The Rain has been a plenty the last few weeks and it looks as it has put a serious damper on most of us DS Motorcyclist Junkies But I do believe that one needs to also go out and ride in these conditions ---or how will we ever learn – I recall a time when I could not wait to ride in the mud for some training --Now days the sign of bad weather is a sure sign that a ride with a difference will experienced – So it is more of an Adventure –Not knowing what to expect. Are our ride reports not there to awaken the sleeping adventure inside of us making us want to just put some ATGATT on and ---GO RIDE – Vaalwater was the destination as I had heard my favorite play ground had a lot of rain and this would be a great opportunity to ride in the thick sand –when wet – Towed the bike there – was a good thing as it would give me more time to ride as on the bike it would take at least 5 hours to get there on the routes I usually ride –have also done them 100 of times and was looking to get there fresh and have fun- Saturday morning after a great breakfast –I took the Road North to Visgat and my –Special road I love so much - The road ahead –some serious damage had been done in places –Just making it more fun-- Some Sable -- A little bit of Mud -- A road i have only shared with a handful of people --
Time for a rest --- and to just listen --- And as i was listening --i heard this strange sound --and look what came to visit -- : Sunset over Vaalwater -- What will tomorrow have in store --The Best is yet to come -- Sunday morning a route along Bakkers pass was taken and then back North towards Bulge Rivier --The normal game was found as usual --Rhino --Eland --Wildebees - Impala --Kudu --Gemsbok -and Rhino --Zebra as well as the first time i saw --Black Impala. The Black Impala-- Bakkers Pass --No matter how many times i ride it --it still remains a thing of beauty and changes with the seasons -- Then -- The special road i know of was closed off for some reason ??? Now us bikers find this a challenge and just ride past the signs as if we did not see them at all : The first bridge --ah well that's just dandy --no problem -- Don't know what the fuss was about --the road looks great --
Some locals riding four wheel donkey power-- And then -- the next bridge --just enough space for a bike or pedestrian to cross over --The rain had basically destroyed it --cool--- Riding along i soon came to realize --NO TRACKS --on the road --Why ? Then i saw --Why --the last bridge --was no more -- I had to somehow cross - if i went back i surely would run out of fuel--forward was the only way and it seemed doable --But i never took into consideration the depth of the mud beneath the water -- Had visions of me footing the 30 plus km out to get help when my Husky coughed for a spily second and then purred out after the back wheel hooked up --I could have kissed her there and then --just fell in love with her all over again-- And then 53km of this --yippeee Oh -- i nearly forgot --i was having so much fun the elephant that nearly charged me i had forgotten about -- He was grazing close to the road and i thought i could sneak up to him --real close to thek some photies -- NOTE TO SELF - Stay down wind in future. He sensed me and was not a happy chappy at all-when he looked like he was about to charge --i did not wait to see if it was the real thing or a mock charge : Well all in all it was a great two days of riding -- Highlights --the beauty of the place after all the rain -- Scary moment --No not the water crossing seeing a 2m black mamba cross the road and i passed him on the his tail side as not to block his path --stand up in a split second on a third of his length and prepare to strike -- i wonder if ATGATT would have helped - ???
Such gorgeous pictures. The scenery is so primal and I wish I could ride past zebras and elephants. I do, but they are behind the fence at Wild Animal Park.
wow ... that is alot of wild animals ... There's gotta be some meat eaters out there also ... Do you sleep up in a tree? U just took it to an entirely different level ... This must be the real adventure riding that gets confused with trail riding \ off road riding most of us do ... Is that ELEC or telephone wires running with the road? And what is with the fences?
And I consider myself lucky to see a bear or bobcat on a ride. Great report Blazes, nothing like that all in feeling and having it pay off.
Those are old fashioned phone lines for the farmers out in the areas --not that they allways work The fences are to keep some of the cattle and donkeys form the roads and the Electric fences are usually where they breed scarce antelope or Buffalo etc.. they are electrified to keep predators and game thieves out -- last year alone in SA we over 100 White Rhino poached for their horns ---very Sad
He He --They do --Fortunately they only get peed off when you get between them and their hole --Only seen two in the last few months. One was cut in half after it tried to cross a railway line --in front of a train --Train 1 Mamba 0. Pythons also get killed a lot by trains as they move slowly -- the mamba on the other hand is super fast . Note to self --Next time i stop and do not try and pass him while he is crossing a road in front of me.
From what I have saw about them on TV ... I don't wanna be on the same continent with these guys ... U got some kind of flares and trip-wire you use to set up a perimeter at night?
Thank you very much --will do --Have planned a away ride once a month for the rest of the year --part of my Bucket List--
The Elephant are a real treat --the one's that are unpredictable are the Young Bulls when they are in Musk --Luckily you can smell them a mile away --and just keep on going -- Also when they have young with them ---
