cloudgazer
Grey Hound
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2007
- Messages
- 5,135
- Reaction score
- 5
- Bike
- BMW F650GS / Dakar
I used to love travelling solo. Then when my daughter was born I sold my beloved Dakar (like an idiot).
I was without an adventure bike for a couple of years. Then I purchased a KTM640adv.
I did 2 short trips on that bike with a mate before it was stolen.
Last year I got myself another Dakar just before Corona swept the world. I managed to do a quick trip to the cederberg and tankwa between the 2 Covid waves, again with a mate.
Last week it was time to rediscover my mojo, time to fly solo again.
I’m not as fit as I once was – haven’t been to gym in years – and I’m a good deal older, so didn’t feel like really pushing any boundries. The purpose of this trip was merely to unplug and decompress and spend some nights under the stars.
Day 1 was an all-tar affair. I rode to warmwaterberg via Franschoek where I visited my mum. From there it was up the pass to montagu and barrydale, with a quick stop over at Ronnies, before setting up camp at Warmwaterberg Spa.
I spent some time chilling in the hot waters, chatting to some locals, and making a fire for din.
Absolute bliss.
Day 2 was considerably much more fun. 100kms of dirt to Touws Rivier, going through the Sanboni game park.
I was stopped at the gate and have to wait for 40 min for an escort through the reserve. I got to see some Kudu, Zebra and elephants, but wasn’t allowed to stop for pics.
I refueled at Touws Rivier and barreled along the tar to Op Die Berg, and finally in the Cederberg. Destination: Cederberg Oasis.
It was nice and quiet (only one other couple there). Spare Ribs and lotsa wine for din.
It started raining in the early hours of the morning, and there was a big storm on the way. I managed to break camp in record time and managed to get back on to the tar before it really started pissing down.
And holy hell did it start coming down! At one point between Op Die Berg and Ceres it was like travelling through solid sheets of water. The large trucks coming in the opposite direction didn’t help.
By the time I got to Ceres I resembled a drowned rat – I was soaked through.
I was even wearing an industrial style water jacket over my adventure jacket – and it didn’t help. Hell, water even managed to make it through my ATG dry bag.
I bumped into a bunch of adventure riders at Ceres who were giving up their ride and seeking accommodation for the night. I considered doing the same – but then decided to push on, the weather got a bit better, but not much.
The waterfalls in the Du Toitskloof mountains before the Huguenot tunnel were truly spectacular. I’ve never seen them like that before. Absolutely awesome.
My luck changed on the other side of the tunnel and I had a fairly dry ride past Paarl and back into CT.
Links to the routes of day 1 and day 2:
(i dont know how to embed videos)
https://www.relive.cc/view/v26MGwZmz3v
https://www.relive.cc/view/vAOZPYywVoq
I was without an adventure bike for a couple of years. Then I purchased a KTM640adv.
I did 2 short trips on that bike with a mate before it was stolen.
Last year I got myself another Dakar just before Corona swept the world. I managed to do a quick trip to the cederberg and tankwa between the 2 Covid waves, again with a mate.
Last week it was time to rediscover my mojo, time to fly solo again.
I’m not as fit as I once was – haven’t been to gym in years – and I’m a good deal older, so didn’t feel like really pushing any boundries. The purpose of this trip was merely to unplug and decompress and spend some nights under the stars.
Day 1 was an all-tar affair. I rode to warmwaterberg via Franschoek where I visited my mum. From there it was up the pass to montagu and barrydale, with a quick stop over at Ronnies, before setting up camp at Warmwaterberg Spa.
I spent some time chilling in the hot waters, chatting to some locals, and making a fire for din.
Absolute bliss.
Day 2 was considerably much more fun. 100kms of dirt to Touws Rivier, going through the Sanboni game park.
I was stopped at the gate and have to wait for 40 min for an escort through the reserve. I got to see some Kudu, Zebra and elephants, but wasn’t allowed to stop for pics.
I refueled at Touws Rivier and barreled along the tar to Op Die Berg, and finally in the Cederberg. Destination: Cederberg Oasis.
It was nice and quiet (only one other couple there). Spare Ribs and lotsa wine for din.
It started raining in the early hours of the morning, and there was a big storm on the way. I managed to break camp in record time and managed to get back on to the tar before it really started pissing down.
And holy hell did it start coming down! At one point between Op Die Berg and Ceres it was like travelling through solid sheets of water. The large trucks coming in the opposite direction didn’t help.
By the time I got to Ceres I resembled a drowned rat – I was soaked through.
I was even wearing an industrial style water jacket over my adventure jacket – and it didn’t help. Hell, water even managed to make it through my ATG dry bag.
I bumped into a bunch of adventure riders at Ceres who were giving up their ride and seeking accommodation for the night. I considered doing the same – but then decided to push on, the weather got a bit better, but not much.
The waterfalls in the Du Toitskloof mountains before the Huguenot tunnel were truly spectacular. I’ve never seen them like that before. Absolutely awesome.
My luck changed on the other side of the tunnel and I had a fairly dry ride past Paarl and back into CT.
Links to the routes of day 1 and day 2:
(i dont know how to embed videos)
https://www.relive.cc/view/v26MGwZmz3v
https://www.relive.cc/view/vAOZPYywVoq
