dieterj
Pack Dog
First of all, a BIG thanks to all the organizers of the bash, and of course all the members who made it so memorable. :hello2:
Originally I had intended to travel down with Pistol early on Friday morning, but fortunately I woke up to the fact that I was working in JHB on Thursday, with a good chance of things finishing early. So, 13h30 I was on my way, and traveled down an uneventful N1 to Winburg, made a few turns and ended up in Ladybrand, where I met up with Adventurer, Peaches, Cherry, Plothond, Oetie, Ratel and LM. A good dinner was had by all, and the next morning we set off (less Peaches & Cherry who had to return home), destination Hogsback!! Interrupted by a breakfast in Aliwal North.
After breakfast we did some tar and then some dirt, and eventually arrived at the entrance to Hogsback.
Plothond for some reason kneeling every time he spoke to his new mistress, or was he begging it for something?? Like forgiveness for parking it next to one of those â??other bikesâ?.
uke_r:
Rolled into the campsite, and immediately greeted by Trailrider shouting â??Posers to the left, other people this sideâ?. Not to be intimidated, we parked our bikes on the non-poser side and set up camp.
TR keeping us entertained. :jokercolor:
After a particularly well-behaved evening where not a drop of alcohol was served (Yeah, Right) :evil:, and a good nightâ??s sleep, I woke up to rain on the tent. After the shower, went for a walk around the town, which at that point could have been a great setting for a slasher â??it-came-out-of-the-fogâ? type movie.
The pub,
And the hogsback mall
The campsite before it became active for the day.
Saturday was spent with Eisbein, Trailrider, SnapCrackelPop and LetsGoFishing riding around town, to the Edge and the Eco-shrine. I was clever enough to have left my camera in the tent, so no pics. TR got a rear wheel puncture shortly after leaving the breakfast joint, and roadside repairs were attempted, to no avail. We then went back to the campsite, where Mike proceeded to teach us how to fix the puncture. After a couple of hours in the sun, not yet fixed, until a consultant in the form KTMJedi came and gave us (Mike and the Mechanics) a lesson in repairs. Boy, he made it look easy. We werenâ??t the best students, and all we got for our troubles was sunburn. BTW, great meeting you all. If I didn't manage to greet you before leaving, not intentional.
However, in the evening, the campsite looked something like thisâ?¦ (note the reflective paws)
Again a great evening was had by all with the spit/barrel-in-hole/braai, and good conversation.ccasion14: Also won an awesome prize.
The next morning, Shark and I set off on what was to be an epic ride back to Gauteng. We set off from Hogsback, along dirtâ?¦.
â?¦to Stutterheim. From there on to Elliot, Maclear, and up Naudeâ??s Nek pass.
Then down the pass again, and on to Matatiele. We had hoped to have arrived in Himeville at this point, which was still approx 130km away, but, eish, we was TIRED!! We had traveled about 650km, where easily 500 was on dirt, and some of it quite hard work. We stayed in a chalet at the campsite and got ready for an early start the next morning.
We managed to get going at about 05h30, hoping to get to the Sani border at 08h00. (Notice the topbox).
But��
We had traveled about 30km on a dirt road going to Mount Fletcher, consisting almost entirely of marbly rocks and stones. Try as we might, we could not get the puncture fixed â?? it had the tyreweld type gunk in it that stopped any patch from sticking to the 4!!! Holes in the tube. Eventually, the front wheel was hoisted on the sofa and back to Matatiele Speedyâ??s for a new tube. Somehow the guy got mixed up between 18â? and 21â?, but eventually the tube was in and inflated and looking pretty. Only to find that the sofaâ??s back wheel was flat. Being tubeless, managed to fix that one with my own handy kit and Speedyâ??s air, and it was off to where Shark was parked, with front wheel, sausage rolls and coke in hand.
