Geoff
Pack Dog
What an experience .
A big thank you to Trailrider and Mrs Trailrider who spent quite some time organising the trip ,initially as we all know it was going to be to show Jaqhama around the George side of the world ,what a pity Jaqhama could'nt make it .Everybody there especially Trailrider could have ripped off an Australian and not just poor old Scooter from the big US of A .We could maybe have had some chirps about sheep and not just oil .I'm sure Scooter would have enjoyed the spreading of the load . :lol:
My perspective of the trip when going through Baviaans does not unfortunately have action shots as everybody had finished off doing their bit and had got through the action by the time I arrived .
On Thurs I was itching to go ,I eventually left work about 1ish and headed down towards the Storms River Bridge ,stopped for a quick drink and refuel and aimed for the Bloukrans/Natures Valley pass and Plett .
Bottom of Natures Valley
I had arranged to stay at a B&B about 12k's outside Plett called Bellamanga Country House,basically on a farm right on the edge of the forest .I booked in and was told to chuck my kit down and come join everybody in the bar for a drink and barbeque .I say barbeque cause the owners from the UK have only been here for three years ,they bought the farm in a derelict condition and have converted it into a lovely establishment .
Their farmer neighbour joined us for the braai and the usual British flair and humour controlled the evening and in the end I had to break away to ensure I got enough sleep as although very excited I was still a little bit nervous in what the following day would entail .
Waiting for the fire around the braai area.
The rondavel I stayed in for the night .Downstairs one,looks quite small in the photo but inside there is enough room to swing the preverbial cat .This was taken on the Fri morning just before leaving and as you can see it was completely overcast and tanking down with rain .In fact I've never ridden in such heavy rain .
The hosts Ray,Fiona and their neighbour after I'd been there a while.
I then headed for George taking it easy in the continous downpour .As I arrived in George a bike pulls up next to me while waiting for the traffic lights to change and this voice bellows " howzit I'm Gravelmad " .I proceeded to get us lost and eventually Gravelmad popped in at a Spar and got directions to the meeting point .
As the pub only opened at 12ish or something like that Bojangles organised for the owner to open explaining that we just where using it as a meeting point .The guys started pouring in and before you knew it omlettes and coffee where ordered .So much for just meeting and getting out of the rain.
I kinda sat on the bench and just watched as these mean looking riders with MX boots and Fox kit came and introduced themselves as they arrived .
Eventually everybody was ready and we headed for Montague Pass to start the ride .
Trailrider,Mrs Trailrider and Scooter at the first quick gathering point to ensure everybody was there.
Halfway up at Fiela's se kind or something along those lines I was still nervous and was'nt taking much in at that stage .
About 2k's further up I saw this,stopped and took the photo ,it was about this time that my brain woke up and started to appreciate why I was there and what I was looking at .
We all gathered at the start of the next stage at the tar intersection and then headed off again ,Gravelmad on the right,Scooter on the KLR .
Some scenery shots while on the way to Uniondale .
In Uniondale we all fueled up had a smoke break and hit the road for Baviaans .
The first glimpse of what landscape we where heading for .
Red and Stephan where allready there when we arrived and we all ensued to unpack,pitch tents etc .
The 4X4 arrived and unpacked ,or should I say the house on wheels arrived and unpacked . :lol:
The rear of the twin cab is kitted out with the most amazing sliding system all in stainless steel which slides over the tailgate bringing the kitchen sink and all with it .
We then all gathered and watched how Mike and Scooter changed a tyre on Scooters KLR ,it was at this stage after Mike had pulled out his huge tyre levers that I realised that although mine might fit in my tool bag the reality was that I think they are far to small to be effective to change a tyre while out in the sticks .
Gravelmad giving Scooter advice on how to put the wheel back on .
The Cape Town boys had had a bit of a mishap on the way up to the meeting point which resulted in a bakkie being seconded from Cape Town to pick up one of the riders and bike and bring it to Baviaans after we arrived .
The bike arrived and the bike being a Loncin prompted a rather large discussion on who N-Gin was .
Various shots around the camp fire as we waited for the potjie to be ready ,which was ready at about 10ish if my memory serves me correctly .Needless to say everybody was rather hungry by then
Saturday morning arrived and a group of us headed for a ride ,Newguy,Paramed and myself ended up being the second group to leave and spent the rest of the morning heading towards Patensie ,the ride was challenging to say the least and resulted in me having my first off on the bike.
I turned around came back from the direction we had come and flagged this guy down to get a photo ,later on I found out that someone else in our group had requested the same ,apparently he then requested a charge to have his photo taken .
