Cederberg – 1 Dec 2022

Kromrivier – Dwarskersbos: 211 km

We are having some weird weather. I’m starting to wonder about that whole global warming thing. Last night was freezing, or so I’m told by Izabel this morning. But I must admit that it was quite chilly and walking around in my flip-flops this morning can feel my toes going numb. Today we have to do that one thing that is part of the experience that nobody likes – packing up. Well, it’s true for me at least because packing the sidecar is like playing Tetris. Everything has its special place and if you put it somewhere else you end up with something not fitting anymore.

Seems like everything was looking for warmth last night. When I start to pack I find a large wolf spider in the garage. Not sure how he got in since it was zipped closed but it would have been interesting if he remained in the helmet until somebody put it on.

I did not time it but packing took what felt like at least an hour and by that time you could feel the heat. Eventually, just before 8 am, the packing is done and everything has found a place. On the way out we had to stop for a photo shoot which is common when we camp where there are other people around. No matter what people say about a Ural (and they say some nasty things 😉 ) there is no denying that it will get a conversation going in no time.

We leave Kromrivier via the Truitjieskraal road which will later join up with the Matjiesrivier road. This takes us past the well-known Oasis backpackers.

We cross over the Grootrivierhoogte pass first and then the Blinkberg pass follows shortly thereafter.

A few kilometers before reaching the small settlement of Op die Berg the road becomes tarmac. Why it’s named that is a mystery since it is at the foot of the mountain, not the top. From here we will stay on the tarmac until Piketberg. Over the Gydo pass and we are in Prince Alfred Hamlet. One thing about passes and a sidecar – while they are fun they are a lot of work, especially going up a steep long one. You are constantly counter-steering since the pusher (bike) want to ride around the tub (where the passenger sits). This is because the tub is not motorized and the pusher is trying to lug this dead weight hanging off to the side up and over the incline. The steeper the pass the more throttle you need to apply and the more throttle you apply the more it pushes to the left (the tub side). Considering the limited amount of power and torque the Ural produces this can become a very interesting tightrope walk and you constantly need to think about what is coming up next. All part of the fun and games but when you do a few of these steep passes in a day you can feel it.

In Prince Alfred Hamlet I replace the fuel overflow pipe I lost the previous day. We get to Ceres just in time for morning rush hour traffic but since it is not a very large town we are in and out quickly, over Mitchells pass on the way to Gouda, Porterville, and Piketberg. First, we stop at the Fynbos Farmstall for delicious Vetkoek & mince, coffee, and apple tart.

We are now in citrus and wine country and this is just about all you see, orchards and vineyards, but always against the backdrop of some beautiful mountain.

The gravel road from Redelinghuys to Dwarskersbos is a mixture of deep sand and corrugations which keeps you working, fun at times, and miserable at times. We arrive at Ronel’s place just after 3 pm. She is giving us a bed for two nights so Izabel is very glad. We have nice fresh fish, calamari, and chips with red wine before we call it a night with an editable. Tomorrow we rest.