SA DS TROPHY 2011 (18-21 March 2011)

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Event Overview:

This is a new and unique event by bikers for bikers, where each Dual Sport Rider can come and pit his skills against other riders regardless of bike brand or experience level.

The South African Dual Sport Trophy is not a race. It's about real world Dual Sport Riding. It's about great routes, historic passes, fantastic scenery and camaraderie shared. It's about doing what we love - Dual Sport Riding.

The South African Dual Sport Trophy is a team event. Teams of two riders will pit their skills against other teams and literally any team can win. It's the best all rounded team, NOT the fastest team, that will excel in this event.

Scoring will be evenly weighted between several categories including, navigation, observation, special tasks, problem solving, skills, bike preparation and bonus points. The idea is that Adventure Riders get tested in real world Adventure Riding skills and situations on a real Adventure Ride.

Entries to the 2011 South African Dual Sport Trophy will be limited so don't waste any time before entering. Identify a teammate and be part of the first ever South African Dual Sport Trophy, an event destined to become the biggest independent Trophy event on the South African Dual Sport Calender.



Event FAQ:


Where will the event take place?

The first annual South African Dual Sport Trophy will be held in the Western Cape. The exact locations are a secret. There will be three departure points:

- Cape Town
- George
- Kimberly

Teams will be handed a envelope with waypoints and you will in the end determine how you get to the location of the first night.


What accommodation will we use?

This will be a camping event and you will be carrying your own tent. You will treat this like any other adventure ride you and a buddy might do, only difference being that you do not have to carry any food.


What does it cost?

R1740 per rider / R3480 per team


What do I get for my money?

Everything but booze and fuel.

   1. T-shirt
   2. Event patch
   3. All meals at the event
   4. Entry for all entertainment and festivities
   5. Entry to all the activities, events and prizes

The entry covers all accommodation for 3 nights in three great locations, good breakfast (bacon / eggs / toast etc.), lunch on the road each day (whether it be a burger at an establishment or a food parcel for the day) as well as dinner (huge braai with everything).


What can I win?

Final prizes are still to be confirmed, but the first prize will be a cash prize of no less than R10 000 (could be more). The winning team will also get a trophy to keep. In other words it's not a floating trophy, it's yours for ever and ever and ever. On top of this there will be LOTS of lucky draw prizes including Helmets, Leatt Brace, etc as well as cash prizes (R1000+).


Can I name my Team?

Yes! That is the idea. Teams choose their own names and it can be named after your business / brand / whatever. So it can be Team Pietie & Jannie / Team Hamman BMW / Team SW Motech / Team Bikesure / Team whatever. Remember this will be a national event with media coverage. We already have a Team Harley-Davidson signed up so that name is taken.


That's great, but I am a newish rider. I can never win.

Not true. There are several areas you are scored upon and it will be the best all rounded team, not the fastest or most skillful team, that will win this event. And of course anyone can win one of the many lucky draw prizes.


How bad will the roads be?

Not bad. There are more than enough "break-your-bike" hardcore events out there already. Routes will be routes that your average run-of-the-mill adventure rider will take. No worse than say Swartberg Pass for instance. Also, you will determine the roads you take most of the time.


How far will we ride?

1000km + over the duration of the event.


I don't have a big bike. Does that disqualify me?

That depends on you. If you don't mind doing longer distances on your bike then that's fine. Routes are unlikely to be more than 500km a day. That said, you don't know where in the Western Cape the event ends so if you have to ride back to Gauteng the next day that might pose a problem. Only licensed bikes can enter.


Do we stay in the same location for the duration?

No. This is a roaming event. We sleep in a different location every night 100's of kilometers from the previous location.


I don't like riding in big groups.

Perfect. This is a ride for you and your buddy same as you would do otherwise, but with prizes.
Teams of two will depart 5 minutes apart.


Will I be on TV?

Maybe...


Is this a branded event?

No. Even though various (hopefully all) bike manufacturers will be involved no bike brand is or can be the main sponsor. This is and will always be an independent event where all brands will be welcome!


Who is organizing this?