On one of the smoke brakes we noticed that parameds top box had broken at two of the welded spots ,decided to take it off ,stash it in the bush and pick it up on the way back .At this stage we where still pretty fresh and did'nt realise how much further we still had to go .
Some more scenery shots .There's a kudu behind the bush if you can see it.
Geoff's corner .
I started nicely on the left and then gradually faded to the right and into SH1T .Initally I thought my front end had washed out however Newguy who was right behind me said that my back just swung around and out .
Paramed and myself getting the bike started again .Notice the tyre clogged up with mud .
My second wife at Patensie while having a great lunch .Headlight bracket fixed thanks to Scooter.
We all fuelled up again and headed back to the campsite ,there were'nt many stops for me after that as we where pushed for time and wanted to get back to the campsite before dark .My off had rattled me and I had lost all confidence on the mud and as such was slow on the way back .The guys waited for me at selected spots but I did not want to hold anybody up taking photo's .
There had been a large mud section on the plateu(sp) of the mountain on the way to Patensie which was challenging,after all the 4X4's had gone through the mud during the day this section was hectic on the way back and resulted in many a laugh for everybody ,I'm sure photo's of this will follow as the guys get home etc .this obviously being one of the selected spots .
Paramed and I hit the gravel towards the end where it was kinda dry and opened the throttle's and made up some good time arriving back at camp just before 18h00.
There was some drama with Mike getting lost and eventually riding into camp after 12 that night having been all the way back to Hankie on the dirt via a different route hitting the tar,N2 ,Joubertina Uniondale and then eventually back to the campsite .Appreciate that he started riding at about 08h30 the previous morning .We where all pretty relieved and hit the sack .
Sun arrived and we all packed up ,headed for Uniondale where Newguys bike packed up and was added to the bakkie from Cape Town.
I was supposed to go to Wilderness with everybody for the Sun night ,admittedly apart from the fact that I was pretty knackered I did not feel like riding all the way back from Wilderness without a screen so I selected to hook a left just before Avontuur and headed for home .
This was my first trip with any of the forum members ,thanks to all who I met ,a great bunch of likeminded men and women,the humour was fast and furious and Gravelmads laugh was almost as loud as Paremeds car exhaust on his bike .Is that really true ?
I had a great time .
A big thank you to Trailrider and Mrs Trailrider who spent quite some time organising the trip ,initially as we all know it was going to be to show Jaqhama around the George side of the world ,what a pity Jaqhama could'nt make it .Everybody there especially Trailrider could have ripped off an Australian and not just poor old Scooter from the big US of A .We could maybe have had some chirps about sheep and not just oil .I'm sure Scooter would have enjoyed the spreading of the load . :lol:
My perspective of the trip when going through Baviaans does not unfortunately have action shots as everybody had finished off doing their bit and had got through the action by the time I arrived .
On Thurs I was itching to go ,I eventually left work about 1ish and headed down towards the Storms River Bridge ,stopped for a quick drink and refuel and aimed for the Bloukrans/Natures Valley pass and Plett .
Bottom of Natures Valley
I had arranged to stay at a B&B about 12k's outside Plett called Bellamanga Country House,basically on a farm right on the edge of the forest .I booked in and was told to chuck my kit down and come join everybody in the bar for a drink and barbeque .I say barbeque cause the owners from the UK have only been here for three years ,they bought the farm in a derelict condition and have converted it into a lovely establishment .
Their farmer neighbour joined us for the braai and the usual British flair and humour controlled the evening and in the end I had to break away to ensure I got enough sleep as although very excited I was still a little bit nervous in what the following day would entail .
Waiting for the fire around the braai area.
The rondavel I stayed in for the night .Downstairs one,looks quite small in the photo but inside there is enough room to swing the preverbial cat .This was taken on the Fri morning just before leaving and as you can see it was completely overcast and tanking down with rain .In fact I've never ridden in such heavy rain .
The hosts Ray,Fiona and their neighbour after I'd been there a while.
I then headed for George taking it easy in the continous downpour .As I arrived in George a bike pulls up next to me while waiting for the traffic lights to change and this voice bellows " howzit I'm Gravelmad " .I proceeded to get us lost and eventually Gravelmad popped in at a Spar and got directions to the meeting point .
As the pub only opened at 12ish or something like that Bojangles organised for the owner to open explaining that we just where using it as a meeting point .The guys started pouring in and before you knew it omlettes and coffee where ordered .So much for just meeting and getting out of the rain.
