We
slept at the Klein-Aus Vista: Desert Horse Inn and left Aus in cold morning
weather. However, the low clouds soon dispersed and we continued in bright
sunshine to Helmeringhausen 100 km to the North East.
I was expecting a rather uneventful day. The map did not promise much
excitement on this leg of the journey. Perhaps we would be experiencing a kind
of interlude before we reached the more interesting destinations.
In the end the trip turned out to be particularly enjoyable.
Although it was supposed to be a relatively easy ride to Helmeringhausen, the nature of the gravel road required full alertness and attention as the surface would alter from hard sections to loose gravel, even patches of sand at times. Brushing up on my off-road riding skills and deliberately applying the principles of riding an adventure motorcycle on roads like these, I soon felt comfortable while travelling at relative high speeds. Maintaining traction and keeping momentum at the same time was of utmost importance. And simply ignoring the slight swaying of the motorcycle’s back end at times, of even more value.
In the end the trip turned out to be particularly enjoyable.
Although it was supposed to be a relatively easy ride to Helmeringhausen, the nature of the gravel road required full alertness and attention as the surface would alter from hard sections to loose gravel, even patches of sand at times. Brushing up on my off-road riding skills and deliberately applying the principles of riding an adventure motorcycle on roads like these, I soon felt comfortable while travelling at relative high speeds. Maintaining traction and keeping momentum at the same time was of utmost importance. And simply ignoring the slight swaying of the motorcycle’s back end at times, of even more value.
The surface of the gravel roads from Helmeringhausen to Maltahöhe (117 km) and from there to Ababis Guest Farm (131 km) close to Solitaire were in excellent condition. Handling the bike at high, yet responsible speeds, did more than merely put a broad grin on my face. It especially set my still clogged mind free. The real pilgrimage had finally started.
We arrived around 15:00 at the Ababis Guest Farm, 12 km from Solitaire, where we decided to camp for the night. Supper that evening was on the veranda of the grand old farm house together with our hosts Kathrin and Uwe Schulze Neuhoff as well as guests from Germany and the USA respectively. We tried to make general conversation and to involve all around the table, but in the end it was mainly about BMW motorcycles. Lucky for us, Uwe was an enthusiast with his own rather exclusive BMW Paris-Dakar – an earlier version of the GS series – waiting for him back in Germany.
A beautiful and truly Namibian sunrise formed the backdrop while we were packing the bikes the next morning. Day 4 was about to begin!
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