Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

This ride was the result of something that has been bothering me for a while. The club has been on a roll for quite a while with many new members joining, particularly off road riders, with the result that rides fill up very quickly with long waiting lists. My riding has improved exponentially as a result of going on Warren’s rides which are exactly suited to me. I like everything about them. But for a while I have felt a bit guilty because my presence excludes new riders who should get the same benefit that I did.

However, as I still need to get my riding in I activated the dormant organ that passes for my mind and chatted with a couple of friends. We thought that we could piggyback on Warren’s ideas and re-do the rides we enjoyed most and free up some space on his rides.

With this in mind we decided to re-do Gysmanshoek Pass and Rooiberg Pass with some minor changes. The plan was to ride to Swellendam on Friday, do the passes and sleep at Ladismith on Saturday then back home on Sunday.

Six riders expressed interest, three of them club members, myself, Bob Goode, John Finch  and I with three friends Bobby Jones, Simon Elms and Laurie Graham. We were on two 1200GSs, an 800GS, a Cagiva and two VStroms.

Bob, Bobby, Simon and I set out from Cape Town on Friday with Laurie and John planning to join us at Swellendam on Saturday morning.

We hit the gravel at Grabouw, turning right into the Highlands Road that runs through Elgin and did minimal tar until we reached Swellendam. We turned left onto tar at the end of the Highlands Road onto the R44, then onto the R43 toward Botrivier, for about 5km before turning right onto the next bit of gravel. To reach Caledon we revisited most of Andyman’s rides including the treacherous downhill to the Swart River crossing, followed by an almost as treacherous uphill.

Bobby after his oops on the downhill with Geoff in the background

Geoff

Bobby had drawn the first blood of the trip by dropping his VStrom on the treacherous downhill. A little later we found that his rear wheel was leaking air and we had to stop to inflate it and put in foam. His lack of tyre pressure was probably the reason for losing control on the downhill. It was a pleasant ride after that apart from the heat. The day got hotter and hotter until the thermometer reached 39.5 degrees at Caledon.

At Caledon we stopped for a snack and something to drink and really had to pluck up courage to venture out into the heat again.

The idea was to follow Andyman’s Tesselaarsdal route but as Shaws pass was closed due to construction we had to turn off before the pass. Bob’s Zumo was also playing tricks as it kept on switching itself off so when we eventually reached the Stanford road we set out for Bredasdorp on tar missing out a whole section of dirt to the north of the R316. By this stage we didn’t really care and it was a welcome relief to escape the heat by travelling a little faster and allowing the wind to cool us down.

From Bredasdorp we aimed for the pont at Malgas – a good gravel road all the way past the De Hoop Nature Reserve. 2^nd blood was let by Simon who fell over as he stopped on the river bank. He said his leg was too tired to hold the weight of the bike on the slope – I think he forgot to put his sidestand down. The pont was on our side of the river so we were taken across immediately. The river water cooled the air a lot so we had a very pleasant crossing.

Geoff, Bobby & Simon on the Malgas pont

Bob & Bobby

Pont tariffs: Motorbikes classed the same as tractors - so rude!

From the pont we rode up toward the N2, turning left onto the road past the Buffeljags railway station and from there to Swellendam on tar. We crossed a low level bridge over the Buffeljagsrivier. Next to the low level bridge is a disused bridge that must be around 200 years old. It has beautiful detailing on the stonework and has wooden supports for the roadway. See the history of The Sugar Bridge at the end of this report.

The Sugar Bridge over the Buffeljagsrivier

Pier detail

Bridge surfacing

We arrived at Swellendam Backpackeers where we were to spend the night. The backpackers is in a quiet setting with beautifully kept grounds. A variety of different types of accommodation is offered. My first shock was that they only serve booze – no softdrinks. I was so hot and thirsty that I had my first beer in years.

Swellendam Backpackers

 Deck

 new rooms under construction

 camping area with "shed" rooms behind

We settled into our rooms which were more than adequate and chatted to other visitors. Bob, Bobby and I were hungry and, as the nearest restaurants were a kilometre away, Stephanie, the owner of the backpackers, took us down by car. She recommended Mattsons, which turned out to be an excellent restaurant. We all had hamburgers to eat which were stunning – of the best. The chips that accompanied the burgers were cut from potatoes in the kitchen and fried. They really taste much better than the pre-cut frozen things that are dished up in most restaurants these days. We had a pleasant stroll back to the backpackers.

I just want to say two things: that the place was too expensive and they didn’t serve breakfast – and no coffee either.

The next morning John arrived from Stanford and Laurie from Cape Town, but Laurie had left Cape Town very early and arrived in Swellendam at about 07:00. He found that the Swellengrebel Hotel was open for breakfast, which he found to be very expensive and of poor quality. When we met him he advised us not to eat there and to go to the Wimpy instead, where we had an excellent breakfast.