Horsepower (of CABC fame) and Trailrider, in conjunction with Country Trax and Jan Staal. This will be a annual national event that will move between the provinces and possibly into neighboring countries in the future. We will be working with media partners so be on the lookout for articles and ads of the event in the near future.

Register Here!







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Everything TransAlp

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I was asked to organize a ride for Honda Wing George this past weekend, a first ride with the objective that such rides will become a regular feature in this area, helping new Honda owners and indeed any Dual Sport Bike owner to meet up with like minded individuals and see what our wonderful area has to offer. This ride had a second objective also - we would put the TransAlp through it's paces for an article in the Bikes and Quads Magazine.

The route I chose included Attakwaskloof and Rooiberg Pass and stretched over 3 days and two nights, with the majority of the ride happening on the Saturday.



We gathered at Honda Wing George on Friday afternoon for a short ride to Bonniedale Adventure Farm, our destination for the first night.



This afternoon's section is only 80-odd kilometers, but still lots of scenery and fun to be had!







Lot's of funnies and games, but we had to hit the road again to get into Attakwas Kloof before sunset.

Which way would that be?







I have only ridden with one of these riders once before. This was a new group but it was evident that the group was gelling nicely already.



That night the fires were lit and the stories and laughter stretched well into the night.

The next morning we were up and ready bright and early. Today we have a fantastic ride ahead.



We chatted about Attakwas Kloof and it's amazing history the night before. This was the main road inland for 180 years. This section was a scenic ride and each rider was left to experience it at his own leisure. To have to ride through here in the dust of others would have been a pity so we had none of that here.











Crossing the Gouritsriver:





Lots of TransAlp picture shots for the magazine.

The road to Van Wyksdorp:



Van Wyksdorp is a town that has been in decline for a while. Now it seems that even the cactus at the town entrance is dying.


(Photo by Spongebob)

Actually I am happy to report that when we rode into town we found not one, but two well stocked shops doing brisk business on a Saturday morning. Maybe things are looking up again?

Views from Rooiberg Pass:




(Photo by Spongebob)

Refuel in Calitzdorp before more gravel to Wilgewandel for lunch.



We were riding more and more and stopping less and less for photos. On the last stretch to Louvain (where we slept the second night) Spongebob and I were riding side by side and in front and as it happens we decided to wind it up a bit. We hit the gravel from Oudtshoorn through Kleinspoort and headed South to the Heimersrivier cross where we turned East to follow gravel all the way to Louvain. Now I have to tell you that this road has longs stretches covered with "marbles", especially after the roads have been graded. This particular road seemed like it was graded yesterday...

So as I was saying, Spongebob and I, riding side by side, started pushing a bit. With a rider right next to you you have much less room to maneuver, no room for error. We were flying along that road, over the marbles and through the corners (you can see traffic ahead). Usually I am a slow rider, soaking up the scenery, but today I just wanted that shot of adrenalin and got it! It's an amazing feeling to go into a situation way to fast on a very loose surface with a rider right next to you and knowing exactly what he's going to do and what you are doing. Two bikes in control in an out-of-control situation running in perfect harmony. It's like a symphony. Something to behold. An amazing and exhilarating experience.

And with that out of our system we arrived at Louvain to camp in the Outeniqua mountains.



It's my first time at this particular camping spot and had I known about the trees I would have brought my hammock! What a nice spot.

That night some turned in early and some turned in early in the morning. As for myself, I sat around the fire chatting under the stars until about midnight. What a brilliant day. We started off as strangers, we end the weekend as new friends.

The next morning we leisurely pack and head in different directions to get home. As usual my ride home includes Montagu Pass.



Just a quick picture report of a quick weekend ride. What a beautiful area we live in. After all these rides I still see the beauty. It's like an ever changing canvas.

Honda George will have more rides in future (open to all brands). I'll keep you posted!

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The First Geocaching Ride

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Another Day ride, but this time something different than usual. No route or historic pass. In fact it's roads we've all ridden before. Even some (shock! horror!) tarred roads. So what's different? Well, this time we're following waypoints. Waypoints to geocaches. They say that this geocaching hobby takes you to interesting and beautiful places you might not have seen otherwise... Well I know this area pretty well. We'll see.

