Ladies and gentlemen, gather a’round for the tale of the Rhodes Adventure and Beer Festival in Rhodes, a remote mountain village in the Eastern Cape.
Picture this: Two days of adventure riding, culminating in a Beer Fest.
It’s like Woodstock, but with more helmets and fewer flower crowns. Hold onto your handlebars, because we’re about to embark on a journey that’s as wild as a scooter rally in rush hour traffic.
By Wayne Phillips
Now, the Eastern Cape is known for its magnificent mountains, which, let’s face it, are really just nature’s rollercoasters. And because they’re as remote as your aunt’s Facebook posts, most of the roads are gravel.
For adventure bikers, that’s like the promise of a double rainbow at the end of every ride.
Rhodes, the little village that could is the proud host of this shindig.
But, dear readers, you’ve got to understand that Rhodes has a history as quirky as a stand-up comedian’s wardrobe. It went through phases, starting with agricultural invasions, and even survived the Anglo-Boer War, with a whopping 29 invasions.
Then came the hippie era when people said, “Let’s live off the land, man!” And someone’s house got so lit that it caught fire, but we’ll just call it an early barbeque. Rhodes’ history is like a Netflix series with too many plot twists.
Our gang of 70 hooligans, a few distinguished gentlemen, and one lady descended upon the Rhodes Hotel, built way back in 1888. It’s now run by Henri and Sandra Reeders, who are so friendly you’d think they’ve got petrol in their veins.
They even have a website because, apparently, the 19th century was big on online presence: www.rhodeshotel.co.za
Chris Isted, a local farmer and the route director, had us covered with some fantastic routes. He had routes for the newbies and the not-so-adventurous riders.
But don’t mistake “not-so-adventurous” for “not-so-scenic.” Chris even arranged for us to ride through the lands of local farmers. It was like Willy Wonka giving us access to his chocolate factory. And he threw in a guided section for those seeking “extra” adventure, which we’ll call the inspirational Black route.
On Friday, we tackled the infamous 4×4 Bastervoetpad Pass. It’s one of South Africa’s most challenging mountain passes, and if you’ve never heard of it, you probably shouldn’t.
This pass is so high it could get altitude sickness. It’s got a summit height of 2240m, 20 km of pure adrenaline, and it loses 830m of altitude faster than a downhill skier on roller skates. And did we mention that it is subject to storms, heavy rain, and even a chance of snow?
It’s like Mother Nature’s rollercoaster ride.
But we couldn’t live on adrenaline alone, so a heavenly hamburger lunch awaited us on a local farm outside Ugie. Then it was a homeward-bound journey, zigzagging through beautiful forestry roads, a couple more gentle passes (like the Pot River Pass and ElandsHoogte), and the showstopper – the 32.7km Naudesnek Pass.
It was like a stretch limo for our two-wheeled friends. The total distance for the day was around 250 kilometers, depending on how many times you got lost and blamed it on your GPS.
The second day was a “short” one, with lunch in Rhodes.
The Blue route riders tackled Caslisleshoekspruit Pass, an Eco Challenge Pass that Ben10 himself would approve of. The Red route riders joined in after going back up Naudesnek and headed north to the most southern tip of Lesotho via a fairly challenging route passing Tenahead Lodge and following the Lesotho border.
Both routes then headed off home via the War Trail Valley and Volenteershoek Pass.
Then, the pièce de résistance – the beers started flowing like a mountain stream. It seems Henri may have underestimated the drinking capacity of 70 bikers. We might’ve polished off around 40 barrels of beer. That’s a lot of cans, folks!
The Rhodes Beer Festival rounded off the weekend with beer on tap, live music from Mossel Bay, and barmaids from Bloemfontein. Because what’s a Beer Fest without traditional delicacies like Eisbein and table dancing with the locals?
In the immortal words of Alfie Cox, “Next year’s going to be even bigger and better.” With the help of Chris Isted, we’re looking forward to more spectacular routes. Stay tuned for those dates!
We’ve got to give a big shoutout to Elizma Den Hayer of Rhodes Events for organizing this adventure. She handled bookings, registration, meals, accommodation, and everything in between, as smoothly as a biker down a gravel road. For any info in and around Rhodes (accommodation, things to do, upcoming events, or if you just want to chat about motorcycles), give her a shout at +27 83 659 3271 or elizma@rhodesevents.co.za.
It’s not just a ride; it’s a journey through history, a test of courage, and a reason to drink beer like you’ve earned it. Until next time, keep those engines running and your spirits high, because adventure is just a twist of the throttle away!