I kinda sat on the bench and just watched as these mean looking riders with MX boots and Fox kit came and introduced themselves as they arrived .
Eventually everybody was ready and we headed for Montague Pass to start the ride .
Trailrider,Mrs Trailrider and Scooter at the first quick gathering point to ensure everybody was there.
Halfway up at Fiela's se kind or something along those lines I was still nervous and was'nt taking much in at that stage .
About 2k's further up I saw this,stopped and took the photo ,it was about this time that my brain woke up and started to appreciate why I was there and what I was looking at .
We all gathered at the start of the next stage at the tar intersection and then headed off again ,Gravelmad on the right,Scooter on the KLR .
Some scenery shots while on the way to Uniondale .
In Uniondale we all fueled up had a smoke break and hit the road for Baviaans .
The first glimpse of what landscape we where heading for .
Red and Stephan where allready there when we arrived and we all ensued to unpack,pitch tents etc .
The 4X4 arrived and unpacked ,or should I say the house on wheels arrived and unpacked . :lol:
The rear of the twin cab is kitted out with the most amazing sliding system all in stainless steel which slides over the tailgate bringing the kitchen sink and all with it .
We then all gathered and watched how Mike and Scooter changed a tyre on Scooters KLR ,it was at this stage after Mike had pulled out his huge tyre levers that I realised that although mine might fit in my tool bag the reality was that I think they are far to small to be effective to change a tyre while out in the sticks .
Gravelmad giving Scooter advice on how to put the wheel back on .
The Cape Town boys had had a bit of a mishap on the way up to the meeting point which resulted in a bakkie being seconded from Cape Town to pick up one of the riders and bike and bring it to Baviaans after we arrived .
The bike arrived and the bike being a Loncin prompted a rather large discussion on who N-Gin was .
Various shots around the camp fire as we waited for the potjie to be ready ,which was ready at about 10ish if my memory serves me correctly .Needless to say everybody was rather hungry by then
Saturday morning arrived and a group of us headed for a ride ,Newguy,Paramed and myself ended up being the second group to leave and spent the rest of the morning heading towards Patensie ,the ride was challenging to say the least and resulted in me having my first off on the bike.
I turned around came back from the direction we had come and flagged this guy down to get a photo ,later on I found out that someone else in our group had requested the same ,apparently he then requested a charge to have his photo taken .
On one of the smoke brakes we noticed that parameds top box had broken at two of the welded spots ,decided to take it off ,stash it in the bush and pick it up on the way back .At this stage we where still pretty fresh and did'nt realise how much further we still had to go .
Some more scenery shots .There's a kudu behind the bush if you can see it.
Geoff's corner .
I started nicely on the left and then gradually faded to the right and into SH1T .Initally I thought my front end had washed out however Newguy who was right behind me said that my back just swung around and out .
Paramed and myself getting the bike started again .Notice the tyre clogged up with mud .
My second wife at Patensie while having a great lunch .Headlight bracket fixed thanks to Scooter.
We all fuelled up again and headed back to the campsite ,there were'nt many stops for me after that as we where pushed for time and wanted to get back to the campsite before dark .My off had rattled me and I had lost all confidence on the mud and as such was slow on the way back .The guys waited for me at selected spots but I did not want to hold anybody up taking photo's .
There had been a large mud section on the plateu(sp) of the mountain on the way to Patensie which was challenging,after all the 4X4's had gone through the mud during the day this section was hectic on the way back and resulted in many a laugh for everybody ,I'm sure photo's of this will follow as the guys get home etc .this obviously being one of the selected spots .
Paramed and I hit the gravel towards the end where it was kinda dry and opened the throttle's and made up some good time arriving back at camp just before 18h00.
There was some drama with Mike getting lost and eventually riding into camp after 12 that night having been all the way back to Hankie on the dirt via a different route hitting the tar,N2 ,Joubertina Uniondale and then eventually back to the campsite .Appreciate that he started riding at about 08h30 the previous morning .We where all pretty relieved and hit the sack .
Sun arrived and we all packed up ,headed for Uniondale where Newguys bike packed up and was added to the bakkie from Cape Town.
I was supposed to go to Wilderness with everybody for the Sun night ,admittedly apart from the fact that I was pretty knackered I did not feel like riding all the way back from Wilderness without a screen so I selected to hook a left just before Avontuur and headed for home .
This was my first trip with any of the forum members ,thanks to all who I met ,a great bunch of likeminded men and women,the humour was fast and furious and Gravelmads laugh was almost as loud as Paremeds car exhaust on his bike .Is that really true ?
I had a great time .
