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Day6
Today’s ride was set in the hills around the town of Pietermaritzburg, in the homelands of the Zulu tribe. The flowing trails led from one technical section to another, challenging the boys to keep it upright in the slippery conditions.
[attachment=3908]AFRICABIKE088small.JPG[/attachment]The old “green moss on red clay” trick caught Charlie, who went down hard and sprained his thumb. Further on the trail entered a damp forest section and climbed and climbed up through the clouds, where the mist provided a good camouflaging effect for the boiling KTM’s and smoking tyres from spinning on numerous tree roots.
[attachment=1656]DSCN3200small.JPG[/attachment]This climb became known as Pete’s hill due to the amount of time he spent lying down on it.
[attachment=1657]DSCN3197small.JPG[/attachment]Nev got the second flat of the ride, but blamed it on Ross for pushing up the pace a bit too much. A quick stop at a local shop for smoko and we were off again.
[attachment=1658]IMG_0713small.JPG[/attachment]Alfie’s sense of humour was once again experienced as he directed us up a grassy hill on the side of a very large dam. Half way up we all sank to the axles in a bog hole much to the amusement of our trusted guide, and all caught on video of course.
[attachment=1659]DSCN3206small.JPG[/attachment]On the way home we called in at the towns Supa Motard track for a few high speed hot laps, with Alfie starting at the back but soon showing us his rear tyre. Another days riding finished with smiles all round.
Day7 next ….
Day5
Bikes were loaded early for the sedate transport at mach1 through the Transkei to Alfies farm at Cato Ridge in Kwazulu-Natal.
[attachment=3909]IMG_0602small.JPG[/attachment]This was a 6hr drive with a stop for a hearty breakfast along the way.
[attachment=288]DSCN3216small.JPG[/attachment]After settling into the cosy little cottages on the property we made our way down to view the collection of Dakar bikes and trophies.
[attachment=1649]100_0107small.JPG[/attachment]That afternoon we were taken up to a nearby game reserve for the remainder of the day and evening. The reserve provided brilliant sightings of Rhino, Hippo’s, Giraffe, Zebra, Wilderbeest and many other native African animals.
[attachment=1650]AFRICA_045small.JPG[/attachment][attachment=1651]AFRICA_061small.JPG[/attachment][attachment=1652]AFRICA_064small.JPG[/attachment]The day was topped off with drinks and a feast at the luxurious game lodge.
Day6 next …. (riding in the land of the Zulu people)
Day4 (…continued)
The final challenge for the morning loop was “King Hill”. A short switchback clay goat track through a dense rainforest with no run up. But the first challenge was that the hill was on the other side of the river. And the riverbed consisted of boulder sized rocks. Ross boiled the ‘billy’ well and truly while Brian showed us how to operate a submarine. As a result the 200 had to be carried out and drained of its belly full of water.
[attachment=3910]DSCN3135small.JPG[/attachment]Tyre pressures were lowered for the final assault and blood pressures were at maximum levels, by the time we reached the top. “King Hill” ended amongst a few Xhosa huts with the residents looking on and perhaps wondering why we do this stuff.
[attachment=1640]DSCN3044small.JPG[/attachment]We returned to base for a quick lunch and refuel. The afternoons ride, over the best of the best trails, suddenly bought out the racer in Nev, and Alfie had to quicken up the pace to keep him at bay.
[attachment=1641]AFRICA_BIKE_087small.JPG[/attachment]Another absolutely brilliant day, topped off by a few more Millers, a few yarns and a great seafood dinner. This was our last night in the Transkei before our trip up to Zululand for another three days of riding.
[attachment=1642]IMG_0695small.JPG[/attachment]Day5 next …..
Day4
The rain had passed, blue sunny skies above and the bikes were all cleaned and prep’d to go – thanks to the efforts of the “bike master” once again. Another perfect day for riding so everyone was keen to get going. Gordon started off a bit slow while waiting for the pain to turn to numb.
[attachment=3911]AFRICABIKE009small.JPG[/attachment]Only a few minutes out and Alfie was soon throwing together some great sections with challenging hills and numerous slippery creek crossings. Ross was the first to get a flat, which Alfie fixed while the rest of us entertained the local African kids, who appeared within minutes of us stopping.
[attachment=1636]IMG_0642small.JPG[/attachment]Alfie arranged for us to take a look inside the mud huts nearby. A true glimpse back in time with only the basic necessities of life. The kitchen hut had a cast iron pot sitting on an open fire in the middle. There was a pile of maize corn from last summers crop on the one side and a few young goats tied up on the other side. Three families lived in these 2 huts yet they all looked very happy and were very friendly to us.
[attachment=1637]DSCN3100small.JPG[/attachment]Later Alfie led us off into a slippery rain forest trail with a winding hill climb that topped out on a slate shelf. Chaos followed as Charlie first stopped, creating a bottleneck and the greasy slate caught out Ross, Brian & Nev. Much creative criticism was offered by those that made it first go. Slippery shit that slate!!
