Magalies Mini-Munga 105km route - chaser dogs?!

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, eala said:

The problem is that even the jet spray leaves some residue on your hands and even the tiniest amount can cause a huge problem if you are far out in the sticks and have to cycle back like in this case where they were far from help .The water bottle solution is a better option in this case .I have also done it and it actually works 

and even if you think you have thoroughly washed it off your hands BEWARE. Whatever you do, dont touch your genitals.

[dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com]

1 hour ago, Mojoman said:

If you headed west from Magalies along the railway servitude to the main dirt road then you need to be aware that the Koesterfontein area is full of Zama Zamas now...Ive not had issues but I will no longer cycle out there as its pretty isolated and the cops in Magalies will never find you...Lots of old mine shafts out there...Used to be old mine gear, cocopans and  stamps and all sorts back in the early days...Anyway...

You could take the railway line and then about 3km out of Magalies on the right you will see a dirt road leading to Rietpoort, you can cross the tracks and the R509 tar road and you can take this dirt road all the way to Vlakdrift and then from there head down towards Naaupoort..

Or you could just cross the Koesterfontein dirt road and continue on with the railway line servitude which will also take you up to Vlakdrift, parallel to the R509...

 

This is hugely helpful! Thank you! 

[TyronLab]

32 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

and even if you think you have thoroughly washed it off your hands BEWARE. Whatever you do, dont touch your genitals.

I feel there's a deeper, hilarous backstory to share here...

Edited January 13, 2023 by TyronLab

[dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com]

1 minute ago, TyronLab said:

I feel there's a deeper, hilarous backstory to share here...

Fully agree!  I just had to explain why I burst out laughing in a Teams Call!  Basically, had coffee spurt out my nose!

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, TyronLab said:

I feel there's a deeper, hilarous backstory to share here...

short version

emptied half a bottle of jet pepper spray in a road rage incident

got home, scrubbed hands with soap and nail brush

had a pee afterwards

"stuff" burnt like hell after being touched.

[dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com]

32 minutes ago, dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com said:

This is hugely helpful! Thank you! 

You don't have a GPS / Strava route for the two options you mention, do you? 

[capediver]

1 hour ago, TyronLab said:

When I did the Munga Grit last year I passed through... Somewhere... (it was close to midnight in some sleepy little hovel of a town) on night two and was also chased by Jon Snow's wolf for a few hundred meters.

Getting chased by dogs is always scary, but hearing an obviously massive dog galloping full pelt towards you in the pitch black dark, only to have their eyes illuminated when they're three meters from you by your headlamp, is ******* terrifying.

My instinct was (same as when I've wild-slept in the previous Grit) to just make a racket, so I shouted like a maniac and swore at them (as if being shamed and verbally abused in Afrikaans would deter them).

You may be able to outrun them on tar but on gravel.....not so sure.....when they are rabid, do not stop.....

 

[Knersboy]

One water bottle with water, the other with ammonia. Just don’t mix them up when you are thirsty.

[Martin PJ]

I have tried lots of things against dogs, nothing worked. Saved by luck mostly, and the fact that the dog wasn't seriously trying to eat me.

[Aurora]

6 hours ago, ajnkzn said:

Anyone who has commented and doesn’t know the type of dog is underplaying how this can end. 
 

Anatolian Sheperds are big, strong and bred to be angry / guard their flock against wolves etc. 

 

I would definitely find an alternate route as if they get hold of you with their aggression / excitement levels up it might not end well. 

Agreed, I have an Anatolian and they are not to be messed with. They are loyal as anything but mess with their territory or flock / family and you are in trouble. They can weight anything from 40 - 90kgs and can run faster than you can cycle on a dirt road. 

[splat]

All these anecdotes are fun, but I will be the Karen for a second.

How or why are these potentially dangerous dogs out on the loose ?
Has anyone approached this particular farmer to ask him to control his animals?
Or does this road run through his farm and anyone on it is fair game ?

[dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com]

Just now, splat said:

All these anecdotes are fun, but I will be the Karen for a second.

How or why are these potentially dangerous dogs out on the loose ?
Has anyone approached this particular farmer to ask him to control his animals?
Or does this road run through his farm and anyone on it is fair game ?

All good questions - this is definitely a road (so, not through a farm).  At least one of the dogs has been seen jumping the 2m fence and the other seemed to have a side "exit" from the farm, through the trees and into the road.  I definitely didn't stop to ask the farmer - but I did discuss doing it with my friend for the next 50km ride  

The sheep are in the field where the dogs are guarding - so they are definitely protecting their turf, but they think that cyclists are a danger to their sheep and homes. One of the reasons for posting here was to try and discover if anyone HAD been bitten - despite Facebook and Bikehub comments - I haven't gotten any sense that they have made contact with their teeth - just that they very scarily chase / herd and bark at us. 

[splat]

5 minutes ago, dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com said:

All good questions - this is definitely a road (so, not through a farm).  At least one of the dogs has been seen jumping the 2m fence and the other seemed to have a side "exit" from the farm, through the trees and into the road.  I definitely didn't stop to ask the farmer - but I did discuss doing it with my friend for the next 50km ride  

The sheep are in the field where the dogs are guarding - so they are definitely protecting their turf, but they think that cyclists are a danger to their sheep and homes. One of the reasons for posting here was to try and discover if anyone HAD been bitten - despite Facebook and Bikehub comments - I haven't gotten any sense that they have made contact with their teeth - just that they very scarily chase / herd and bark at us. 

2.0m fence ?
Wow. OK.
I can imagine the farmer standing with his hands in the air asking 'What do you want me to do ? '

My wife's father was a sheep farmer and stock theft is a terrible problem.

Good luck with your training and future Q.O.M's

[Zebra]

22 hours ago, dawn.harris.africa@gmail.com said:

Some form of spray might be an option as long as I don't spray myself in the process! 😁

…well, to AVOID spraying yourself, you get TWO TYPES of pepper spray, one is just that, a dispersed SPRAY pattern, the preferred one for YOUR scenario is a jet/stream pepper ‘spray’, a 6-foot to 10-foot JET of pepper, that does not disperse, but rather is FOCUSSED, way less chance of you getting any in your face.

Chris

[ChrisF]

37 minutes ago, splat said:

All these anecdotes are fun, but I will be the Karen for a second.

How or why are these potentially dangerous dogs out on the loose ?
Has anyone approached this particular farmer to ask him to control his animals?
Or does this road run through his farm and anyone on it is fair game ?

 

There are no problem dogs .... just problem owners.