The Clan of the Cave Bikers

Annie's picture
This trip was originally organised to help Frances get some more kms under her belt. In the end she opted to do the Intro Course with Leon, which was also a good thing. '''Riders''' Charles Oertel 1150GS (Mr Badger) Peter O'Hanlon 650Dakar Andy Connell 1150GSA Anne Connell F650GS The plan was to travel dirt all the way to Charles' Fijnbosch Farme (we had not yet accomplished this since we tried 1½ years ago). We met at the Swartland Engen on the N7 7am (ish), had breakfast and then headed off in search of dirt - a mere 14kms away. Turning left, we followed the train track, snaking its way through the Swartland. From that moment, we never sat down again, as the road was full of potholes, corrugations, ruts...and MANY water crossings. I tell you, I finally learnt to stand crossing water, except in 1 or 2 which were deep and slithery and tried to suck you down or wash you away with some currents. A "Flat" puddle: which looked very innocent until you entered it and found yourself knee-deep in waterA "Flat" puddle: which looked very innocent until you entered it and found yourself knee-deep in water This one tried to suck Peter in and he found himself wanting to go one way while the bike went the other... The side of the road also tried to suck him inThe side of the road also tried to suck him in Attempts to push him out or ride out only bogged him down even more, so Peter eventually lay the bike on its side and we pulled it out. By now we were hot and furiously sucking on our water. Mr Badger and CharlesMr Badger and Charles The scenery was magnificent as the bikes took us through our paces.The scenery was magnificent as the bikes took us through our paces. Just before Darling we encountered a tree across the "road" and found ourselves making our way in 1st gear through the foliage at the side of the road. Shortly after that Andy was happily going along at some speed, when he found himself facing a nasty trench about 20m away. Well, he hit the brakes and broad-slid to a slower speed, bouncing his way over it. Andy is becoming famous for skid marksAndy is becoming famous for skid marks Finally we passed through Darling and immediately turned off onto the service tracks again just beyond Evita se Peron. Many water crossings later we crossed a main dirt road and continued along the railway line. Only this time we were on a road that had been used a few decades ago, and we found ourselves riding the dry grasses very carefully. The grass hid potholes, ruts and probably snakes. Finally we decided to turn around and take the gap through a fence and get back onto the main road, which still followed the railway line. I can't remember the turnoffs, but perhaps Peter's GPS can enlighten us, but the road condidtion got steadily more rutted, gutted, and sandy with fewer water crossings. The scenery around was still awesome. We reached the R... just 10kms from Hopefield and headed there in search of fuel, an ATM and...coffee. Well, coffee seemed to be the hardest thing to find there, but we managed to find some at Hopefield's Hotel in the Off-Sales section. We hit the road again towards Velddrif, turning off onto dirt at the Kersiesfontein sign. We had anticipated crossing a flooded Berg River and had planned to rest and eat 2 oranges after a heavy paddle. Not so, there was no flood and thus no orange stop. The Berg River calmly flowed under the bridge where it was meant to be. We crossed the tar and headed towards Aurora (I'm still unsure at what point we passed through Kersiesfontein). The road became quite ssssandy - my no.1 enemy besides mud and I slowed down quite a bit. Many sandy kms later we found ourselves in Aurora with some time to spare. Charles was in time for his meeting with a potential buyer for his farm. We headed up the gravel pass towards Sun Mountain while the breathtaking scenery dropped away. Geonache and Colette were very happy to see us and we chatted a while, while Charles went on to show his potential buyer the farm. We made our way to the Cave - our accommodation for the night. The driveway was somewhat loose and a little on the steeper side. We unpacked and Peter and Andy decided to nip back to Aurora to buy some beers. I decided to siesta, hoping baboons would leave me alone. The view from the cave is stunning - you can see the sea, almost see Saldanha and Redelinghuis. View from CaveView from Cave Finally Andy and Peter returned and we downed a few ciders, beer and a can of bullybeef, along with some horrible sweety pellets which Andy had purchased in Hopefield (we ended up burning these - they refused to burn and became caremelised Hopeless pellets). A baboon came and barked at us from the top of the cave. Andy barked back, and soon he and the baboon were having some kind of political discussion. The baboon was so impressed, he went and fetched his whole family of over 30 children! Top of caveTop of cave The Cave: Slowly Peter starts to offload his cave humour...The Cave: Slowly Peter starts to offload his cave humour... Andy's pannier became a cooler boxAndy's pannier became a cooler box As the shadows lengthened we heard the rumble of Mr Badger followed by the Geo and Colette in the bakkie bearing fire wood. We sat and chatted, looking at the view. A raptor bird was very busy close byA raptor bird was very busy close by Meanwhile, Peter had lit the fire. Sundowners with LOTS of cave humourSundowners with LOTS of cave humour SunsetSunset The cold wind and darkness drove us into the cave and the warmth of the fire, which was now ready to braai our meat and other items. The cave humour got funnier and funnierThe cave humour got funnier and funnier Peter is seriously funnyPeter is seriously funny We had a fantastic meal, followed by coffee with OBs. The only thing missing was marshmallows. Well, magie vol, ogies toe.... The full moon shone into the cave while we snored our way to morning. We lazily packed and were "woken" by the loose driveway exiting our cave. We had a superb breakfast of fried eggs, tomato, bacon, cheese and a whole loaf of freshly baked bread at Sun Mountain. By now Peter was feeling "thick" behind the eyes. We headed for Charles' Fijnbosch Farme. Stopping to admire the view along the wayStopping to admire the view along the way Parking our bikes under the treesParking our bikes under the trees Peter lazes around while we change from biking to hiking clothesPeter lazes around while we change from biking to hiking clothes View from the gateView from the gate Swimming Pool with a viewSwimming Pool with a view The Hunchback Frog in the poolThe Hunchback Frog in the pool Andy decides to be the brave oneAndy decides to be the brave one Finally we "meandered" down through the veld towards the bushman cave. Cave entranceCave entrance Discussing the bushman paintings also somehow turned into hilarious cave humourDiscussing the bushman paintings also somehow turned into hilarious cave humour Finally we returned to the bikes, hot and thick behind the eyesFinally we returned to the bikes, hot and thick behind the eyes We changed from hiking to biking clothes and trundled 15kms down the pass into Aurora, where a plane swooped down and landed on a farm road or runway close by. Plane landingPlane landing We followed the same route back to Hopefield, crossing the Berg River again. Andy's Ysterperd: This is the bridge where I fell in my inexperienced daysAndy's Ysterperd: This is the bridge where I fell in my inexperienced days In Hopefield we "bumped" into Mauritio Pausa, who just recently joined the club. We ended up having lunch together in a wonderful little restaurant, which was more like a museum. 5 toasted sandwiches and beer came to R150!!! We stop for lunchWe stop for lunch DecorDecor Mauritio takes the photoMauritio takes the photo Well, the cave humour became restaurant humour and I'm not sure what Mauritio thought of us. Anyway, he must have thought something, as he decided to join us on the railroad back to Darling and the N7. We bounced our way through all the water crossings, ruts, potholes and sand, enjoying every moment. After over 50 water crossings, I was finally getting the hang of it - and I now have a bow wave to my name - one that splashed right into my helmet! Back at the Swartland Engen, we refuelled and pumped tyres, saying our goodbyes. We made our tired way home and sank exhausted into bed that night. Another blissful 2 days in Africa! The EndThe End PS Sun Mountain Info: Tel 022 952 1870 or 076 683 3808 speak to Colette or Geonache. There are self-catering chalets as well

