Sho`t Left
Pack Dog
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2009
- Messages
- 98
- Reaction score
- 8
- Bike
- Honda CRF-1000L Africa Twin
Sat. 06 Mar 2010 (511kms) (JHB > Koppies Dam Nature Reserve > Moratuwa
Game Reserve > Golden Gate Highlands National park > Phuthaditjhaba)
This trip turned out to be a solo trip because I have never done a trip alone :ricky: It always involved a big group of guys over the past few years. Some of the guys on the mail group asked me why they haven't been invited and my reply to them was that I didn't want to hi-jack the Pyjama Party that was held in Barberton.
So, I started servicing my bike a week before this trip for a week and I had it stripped down to the
metal. Actually I’m not comfortable taking on a trip with a recently serviced bike or car for that
matter. Therefore I had to double check everything and make sure all bolts and hoses are tight. I
actually wanted to strip down my fuel pump as well to check up on the contacts but I have a lot of
faith in my conversion I had made a while back. Besides, I do keep a spare fuel pump under the seat,
along with a whole lot of other spares, that I'll probably never need.
Nevertheless, I left home at 8h00 sharp and down the N1 and off on the R57, when my GPS started
to get the freaky shakes. It switched on and off non-stop. It did this previously, but this time round
my touch screen went bonkers too and started zooming out like mad (1200km scale) WTF??? I
calibrated the touch screen as I thought that maybe this will sort it out but it was still messed up. I
refused to let the GPS dampen my spirit. Besides, I had my Nokia N96 with all the latest Maps, even
Tracks for Africa on it for peace of mind. The problem would be though, that I can only keep it in my
pocket... At least the Garmin held up a bit and the the zooming out stopped and it was now only
switching off intermittently when I hit a bad bump. I almost forgot to mention that I stripped open
the Garmin at home 2 days before my trip to see if it is not maybe the on and off switch that is worn
out. Only the night after doing Golden Gate, I decided to change the 10A fuse that feeds my Cig
Lighter adapter. Somehow, I had it in the back of my head that I have changed this fuse before, after
which the problem persisted. And for a second there when riding through Sasolburg I thought that “I
wish they can make GPS’s as reliable as my Honda; Luckily the GPS I don’t have to ride, otherwise it
would be a disaster.” So, fitting a new fuse sorted out my navigational nightmare, and I started
gaining faith in this StreetPilot again that I love so much. The StreetPilot still uses a functional little
arrow to pin point your location on the map unlike the fancy new GPS’s nowadays that puts a 200m
long blue Ferrari (according to scale) on the road so that you can’t see the road you’re on. I managed
to put a bike on my N96 (the smallest custom pic I could find)
Anyway, I guess that sums up my GPS gripes:
After Sasolburg I went off the R57 and ventured off to all the S routes (gravel).
The S70 towards wolwehoek alongside the railway line. A beautiful gravel highway that makes for
good speed.
I saw this train alongside the S45 from Wolwehoek carrying a shipment of all sorts of brand new cars of all makes, from starter pack Tazz’s to top marquee exec saloons and SUV’s, stacked in double decks. I reckon that this train was about 3kms long, if not 5. Damn these Gauteng people can consume a lot of cars... quite clearly the recession is a thing of the past and almost a distant memory again.
On the S1098:
This is where my heart skipped a beat. When you’re a bunch of dirt riders together this isn’t really something to write home about, but being alone changes things a little and when I plotted this route for myself I figured that since I’ll be riding solo (actually not, I had the companionship of my trusty African Twin) I won’t be taking on any technical stuff, but hey... this is what I had to deal with. This was technical stuff just walking on, let alone riding through it. I managed to negotiate my way through here on a very narrow dry path on the side, and I knew that even if I just slip a foot that I will be going down without a doubt, having to drag the bike out to only pick it up once reaching good tera firma. I could see evidence on the dry side, of cars that spun themselves out of orbit here in this mud, not remembering which direction they came from, but I was determined not to fall victim to this mud monster.
The S243 towards Koppies Dam: If you want a simulation of riding in loose sand than this is it. Perhaps a tad worse than loose sand at high speed, because you riding on marbles. Fortunately it only lasted about 5kms. It felt like the bike wasn’t really touching ground on this terrain.