The trip was the uneventful up to the border post, but soon after leaving the SA side, we came up on one of those concrete ditch things that lets water across the road without eroding the surface. Problem was 1)The ditch thing was quite deep, 2)Was full of rocks, and 3) The approach to the ditch was a steep incline, meaning that you didnâ??t see it until you felt it. Cooking up the hill in 2nd, and the sofa ended up high in the air. A hard landing, bottoming out all suspension, but with momentum still going, I continued up the hill. A little while later, looked back and saw top box missing. U-turn, and cursing the brackets and hinge thingy that had come loose once before, I found the topbox lying in the water, + tail light lens, + some other metal plate of unknown purpose. Interestingly enough, the topbox was still attached to the bracket, which was still attached to the frame, which wasnâ??t attached toâ?¦â?¦.$$$$.
See the tyre marks under the rear mudguardâ?¦.
Turns out the metal plate was the shock cover that had been ripped out, and wouldnâ??t you know it, the bashplate sheared on 3 of itâ??s 4 moorings.
Anyhow, the box hitched a ride with a tourbus, and we continued up to the pub, where we were greeted byâ?¦
And then��
Weâ??re at the top!!!
We left the pub around 13h00, after having some chow and organizing topbox logistics. Here are some of the pics along the way, although we were pushing the time and didnâ??t stop too often. All I can say is stunning scenery, and a return visit must be done soon, not just to retrieve the topbox with all my valuable WD bling!!
We left Lesotho around 17h30, with only a couple of rock-throwing threats, but many demands for sweets. Only additional mishaps were that Sharkâ??s GPS and Speedo stopped working â?? reason unknown. :dontknow:
We decided to haul ass back home rather than stay overnight somewhere. We made the N3 at Villiers just as the last light disappeared. Coffee at the fuel stop and it was off again. Note here that this is the first time that I had really been riding at night, normally avoiding it like the plague, but riding under a sky full of stars while staring through my visor started me thinking I was a NASA spaceman â?? â??Ground Control to Major Tom, take your protein pills and put your helmet onâ?. As the song goes, something in the rocket breaks and Major Tom is stranded in Space. Just then my back tyre blew out, a definite shift in the bikes handling, and I stopped on the side of the road. I started fixing the puncture, vowing that my next investment would be one of those head torch thingyâ??s since teeth arenâ??t made for holding a maglight. Alas, the hole was so big that the reaming tool rattled around in the hole, as did the plug. So, after using all my plugs and CO2 bombs, I still had that hissing sound I have come to dislike intensely after this weekend. Like Major Tom, I was stranded. I should have thought about Armstrong and Shuttleworth instead. :BangHead: However, in true WD fashion, since I couldnâ??t fix it, I did the next best thingâ?¦â?¦
��..I took a photo.
At this point, Shark was waiting for me at the De Hoek tollgate. I limped along to it, where we eagerly awaited the arrival of Mrs Shark, who was on her way with bakkie and loading paraphernalia. When she arrived, we loaded the sofa and rider onto the back, and drove back to Midrand, from where Shark then kindly transported us back to Pretoria. Arrived home about midnight, and Shark I guess about 00h30. A long day, with 740km up to the blow-out, and I guess about another 100km after that. Included 3 punctures, 1 lost luggage saga, Sani Pass, Lesotho, 2 x Border Crossings and recovery activities.
My last view of this awesome tripâ?¦..
Last notes:
Lessons learnt:
1. Soft luggage is king. Even if your bike sheds its frame, you can still tie it down with bungees, while a box is just clumsy.
