A Friend of Suzbox summoned us to do a ride with him and another friend. To Loeriesfontein. Because of my reputation to find an alternative road I was entrusted with the planning of the trip.
Suxbox is a very unreliable Dawg. Only one post in his entire career. But an excellent sport. Equally important, an archaeology student in his younger days. Friend of Suzbox, FOS, is just a good sport. To his credit, he is a never-ending optimist with a plan for everything. Hopefully he’ll join WD after this trip and ride report.
On Friday we left Vellerif for Piekenierskloof to meet the other friend from Worcester. The plan was to take every possible measure to stay off the cancerous tar. So we got on the gravel just outside Vellerif.
We took the road to Aurora and then Redelinghuis. Beautiful this time of year with lush green fields and good roads. Nice little rural roads with trekkers en waens all over.
We went very slowly and made sure to spend all our energy to sniff out the back roads. We also found this, the old pass up Piekenierskloof. For a long time I was looking forward to this.
On top of the mountain is the beautiful farm stall Kardoesie. There we ate a sandwich and met Player 23.
Player 23
From there we took the road to Paleisheuwel. It runs on the mountain between the fruit farms. Later we took a right turn on a road that we expected to go to, or in the direction of Clanwilliam. It was a gamble, because it ran right to a crest in the mountain.
It paid off and we followed a very nice road to meet the N-7 just before Clanwilliam dam.
We went into town, bought the odd battery, pie and cash, ready for the Maskam. We tackled Pakhuispas. The roads department are still working at the pass. Why they mess up this beautiful place with a tarred road, I don’t know.
Going up the pass, I had the humiliating experience to be outrun by an Isuzu 2,5 diesel. I will say no more. Player 23 dished that story out at every possible occasion.
We did our obligatory stop at the Englishman’s grave, shared some cut biltong and smiled at the public. Friendly bikers.
After a few kilometers we turned North to Moedverloor. A favorite route of my friend Tok-tokkie. It is a twee-spoor paadjie with gates and Dorper sheep all over. Merrycan and me did this road two years ago, but from the North. It was an ordeal. Overloaded bike on a slippery road in the rain. This time the road was true and the weather beautiful. Our first stop was this cave.
The crowd.
Some more rock art.
Some of the houses, some not in use, others still used. I think Tok-tokkie did a little bit of the historie of these houses in a report some time ago.
At Nieuwoudtville we filled up and drank a beer at the Smitswinkel. Hendrik van Zijl’s place. We did the usual ooh and ah at the bike guy’s workshop. It is worth the stop for any biker.
FOS having fun.
Smoke break for the solitary smoker.
From there we planed to go on a detour towards Calvinia to stay on the gravel, but sense, however suspect, guided us to take the tar to Loeriesfontein. The distance was half the gravel road, but it was tar! The only conciliation was an old favourite.
At Loeriesfontein we checked into the local Hotel and started our outreach with a visit to the canteen. Excellent notion. After we took a shower we indulged in a few skaap tjoppies. Massive heaps of meat with a lining of good wholesome fat. We were treated with the wisdom of the local crowd, telling us all about Loeriesfontein and the plan for the next day.
Now I might tell the reason for the visit to Loeriesfontein. They have a private school with, and I must check with Wikipedia, 23 pupils. Saturday is a fund-raising for the school. The day consists of among other things, a route in the Knersvlakte. This was the reason for our visit. Of cause the route to the route was the real thing, but hell, to be treated like celebrities is just cool. We were the visitors. Like all small towns, almost everybody were an educated person or an ex. Ex-policeman, ex-attorney, ex-dominee, ex-wife or ex-racist. Lots of ex-teachers among the women.
Player 23 has beautiful blue eyes, even as a man I can see that. He also has a six-pack, well hidden under a wel established protective layer, acquired from good use of the healthy fat on skaaptjoppies. But he has the ability to turn women’s heads. He is also the only member of our clan who can legally represent us in possible dealings or negotiations with individuals from Venus. Sadly, everything ended sooner than it began and we were even considering playing pool. None of us were prepared to compromise our status as visitors from almost outer space to something like playing pools, so we went to bed.
We had a long discussion to decide who sleeps where. The guys who snore will sleep together. In the end FOS and Player 23 slept in one room since we all snore. Not like Trailrider, but we are learning.
