guys on the back and is about 200meters in front of us, this flat road is now one big mud puddle after the other, we are up on the pegs and I can see the guys on the slithering bakkie watching us as we gently work there way through and around the water, I can feel they are just waiting for us to go down. I am saying to myself please not now we are so close to our overnight stop, we have one little scare where I look at the mud on an the exit to the water and head straight for it, but with great relief we make it.
It is now late afternoon, after 6pm, so we head for the Kliphuis and enquire about rooms. They are out of our budget and so we decide to camp. At the camp the bike side stand just sinks in the mud and it falls over, the campsite is also very wet and muddy so we seek out an affordable B&B and find the Karoo Inn.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Great place and highly recommended. Later we head back to the Kliphuis for dinner and then have an early night.
We were both very tired and hungry.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Fraserburg is a lovely little town and I want to go back there.
Part1- Scarborough to Fraserburg (Trial Post)
Having been biking for about 4 years I felt that I wanted to do more than a weekend trip so when the Great Karoo gathering came up I decided that this was the chance to extend those weekend trips a bit. Shortly after the the GKC dates,18 to 20-03-2011, were posted on the Wilddog forum Pistonpete chirped that it was close too the WC bash, so not wanting to let the old airheads down I thought why not incorporate it as well.
So I now had the GKC at Nieu Bethesda and a week later the WC bash at Stonehenge. What was going to happen in between was of little concern to me at that stage.
My middle daughter Jessica was working on a Cruise liner out of Miami and was due to come back home on the 13th of March, I was leaving for the GKC early on the 17th. When she heard that I was leaving so soon after her arrival she staked her claim of the pillion seat. Now the only time she has ever been on the bike was for two lifts home from college, about 50km of tar. I tried my best to dissuade her as a. I was pretty sure that she did not know what she was letting herself into. b. This was supposed to be a solo - extend the skills - type of ride and c. I have not ridden with a pillion off road and did not want to hurt my daughter. But Jessica was adamant. Later on in the trip she pleaded ignorance of inviting herself and blamed it on the time lag – every time she phoned it was early hours of the morning and she was feeling talkative courtesy of Southern Comfort.
So as we got closer to the time the bike, a 1996 BMW GS Kalahari, was serviced, a new rear tyre purchased, along with self inflating mattresses etc.
Riding kit also had to be obtained for Jessica. So a new Richa Airflow jacket, Maverick MX boots, Klim dakar pants for dad (his old ones went to Jess), gloves and helmet from Mom and rain-suit pants from a friend. All ready waiting her return.
Fortunately she arrived home two weeks early which was to give us some time time on the bike, or so I thought. We took one 30km ride and around Cape Point and then tried to ride some cones. What a disaster the cones were. She was hanging onto me, I was exhausted after 10 meters and we could not make the cones. How were we ever going to do this. Those who ride dirt with pillions suddenly went right up in my esteem. We gave it a break for a few days, Jess was always busy. We then tried again but just rode around, off road, in big circles whilst standing. This went a lot better but still very tiring. Two days before we left we rode to the mall for last minute shopping and then back to the practice field. We managed a tiny bit better but still not confidence inspiring.
Wednesday night we packed the bike and laid out our gear to be on our way at 7 the next morning.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
So it was that we said our good byes and headed off to Simonstown and then onto Wellington and Bains kloof. Our first stop was at the look out near the top.
The weather was fine the trip was under way at last, you all know that feeling, and life was great. We cautiously wound our way to Ceres and, with a stop for some biltong, grog and breakfast at the wimpy, filled up with fuel and headed out for the R356 and Sutherland.
Our first real dirt, great trepidation – later on this would all seem rather silly- the first section of this road is great for training as it is like a gravel highway and then it slowly gets worse without you realising it. We practised standing up for a bit and then sitting down and repeated this a number of times. In fact we could not stand for too long as Jess still pulled me down a bit, but we were a lot better and starting to feel comfortable.
As the morning went it got hot so we stopped for a cool of and drinks break.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Through out the trip we would try and stop at either about 1 hour or 100kms unless there was a reason to stop sooner. This suited us quiet well.
At Sutherland we stopped at the shop for Coke and then pushed on to Fraserburg. I guess they do not get much traffic on that road as a blue Pajero coming from the Observatory slowed at the intersection and then just turned right across our bows causing a bit of apprehension.
After travelling awhile on the the R356 we came across a Road Closed sign.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
This was at a point where there was a fork in the road.( I later learned that this is the “om die berg” or the scenic route) My logic was that if the one fork has a closed sign the other must be better. Jessica was saying the road looks good so keep on straight, but me being rather correct took the fork to the right. Needless to say the quality of the road went downhill quickly. I was getting a lot of I told you so's from the pillion. We came across a farmer who informed me that the road was “uiters sleg en daar is n mooilke pass voor, julle moet omdraai” at this point his worker on the back says “ nee manier, daar was n mashine op die pad” at this point the farmer says okay carry on its fine. Needless to say the road had not seen a “mashin” in a long time and it had extensive rain damage. The rest of the afternoon turned into a crash course of technical riding. Jessica was a star and our confidence grew. We had sand, pebbles, water crossings, a washed out road and an eroded mountain pass as well as some sheep adding an extra bit of interest to an already interesting sand section.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
When the road started to get better we stopped for an afternoon drink, which was also to become a routine, sitting in the road not a soul nearby what bliss. We then pushed on for Fraserbug and could see it getting closer. The road as you approach is flat and runs virtually next to the village heading to a T junction with the the R356. A bakkie turns out of a field with some guys on the back and is about 200meters in front of us, this flat road is now one big mud puddle after the other, we are up on the pegs and I can see the guys on the slithering bakkie watching us as we gently work there way through and around the water, I can feel they are just waiting for us to go down. I am saying to myself please not now we are so close to our overnight stop, we have one little scare where I look at the mud on an the exit to the water and head straight for it, but with great relief we make it.
It is now late afternoon, after 6pm, so we head for the Kliphuis and enquire about rooms. They are out of our budget and so we decide to camp. At the camp the bike side stand just sinks in the mud and it falls over, the campsite is also very wet and muddy so we seek out an affordable B&B and find the Karoo Inn.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Great place and highly recommended. Later we head back to the Kliphuis for dinner and then have an early night.
We were both very tired and hungry.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Fraserburg is a lovely little town and I want to go back there.