[attachment=1638]DSCN3070small.JPG[/attachment]More to follow …..
Day3 (…continued)
[attachment=1630]DSCN3126small.JPG[/attachment]More open trail, more grassy ridges and then through a eucalypt forest with the trail changing to moist slick red clay. Charlie soon discovered that his 525 with the squared off rear knobs was no match for Ross and Gordon on the 400’s, who both roosted past him. What a difference tyre pressures make. [Sorry, no photos here as we were all having too much high speed fun!!]
Smoko stop was at a picturesque inlet where a small remote backpacker’s village was being operated. The boys were soon admiring the local talent especially the gorgeous girl who served us, who was later nicknamed ‘Medusa’. (I guess you had to be there). Peter was the favourite with the local kids after handing out a few miniature fluffy toy koala bears.
[attachment=3912]DSCN3080small.JPG[/attachment]Rain began to fall and jackets were dragged out of the backpacks. The afternoon trails were an awesome mixture of forest and village paths.
[attachment=1631]AFRICA_BIKE_056small.JPG[/attachment]The slippery hills caught out Neville as he slowed on a black soil hill climb. His rear knobby turned into a slick and as a result kept us all amused for the next ten minutes while he attempted to progress further.
[attachment=1632]DSCN3138small.JPG[/attachment]We returned to ‘Hole in the Wall’ by mid afternoon and were glad to get out of our wet riding gear. Another post mortem was initiated while sitting back, taking in the scenery and consuming a few Millers.
[attachment=1633]DSCN3149small.JPG[/attachment]Day4 next …..
Day 3
We awoke to the sound of surf rolling into the bay and looking forward to another day in paradise. The overnight rain must have put the fear into Charlie as we found him out the back, squaring up his 525’s knobby with a bread knife. And of course the occasion had to be recorded on tape for future evidence.
[attachment=3913]DSCN3064small.JPG[/attachment]The creeks were flowing well this morning so dry boots were not an option. The first crossing of the day resulted in a cracked casing on the 200 after Brian hit a large rock and pushed the pipe guard mounting into the engine. Alfie quickly repaired the problem with epoxy metal and we were on our way again.
[attachment=1625]IMG_0628small.JPG[/attachment]This day we were headed south along the coastline high grassy ridges. Alfie led us down some great technical drop offs, descending from grassy ridges to the rocks on the shoreline. One in particular got the adrenalin going. A narrow goat track up and over large boulders with a seven meter drop off to the rocks below, had us worried, with only Alfie and Brett staying in the saddle the whole way down. The rest walked and slid the KTM’s down the section but were elated to hear Alfie say “you guys are the first group ever that got through that section without my assistance”.
[attachment=1626]DSCN3073small.JPG[/attachment]Once down on the beach some well earned circle work and a bit of drag racing was compulsory, with Alfie displaying his skills with spiralling power slides and first gear wheelies.
[attachment=1627]AFRICA_BIKE_035small.JPG[/attachment]Somewhere along the trail Gordon had one of those ‘gumby” get offs, which resulted in a broken toe on his gear change foot. Not much you can do about broken toes so we carried on.
A hill climb through a rain forest provided the next entertainment of the day with many ‘billies’ being boiled. Peter high sided into a thorn bush part way up the hill, bringing applause and the mandatory verbal assistance from the group.
[attachment=1628]IMG_0661small.JPG[/attachment]More to follow …..
Day2 ….(continued)
Lunch stop was at the local hotel, in a little fishing village called Anchorage. Enough time was allowed for a great seafood lunch on the verandah with views over the beach and the Indian Ocean. Whales and dolphins were spotted as we relaxed at this beautiful spot.
[attachment=3914]AFRICABIKE021small.JPG[/attachment]The afternoon’s ride headed inland bringing us up close and personal with the Xhosa people as we rode around their huts and along the interconnecting village trails. Everyone seemed excited to see us, with lots of waving and smiles all round.
Just as we start relaxing Alfie leads us along a rocky creek with a steep rocky exit. Another adrenalin challenge and opportunity for the true Aussie spirit to shine, namely “Kick your mate while he is down” (only if he is not injured though). The struggle of bikes and bodies was, as usual, recorded on tape.
[attachment=1622]AFRICA_BIKE_004small.JPG[/attachment]A splash of fuel at a roadside bowser at Coffee Bay and we were ready to hang on for the haul back to the Hole in the Wall resort. Charlie became the biggest loser in the puddle-jumping race for home, being in the wrong place at the right splash. “Who needs enemies when you have mates like this”.
No sooner had we dismounted the KTM’s, than the “bike master” (local hired help) was washing and preparing them for the next day. And before we had cracked the first Millers beer the maid was washing our riding gear. Is this the life or what? Relaxing with a beer, taking in the stunning ocean views while conducting the post mortem on the day’s ride. And this was only the first day of riding!!! A short walk down to the resort restaurant for the first of many great meals here.