2. Lesotho mustnâ??t be done in a hurry. Plan 300km a day max and enjoy the place.
3. Sofaâ??s donâ??t land well
4. From Saturdayâ??s class, only one tyre lever doesnâ??t help much, and the patch must be the right way up.
I also had an awesome riding partner. While I couldnâ??t keep up with him on the dirt, I didnâ??t entirely disgrace my name (I think), Shark always graciously waited for me when we came to crossings, etc., and sometimes came back to see what the matter was. And of course waiting for me at the toll gate when he didnâ??t see my light anymore. I learnt quite a bit by watching him take those corners, and was eventually taking the turns down Naudeâ??s Nek enduro style, sitting forward, leg out, plenty throttle. Shark, thanks for an awesome ride and a memorable trip. :notworthy:
Originally I had intended to travel down with Pistol early on Friday morning, but fortunately I woke up to the fact that I was working in JHB on Thursday, with a good chance of things finishing early. So, 13h30 I was on my way, and traveled down an uneventful N1 to Winburg, made a few turns and ended up in Ladybrand, where I met up with Adventurer, Peaches, Cherry, Plothond, Oetie, Ratel and LM. A good dinner was had by all, and the next morning we set off (less Peaches & Cherry who had to return home), destination Hogsback!! Interrupted by a breakfast in Aliwal North.
After breakfast we did some tar and then some dirt, and eventually arrived at the entrance to Hogsback.
Plothond for some reason kneeling every time he spoke to his new mistress, or was he begging it for something?? Like forgiveness for parking it next to one of those â??other bikesâ?.
uke_r:
Rolled into the campsite, and immediately greeted by Trailrider shouting â??Posers to the left, other people this sideâ?. Not to be intimidated, we parked our bikes on the non-poser side and set up camp.
TR keeping us entertained. :jokercolor:
After a particularly well-behaved evening where not a drop of alcohol was served (Yeah, Right) :evil:, and a good nightâ??s sleep, I woke up to rain on the tent. After the shower, went for a walk around the town, which at that point could have been a great setting for a slasher â??it-came-out-of-the-fogâ? type movie.
The pub,
And the hogsback mall
The campsite before it became active for the day.
Saturday was spent with Eisbein, Trailrider, SnapCrackelPop and LetsGoFishing riding around town, to the Edge and the Eco-shrine. I was clever enough to have left my camera in the tent, so no pics. TR got a rear wheel puncture shortly after leaving the breakfast joint, and roadside repairs were attempted, to no avail. We then went back to the campsite, where Mike proceeded to teach us how to fix the puncture. After a couple of hours in the sun, not yet fixed, until a consultant in the form KTMJedi came and gave us (Mike and the Mechanics) a lesson in repairs. Boy, he made it look easy. We werenâ??t the best students, and all we got for our troubles was sunburn. BTW, great meeting you all. If I didn't manage to greet you before leaving, not intentional.
However, in the evening, the campsite looked something like thisâ?¦ (note the reflective paws)
Again a great evening was had by all with the spit/barrel-in-hole/braai, and good conversation.
ccasion14: Also won an awesome prize.The next morning, Shark and I set off on what was to be an epic ride back to Gauteng. We set off from Hogsback, along dirtâ?¦.
â?¦to Stutterheim. From there on to Elliot, Maclear, and up Naudeâ??s Nek pass.
Then down the pass again, and on to Matatiele. We had hoped to have arrived in Himeville at this point, which was still approx 130km away, but, eish, we was TIRED!! We had traveled about 650km, where easily 500 was on dirt, and some of it quite hard work. We stayed in a chalet at the campsite and got ready for an early start the next morning.
We managed to get going at about 05h30, hoping to get to the Sani border at 08h00. (Notice the topbox).
But��
We had traveled about 30km on a dirt road going to Mount Fletcher, consisting almost entirely of marbly rocks and stones. Try as we might, we could not get the puncture fixed â?? it had the tyreweld type gunk in it that stopped any patch from sticking to the 4!!! Holes in the tube. Eventually, the front wheel was hoisted on the sofa and back to Matatiele Speedyâ??s for a new tube. Somehow the guy got mixed up between 18â? and 21â?, but eventually the tube was in and inflated and looking pretty. Only to find that the sofaâ??s back wheel was flat. Being tubeless, managed to fix that one with my own handy kit and Speedyâ??s air, and it was off to where Shark was parked, with front wheel, sausage rolls and coke in hand.