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Charles Oertel's picture
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Joined: 2007/04/14
Ja, it's a tough life! Thanks for this brilliant report Anne. The trip was truly wonderful, especially because of the company. On the way back I was riding sweep, with Mauritio just in front of me. Since we had not ridden with him before I was keeping an eye on him, and noticed that without our having briefed him, he: # Regularly looked behind him to see that I was still there, # Made sure I saw where he was turning at intersections, # Rode good lines around obstacles. While I was pondering this, I suddenly noticed that his top-box was wobbling more than his bike. I hooted for him to stop, and we found that a bolt had gone missing. A few more km of riding like that and there would have been some damage. Because of the discipline within our group we soon had Andy coming back to see why we were delayed, and he had (as I knew he would :) ) a spare bolt that did the trick. A truly fantastic weekend. Thanks all. Website Administrator [http://honeybadger.net Honey Badger IT Services]

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PeterO's picture
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Joined: 2007/09/11
After 50 water crossings my boots proved that they were waterproof ... no water left the boots once it was in, and my hands were hot! Dakar heated handlebars don't switch off when wet (high bow waves result in waterlogged riders that raise the CoG whether standing or sitting!) The best ride I've done - and I didn't have to shower once! Andy and I braved the descent from the cave (I learnt about keeping the weight on the front wheel going up over seriously steep, loose rock), and met ALL the inhabitants of Aurora. For purely philanthropic reasons (Charles, that word has nothing to do with stamp collecting), we decided to support the local industry and view an old wagon that is being restored to original. Here are some pics taken from my phone: Burglarbars: Entrance to CBDBurglarbars: Entrance to CBD High Population Density Area: Hot OutsideHigh Population Density Area: Hot Outside The Local Factory: Cool InsideThe Local Factory: Cool Inside Factory Workers: Hard at Work - Africa is Hell!!!Factory Workers: Hard at Work - Africa is Hell!!! ''If you can dream it you can do it!''

If you can dream it you can do it!