[attachment=1623]AFRICA_BIKE_028small.JPG[/attachment]Day3 next …..
Day2
Despite the effects of jetlag still lingering, the boys are all fired up for the first days riding. The weather was perfect, the ground was damp and riders briefing consisted of “Lets go”. Alfie led the way towards the promised land, dropping down to the beach and heading north.
Helmets cannot conceal the smiles as we blast along narrow trails on the edge of huge cliffs dropping into the sea, over grassy hills, crossing flowing creeks – and no dust!! We are continually greeted by waving locals as we pass the Africans in their mud huts in the remotest of places.
[attachment=3915]AFRICABIKE005small.JPG[/attachment]Every now and then Alfie throws in a couple of challenges to keep the heart rate up and to make sure the action was recorded on video for entertainment purposes. The first grassy open hill climb of the day catches out Gordon, much to the delight of everyone including the local Africans, who always seem to appear from nowhere. The carnage continued for a few attempts, with technical assistance from Alfie in the form of “That’s not the line I said”, “Rev it”, “I said first gear not third” and “Don’t listen to me then, I know shit”.
[attachment=1619]DSCN3033small.JPG[/attachment]Technical hill climbs, deep creek crossings and knarly drop offs were all conquered with varying amounts of dignity. Alfie commented that “you guys are the most competent group that I have had” and as a result the challenges got more intense. We were also covering the route at a quicker pace than normal so Alfie found a few extra interesting detours to slow us down. Alfie’s ability to assess each rider’s capability enabled him to provide us with the type of riding to suit our experience levels and still provide us with all the excitement and adrenalin that only he could put together. He really knows his way around the numerous tracks and trails that present themselves.
[attachment=1620]DSCN3035small.JPG[/attachment]More to follow …..
Day1 (continued ….)
Our accommodation for the next four nights was a townhouse sited on a hill above a white beach bay with views across the coastal cliffs and the Indian Ocean. This was to be our base camp for three days of riding in the Transkei.
[attachment=3916]100_0075small.JPG[/attachment]On arrival, the race was on to claim your ride for the next week from a selection of 200, 400, 450 & 525 KTM’s. After much jostling everyone was happy with their well prepared bike of choice.
With still an hour to go before sunset we set out on a quick ride to the Hole in the Wall lookout and to catch a glimpse of what was in store for us for the next few days.
[attachment=1616]IMG_0610small.JPG[/attachment]The scene was set for our amazing adventure, with Xhosa villages dotted around on rolling ridges and grassed headlands dropping vertically into the sea, with not a fence in sight anywhere.
[attachment=1617]AFRICA_BIKE_015small.JPG[/attachment]Day2 next …..
Day1
After the long flight from Australia (via KL), the Legendary Alfie Cox of Paris-Dakar and Enduro fame meets our Aussie group of seven riders – Brett, Nev, Gordon, Peter, Charlie, Brian and Ross, at the Durban airport. At last the dream has become reality but we still find it hard to believe it is happening.[attachment=3917]DSCN3006small.JPG[/attachment]After brief introductions we all climbed aboard the KTM Transporter with an eight-bike trailer in tow (a site to behold for us trail-riding enthusiasts). We head out of town for the five-hour trip to the Hole in the Wall resort in the Transkei. With the Esky well stocked and Alfie’s ability to keep the Mercedes cruising at a great pace, the destination was reached in no time at all. A couple of emergency stops were needed for Nev who had a touch of Bali belly, contracted during the stop over in Kuala Lumpur.
As we drove through the land of the Xhosa people it felt like we had taken a step back in time. The Transkei countryside is truly unique with the thatched roof, round mud huts dotted around the hilltops and the occasional towns with volumes of sidewalk vendors.
[attachment=1612]100_0070small.JPG[/attachment]More later …..
OK here goes ……. I will split the report over a few posts so it doesn’t get too big.
I’m not sure exactly how it all started but you all know the kind of yarns that are told at the compulsory post mortem, after a great days trail riding. And the bigger the pile of empty beer cans, the more adventurous the yarns become. Well that’s probably where this crazy idea started. When someone asked “So where are we going for our next ride?”, and another contributes “Lets do the Paris Dakar run”. Well we didn’t head off to Paris but we did agree that we should head off to Africa for a ride in the remote African countryside.
Normally these outrageous plans fade in direct relationship to the level of soberness the next morning, but this time the idea didn’t go away …….. so we decided to make it happen and to realise the dream.
One of our trail riding group knew Alfie Cox from the days when he was racing the enduro scene in Africa, including the infamous Roof of Africa Rally. And he had been to the Transkei region on holiday in recent years, and while there, had commented on the area being “trail riding heaven”. So a few phone calls and a years planning, and a year to save our dollars, and we were flying to the trail ride of a lifetime, an eight day Adventure Tour in South Africa with Alfie Cox as our guide.
[attachment=2399]IMG_0693small_2011-04-20.JPG[/attachment]More to come …….
Aggression sometimes works ……
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