Bobby showing John, Laurie and Simon his new flying brick in Swellendam

After breakfast we set off through Suurbraak and onto gravel towards Gysmanshoek pass. It’s funny how the memory plays tricks with one. I had travelled the road once before, but couldn’t remember large stretches of it and kept wondering whether we were on the right road. But as it turned out, Bob with his Zumo was spot-on and we arrived at the turnoff to the pass. It was rather disappointing to find that some work had been done to the road and I just can’t understand why the authorities can’t leave a perfectly bad road alone. We got to the top of the pass and stopped for a chat and to admire the view, which was fantastic. The wind had started to blow a bit which was pleasant as it cooled us down. The day was hot, but not as hot as Friday.

On the way up Gysmanshoek

 Laurie having a good scratch at the top of Gysmanshoek pass with the mighty Caviga & Simon watching

 strueasbob it went up this fast

the road north from the top

We then headed from the summit of the pass to Vanwyksdorp, where we stopped at the Barking Frog for lunch. We received the same warm welcome and were served coffees, beers and cooldrinks, together with pepper steak pie (absolutely delicious) and chips.

aaah coolth shade

 the only customers

After a very pleasant lunch break we set off over the Rooiberg pass. Bob and I decided to follow tradition and pick up a rock at the bottom of the pass so that we could add to the cairn at the top. Bob chose a modest size rock which fitted in his pocket and I went outsize and picked a big rock which I put under my cargo net.

The beginning of Rooiberg Pass

 on the way up Rooiberg

 Bobby, Laurie, John, Geoff and Simon catching some shade on the way up.

We stopped at the summit and once again admired the views, which are splendid, and then headed towards the cairn to place our stones. I discovered that my rock had decided that it didn’t want to go to the top of the pass and somewhere en route had dismounted. Bob graciously gave me his rock to put on the cairn and there was much photographing and videoing while I did so.

 Geoff placing his klip on the pile with John smiling in appreciation

The plaque at the foot of the klip pile

Then down the pass to Calitzdorp.

Hairpin on the way down Rooiberg

road just after the hairpin

John’s bike had been giving electrical trouble, cutting out intermittently and in Calitzdorp we decided that I would accompany John straight to Koedoeskloof (near Ladismith) while the rest would do a trip into Seweweekspoort.

Seweweekspoort turned out to be a hard ride for them. The scenery was magnificent as you would expect but the road had recently been graded and was very loose. Coupled with the setting sun and having to ride in the dust from sun in your eyes to shade and back again made for high concentration slow riding. And it was also still very hot. The idea was to go down and back up the Bosluiskloof as well but by the time they exited the north end of Seweweekspoort they were all too gatvol and retraced their tracks to the R62

John and I arrived at Koedoeskloof and met the hosts, Eugene and Debi, where we received a hearty welcome. I was very impressed by the place, starting with the attitude of the hosts, which naturally follows through into everything they have done to turn it into what it is. The rooms are very comfortably and tastefully appointed, even having plungers and moerkoffie available and there is a shady grassed area for camping with clean ablutions and a kitchenette. There is also a restaurant on the premises called the Dwarsbar, which has a deck with fantastic views of the mountains. Dinner and breakfasts are served there and it is also a pleasant place to sit and watch the sunset. The dinners consist of hamburgers of various types – ostrich, kudu, chicken, beef, etc. and the breakfasts are a choice of standard fried or health breakfasts. I can highly recommend Koedoeskloof and won’t be staying anywhere else when near Ladismith. Eugene and Deb are also adventure riders and Eugene has a motorbike trailer which he will put at our disposal should we ever need it when we are in the area.

After this long description, the Seweweekspoort bunch arrived, unpacked and swallowed several beers to cool down. While we were there a couple arrived on an 800GS to camp and we all spent a pleasant evening at the Dwarsbar, chatting, eating and drinking while John fixed his bike.

Koedoeskloof Country Lodge

DwarsBar

Tuin

The following morning when we woke the weather was fine but during breakfast it started to rain and we decided not to venture onto the gravel and to rather head back to Cape Town on the tar.

We all stopped in Barrydale to pump up tyres. Bob drew the last blood of the trip by trying drive off the centre stand and lost his balance falling against the petrol pump. So we only had three bruised egos and no real accidents.

Laurie, Bobby and Simon headed home along the R62 and Bob and I accompanied John to just on the other side of Riviersonderend, where he turned off and went to Stanford while we carried onto to Cape Town.

All in all, a very good weekend. The roads were all in good condition and were easy to ride.

THE HISTORY OF THE SUGAR BRIDGE

(adapted from Tony Murray's text, by BobGoode)

The great need in the early years of British rule was for a "highway" from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape, capable of being traversed in all weather.  The mountains were the most substantial barrier but rivers were also major obstacles, particularly when they were in flood.  So in the 1830's as traffic began to grow, Lord Charles Somerset arranged for a pont to be installed to aid in crossing the Buffeljachts. In 1845 the Central Roads Board began work on the "Colonial Highway" in earnest.  It was decided to replace the unsatisfactory & defunct pont with a proper bridge just downstream of the confluence of the Buffeljachts and Appelbosch Rivers. 