I recently found Lou's Traveling Canadian Forces Geocoin. What a beautiful coin:



Geocoins (and Travel Bugs) are called Trackables in die Geocaching community because they can be tracked via the internet as they travel the globe. Some of these Trackables have certain goals, but this particular geocoin just wants to travel around the African Continent.

It started it's journey on 15 November 2007 in British Columbia, Canada and has travelled over 38 000km since. A map of it's travels can be seen here.

This is the first trackable I am moving along so I plan to leave it in a beautiful and deserving cache.

So on today's ride we have:

LGF, Myself (taking the picture), Asterix (holding the Geocoin) and Gryph.



Our first geocache for the day is called "Over the Lagoon". Both Gryph and I have found this before, but it's a beautiful spot, it's on our way and this would be LGF's first ever find.

We didn't show him where it was either.



The view "Over the Lagoon":



Next we hit the gravel on the Old George - Knysna road to the cache called "HoneyCache"



Honeycache is situated on the Touw River bridge.



This is the last surviving iron bridge on the old road (Seven Passes road) between George and Knysna. The ironwork of the 95ft clear span was built in 1897 by Messrs Braithwaite and co. of West Bromwich, England and shipped out to Mossel Bay. It was then conveyed in fourteen wagon loads to the site over two months. The estimated cost of the ironwork was 3850 Pounds and the approximate weight of the entire bridge was 57 English Tons. The completed bridge was opened for transport in 1898.

View from the bridge:



And the views weren't the only beautiful things here. Our Trusty Steeds - 650, 700 & 750 V-Twins.


(Photo by LGF)

This cache required some climbing...


(Photo by LGF)

I thought about leaving the Geocoin here, but decided against it as this cache had been stolen before and also ran the risk of falling in the water.

The day was heating up and we needed to get moving. Our next destination: "Bergplaas View"



The description says that this Cache is at a viewpoint with a wonderful view of Hoekwil and surrounds. They weren't lying:





At this point it became clear that LGF and Gryph's GPS's had totally different ideas of where we should be. Gryph was sure we were at the right spot while LGF was sure we stopped 2,4km short. That's quite a distance apart.

Guess who was right.



Our next / fourth cache was one I particularly wanted to find. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the day: Dalene Matthee.

Dalene Matthee was born in Riversdale in the Southern Cape in 1938. She was a South African author of 13 books who wrote mainly in Afrikaans, although her books were translated into fourteen other languages.

She once took a hiking trip through the Outeniqua hiking trail around Knysna. Her curiosity led to a journey through the stories and studies of these indigenous forests. In the end, she gathered enough material for four books. The first, "Kringe in 'n Bos" (Circles in the Forest) was an instant success and soon "Fiela se Kind" (Fiela's Child) followed. Wonderful stories set in these forsets that won her numerous awards.

She had a direct influence in my generation as some of her books have been used as prescribed books in schools for over 20 years.

On 20 February 2005, Dalene Matthee died unexpectedly of heart failure in Mossel Bay. Her last resting place is Krisjan-se-Nek, one of her favourite spots in the Knysna Forest. Her ashes were also scattered here.



After Dalene's death, Mr Kitto Erasmus, former regional director of Environmental Affairs, suggested to the Matthee family that they should erect a memorial for Dalene in her beloved Knysna Forest. Mr Erasmus assisted Dalene with her research for Kringe in 'n bos, Fiela se kind and Moerbeibos (The Mulberry Forest).

On 23 February 2008 Dalene Matthee's memorial was unveiled at Krisjan-se-Nek. The memorial was a joint undertaking between the Matthee children, SA National Parks and Tafelberg Publishers. The memorial was designed by Trevor Clift and the inscription on the stone was done by hand by the only artisan in the Cape who still does "V-cut" chiselling: the Italian Mick D'Aquanno.



At the unveiling of the memorial, the enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years at Krisjan-se-Nek was named after Dalene Matthee. Hence, it is now called the Dalene Matthee Big Tree. The name of the hiking trail starting at Krisjan-se-Nek was renamed and is now called the Circles in a Forest Trail.