PeterO's picture
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Joined: 2007/09/11
And one or two more of the hike to the Oertel Family Museum. Hiking to the Bushman paintings: Crawling or short legs? Oh ... long grass!Hiking to the Bushman paintings: Crawling or short legs? Oh ... long grass! OERTEL FAMILY TREE: Had to lie on my back to take this ... probably happened a lot in this cave!OERTEL FAMILY TREE: Had to lie on my back to take this ... probably happened a lot in this cave! CHARLES 1 WITH PENCIL: Private joke but this is likely to be an Oertel ancestorCHARLES 1 WITH PENCIL: Private joke but this is likely to be an Oertel ancestor ''If you can dream it you can do it!''

If you can dream it you can do it!

Cloudgazer Steven's picture
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Joined: 2007/10/03
Wow, thats looks like a fantastic trip. Thanks for the report. ------ Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it is too dark to read.
There are so many problems in this world. Luckily there's a wristband available for almost all of them.
Henk's picture
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Joined: 2008/03/13
Great trip and pics, I'm green with envy. “Its all about the motorbikes, always has been and always will be. “ Ewan McGregor 2007 0823335473 henkbekker@vodamail.co.za

“Its all about the motorbikes, always has been and always will be. “ Ewan McGregor 2007 0823335473 henkbekker@vodamail.co.za

GeelKameel's picture
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Joined: 2007/06/21
Baie dankie vir lekker terugvoer oor julle trip! Dis vir my altyd lekker om 'n tripreport te lees, veral as ek sien die mense het dit geniet! Noudat julle die pad soontoe ken ... ek is seker julle gaan eendag weer soontoe...?
Annie's picture
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Joined: 2007/06/17
Ja, Danie - ons gaan beslis weer soontoe...
Daantjie's picture
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Joined: 2008/01/24
I'm a little worried about Andy becoming famous for skidmarks!!! :) Sure would have loved to join you guys on this one:( Maybe next time!
JohanM's picture
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Joined: 2007/08/31
dit lyk baie lekker! mooi foto's
rynet's picture
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Joined: 2008/03/17
Great trip report Annie ! You have the knack of transporting the reader right onto the back of your bike, to experience the trip for himself . I felt the fear ( and exhiliration) of riding through all those river crossings, over the logs, the potholes , corrugations, ruts , in the mud ,sand , loose gravel etc , and I felt your sense of tired satisfaction for having done so. I enjoyed the stunning views, a swim in the rock pool, the cave humour and camaradie , heck I even enjoyed the food hehehe Annie you must please never stop giving us such descriptive trip reports :) ''"4 wheels move the body,'' ''2 wheels move the soul"''
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Geoff Russell's picture
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Joined: 2007/09/25
Great report as always Anne.

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Pete Mann's picture
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Joined: 2008/11/17
Hi Annie. Being a newbie to the sight (and club) your report of the weekend's ride was great and I agree with rynet you have the marvel of putting the reader right there with you. Read your report 3 times, in case I missed something. Hopefully you will take a few more of us with you next time.
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Joined: 2008/03/15
Awesome - looks like a lot of fun. WOuld love to join next time :)
RUSTY- Russ Rathbone's picture
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Joined: 2007/09/04
Great trip report............ Annie, well done. I wish you had invited me as I would have loved to have slept in the cave. Besides I would have loved to have experienced Peters humour!!! "defending the cave man" I can just imagine. Rusty in the eye of adventure.
Lobola's picture
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Joined: 2008/04/06
Oh wow, this looks so awesome. Man I wish we could have joined you guys! awesome trip report. :) - It is good for the soul to see the sun. -
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Charles Oertel's picture
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Joined: 2007/04/14
Here are some of the photos I took. Anne and Peter on the sandy road: Confidence is everything - you need to just go.Anne and Peter on the sandy road: Confidence is everything - you need to just go. Our farm: This is as high as Table MountainOur farm: This is as high as Table Mountain Cave Bearing at SunsetCave Bearing at Sunset Anne making coffee: What better smell to wake up to?Anne making coffee: What better smell to wake up to? Coming down the mountain: This is PeterComing down the mountain: This is Peter Anne in control: Our pace allowed us to see the sceneryAnne in control: Our pace allowed us to see the scenery Pete and AndyPete and Andy The 'other' coffeeshop in Hopefield: Mauritio on the right joined us for lunchThe 'other' coffeeshop in Hopefield: Mauritio on the right joined us for lunch Peter's throughPeter's through Mauritio makes short work of it: Don't tell anyone, but I was only stopped and taking photos because I whacked my knee on the pot and it was smarting something awefulMauritio makes short work of it: Don't tell anyone, but I was only stopped and taking photos because I whacked my knee on the pot and it was smarting something aweful Andyman on a quarter-ton of machineAndyman on a quarter-ton of machine Website Administrator [http://honeybadger.net Honey Badger IT Services]

Committee: Webmaster / Ride Captain