Holland Track this weekend

[KoosWA]

OK....short notice., but I was going to do an overnighter this weekend anyway so I thought why not stretch it a bit and do the Holland track. Its doable in two days with an early start on Saturday.

Hayden is about 3.5 hrs from Perth, 40 k's out to the start and the track is under 200 k's long. Camp over halfway on Saturday night. Complete it early on Sunday and slab back. From Hyden to Collgardie around 350K's fuel needed + spare.

I'll travel light - camping kit, fuel, spares, water, minimum clothes & food.

Company welcome for quick a focussed trip in a fairly long 2 days

Cheers

Koos

[jono]

Hi Koos

The Holland Track proper is over 700km long Broome Hill to Coolgardie. Conditions vary a lot and in some sections the wheel tracks are close to vegetation, meaning your panniers can snag the bush. I think Sat Sunday is a bit optimistic and you should'nt tackle it solo. When I last drove the HT i went from Hyden and did the first third of the track before intersecting a minining road and heading North. It took a good 6 hours. Speak to Bully I think he has ridden it recently.

Cheers
JonO

[KoosWA]

I'm only planning on doing the Hyden - Coolgardie section. Not taking panniers, and not doing the whole distance in one day.

Reports from last weekend is that it is "like a highway"....not that I really want that.

I will see how it develops over the next few days.....weather included.

[bully1]

I reckon that you'll catch the other lads on Sunday Koos, I've done the track from Hyden to Thursday rock in 1 day and then travelled back the way I came on the Sunday ( 360 kms of HT ) on the F8 it's achievable, but not desirable solo, although generally there are other travellers on the track anyway.

If you are travelling light as you suggested then YOU won't have a problem, just don't get overconfident, it'll bite you as you well know

enjoy and take lot's of photo's.

[KoosWA]

Got home just before 5 PM.

What a blast!!

Took off from Perf at 6 AM yesterday, 36 hours, 1,300 k's. This was always going to be about the ride and not the sightseeing.

I made it to a few k's West of Thursday Rocks by last night and did the rest of the Holland track today and back to Perf. Will post a RR in the next few days.

No incidents, one moment - bike saved me, not me [suspension doing its thing, I think] big mutha of a bog hole round a corner.

Awesome ride. More sand than I thought, but didn't drop the bike once - a first for me.

It is a very challenging ride [for my skills with my bike at least] and requires 100% concentration, the whole time. You have to be on your game the whole time. A blind corner or a change in terrain /soil requires even sharper focus. Each time I lost shape a bit was when I fiddled or adjusted something. You can't do this with panniers. I had one bag on the back, only essentials - no tent, just ground sheets.

Steering dampner is the biggest single aid. Saved me fatigue wise in the sand as I did an eleven hour day yesterday. Made it much easier to cross sandy medians and smooth out the track.

Standard F 800 GS - GREAT BIKE.

Will post more soon.

Cheers Koos

[Robbo]

That's quite an achievement and takes bottle to do it solo, look forward to the RR.
Robbo.

[jono]

Well done Koos, mad to do it alone! But well done

[old betsy]

Great Ride Koos.
I look forward to the ride report.
Great effort to ride it alone.

Mike

[wightman]

Koos, you are a legend, well done! Wish I could have been there.

JOhn

[KoosWA]

Some snaps of the trip here.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1054979708 ... directlink

Have done a ride report that I will upload tonight at home.