(Photo by LGF)

What a find. I have ridden / drove past this spot to Jubilee Creek several times, even recently, and never knew this memorial was here. This find alone made the day worthwhile.

This would have been a perfect spot to drop the Geocoin, but alas, this is just a small cache.



It was almost lunch by now, so we rode to Knysna via Phantom Pass for lunch at the waterfront.



After lunch our next stop was on Leisure Isle at a cache called "Little Paradise".



Another beautiful spot and easy find.



Steenbok Island (Leisure Isle) was the property of George Rex from 1821 until 1929 when it was purchased by the American George Cearn, the shaper of the Island's destiny, for £7,000. He developed a vision of turning the uninhabited little island into a place where people could live and build their homes, raise their families and retire in idyllic surroundings. He re-named it Leisure Isle, and set about turning his dream into reality.

Connecting Leisure Isle to the mainland and securing its perimeter from the corrosive power of the waves and currents was the first priority. Mr Dantjie Keyter, a massive figure of a man, was employed as foreman and he recruited a labour force of some fifty short-term prisoners from the local jail by paying their fines and making them free men. They were paid half-a-crown a day and received a hearty meal cooked by Dantjie's wife. They quarried stone from a hillside on Woodbourne Farm (the scar is still visible as you leave the Island) and for three years they toiled, building the causeway, the road foundations and the sea wall that encircled the Island. Three hundred plots were offered for sale and over the next fifty years Leisure Isle grew and evolved into the special place we know today.

Some of the views from the island:



The Knysna Heads:



Next stop, the nearby cache called "chill out". This was another easy find and we chuckeld about the cache hint. Those who have been here would know.



Knysna's most well known attraction is its Heads - two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon which connects the estuary with the sea.



The Heads area has 3 Geocaches, one of which is a multi-cache that according to the site takes at least an hour to find.



We found the first clue of the multi-cache but realized that time was not on our side, so we decided to leave all the caches here at the Heads and come back here some other time for lunch and the "Head hunt".

And so we head West towards Buffalo Bay to find the cache called "Adolf's Memory".

Now this is a cache that I researched beforehand. It's on a walking trail, but I knew that you could stop quite close to it. Another discrepancy between the GPS's of LGF and Gryph had us stopping at the start of the walking trail, but Gryph assured me that we were no more than 400m from from the cache. Well, how bad could that be?

Quite bad actually...

A GPS measures the distance from the cache as the crow flies. This meant that although we were "400m" from the cache, the walk was likely 4 times as far. Also, it does not tell you that the elevation of said cache is quite a bit higher than your currant position. And lastly, it does not tell you you are about to walk a VERY round about route, on sand, climbing most of the way, in bike boots and gear!!!

The start (ignorance is bliss):


(Photo by LGF)

A little further along (are we there yet???)



Higher and higher still...


(Photo by LGF)

When I started this hobby one of my motivations were to walk more as I am over weight and hopelessly unfit. Well, be careful what you wish for...

We parked our bikes at sea level. This will give you and idea of how high the dune is we had to climb:



And it was over 30 degrees Celsius. I almost died.

And to add injury to insult, when we got to the top the trail exited onto a tar road next to the cache. We could have ridden here!!!

The last bit to the cache:



This was a beautiful cache in a beautiful spot, but being so tired I totally forgot that I still had to place the Geocoin. Maybe it wasn't meant to be in this cache.

Luckily walking down on tar was MUCH easier than walking up on sand.



And as it turns out the next cache, "Beautiful Buffalo Bay Beach", is right next to the place where we parked our bikes. It's a multi-cache also and the first point was right there. Easy find.

Looking at the second waypoint and reading the info it said: "It may take 5-10 minutes to walk on the nice beach to reach the point."

And that sentence concluded our day. We have done more than enough sand walking in bike gear. A cold one at Buffalo Beach seemed like a much better option.



What a nice and enjoyable day. Looking at the pics alone makes one realize what a beautiful part of the country we live in. And we did see places we have not seen before. This will not be the last "Geocaching Ride".








Sources: Dalene Matthee; Leisure Isle

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