The Tankwa Pilgrimage
(Picture credit: Coetzee Zietsman and JJ le Roux)
For years I dreamt of going to the Tankwa Bike Burn and for years Facebook kept reminding me about the event after it happened. This year Facebook got it right and there was no way I was going to miss out again. For those who confuse the Tankwa Bike Burn with Burning Man, and I found out there are many when I started sharing my intention to attend, I want to confirm that the two are not the same. Burning Man takes place at the same venue, but three weeks before the Tankwa Bike Burn. So sorry, this story will have no pictures of crazy people without their clothes on. Epic trips call for adventurous travel buddies and it did not take long for Edward Campbell, William Harper and JJ Le Roux to fall in. Edward, William and I decided to travel down from Johannesburg on our bikes and meet JJ in Fraserburg. JJ lives in the Western Cape and knows the Tankwa Karoo like the palm of his hand and could help us find the more adventurous routes. The Tankwa Tented Camp, where the event is held, is about 1200 kilometres from Johannesburg if you ride a mix of tar and dirt roads. You could ride that in a day, but what’s the fun in that? We worked out a route that mixed up the N1 with some lesser-known dirt roads.
Day 1 – Wednesday
We met early at the Engen One Stop before the Grasmere Toll Plaza. From there we mixed up tar and dirt to Venterskroon. Venterskroon is a settlement about 40 kilometres outside Parys close to the banks of the Vaal River. The Venterskroon Inn is a great place for breakfast and a beverage. From there we stuck to the dirt and headed towards Viljoenskroon. You cross the Vaal River at Schoemansdrift and eventually get to the tar road between Vredefort and Viljoenskroon. You can also take a dirt road to Viljoenskroon. Again, we opted for dirt.
In hindsight, it was a mistake. The road starts off well with some great water puddles to keep things interesting, but then it gets smaller and smaller until it ends abruptly at a washed away bridge. We had to turn around since there was no way to cross the donga that was left where the bridge once was. The ride back to the main road was a pleasure. We now knew the terrain and we could thoroughly test the theory of man and machine in perfect harmony. I can confirm that the “zone” exists and that it’s a thing of beauty.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that we lost almost two hours and it was clear that we would not reach our target of Philippolis. We had to push as far as we could, now on tar, and see where we got before nightfall. We made it to Brandfort. I remember Brandfort from my school days in Clocolan. We used to play rugby against them. Like Clocolan back then, it was a clean and beautifully kept little town. Those days are gone as they are for most of small-town South Africa. The place is a neglected mess, but we found a reasonable inn walking distance from the local pub and slept over.
Day 2 – Thursday
At dawn we were already on the road. If you attempt a first light ride in Central South Africa at the start of winter, dress warmly. For the first two hours we rode in near zero temperatures. The reality of the distance we had to cover dictated that we be a bit less adventurous than the previous day. Day two was a day of covering as much distance as possible before we trying gravel again. Just after lunch we were at Three Sisters.
From there we turned west towards Fraserburg through De Jagers Pass. The first few kilometres are tar road, but then it turns into what must surely be one of the best dirt road passes in the country. The scenery is stunning, but you have to keep a keen eye on the road or you will overcook it in the twistys and we all know what that leads to. It was my first time on this road and I will definitely ride it again.
Towards Fraserburg the pass opens onto the Karoo flats. It’s sometimes narrow, sometimes sandy, sometimes rocky, sometimes windy, but never boring. It’s adventure bike heaven. Too soon we got to the tar road for the last 10 km into Fraserburg where JJ was waiting for us. He knows the Tankwa Karoo well and for the next day he would be our guide to the Tankwa Tented Camp. We slept over at the only inn still left in Fraserburg. Covid had not been kind to the town.
Day 3 – Friday
It’s only 108 km from Fraserburg to Sutherland on the R356 and it’s all dirt. It’s a good road and you can travel well above the speed limit. I would advise against it though. Slow down, take in the scenery. It’s remote and it’s beautiful. Sutherland, we soon discovered, is not known as the coldest town in South Africa for nothing. Mid-morning the temperature had still not reached double figures. We took the road up the mountain to where the observatory is located. The temperature dropped to four degrees Celsius. It’s also the last town where you can fill up before you go into the Tankwa.
The Tankwa Karoo is the most arid place in South Africa. It only gets an average 35 millimetres of rain a year. It’s bordered by four mountain ranges, all a barrier to rain bearing clouds. From Sutherland we took the R354 for about 40 km of meandering tar road and then turned onto a backroad for the rest of the 60 km to the famous Tankwa Padstal. This track, because it’s not really a road, has the sole intention of catching you out with sandy bits and rocky outcrops. We made it to the padstal with an overdose of adrenaline in our bloodstreams, but fortunately no damage to man and machine. When JJ said he knew a backroad, he was not joking.
At the padstal they serve a great selection of cold beverages, great food and some basic medications in case you forgot yours at home. I can write a book about the padstal, but this is a story about a bike pilgrimage, so my job is to tell you to visit it and see for yourself; and yes, you should do it on two wheels. From the Tankwa Padstal we travelled north, for about 70 km, to The Tented Camp, where the Tankwa Bike Burn is held. This was the most difficult 70 km of our whole trip. With heavy traffic on a very dusty road, visibility became a problem. You either had to ride close together in pairs or leave a really large dust gap. Turns out we had to do both depending on which direction the wind blew. The wind was howling and changed direction regularly.
