RIDING A CAN-AM TO THE END OF THE EARTH THE EPILOGUE DAY1
Posted by Tony Down at 11/19/2007 9:33 AM and is filed under Building Vintage Motorcycles,The Falklands on a CAN AM,Vintage Motorcycles 
RIDING A CAN-AM TO THE END OF THE EARTH THE EPILOGUE DAY1
(Don't Cry for me Argentina)
Occasionally some of the more adventurous individuals on base would ask me if I would take
them on rides to some of the more famous sites, Bluff Cove and Twin Sisters being the most
popular.
Somewhere on the Twin Sisters
Twin Sisters, the two mountains overlooking Stanley was still a very dangerous area as it had
been heavily booby-trapped by the Argies before their final surrender but none the less offered
a pretty good ride if you knew what you were doing. Bluff Cove on the other hand was a fun
place to get to but not for the inexperienced rider and on several trips I ended up riding other
bikes out of gullies and through rock runs until the less able could continue.
been heavily booby-trapped by the Argies before their final surrender but none the less offered
a pretty good ride if you knew what you were doing. Bluff Cove on the other hand was a fun
place to get to but not for the inexperienced rider and on several trips I ended up riding other
bikes out of gullies and through rock runs until the less able could continue.
Bluff Cove was where our gunners had come ashore with their heavy artillery and then beaten
the crap out of the opposition with their 105mm howitzers. A strange thing about the Falklands
granite is that it is fairly bright whitish grey with black flecks but when you roll the rocks over it
is bright pink on the underside from the peat. The none too bright opposition had rolled the rocks
over around their gun emplacements and looking up the mountains and ridges you didn’t have
to be a rocket scientist to work out where they were. The purpose of “our” mission was to
discover where the British guns had been and recover the fired brass. So once in the most
probable areas take a pole and poke about in the peat until the metallic clink is heard. Next find
the cuts in the peat and roll back the sod like carpet. Sure enough if you were in the right spot
you could find about 12 fired cases which had been pushed into the bog forming a hydraulic lock
and a firm footing for the gun’s wheels. Carrying them back was something else and I usually
ended as the pack mule as others were having enough problems just trying to ride the bike out.
Towards the end of my tour I thought it would be good for moral if I did a round the Island ride
visiting as many of our installations that I could get to. My Boss thinks it is a brilliant idea and
while I’m gone would I report back on what the ground is like at the new proposed airfield to be
built and called Mount Pleasant.
the crap out of the opposition with their 105mm howitzers. A strange thing about the Falklands
granite is that it is fairly bright whitish grey with black flecks but when you roll the rocks over it
is bright pink on the underside from the peat. The none too bright opposition had rolled the rocks
over around their gun emplacements and looking up the mountains and ridges you didn’t have
to be a rocket scientist to work out where they were. The purpose of “our” mission was to
discover where the British guns had been and recover the fired brass. So once in the most
probable areas take a pole and poke about in the peat until the metallic clink is heard. Next find
the cuts in the peat and roll back the sod like carpet. Sure enough if you were in the right spot
you could find about 12 fired cases which had been pushed into the bog forming a hydraulic lock
and a firm footing for the gun’s wheels. Carrying them back was something else and I usually
ended as the pack mule as others were having enough problems just trying to ride the bike out.
Towards the end of my tour I thought it would be good for moral if I did a round the Island ride
visiting as many of our installations that I could get to. My Boss thinks it is a brilliant idea and
while I’m gone would I report back on what the ground is like at the new proposed airfield to be
built and called Mount Pleasant.
The first leg of my mission is to get to Goose Green, the site of one of the most famous battles.
Distance wise it looks like about 80 miles but depending on conditions this might be pushing it
for fuel. Full tanks, what ever maps were available, the radio and a few personal items are in the
rucksack and the fanny pack is full of tools and of course a couple of spare tubes and a pump.
The weather is good by Stanley standards and I’m off on the familiar first part of my route to
where I normally turn off for the climb up Mt Kent but today just continue on the track which
takes me through some of the bleakest territory I have ever seen. The designated area for the
new airfield comes up and I find it strange that anyone would call this place Pleasant?