Koppies Dam Nature Reserve. Isn’t she a beaut... the bike that is O0
Approaching Renoster Rivier
Renoster rivier on the S244
Route S1221:
Moratuwa Game Reserve:
Here I saw Buffalo, Ostrich, Impala - all sorts of buck, Jackal and Zebras running with wild horses. When I plotted this route as part of my trip I checked it out on the internet to make sure there are no animals that like chewing on car tyres or bikers for that matter. So, I did my homework, but when I got to the main gate that leads to the restaurant, I peeped over the solid gate and saw a sign that read: “Free roaming lions and other dangerous animals; enter at own risk” That obviously meant that I had to back track a good 10kms or so and head for the tarred roads to Heilbron and Bethlehem. When I checked with the Game Ranger, he hadn’t mentioned anything to me about lions. I guess he was hoping that the lions would score a free lunch off me... or maybe he didn’t realize I was riding a bike.
Anyway, while zooming past Heilbron, I was contemplating going pass VegKop as one of my riding mates suggested, but hey... History never interested me much. So I gave that a skip, because the quicker I can get to Golden Gate the more quality time I can spend taking in the breath-taking beauty of those yellow sandstone mountains.
About 5km on the N5 after Bethlehem I ventured onto my planned route; the S188
Route S188:
I only saw one Isuzu pickup on this road, thereafter not a single vehicle. For 65kms (2 hours) I was alone on this road. I have seen 2 okes on horses though.
Some minor splashes en-route as I haven’t ordered any “Camel Man” adventure stuff, coz remember
it’s a solo trip.
I seemed to have dodged all the cloud bursts, because when I came here the water was running down this road which also made me worry a bit, coz if the road goes down, it must go up again at some point, and it is normally at this low point where deep water crossings are to be negotiated.
Lucky for me, this is what I found... at least it was concrete; a walk in the park. I just had to make sure it wasn’t slippery with algae.
While riding I caught a glimpse of this phenomena and applied both anchors with great force to see this. It looks like the stuff I’ve seen on NatGeo channel (Biography of Planet Earth).
Co-ords: S28.24.617 E28.40.493
Route S22 in Golden Gate Reserve. It was here that I saw 3 GS bikers coming pass heading for Kestel.
The rock from the “Lion King” movie was also on display.
This guy is such a poser :laughing4:
On my way to Phuthaditjhaba
Amazing how the grass on these slopes only grows to a certain length. No one has to maintain it for its velvet appearance.
the Camp site below
I spent about 9 hours on & off the saddle, but what a nice day it was.
Sun. 07 Mar 2010 605 kms (Lesotho – Katse Dam)
Arrived at Caledonspoort Border Post at about 8h30. I was the only one there; got my passport stamped without the hassle of filling in forms etc. and I was on my way to the Lesotho post 200m over the Caledon river where I had to now fill in a form and pay 20 Maloti to enter, but still that was the quickest I ever crossed a border legally, but if you ride with some of my hooligan mates than you ride through the Caledon River instead.
The Caledon River
Entering the small and busy town Butha-Buthe
These people have simplistic lives, and one can observe that they do take pride in their surroundings, these structures are everywhere and the area is kept very clean... more than I can say of our local squatters around here in Gauteng. People are very friendly and I don’t think my hooter worked so much before. I sounded like a taxi sweeping up passengers.
Somehow, I figured that these kids still have it better than ours (that always needs to be locked in behind gates) enjoying the simple things that nature has to offer, although they don’t have it in abundance as ours. Sometimes you see 3 year old kids wandering in the middle of nowhere far away from villages, and yet, you don’t hear of kids going missing.
I thought that these huts here are kinda cute
Next to the A25:
I found the A25 to be twistier than the Mpumalanga Lowveld roads. It is very dangerous because there are lots of loose rocks and stones lying scattered across the road, but it nevertheless still makes for a good ride, but one has to be extremely careful and vigilant. I’ve seen cattle grazing in the oddest of places in these mountains and I tried to figure out how the hell they got there. It’s fine when climbing the western side of the mountain to Katse, because you ride on the outside of the tar road away from falling rocks as seen in the pic, but coming back you might want to consider riding on the right hand side of the road to keep away from it, because I reckon it could be fatal for a biker. So, when doing so, you need to scan the road way ahead for oncoming traffic that you may encounter. Oh, and I strongly recommend Michelin Anakee for this trip, as it will decrease your stopping distance tremendously... something I wouldn’t elaborate on
The pass on the left hand side. Altitude close to reaching the 3000m. What a view!
Elevation = 3097m.
Descending towards Katse Dam. I estimate the water level of Katse should be about 2000m above sea level
Taking photo's of the laaities while having a snack in the little shade the bridge offer
One of these bigger laities dared me to come and dive with them off the Bridge for a swim. A few of the smaller ones are butt naked, walking the street.
