Ocean to air

Ocean to air ENTERTAINMENT

Words and Photos: Greg Gearing

IF YOU HAD TO THINK OF THE WILDEST AREAS SOUTH OF THE LIMPOPO RIVER, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT BOTH THE WILD COAST AND LESOTHO WOULD FEATURE IN YOUR TOP FIVE CHOICES. BOTH AREAS HAVE THE KEY ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE A PLACE TRULY WILD; WHERE A CONTRAST OF NATURAL BEAUTY AND ISOLATION MERGE TO CREATE MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPES THAT JUMP OUT AT YOU AS YOU PASS THROUGH.

Bearing this in mind, it was a fairly easy decision to include both these areas on the itinerary when I started planning my next adventure ride.

Not much can rival the feeling of excitement I experience when I look at a blank map, knowing that I can create the route of my choice. In southern Africa we are blessed with a myriad of dirt roads and tracks that allow you endless opportunities to link two places and create the ultimate adventure.

Looking back over South Africa from the top of Ramatselisos Gate Pass.

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Stopping for a coke and chocolate at the top of Bezuidenhout's Pass.

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Ocean to air THIS TRIP WOULD START AT THE RICHMOND COUNTRY CLUB, JUST OUTSIDE PIETERMARITZBURG, AND FROM THERE MY FRIENDS, SHANE RAWLINS AND RYAN DOMLEO, AND I WOULD MAKE OUR WAY DOWN SOUTH EAST, TO SPEND TWO NIGHTS IN THE WILD COAST BEFORE HEADING BACK WEST AND UP THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM OF LESOTHO FOR A NIGHT. WE WOULD SPEND OUR LAST NIGHT IN GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARK AND THEN MAKE OUR WAY BACK INTO KWA-ZULU NATAL AND HOME.

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When it comes to packing bikers are both cursed and blessed. Cursed because there is only so much you can put on a motorcycle and some things have to stay behind. Blessed because you can only pack what you really need, which means no excess baggage.

Shane and I negotiated our way through the Durban morning traffic jams and met up with Ryan at the Richmond Country Club for breakfast and a cup of coffee, although I use the word ‘coffee’ generously.

Our campsite halfway up Matebeng Pass in Lesotho.

The first day we covered around 450 km, with about 70% of that being off-road. This was the first time I was using a GPS on a trip and naturally you would think this would prevent us from getting lost. But on the contrary, it just gave us a little more confidence to get lost more often, knowing in the back of our minds we would always be able to find a way out. As the trip progressed, I became convinced that this was the best advantage of using a GPS; not that it told you where you must go because that takes the adventure out of it, but rather that it allowed you to try so many new roads with confidence.

We arrived at at the community-run Mtentu River Campsite just in time to watch the sun set over the green hills of the Wild Coast. The campsite is nestled away in a covering of tress overlooking the river and although it is fairly basic, it offers all the amenities one needs.

There is a mixture of pre-erected tents and open platforms where one can erect their own tents.

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THE NEXT MORNING WE AWOKE EARLY AND USED ONE OF THE CANOES PROVIDED BY THE CAMPSITE TO PADDLE UP THE RIVER. THE MTENTU RIVER FORMS PART OF THE MKAMBATI NATURE RESERVE AND IS ONE OF THE FEW RIVERS IN SOUTH AFRICA THAT IS COMPLETELY PROTECTED. The effect this has had on the river life is incredible! As we paddled up the river, we watched the sun glisten off the backs of turtles as they breached the water, causing a school of fish to swim in a mad frenzy. A few kilometres up the river, there is a cliff face that is known as ‘Jump Rock’, which offers those brave enough a 15-metre rock jump into the river. Fifteen metres looked a whole lot higher from the top, but I finally plucked up the courage and took the plunge into the clear waters below.

After a light lunch we packed up the bikes and set off for our next destination Mbotyi, which lies about 40 km south of Mtentu, but requires a 160 km round route due to the numerous valleys and rivers that lie between the two places.

The varying landscapes create the perfect roads for adventure riding, constantly twisting and turning, rising and falling. Two hours into the ride we took a quick dip to cool off in a very different looking Mtentu River from the one we had paddled on earlier in the day, as the deep wide estuary had given way to a smaller rocky mountain stream.

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We arrived at Lusikisiki Spar to buy some supplies at the worst time imaginable; 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, at month end. It was complete chaos. The reward for tackling the mass of humanity came in the form of fillet steak at a bargain price of R70 a kilo.

The second night we stealth camped on the banks of the Mzimpunzi estuary, although I am not sure stealth is the best word to describe it, as we basically camped out in the open. We negotiated a price with the local elders and were assigned a guard, who made a fire and watched over the camp for the night.

