Читать книгу Dirt Busters - Деон Мейер - Страница 19

Follow the Kammanassie (Oudtshoorn to Uniondale)

I always thought I was quite the expert on the Little Karoo. It is, after all, the most popular playground for dirt-road bikers from the Western Cape and, a few years ago, I crisscrossed it rather extensively in a quest to find the best routes for a BMW event. But, when I took two German friends on a trip to show off our amazing country recently, I needed a creative gravel-road solution to get from Oudtshoorn to Uniondale. That’s when I discovered the thin black squiggle running from Dysselsdorp through the mountains to the Kammanassie River. I had always wanted to go and look for this stream and the legendary spookmeisie of Uniondale that Anton Goosen sings about in ‘Blommetjie gedenk aan my’.

What I saw was better and prettier than I ever expected. The route runs through historic Dysselsdorp in the foothills of the Kammanassie Mountains. (It is well worth your while to stop there and walk up the footpath to the small church on the hill. Hundreds of people do this every year as part of the Good Friday pilgrimage.)

Please study the GPS map (at www.deonmeyer.com/bike/bike.html), because a substantial number of roads lead from Dysselsdorp, and they are not well marked. Once you find the right one, take it easy – there are lots of sharp, blind curves. And be aware of animals. Once the road starts following the Kammanassie River, you’ll be tempted to enjoy the picturesque views down the long valleys. It might be better to stop and stare, as there is lots of unexpected agricultural traffic.

Oh, and by the way, we did not see the spookmeisie. Perhaps, next time, we’ll do the route in the moonlight …

Route grading

1

Starting point

Oudtshoorn

Distance

106 km from Oudtshoorn to Uniondale

Duration

Two hours of relaxed riding