I found this little town Ha Lejone very clean
One amazing trip. I need to do this more often. Arrived home at 17h00 exactly. The last 240 kms from Bethlehem the Africa Twin did in exactly one and a half hours.
Game Reserve > Golden Gate Highlands National park > Phuthaditjhaba)
This trip turned out to be a solo trip because I have never done a trip alone :ricky: It always involved a big group of guys over the past few years. Some of the guys on the mail group asked me why they haven't been invited and my reply to them was that I didn't want to hi-jack the Pyjama Party that was held in Barberton.
So, I started servicing my bike a week before this trip for a week and I had it stripped down to the
metal. Actually I’m not comfortable taking on a trip with a recently serviced bike or car for that
matter. Therefore I had to double check everything and make sure all bolts and hoses are tight. I
actually wanted to strip down my fuel pump as well to check up on the contacts but I have a lot of
faith in my conversion I had made a while back. Besides, I do keep a spare fuel pump under the seat,
along with a whole lot of other spares, that I'll probably never need.
Nevertheless, I left home at 8h00 sharp and down the N1 and off on the R57, when my GPS started
to get the freaky shakes. It switched on and off non-stop. It did this previously, but this time round
my touch screen went bonkers too and started zooming out like mad (1200km scale) WTF??? I
calibrated the touch screen as I thought that maybe this will sort it out but it was still messed up. I
refused to let the GPS dampen my spirit. Besides, I had my Nokia N96 with all the latest Maps, even
Tracks for Africa on it for peace of mind. The problem would be though, that I can only keep it in my
pocket... At least the Garmin held up a bit and the the zooming out stopped and it was now only
switching off intermittently when I hit a bad bump. I almost forgot to mention that I stripped open
the Garmin at home 2 days before my trip to see if it is not maybe the on and off switch that is worn
out. Only the night after doing Golden Gate, I decided to change the 10A fuse that feeds my Cig
Lighter adapter. Somehow, I had it in the back of my head that I have changed this fuse before, after
which the problem persisted. And for a second there when riding through Sasolburg I thought that “I
wish they can make GPS’s as reliable as my Honda; Luckily the GPS I don’t have to ride, otherwise it
would be a disaster.” So, fitting a new fuse sorted out my navigational nightmare, and I started
gaining faith in this StreetPilot again that I love so much. The StreetPilot still uses a functional little
arrow to pin point your location on the map unlike the fancy new GPS’s nowadays that puts a 200m
long blue Ferrari (according to scale) on the road so that you can’t see the road you’re on. I managed
to put a bike on my N96 (the smallest custom pic I could find)
Anyway, I guess that sums up my GPS gripes:
After Sasolburg I went off the R57 and ventured off to all the S routes (gravel).
The S70 towards wolwehoek alongside the railway line. A beautiful gravel highway that makes for
good speed.
I saw this train alongside the S45 from Wolwehoek carrying a shipment of all sorts of brand new cars of all makes, from starter pack Tazz’s to top marquee exec saloons and SUV’s, stacked in double decks. I reckon that this train was about 3kms long, if not 5. Damn these Gauteng people can consume a lot of cars... quite clearly the recession is a thing of the past and almost a distant memory again.
On the S1098:
This is where my heart skipped a beat. When you’re a bunch of dirt riders together this isn’t really something to write home about, but being alone changes things a little and when I plotted this route for myself I figured that since I’ll be riding solo (actually not, I had the companionship of my trusty African Twin) I won’t be taking on any technical stuff, but hey... this is what I had to deal with. This was technical stuff just walking on, let alone riding through it. I managed to negotiate my way through here on a very narrow dry path on the side, and I knew that even if I just slip a foot that I will be going down without a doubt, having to drag the bike out to only pick it up once reaching good tera firma. I could see evidence on the dry side, of cars that spun themselves out of orbit here in this mud, not remembering which direction they came from, but I was determined not to fall victim to this mud monster.
The S243 towards Koppies Dam: If you want a simulation of riding in loose sand than this is it. Perhaps a tad worse than loose sand at high speed, because you riding on marbles. Fortunately it only lasted about 5kms. It felt like the bike wasn’t really touching ground on this terrain.
Koppies Dam Nature Reserve. Isn’t she a beaut... the bike that is O0
Approaching Renoster Rivier
Renoster rivier on the S244
Route S1221:
Moratuwa Game Reserve:
Here I saw Buffalo, Ostrich, Impala - all sorts of buck, Jackal and Zebras running with wild horses. When I plotted this route as part of my trip I checked it out on the internet to make sure there are no animals that like chewing on car tyres or bikers for that matter. So, I did my homework, but when I got to the main gate that leads to the restaurant, I peeped over the solid gate and saw a sign that read: “Free roaming lions and other dangerous animals; enter at own risk” That obviously meant that I had to back track a good 10kms or so and head for the tarred roads to Heilbron and Bethlehem. When I checked with the Game Ranger, he hadn’t mentioned anything to me about lions. I guess he was hoping that the lions would score a free lunch off me... or maybe he didn’t realize I was riding a bike.
