So I get up at 06h30 for the an all day road ride with the wife to overcast sky's, a howling wind and 10 degree temperatures. The wife sees the weather and immediately says, I ain't going riding all day in this weather.
I didn't get to ride last weekend and wasn't going to miss 2 weeks in a row, so I got ready and left to see if I could hook up with Sharkie and the boys in the Brits area.
Arrived at Harties a bit late only to find that the guys have gone already and the cell-phones are not being answered. So I head off in the direction of the canal route as followed previously (all out of memory as no GPS and no maps).
After the first canal section, I decided to try and make up some time and head through Brits to the Jericho road we followed on the way out last time. What a nice dirt road, with some sections being a lot sandier than our previous time.
I stopped every few KM?s to make a phone call to Sharkie and the boys to try and pinpoint their location (with no success)
The road from Brits to Jericho
My attempt at an artistic shot
At the next intersection, I turned left towards the Big rock road and then headed back towards the canal route hoping to meet up with the guys in the way to the rock. Stopped for a smoke break and waited just before the canal joined the road to the rock.
After this I headed down the canal route towards where I thought the guys would be coming from. No tyre tracks and no sign of the guys. The time is heading on so I decide that I did not come out here for nothing so I decide to head for Jan se Klip anyway.
On the road to the ROCK, I stop for another smoke break and the scheduled phone call home. What an awesome road with some nice deep puddles to keep things interesting. Almost lost it in one of the deep puddles in the road which meant I now had a boot full of water?.
Road on the way to the KLIP
So I get to the rock with the usual locals hanging around to beg and see what is happening. Time for the big question, with nobody but the locals around, do I attempt to go up the rock on my own, and what if something goes wrong?
After my previous excursion to the rock and not being able to go up to the top for various reasons, there is only one answer to the question. Lets go!!!
So I head up (the easy side) past the first and second stages easier than I thought and stop at the second level to spy out the best route to the top. I get off and walk up to the top section and decide that the route on the right hand side with the arrows pointing down is probably the best.
On the second level of the rock
Doesn?t she look pretty there on the second level, I hope I don?t break her going up higher.
As I start up towards the third level, I wonder to myself if I am doing the right thing, taking the correct route and if the locals running up behind me would help me if I had to fall.
Well what a feeling to get the bike out on top without much trouble, besides the warm feeling of accomplishment inside, the view from up there is fantastic.
I am a bit more relaxed on the way down and enjoyed it thoroughly. So I head out on the way home at a speed knowing that the in-laws are arriving at 13h00 and I have got to get the braai going. As I come down the KLIP road, I run into Shark, Welshie, Louis and Digital Dan just coming out of the river bed. We must have just missed each other all morning, riding within a couple of KM?s of each other. After seeing Welshies pig, I am actually glad I missed the river bed.
Last two pics, just after joining the tar from Jericho.
What and awesome day, sometimes it is nice doing rides alone and just to be out in the open with your bike and nothing much else. Sitting at the top of Jan se klip with the view, a cigarette and my thoughts, life just doesn?t get much better than that?..
:lol: :lol: :lol:
I didn't get to ride last weekend and wasn't going to miss 2 weeks in a row, so I got ready and left to see if I could hook up with Sharkie and the boys in the Brits area.
Arrived at Harties a bit late only to find that the guys have gone already and the cell-phones are not being answered. So I head off in the direction of the canal route as followed previously (all out of memory as no GPS and no maps).
After the first canal section, I decided to try and make up some time and head through Brits to the Jericho road we followed on the way out last time. What a nice dirt road, with some sections being a lot sandier than our previous time.
I stopped every few KM?s to make a phone call to Sharkie and the boys to try and pinpoint their location (with no success)
The road from Brits to Jericho
My attempt at an artistic shot
At the next intersection, I turned left towards the Big rock road and then headed back towards the canal route hoping to meet up with the guys in the way to the rock. Stopped for a smoke break and waited just before the canal joined the road to the rock.
After this I headed down the canal route towards where I thought the guys would be coming from. No tyre tracks and no sign of the guys. The time is heading on so I decide that I did not come out here for nothing so I decide to head for Jan se Klip anyway.
On the road to the ROCK, I stop for another smoke break and the scheduled phone call home. What an awesome road with some nice deep puddles to keep things interesting. Almost lost it in one of the deep puddles in the road which meant I now had a boot full of water?.
Road on the way to the KLIP
So I get to the rock with the usual locals hanging around to beg and see what is happening. Time for the big question, with nobody but the locals around, do I attempt to go up the rock on my own, and what if something goes wrong?
After my previous excursion to the rock and not being able to go up to the top for various reasons, there is only one answer to the question. Lets go!!!
So I head up (the easy side) past the first and second stages easier than I thought and stop at the second level to spy out the best route to the top. I get off and walk up to the top section and decide that the route on the right hand side with the arrows pointing down is probably the best.
On the second level of the rock
Doesn?t she look pretty there on the second level, I hope I don?t break her going up higher.
As I start up towards the third level, I wonder to myself if I am doing the right thing, taking the correct route and if the locals running up behind me would help me if I had to fall.
Well what a feeling to get the bike out on top without much trouble, besides the warm feeling of accomplishment inside, the view from up there is fantastic.
I am a bit more relaxed on the way down and enjoyed it thoroughly. So I head out on the way home at a speed knowing that the in-laws are arriving at 13h00 and I have got to get the braai going. As I come down the KLIP road, I run into Shark, Welshie, Louis and Digital Dan just coming out of the river bed. We must have just missed each other all morning, riding within a couple of KM?s of each other. After seeing Welshies pig, I am actually glad I missed the river bed.
Last two pics, just after joining the tar from Jericho.
What and awesome day, sometimes it is nice doing rides alone and just to be out in the open with your bike and nothing much else. Sitting at the top of Jan se klip with the view, a cigarette and my thoughts, life just doesn?t get much better than that?..
:lol: :lol: :lol:
