Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Off road to Sutherland! 14-15 July 2007 Keeping a close eye on the weather we anticipated a really cold weekend. Minus 9 the predicted temperature for Sunday! Wearing lots of warm clothes everyone met at the Engen Garage on Plattekloof road. Departure time just after 9:00. Wow, this was my first club ride and what an absolutely awesome experience riding with the group! At Bain’s Kloof & Mitchell’s Pass most of the bikes passed me and Jess as we struggled through the twists and turns. Refueling and meeting up with everyone for a quick breakfast at the Wimpy in Ceres. Now the fun really starts as Geoff takes the off road group and we head out to Gydo Pass. As soon as we hit the dirt road we take a quick break to let down tires, add some air to others, get some good pointers from Geoff and head off. Things are going well and even the two inexperienced riders manage speeds of up to 110km/h at times! Well, I thought this was quite an achievement! The weather was great, clear blue skies…typical Karoo day with absolute total silence (until Geoff grabs his helmet again!). Then it is dust and the sound of 6 delighted bikes heading for Sutherland again! Although it was mostly short stops to wait for everyone to catch up it happened often enough to ensure that everyone is still cheerful and in good spirit! And we were! From Op die Berg, to Katbakkies Pass, Skittery Pass on to Ceres Karoo. All the men eagerly helped out when Phillip and Vanessa’s Dakar needed some front tyre attention... The road leading up to our turn off to Ouberg Pass… Final rest with some pointers before tackling the pass…mmm…this is where the trouble started for me and Jess… After a tumble on Ouberg I was happy to hear that we are near Sutherland. Some chocolate, “Not too far to go” and other words of encouragement from the more experienced riders helped me and Jess to get to the fuel stop in Sutherland just after 16:00. Thank goodness for no male ego issues on my side allowing me to confess that I was scared now. Jess lost a few parts and her handlebars are skew but we made it to our guesthouse. A total of 370km so far. Now it was time to relax, at last. Jan ready with a glass of sherry as soon as we unpacked our things! Then off to the Hotel to meet up with the rest of the riders. As reported by Lawrence and Herman, dinner was a marathon affair! Great food, first-class company and good wine proved to be an excellent combination after an eventful day. Some of us were brave enough to go back to the Hotel to let off some steam on the dance floor before heading back to get some well deserved rest. Sunday morning started with a few repairs to tyres, Jess’ handlebars and quick bites to eat at our respective guesthouses. Then meeting up at the Sutherland Hotel before heading for Matjiesfontein. Jess wasn’t too happy to be on her way again and I truly considered leaving her there and riding pillion with one of the others. Have to admit that I’m very glad I didn’t. Nothing like getting back in the saddle to regain some confidence after a tumble. Although the tar road to Matjies was not my cup of tea we were soon back on the dirt road, heading towards Bo Swaarmoed. The roads showed signs of rain in the past few days with mud and the odd baby river crossing (ok, those who know better wouldn’t even call it a river crossing, but bear with me! This is my first ride!). Then to Onder Swaarmoed and back in Ceres. All safe and sound despite the Dakar’s front tyre giving some more problems on the way back. A quick refuel and then off for a bite to eat at the Calabash Bush pub before heading back to CT over Bainskloof. This time the mountain pass went a bit better as Jan and I left about 15min before the rest in order for me to struggle through the turns once more. Geoff presented us with a bike wash opportunity at his house before heading to our respective homes. Jan and I gladly accepted and both Jess and Shadow enjoyed the attention. Thanks Geoff! Back home just before 7. Dead tired, Jess minus a few parts plus a few scratches…but valuable lessons learned! All in all a great weekend and hopefully the first of many! Thank you everyone who made this a truly memorable experience! Next year Jess and I will bravely tackle Ouberg again, this time ready for that sharp bend! CT to Sutherland: 370km Sutherland to CT: 340km Total distance: 710km