Anyway, while zooming past Heilbron, I was contemplating going pass VegKop as one of my riding mates suggested, but hey... History never interested me much. So I gave that a skip, because the quicker I can get to Golden Gate the more quality time I can spend taking in the breath-taking beauty of those yellow sandstone mountains.
About 5km on the N5 after Bethlehem I ventured onto my planned route; the S188
Route S188:
I only saw one Isuzu pickup on this road, thereafter not a single vehicle. For 65kms (2 hours) I was alone on this road. I have seen 2 okes on horses though.
Some minor splashes en-route as I haven’t ordered any “Camel Man” adventure stuff, coz remember
it’s a solo trip.
I seemed to have dodged all the cloud bursts, because when I came here the water was running down this road which also made me worry a bit, coz if the road goes down, it must go up again at some point, and it is normally at this low point where deep water crossings are to be negotiated.
Lucky for me, this is what I found... at least it was concrete; a walk in the park. I just had to make sure it wasn’t slippery with algae.
While riding I caught a glimpse of this phenomena and applied both anchors with great force to see this. It looks like the stuff I’ve seen on NatGeo channel (Biography of Planet Earth).
Co-ords: S28.24.617 E28.40.493
Route S22 in Golden Gate Reserve. It was here that I saw 3 GS bikers coming pass heading for Kestel.
The rock from the “Lion King” movie was also on display.
This guy is such a poser :laughing4:
On my way to Phuthaditjhaba
Amazing how the grass on these slopes only grows to a certain length. No one has to maintain it for its velvet appearance.
the Camp site below
I spent about 9 hours on & off the saddle, but what a nice day it was.
Sun. 07 Mar 2010 605 kms (Lesotho – Katse Dam)
Arrived at Caledonspoort Border Post at about 8h30. I was the only one there; got my passport stamped without the hassle of filling in forms etc. and I was on my way to the Lesotho post 200m over the Caledon river where I had to now fill in a form and pay 20 Maloti to enter, but still that was the quickest I ever crossed a border legally, but if you ride with some of my hooligan mates than you ride through the Caledon River instead.
The Caledon River
Entering the small and busy town Butha-Buthe
These people have simplistic lives, and one can observe that they do take pride in their surroundings, these structures are everywhere and the area is kept very clean... more than I can say of our local squatters around here in Gauteng. People are very friendly and I don’t think my hooter worked so much before. I sounded like a taxi sweeping up passengers.
Somehow, I figured that these kids still have it better than ours (that always needs to be locked in behind gates) enjoying the simple things that nature has to offer, although they don’t have it in abundance as ours. Sometimes you see 3 year old kids wandering in the middle of nowhere far away from villages, and yet, you don’t hear of kids going missing.
I thought that these huts here are kinda cute
Next to the A25:
I found the A25 to be twistier than the Mpumalanga Lowveld roads. It is very dangerous because there are lots of loose rocks and stones lying scattered across the road, but it nevertheless still makes for a good ride, but one has to be extremely careful and vigilant. I’ve seen cattle grazing in the oddest of places in these mountains and I tried to figure out how the hell they got there. It’s fine when climbing the western side of the mountain to Katse, because you ride on the outside of the tar road away from falling rocks as seen in the pic, but coming back you might want to consider riding on the right hand side of the road to keep away from it, because I reckon it could be fatal for a biker. So, when doing so, you need to scan the road way ahead for oncoming traffic that you may encounter. Oh, and I strongly recommend Michelin Anakee for this trip, as it will decrease your stopping distance tremendously... something I wouldn’t elaborate on
The pass on the left hand side. Altitude close to reaching the 3000m. What a view!
Elevation = 3097m.
Descending towards Katse Dam. I estimate the water level of Katse should be about 2000m above sea level
Taking photo's of the laaities while having a snack in the little shade the bridge offer
One of these bigger laities dared me to come and dive with them off the Bridge for a swim. A few of the smaller ones are butt naked, walking the street.
I found this little town Ha Lejone very clean
One amazing trip. I need to do this more often. Arrived home at 17h00 exactly. The last 240 kms from Bethlehem the Africa Twin did in exactly one and a half hours.