We awoke to a magnificent sunrise and flat motorbike battery, thanks to the constant charging of electronic devices throughout the night. Having pushed the bike up and down the hill no less than 10 times, we eventually realised that if we simply took out Shane’s battery and kissed the two batteries together we could get the bike started. This delay meant we had to make good time to cover the 200 km to Kokstad, where we met a met another friend, Guy Ducasse, who would be joining us before heading up into Lesotho.

Enjoying one of the many great gravel roads in Lesotho.

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Enjoying a well-deserved beer in Clarens.

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ANYONE WHO’S DRIVEN THROUGH KOKSTAD WILL KNOW THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO PASS THROUGH WITHOUT BEING TEMPTED BY THE ALLURE OF A WIMPY BURGER AT THE MOUNT CURRIE SERVICE STATION. KOKSTAD ALSO PROVIDED A GREAT CHANCE TO RESTOCK ON ALL THE ESSENTIALS BEFORE MAKING OUR WAY INTO LESOTHO, WHERE EVEN THE MOST BASIC OF SUPPLIES CAN BE HARD TO COME BY. We entered Lesotho via Ramatselisos Gate Border Post. The pass leading up to the border is great fun on a motorbike, and possible in a two wheel drive vehicle provided you have decent ground clearance and the roads are not too wet.

There is a stark difference between the two border posts. On the South African side there is a modern building with the air conditioning running at about 50 degrees Celsius, whereas on the Lesotho side it’s an old shell of a building with not much more than a desk and a book. This seems to have a direct influence on the friendliness of the border guards. The South Africans could hardly manage a smile, while the Basothos jumped on our bikes, took pictures and made jokes with us.

Once you cross the border there is this real feeling that you are in a different country, as Lesotho’s rugged, barren landscapes can make you wonder if you haven’t mistakenly landed on the moon. As the sun was setting we tried hard to

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make it up and over the near 3,000 m-high Matebeng Pass to camp on the other side, but after a couple near tragic luggage mishaps (we almost lost our beers) and the diminishing light, we made a call to set-up camp halfway up the pass.

That night, the katabatic wind was in full force, blowing freezing cold air from the top of the mountain down into the valley. Unfortunately our tents were erected directly in its path and our tent covers were blown completely off during the night. Needless to say it wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep ever, but an adventure, yes.

The morning was chilly, but it is because of days like this that I love to ride adventure bikes. The fact that we got to wake up, get on our bikes and immediately begin tackling a mountain pass made the cold nights and restless sleeps worth it. Matebeng Pass is a twofor-one special; you zigzag your way up the one side before cresting the top and experiencing the exact same thing on the way down the other side.

At this point we had to cross the width of Lesotho in one day, to make it to our overnight stop at Golden Gate National Park. When you look at a map this doesn’t look like much of a challenge, as Lesotho isn’t exactly the widest country in the world. The problem is that there is no such thing as a straight road in Lesotho.

Some 7 hours and 400 km later, we finally rolled into the small Free State town of Clarens. Along the way we had only managed a couple of short breaks, a few jelly babies and a packet of Cheese Curls, so to say we were hungry would be a gross understatement. Fortunately, there are no shortages of places to eat in Clarens and relief came in the form of a pub serving delicious eisbein and German beer.

Having satisfied our stomachs and feeling like normal people again, we made our way to the campsite at Golden Gate National Park. The fantastic facilities at the Glen Reenen Camp were just what we needed, especially since we hadn’t had a shower in three days. We had no problems sleeping on the last night, the long day had taken its toll.

All too quickly the last day of the trip greeted us and it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that this would be the last time we’d pack up the bikes and head off for a day of riding. However, we were determined to make it a good day.

After a quick breakfast we set off, riding all the available viewing circuits in the park and, in the process, prolonging our return to reality. There are many routes one can take to get from the Free State and into KwaZulu-Natal, and on this trip we chose one of the lesser-travelled passes known as Bezuidenhout's Pass. The pass is just over 5 km long, with a gradient of 1:12. It is a rough one and besides from motorbikes, it is recommended that only 4x4 vehicles with

good ground clearance attempt it. Amazingly this was where the first and only fall of the whole trip came. Guy got a little distracted and managed to drop his front wheel into a deep rut, which result in a slow-motion topple over. Fortunately there was no damage to either man or machine.

It had been a superb five days of adventure riding, with a great mix of landscapes; from the rolling hills of the Wild Coast to the rugged mountains of the Drakensberg. We stopped for a beer and burger at the Thokozisa Lifestyle Village and while reflecting on some of the highlights of this trip, we began to sow the seeds for our next adventure. •

HELPFUL INFORMATION: Golden Gate National Park: Website: www.sanparks.co.za/parks/golden_gate/ Ramatselisos Gate Border Gate: Opening times: 08h00 – 18h00 Mtentu Camp Site: E-mail for Bookings: mtentucampsite@gmail.com Mountain passes of South Africa: www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/

At the top of Ramatselisos Gate Pass.

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