The trip was the uneventful up to the border post, but soon after leaving the SA side, we came up on one of those concrete ditch things that lets water across the road without eroding the surface. Problem was 1)The ditch thing was quite deep, 2)Was full of rocks, and 3) The approach to the ditch was a steep incline, meaning that you didnâ??t see it until you felt it. Cooking up the hill in 2nd, and the sofa ended up high in the air. A hard landing, bottoming out all suspension, but with momentum still going, I continued up the hill. A little while later, looked back and saw top box missing. U-turn, and cursing the brackets and hinge thingy that had come loose once before, I found the topbox lying in the water, + tail light lens, + some other metal plate of unknown purpose. Interestingly enough, the topbox was still attached to the bracket, which was still attached to the frame, which wasnâ??t attached toâ?¦â?¦.
$$$$.
See the tyre marks under the rear mudguardâ?¦.
Turns out the metal plate was the shock cover that had been ripped out, and wouldnâ??t you know it, the bashplate sheared on 3 of itâ??s 4 moorings.
Anyhow, the box hitched a ride with a tourbus, and we continued up to the pub, where we were greeted byâ?¦
And then��
Weâ??re at the top!!!
We left the pub around 13h00, after having some chow and organizing topbox logistics. Here are some of the pics along the way, although we were pushing the time and didnâ??t stop too often. All I can say is stunning scenery, and a return visit must be done soon, not just to retrieve the topbox with all my valuable WD bling!!
We left Lesotho around 17h30, with only a couple of rock-throwing threats, but many demands for sweets. Only additional mishaps were that Sharkâ??s GPS and Speedo stopped working â?? reason unknown. :dontknow:
We decided to haul ass back home rather than stay overnight somewhere. We made the N3 at Villiers just as the last light disappeared. Coffee at the fuel stop and it was off again. Note here that this is the first time that I had really been riding at night, normally avoiding it like the plague, but riding under a sky full of stars while staring through my visor started me thinking I was a NASA spaceman â?? â??Ground Control to Major Tom, take your protein pills and put your helmet onâ?. As the song goes, something in the rocket breaks and Major Tom is stranded in Space. Just then my back tyre blew out, a definite shift in the bikes handling, and I stopped on the side of the road. I started fixing the puncture, vowing that my next investment would be one of those head torch thingyâ??s since teeth arenâ??t made for holding a maglight. Alas, the hole was so big that the reaming tool rattled around in the hole, as did the plug. So, after using all my plugs and CO2 bombs, I still had that hissing sound I have come to dislike intensely after this weekend. Like Major Tom, I was stranded. I should have thought about Armstrong and Shuttleworth instead. :BangHead: However, in true WD fashion, since I couldnâ??t fix it, I did the next best thingâ?¦â?¦
��..I took a photo.
At this point, Shark was waiting for me at the De Hoek tollgate. I limped along to it, where we eagerly awaited the arrival of Mrs Shark, who was on her way with bakkie and loading paraphernalia. When she arrived, we loaded the sofa and rider onto the back, and drove back to Midrand, from where Shark then kindly transported us back to Pretoria. Arrived home about midnight, and Shark I guess about 00h30. A long day, with 740km up to the blow-out, and I guess about another 100km after that. Included 3 punctures, 1 lost luggage saga, Sani Pass, Lesotho, 2 x Border Crossings and recovery activities.
My last view of this awesome tripâ?¦..
Last notes:
Lessons learnt:
1. Soft luggage is king. Even if your bike sheds its frame, you can still tie it down with bungees, while a box is just clumsy.
2. Lesotho mustnâ??t be done in a hurry. Plan 300km a day max and enjoy the place.
3. Sofaâ??s donâ??t land well
4. From Saturdayâ??s class, only one tyre lever doesnâ??t help much, and the patch must be the right way up.
I also had an awesome riding partner. While I couldnâ??t keep up with him on the dirt, I didnâ??t entirely disgrace my name (I think), Shark always graciously waited for me when we came to crossings, etc., and sometimes came back to see what the matter was. And of course waiting for me at the toll gate when he didnâ??t see my light anymore. I learnt quite a bit by watching him take those corners, and was eventually taking the turns down Naudeâ??s Nek enduro style, sitting forward, leg out, plenty throttle. Shark, thanks for an awesome ride and a memorable trip. :notworthy:
