Departure From: Mbabane (Swaziland)
Destination: Lydenburg
Distance: 415.5km
Date & Time
2017-12-16 07h42
2017-12-16 16h05
Total: 8hrs
Weather:
Misty until 11h00 and then partly cloudy before becoming sunny and warm for the rest of the day.
Sean joined me on this route on his Triumph Tiger 800 XCx.
Passes Taken: Piggs Peak (Swaziland), Saddleback Pass (Barberton), Pettigrews Neck Pass (Kaapmuiden), Boulders Pass (Kaapmuiden), Mpageni Pass (Kaapmuiden), Bonnet Pass (Pilgrims Rest), Robbers Pass (Pilgrims Rest)
The plan was to travel via back roads to Piggs Peak to enjoy the rural scenery and shorten the journey. Due to rain and mist the gravel roads had not dried up sufficiently resulting in the gravel road getting more slippery the higher we ascended into the mountains.
After 18 km the road started getting really slippery. At the 24km mark my bike slipped on a descent. After asking the locals about the road conditions further up the pass, we decided to return to Mbabane and travel via the tar road to Piggs Peak. The locals were very helpful by assisting my bike to the top of the hill to make the return trip.
While the descent looks mild, the surface was wet clay resulting in no traction.
Although the BMW had 50/50 tyres, they spun freely on the slippery road. This resulted in a 43km detour and 1,25 hrs extra travel time.
When we arrived at the start of the gravel road from Pigg’s Peak to the Border, we were very skeptical as the road looked damp. We asked a taxi driver and he recommended we proceed. Except for a couple of slippery sections, the gravel road was good.
We passed through the Pigg’s Peak mining town on our way to the Swazi Border Post at Josefdal. The border was very quiet and took us only 15 minutes to get through.
We headed down Saddleback pass from the Swaziland border to Barberton. This pass is fantastic, but be careful of cattle and loose gravel on some corners. As this pass forms part of the Geo Route, there are many places to stop and enjoy the view and obtain interesting geological information on the local rock and mountain formations.
Due to the lost time and mist that had been hanging around the Barberton mountains we decided not to take the gravel road just after the Lomati Dam to the Shiyalongubo Dam and Shiyalongubo pass through the forests. This is a fantastic route in dry weather.
Just before reaching Kaapmuiden on the N4, we turned on the Boulderberg road over the Boulderberg and Mpageni passes.
After Witrivier, we took the gravel road past Witkop Dam to Sabie and enjoyed the pass through the forest.
We stopped for lunch at The Wild Fig in Sabie. As this is bikers heaven, we saw many motor bikers on the road and at the local restaurants.
I had booked accommodation at the Longtom Guest House in Lydenburg. The accommodation was very good, however they do not provide breakfast on Sundays. The owners were very helpful and dropped us off at the Okus Restaurant for dinner and collected us after dinner. This allowed us to enjoy some beers and wine and avoided us having to drive at night along the pot holed roads in Lydenburg.
Accommodation at Long Tom Bed and Breakfast is very comfortable and the owner takes security seriously.
The Okus Restaurant is rustic and considered one of the best in Lydenburg