Gadgeteer
Pack Dog
Myself and my girlfriend took an epic ride via Clanwilliam and Wuppertal and back over the 4x4 trail back through Cederberg Mountains to Cape Town on 29th December 2011. About 590km in all. We stopped at Louis Leipoldt's grave and found a geocache there. Also made a stop at the Englishman's Grave. Then into Wuppertal to see a corpse being removed of someone that was murdered (recently). Had lunch in Wuppertal and on the way out the low drift bridge was blocked by a bakkie whose owner had locked it and lost his keys. I made a 45 degree descent into the river and waded through and up over the loose stones on the other side (my first real river crossing). Then we ascended sharply up the worst 4x4 track that I've ever seen to the summit of Wuppertal Pass. A bit further on we hit some deep soft sand and although I was doing 10km/h we took a soft fall. We passed one 4x4 during the next 40km plus of pretty bad road before we reached the turn off for Kromrivier where the gravel road improved dramatically. All in all a tought ride but despite a river crossing, a fall in the sand, and the bottom plate hitting the road a few times... the bike went very well and believe it or not about 11 hours later we are also feeling fine! You can download the GPS track from https://gadgeteer.co.za/?attachment_id=900. I have posted a few of the bike related photos here and the full set can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvdmerwe/sets/72157628633009199/.
At Louis Leipoldt's Grave:
Bike at Englishman's Grave:
Bakkie was blocking the bridge and driver had lost the keys..... I have to go through the river to get across.... LOL the 4x4 on the other side could not and was stuck there:
Closer view of blocked bridge.... I crossed on the left side:
4x4's Only..... or Adventure Bikes!
Steep Ascent up Wuppertal Pass:
Fall in the soft sand.... damn this bike is heavy to pick up!
Crossing a river:
Drinks break along the hot trail:
GPS track of the Wuppertal loop:
Google Earth view of the Wuppertal Pass ascent:
At Louis Leipoldt's Grave:
Bike at Englishman's Grave:
Bakkie was blocking the bridge and driver had lost the keys..... I have to go through the river to get across.... LOL the 4x4 on the other side could not and was stuck there:
Closer view of blocked bridge.... I crossed on the left side:
4x4's Only..... or Adventure Bikes!
Steep Ascent up Wuppertal Pass:
Fall in the soft sand.... damn this bike is heavy to pick up!
Crossing a river:
Drinks break along the hot trail:
GPS track of the Wuppertal loop:
Google Earth view of the Wuppertal Pass ascent: