Groot Marico Adventure Bike Weekend

Another epic weekend of riding with Henri from Proudly Meerkat. The group met up at 8.30am and then headed off West towards Koster, where we stopped at Lekkebek Biltong & Koffie Den for a great brunch. The 1st of the dirt sections started just outside of Koster, there's some great riding out that way - barr the dust, but then again those roads will turn into sludge very quickly after a good downpour. We based ourselves at Mmalogaga Private Game Reserve, owned by Sandow and his wife Nettie, they are incredible hosts, we at like kings and the accommodation was incredibly comfortable. They treated us to a game drive and G & T for the bushveld sunset. The reserve covers 1,800 hectares and includes a vast variety of species, including buffalo. Sandow joined us for the ride, on the Saturday morning, and guided us through the network of gravel roads, with a great variety of conditions. There are a few sections that have some thick "bull dust", with one of the riders falling victim to it - you can just imagine the dust storm that this GS kicked up - thankfully the rider and bike were all ok. We stopped in Groot Marico for a refreshment and to fill the bikes up, there is a clear attempt to try and rejuvenate the small community, with a couple shops and restaurants that have been bought by Gautengers and are being renovated and re-opened. This is the Saturday route: Video of the typical riding in the Groot Marico region: https://youtu.be/j_H9QzEtPvk I can highly recommend joining one of the Proudly Meerkat trips, this was number 12 for me and I've already booked the next one at end of Nov. Luggage: Main luggage was 1 x Kriega OS-12 Adventure Pack bag, for my clothes and the Kriega OS-6 Adventure Pack bag for toiletry bag, shoes and chargers, both bags were attached to the Kriega OS Base. I used the Giant Loop Zig Zag handlebar bag to carry my wallet and Alpine ear plugs and the Enduristan Large Tail Pack on the back, in the bag I have my tools, the tools are in the Kriega Tool Roll and some snacks and a cap, for the harsh African sun. What I like about the Enduristan Large Tail Pack is the size, the quick zip access, easy mounting and the fact that it's waterproof. Riding Gear: Helmet - Arai Tour X-5 (Adventure Grey) Boots - Leatt Adv HydraDri 7.5 Boots (Stealth). What I like about these boots is they dry within a few hours, whereas the AStar Tech 7's take 3 days, for the inside to dry after a weekend of riding. Pants - Leatt Flow Tour 7.5 (Stealth Colour) Jacket - Leatt Flow Tour 7.5 (Stealth Colour) Gloves - Leatt X Flow Adv 7.5 (Stealth / Short) Tyres: I used the Mitas Enduro Trail XT + on the front, for added grip and the Motoz Tractionator Adventure on the rear. Tech Used: Cardo Packtalk Edge, in-helmet comms. I primarily use the Cardo Packtalk Edge to listen to music, streamed from Spotify, and take and make the odd phone call to my wife and children, I avoid work related calls when I'm away on the bike. Navigation: for this trip I used my UleFone Armor 8 Pro 4G Rugged Smartphone for my navigation needs, with the OsmAnd+ routing and mapping software. Main reason is the OsmAnd+ software is a lot more responsive and accurate than the Garmin Zumo XT ever was. I used the SP Connect Universal mount to attach the phone to a SP Connect GPS mount, this is attached to a Vanasche Motorsport GPS mount for the bike. Insta60 Ace Pro Action Camera - I opted for this one for my current use, I have had may GoPro's, the Insta360 X1 and One RS, but prefer the wide angle PoV, battery life, flip up screen, filters, quick release and stability of the Insta360Ace Pro. Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator - There is a lot of talk that the Garmin InReach is a waste of money and time, as rarely do the emergency services in South Africa respond, I'm well aware of this. My reason for buying and using this to for my family to be able to track my riding and when I do arrive at a camp or need assistance and there's no cellphone signal, then I have the ability to share my position and message them to let them know I'm ok or if I need assistance, it's a lot easier for them to then make the necessary arrangements. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”