Eight Bells overnight trip: 11-12 December 2021

Eight Bells overnight how to increase potency with hypnosis plus total trip: 11-12 December 2021 …By Daleen Van Zyl.

This was a year of firsts for me ending in  Eight Bells overnight ride … Bought my first bike, rode my first bike, did my first solo trip around Cape Point, did my first breakfast run with the club, and did my first overnight trip.

What a privilege to do this with a group of amazing people!

Departure was from Engen Plattekloof, our usual starting point.

Then traveling on the N1, over Du Toits Kloof Pass (old route), via Rawsonville, Robertson, Swellendam and onto Barrydale via Tradouw Pass to have lunch at The Country Pumpkin.

The ride through Tradouw Pass, was a lovely ride and quite tricky at times. A few tight corners added some more adventure to the trip. We stopped at the viewpoint to stretch our legs and take a few photos.

Just across the road, is the “Drupkelder” where a small treacle of water provided a very peaceful ambiance and some entertainment resulting from mispronunciation of the word “Drupkelder” …. “Drup lekker” … that is what happens if an Engelsman tries to speak Afrikaans. 😊

We rode from Tradouw Pass, to Barrydale, and then after lunch, we made the way to Oudtshoorn in the direction of Mosselbay via Robinson Pass. Surviving the tight twisties, we made it safe to the Eight Bells Mountain Inn at the foot of pass in the Ruiterbos Nature Reserve.

Tradouw Pass

The Tradouw Pass (which means Women’s Path in the old Khoi language) is a 16 kilometer drive through an altitude range of 219 meters through some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery on offer in the Langeberg. This pass is undoubtedly in the Top 20 tarred passes in the Western Cape on an overall rating.

It joins the towns of Barrydale and Swellendam and was originally built by Thomas Bain. Extensively revamped in recent times, the engineering teams did an outstanding job of preserving the environment and retaining Thomas Bain’s character in the design and supporting stonework. This is truly one of those mountain passes that you must drive.

More about Eight Bells https://eightbells.co.za/

Eight Bells staff welcomed us with cabin keys then we made out way to unpack, shower and rest before the evening’s events.

After a well-deserved rest and nap, we joined in the fun and laughter with the rest of the group and also met up with the guys and girls who did the dirty roads. After some chats and laughter and a few more drinks, we made our way into the dining room to sit down for our year end dinner. A few speeches and stories later, we enjoyed our dinner. After dinner we all gathered in the lounge for a night cap – some enjoying a few more beers, some had Irish coffee and a few had normal coffee.

Little by little, people disappeared to go to their cabins for a good night’s rest. Some couples received text messages to keep the noise levels down. Some other couples claimed they caught some tips along the way …

A slow wake up the next morning with some coffee to get the blood flowing, we made it to the breakfast table where an inviting display of fruit, condiments and freshly baked bread were waiting for us. We could also order a warm breakfast with soft eggs and crispy bacon. Always the best way to start a long day on our bikes.

Breakfast

After breakfast we packed our bags and bikes and got ready to leave Eight Bells for our ride back. Small groups decided to do their own routes back home.

Our small group chose to go via the N2, with lunch at Ou Meul in Botrivier and then riding viaClarence Drive to join the N2 again at Somerset West. Getting off at the R300 turn off onto the N1, we split at Bellville where each went our own way home.

A big thank you to Ian Verhulp who led the roadies and Geoff Russel who led the dirties safely to Eight Bells. Also, a big thank you to our roadie sweeper, Hennie Botha, who made sure no-one was left behind.

Other trip reports can be read here https://www.bmwclubs.africa/mrcap/trip-reports-mrcap/?sh=&mx=