CPT to CCA, or 'The Revenge of the GPS'

KarinP's picture

"Drive on unpaved road." These are magical words when they appear at the top of your GPS screen, and in the trip that Gavin and I did last week from Cape Town to Prince Albert, this was pretty much all I saw for the majority of the day. Little did we know when we left Cape Town that our GPS has an evil sense of humour and that she sometimes has a rather inventive interpretation of 'unpaved road'.

After our 3-day trip to the Tankwa-Karoo, Gav and I went home for one night to check that our bribe for Ouma to look after the dogs was still holding, and that the dogs had not yet eaten Ouma or vice versa.

The southern Cape has so many great gravel roads (and good coffee shops) that we decided to venture that way, doing the biggest distance on the first day and then working our way back to Cape Town over the course of a day or two; exploring new gravel roads and re-acquainting ourselves with past favourites.

We phoned around a bit in the morning and found some nice accommodation in Prince Albert. We never leave as early as we plan to (my darling husband is not an early-morning person) and decided to slab it to the De Doorns area and decide on routes from there.

I may have mentioned it once or twice before that we ride motorbikes to find good coffee in various locations, so the first stop was just past De Doorns for breakfast. At the Red Veldskoen Farm Stall they serve excellent, good-value-for-money meals, including coffee in L or XL mugs. Guess which ones we had Innocent

Yeah, first coffee stop (De Doorns)Yeah, first coffee stop (De Doorns)

Over coffee Gav points to a road on the GPS. "This looks kinda interesting; we've never done this one before."

The road in question was the Witteberge road which heads off the N1 about 28 km on the other side of Touwsrivier.

It was a magical road. Smooth, scenic, phenomenal.

Turning onto the Witteberge roadTurning onto the Witteberge road

The Witteberge road runs sort of parallel to the N1, eventually joining up with the Ladismith/Laingsburg roadThe Witteberge road runs sort of parallel to the N1, eventually joining up with the Ladismith/Laingsburg road

Errr, just incase you did not get the name of this awesome roadErrr, just incase you did not get the name of this awesome road

As is the case with all good roads, there was a gate or two. For the record, I did offer to  close them.

The Witteberge road does not have many of these. The Floriskraal dam road is a different story.The Witteberge road does not have many of these. The Floriskraal dam road is a different story.

The scenery just kept on getting better...The scenery just kept on getting better...

... and better... and better

Here and there, you came across a house, but there were not too many of themHere and there, you came across a house, but there were not too many of them

We eventually came to this climb out of the valley...We eventually came to this climb out of the valley...

Putting things into perspective: That little dot on the road is Gav...Putting things into perspective: That little dot on the road is Gav...

Looking back on the valley from the top of the climbLooking back on the valley from the top of the climb

The roads were still in fantastic condition - smooth as can be, no surprises, and with farm names like Elandsfontein and Elandskloof, the only road hazards were piles of poo on the road.

At the end of the Witteberge road, we turned right onto the Ladismith road, but turned off it within a few km's, heading past the Floriskraal Dam.

According to our GPS, you could follow this road - more or less - all the way to Prince Albert.

The road to Floriskraal damThe road to Floriskraal dam

The Floriskraal Dam wallThe Floriskraal Dam wall

Again, the roads were in great condition and we made good going...Again, the roads were in great condition and we made good going...

...until we got to the first of 27 (I think, we stopped counting) gates...until we got to the first of 27 (I think; we stopped counting) gates

Somewhere along the road we found this great old car abandoned alongside the road. Who did it belong to? When and why was it left there?

This may be a bit slower than modern-day bikesThis may be a bit slower than modern-day bikes

Up to now, the roads were in good condition and the going was fast, apart from the infernal gates. This changed when we reached this little sign:

Turn right after the fourth bush...Turn right after the fourth bush...

The road became progressively narrower and narrower. At times there was a visible cleared section; other times you had to look quite hard to see the road.

Interesting tweespoor aheadInteresting road ahead

In places there was even a bit of sand. This would soon change, thoughIn places there was even a bit of sand

At one point, the GPS said: "Turn right", so we did. Generally I don't have a problem with following her instructions, but this turned out to be onto a road which soon stopped at a farm house.

In the distance were a few farm labourer's cottages, and we crossed a few ditches to get to the one personwe could see.

"Is hier 'n pad na Prince Albert?" we enquired. 

He thought a bit.

"Ja, daar agter die sinkhok is een wat deurgaan na die Witkoppies plase..."

We thanked him and rode to the sinkhok, where there were not one, but three footpaths to choose from.

Having gotten us this far, the GPS was evilly mute about which one of the three paths to take. I could just hear her thinking: "This is for all those times you made me 'recalculate', suckers..."

"I think I saw something that looked a bit like a road past that big bush over there," I ventured. We turned around - no easy feat with fully-laden bikes amongst all the bushes.

We turned around once or twice more and then got onto a real farm tweespoor, which soon turned into a sand track which brought back fond memories of the ride-in to Jurg se Kaya. I confess to putting my feet down once or twice.

Soon that sandy road also petered out, and the GPS was again offering no solutions at this stage; mechanical lips tightly zipped.

"There's a telephone pole over there," Gav pointed into the distance. "Maybe there's a service road near it."

Lo and behold, there was... and suddenly the GPS came alive again, claiming we were on the right track.

But when the track started going up a ridge, complete with foot-high steps and tight twisty lines, I decided the GPS had a really warped sense of humour. By now, it was mid-afternoon and I was getting mildly concerned that we could get stuck in the dark, since I could see nothing that looked like a town - or a farm, for that matter - in the distance.