Despite its innocent appearance under the present National Road, the Buffeljachts in flood is quite intimidating particularly as storms can occur in the Swellendam area in summer as well as during the wetter winter.  The width of the flood plain required a bridge about 100 metres long - at the time the longest in the Colony.  This would require several spans, and stone arches were out of the question for several reasons - Construction would be very difficult as the framework to form the arches would be in danger of being washed away in the face of a flood and no doubt too, the cost of building several spans by this process would have been prohibitive.  The solution was to build stone piers topped by a timber deck.  From observations and from local gossip they were well aware that the Buffeljachts in flood was a fearsome proposition, and could easily wash the stone piers away.  It was decided that the piers should be made from massive blocks of local sandstone, to better withstand the force of the river.  There was a quarry nearby which would supply good quality sandstone, but where would timber of sufficient strength and length be obtained?

By chance the Robert, en route from Burma to England with a cargo of teak, was wrecked at the mouth of the Lourens River at the beginning of 1847.  The wood was ideal for a bridge deck, and enough timber for this purpose was purchased for £400 at the salvage auction.  The balks were each about 12 metres long, which determined the length of a span and thus decided the number of piers - there would be eight in the river bed and two abutments.  The timber was shipped to Port Beaufort and then hauled to the site by ox wagon, reportedly at the exorbitant transport cost of £800! 

The design Engineer saw a problem looming.  The stones of the piers might each weigh a ton or two, but they would still be liable to move under the force of a flood if they were not held together with strong mortar.

The traditional local mortar was made from a mixture of sand and lime, which was usually obtained by burning seashells.  Now the difficulty with lime mortar is that it develops its strength very slowly – it can take up to twelve months for the chemical reaction to be complete.  What if, during this curing period, the river came down in flood and washed the piers away?  Lime mortar in such circumstances was not a proposition.

The alternative was to use gypsum, better known as Plaster of Paris, as the cementing agent, and so an order was sent to France for a supply from the quarry in Montmartre which was its principal source.  It would take about eight months from the time of placing the order to the arrival of the casks of powder at the Cape, and so construction could only start in 1847.

Now, unlike lime plaster, gypsum sets very quickly – it starts hardening about five minutes after water is added, and the process is complete after half an hour.  This is too quick for construction, as the mortar will set before the heavy stone blocks can be manhandled into their final positions.  Something had to be added to the mix to prevent it from setting too quickly and the handiest retarding agent in the Cape in 1847 was common household sugar. 

The good citizens of Swellendam were no doubt fascinated when the materials for the bridge started to arrive on site – casks of Plaster of Paris, large teak beams, special saws to cut the stone blocks – and sacks of sugar!  Surely these crazy Englishmen, reputedly members of the Royal Engineers (they weren't) were not going to build a bridge out of sugar, the stuff Tant Sannie used for her famous koeksusters!  But into the mix went the sparkling crystals, and so the new masterpiece became the "Sugar Bridge", a name which would long outlast the fame of the pride of the Swellendam church bazaar.

The piers took three years to build.  There were various problems.  The foundations of the piers had to be taken down to solid rock.  This required an excavation of over 3 metres, which was rather deeper than expected and quite a problem in the bed of a flowing river.  Construction could not be undertaken in winter when the river was high.

Local legend has it that one particularly large sandstone block was so heavy that it broke the wheel of the wagon on which it was being carted from the quarry to the bridge site.  The stone then slid off the back of the wagon and killed the brake-man, one Antonie.  The stone was then rolled on tree trunks where it provided a convenient platform for unloading the timber before it was manhandled into position on the deck.  On completion of construction some enterprising locals rolled "Antonie's stone" to a high spot on the road where became a local landmark and a well known resting place on the highway. Antonie's Stone can be seen on the mountain side of the National Road at the turn off to the farm Appelbosch.

It is recorded that the bridge was opened in 1852 amid due ceremony, at a total cost of £17,462 (an exhorbitant amount in those times) and carried traffic along the Garden Route highway for 101 years, until the N2 was opened in 1953. The bridge continued to carry local traffic, but the timber was beginning to deteriorate.  At one stage there was an outbreak of punctures in village vehicles, until it was found that the heads of the nails in the bridge deck had worn away, leaving sharp spikes which penetrated the tyres.  Then in the 1980's a flood damaged one of the piers, and with the deck also deteriorating rapidly, it was decided to close the bridge permanently. 

The bridge has been decalred a National Monument but due to lack of funds has never been restored to its former glory. Hopefully the romance of the Sugar Bridge will survive.