We made it to the Tented Camp in time to pitch our tents, under another tent, (check out the pictures) and make it to the boma for dinner. We were all amazed at what they managed to serve in the middle of nowhere. The food was excellent. Sleeping in a tent, not so much. But I guess it is what pilgrims do; they sleep in tents.
Day 4 – Saturday
Saturday was a day of “do your own thing in your own time”. There’s lots to do, like visiting another padstal, go for a ride on some of the farm roads etc. Frankly, we, all in our 50’s, thought it better to stay in camp, congregate around a fire and talk rubbish with the other bikers who had the same idea. It was cold outside and the wind was still howling. ur plan came to an abrupt end after lunch when Henk, the organiser and owner of the venue, commandeered us to take part in the drag races on the nearby landing strip. When Henk speaks, you listen and we saddled up.
The landing strip is about five kilometres from camp on a very sandy road. It was either “up on the pegs with your weight back and gunning it” or a very miserable afternoon in the saddle. Option one worked best and soon we were turning around to ride the sand again.
Henk and I opened the proverbial “drag racing floor”. I left him in the dust. He asked for do overs and this time switched off the traction control on his KTM 1290. He had much more power than I, on the Norden 901, and he won the second round. I had so much fun that I declined a third run. A long time ago, when I was younger, I learned the hard way that when ego becomes part of the equation, you back off. Watching the others do their runs was just as much fun and safer. Henk was a bit grumpy since we had unfinished business. The drag races finished without incident and we rode back, wondering where the sand had gone. Now more familiar with riding in sand, it was a none event.
After dinner the bike was burned. The event is, after all, the Tankwa Bike Burn. A huge bike, built of wire and brush is set alight by 3 fire dancers. It was spectacular; the dancers and the ensuing bonfire. Fire has a way of drawing you in and making you contemplate life. I came to the conclusion that life is good and that we are privileged to be able to ride our bikes to discover new places and make new friends. It’s a privilege that should never be taken for granted. Take that for some pilgrim wisdom.
Day 5 – Sunday
We got up early, before the sun, and packed the bikes for the journey home. It starts with five kilometres of sandy road and then a 110-kilometre Karoo gravel highway to Calvinia where we had to fill up. If you are riding in this part of the world on a Sunday, keep in mind that nothing is open. There is nowhere to buy even a garage pie or a lousy cup of instant coffee. The rest of the day was spent chasing distance without a caffeine fix. We aimed for Kimberley, but it was cold and rainy and we only made it to Britstown where we slept over in the Hotel. It was the clever decision.
Day 6 – Monday
Monday had the potential to be the worst day of the trip. It was 600 kilometres to get home and we were tired. But the gods of biking blessed us with one of the most spectacular sunrises from the saddle I have ever experienced. It’s true, there is never a wasted day behind the handlebars of your bike. We made it home safe. It was an epic adventure. We travelled 2800 kilometres there and back and saw things we have never seen before. We are already planning for next year. Pilgrimages have to be repeated after all
The Bikes
Norden 901 Expedition
Rider: Coetzee Zietsman
I started riding adventure bikes in the days of the BMW Funduro. Back then there were not many choices. How things have changed. Most manufacturers now have more than one adventure model. We are spoilt for choice.
The Norden is a beautiful bike and looks the part. Wherever we stopped, including the event, people gravitated towards it. They say beauty is skin deep, but not so in the case of the Norden. The true beauty of the bike is revealed when you take it on and off the road. It is balanced, agile, powerful and easy to ride. Sand? A non-event. Rocks? What rocks? Sneaky tight dirt corners? This bike makes you believe there are none. Messiness when you take a full hand of throttle? More than enough to get your pulse up, but not in a way that you want to close the throttle suddenly.
They set it on “explore” mode with a fair amount of back wheel spin when I fetched it from the manufacturer and that’s where I kept it. I can’t even contemplate a scenario where you would need another setting. Street racers might disagree and I’m sure they would be right.
Honestly, I think it must be the best mid-size adventure bike on the market today. It might even be the best of all classes of adventure bike. I should add that the seat is comfortable enough to spend long days in the saddle.
Only two negative points; I could not find the hazard switch and I am a couple of bucks short to buy one.
Honda CRF Africa Twin DTC
Rider: William Harper
William likes his Superbikes and track days. He has very little adventure experience and we agreed he should ride the less aggressive of our two loan bikes. So, he got the Honda. It has an automatic gearbox and is one of the most balanced bikes I have ever come across. In his own words the following:
“I was a bit unstable on the bike on the dirt road until we deflated the tyres. After that life was great and I could confidently ride it on any terrain. Because you don’t have to worry about gears, I could focus on the road and the best line to keep me out of trouble. On occasion I went into an obstacle too fast. It’s a lack of experience thing. I remember my riding buddies saying I should throttle out of trouble rather than brake. I rolled on power and left the bike to deal with the trouble. It got me through every time.
I had one slow speed spill in the thick sand. I got unstable on the bike and for some reason I closed the throttle. The front wheel dug in and we fell over. I learned my lesson and had no further issues in the sand”.
William liked the bike and so did the rest of us when William allowed us to test it a bit. I can understand why Honda is a force to be reckoned with in the adventure market. The technology makes sense and they built an incredible all-rounder.