Is that the right road on that side, perhaps...?Should we be on that road, perhaps...?

Then we got to a gate... which surely meant we were on a road!Then we got to a gate... which surely meant we were on a road!

A few more sandy tracks later we finally got to a farm cottage and turned off to see if we could find someone to talk to. The house was being renovated and a very bemused painter came out to find out what we were doing there.

I was blown away when he said that we were close to the road to Prince Albert.

"Follow those trees, and then go past the dam, and then turn left at the big bush and you'll see a track that leads to a big gravel road," he explained. That gravel road would take us all the way into Prince Albert - which was only 20km away.

Back onto something you can actually call a road!Back onto something you can actually call a road!

Just after 5 that night we reached Prince Albert and booked into the Dennehof Guest House. The classy establishment was immediately enhanced by two bikes parked on the premises, not to mention the motorbike boots on the stoep.

Dennehof Guesthouse... I was really happy to not have to sleep in the veldDennehof Guesthouse... I was really happy to not have to sleep in the veld

We stayed in a spacious cottage in the backWe stayed in a spacious cottage in the back

From the guest house, it was an easy amble into town that night for supper. We ate at the Gallery Restaurant where beautiful and tasty food was the order of the day (think: fresh figs with Gorgonzola and parma ham; slow-roasted lamb knuckle; home-made lime sorbet...).

Over a bottle of excellent local Bergwater shiraz, we reflected upon the day.

"That was quite a little road."

"Hmmmm."

"I was concentrating too much to think about taking pics. Maybe we should go ride it again..."

"Hmmmm."

And ride it again we definitely will, but the next day we had a different route: Into Die Hel, and off to Calitzdorp. An easy day's riding, right? I mean, just up to the top of Swartberg pass, in and out of Die Hel, and down to Calitzdorp. As we would learn the next day, there were some surprises in store. But that's a story for another day...

Comments

Geoff Russell's picture
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Joined: 2007/09/25

Lovely report. Thank you.

Committee: Ride Captain

Mwendo's picture
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Joined: 2011/04/13

Wow! thank goodness for little "mistakes" - mine, not yours Cool

I spotted that road on a map recently and decided I would take it en-route to Oudtshoorn over the Easter weekend, sans GPS. I got "lost" between Montagu and the Anysberg Reserve, ending up in Touws River instead of near the Floriskraal dam end of the Laingsburg-Ladismith road. To make up for lost time I instead rode through Rouxpos and the Seweweekspoort on to Calitzdorp, then Groenfontein (a delightful route indeed) & Matjiesrivier into Oudtshoorn.

That road will definitely remain at the top of my ToDo list, but it's clear that it's not something to tackle alone - thank you!

--
The only problem with hindsight, is you don't see it coming!

 
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Joined: 2009/12/09

Fantasties Karin - jou balans tussen teks, foto's, humor en inligting is absoluut puik! Sien baie uit na die volgende aflewering...

Groete

Jakobus 

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GeelKameel's picture
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Joined: 2007/06/21

Lekkerlees report! Baie dankie! Julle sal hierdie avontuur sekerlik lank onthou.

Ek is oortuig 'n hele paar ouens gaan daardie pad soek en ry. Dit is beslis op my om-te-doen lys.

KarinP's picture
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Joined: 2009/04/30

Hi Cecil, yes it certainly was a lot of fun. I want to go back and see where the road gets to that continues straight (where we turned off to the farms) - the road we ended up on was certainly more a plaaspaadjie than a public road. Innocent

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Joined: 2007/07/12

Great ride report Karin :-)

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Joined: 2010/06/09

Great content and pics...as usual Karin! Would love the GPS trax.

"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious".

Cloudgazer Steven's picture
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Joined: 2007/10/03

ha, that kinda stuff happens to me all the time. Tempramental GPS, getting lost, numerous gates, the threat of not making your destination before dark.

Thats what adventure riding is all about.

There are so many problems in this world. Luckily there's a wristband available for almost all of them.
Andyman's picture
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Joined: 2007/06/22

I just checked my diary. I was away in Kenya when you posted this report.

How damned awesome this trip was and is.

 

Gav, can you or Mrs. Peddle Power please send me the tracks for this ride if yopu saved them?

I have examined a route on both  Garmin and then followed it on Google Earth.

What stark remote coutnry side this is.

The plaaslike bevolking must be rarely rare people at that.

I feel a ride coming on.

Wow this is fabulous . thanks for sharing.

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???

KarinP's picture
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Hi Andy, this was certainly one of our favourite trips ever - in fact I think it should be redone within the next month or so Laughing

I am sure we still have the GPS tracks at home - will have a look and get them to you.

For the most part the route is quite easy and straighforward - it was just that last bit on the sandy footpaths going into PA that got, shall we say, 'quite interesting'.

Of course, 'quite interesting' is what makes a trip ...

 

Andyman's picture
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Joined: 2007/06/22

Thanks for sharing... Really feel a trip there coming on. Thanks for looking for the tracks.

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???

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Joined: 2007/06/25

Karin, as always a well balanced report, keep em comin. 

Think before you ink.

Trust is the most valuable asset.

I have the rest of my life to get old.

GAW
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Joined: 2009/05/25

Hi Andy

 

have the track but also have 3 or 4 emails for you, which should I use?

Rgds

Gavin

 

___________________________________________________ Gavin Wood

Andyman's picture
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thanks Gavin, mailed you the correct addresses

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???

GAW
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Sorted

 

rgds

 

Gavin

___________________________________________________ Gavin Wood

Andyman's picture
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Thanks, see it has come through, now to see aid I can load iy....

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???