GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - February and March have excellent motorcycle riding weather in the Southern Cape.
The area also boasts some of South Africa's best passes, both gravel and tar.
The GRM (Garden Route Motorcycles) 10 Passes challenge is the second of six events for 2022, following the hugely successful 1 000km Hardegat Ride.
The 10 Passes is divided into 10 tar and 10 gravel challenges. The aim is for motorcyclists to finish all 10 to qualify for the lucky draw. Bikers may enter both challenges if they so wish and they had two months (February and March) to complete the challenge.
The 100-rider limit to the event was quickly filled, with several motorcyclists opting to do both challenges.
The gravel challenge turned out to be especially challenging, with a fire on Gysmanshoek pass worsening the already rough road surface conditions, while the road to Gamkaskloof (The Hell) is in an equally bad state. Attakwaskloof and Prince Alfred's Pass too have loose sections, testing the skills of motorcyclists, especially those riding pillion.
The challenge ends on 31 March, but the bikers decided to get ahead in the game and cover as many passes as possible early on.
Over the first three weekends a total of 354 pass crossings were documented, while 13 contestants had already finished the tar challenge. Incredibly, the first biker to do so, Neels Swart, did so in four days.
Mossel Bay biker Grey Stopforth finished his 10 tar passes in the third spot. According to Stopforth they provide a unique perspective of our beautiful region.
To make this feat even more incredible, he finished both the gravel and tar challenges in this time, riding 2 168km.
Bernie Stander was the second rider to finish and Grey Stopforth, the third. It took him three trips to finish the 10 tar passes in the list between Montagu in the west to Natures Valley in the east, a total of 1 400km, with an average trip of 466km per day.
When the 10 Passes Challenge concludes, a new Riddle Ride will start, but for now the details of that will have to remain a mystery.
Registrations for the Riddle Ride will open on 15 March, with the Riddle Ride challenge commencing on 1 April.
Keep an eye on cabc.co.za for details and future events.
Three of the participants in the 10 passes challenge. From left: Johan Taljaard, Jan Meyer and Grey Stopforth. Photo: Faul and Paul Steyn
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