Unpleasant maybe, and I believe that is what it is nicknamed today.
The Site of An Airfield to Come..... I think?
where I normally turn off for the climb up Mt Kent but today just continue on the track which
takes me through some of the bleakest territory I have ever seen. The designated area for the
new airfield comes up and I find it strange that anyone would call this place Pleasant?
Unpleasant maybe, and I believe that is what it is nicknamed today.
The Site of An Airfield to Come..... I think?
The track gets pretty rough with deep water filled holes but I’m getting close to the coast so it
ought to get easier soon. As I come down a cliff path (sheep) I can see something on the beach
in the inlet and when I get closer I can identify it as a penguin flat on it’s belly.
Stop the Steed and out with the camera and start crawling across the sand to see how close I
can get. The slow crawl doesn’t upset the bird at all and I’m within about 4 feet of it when it
stands up giving some great photo ops. It preens itself, flutters it’s eyes and poses like a
professional model, stupid bird! Well enoughs enough, so I stand up and as I do this bird follows
my amazing growth from flat on the ground to 6 feet tall and with it’s head in a near vertical
position falls flat on it’s back!
ought to get easier soon. As I come down a cliff path (sheep) I can see something on the beach
in the inlet and when I get closer I can identify it as a penguin flat on it’s belly.
Stop the Steed and out with the camera and start crawling across the sand to see how close I
can get. The slow crawl doesn’t upset the bird at all and I’m within about 4 feet of it when it
stands up giving some great photo ops. It preens itself, flutters it’s eyes and poses like a
professional model, stupid bird! Well enoughs enough, so I stand up and as I do this bird follows
my amazing growth from flat on the ground to 6 feet tall and with it’s head in a near vertical
position falls flat on it’s back!
Back in the saddle but not for long as screaming down the beach on the hard sand I come to an
inlet and this time it’s not hard but changes to QUICKSAND! Bike into the bars, rear wheel in the
air, and yours truly some 5 feet ahead of PE flat on my back. A crocodile swim back to the safety
of the bars, then over the bike to the hard sand behind and after a lot of digging the Can-am
comes free.
inlet and this time it’s not hard but changes to QUICKSAND! Bike into the bars, rear wheel in the
air, and yours truly some 5 feet ahead of PE flat on my back. A crocodile swim back to the safety
of the bars, then over the bike to the hard sand behind and after a lot of digging the Can-am
comes free.
This is not Daytona! So back up the cliff and find the track and hopefully this will take me where
I want to go ….. it does so here I am at Goose Green which is little more than a farm but now
with a military presence. This portion has taken a lot longer than expected as it’s now 1430 and
it’s taken me 7 ½ hours to cover about 80 miles. Stay or push on?
I want to go ….. it does so here I am at Goose Green which is little more than a farm but now
with a military presence. This portion has taken a lot longer than expected as it’s now 1430 and
it’s taken me 7 ½ hours to cover about 80 miles. Stay or push on?
Leaving Goose Green and the thousands of Upland Geese that are everywhere I’m on a farm
track but it is very rutted and filled with deep water and the footrests keep clouting the edges
of the ruts so I elect to climb out at the next opportunity. Hum! This is better, it’s dry and now
just navigate through this tussock grass, a bit like Camel Grass on the Paris-Dakar. A quick
glance ahead to pick a path up to the next ridge when BANG! I hit something solid so after I
recover I look back over my shoulder and see 6 soldiers emerging from the grass with grass,
branches and other foliage all over them and one poor soul clutching his helmet! Appears I have
just ridden over a Platoon of the “King’s Own Borderers” who are stationed at Goose Green and
must have taken cover when they heard me coming? The camo sure worked, I hope his Helmet
did!
Another ridge, another load of nothing and then as I crest one more I’m looking down on San
Carlos water, time to stop and drink it in and imagine how horrifying it must have been.
Carlos water, time to stop and drink it in and imagine how horrifying it must have been.
Gazing round the hillside I find what I’m looking for in the shape of missile batteries which are
Ground to Air Rapier missiles controlled by the Army. Find one of their foxholes and after locating
the entry announce who I am and accept their hospitality of a nice hot cup of tea.
Ground to Air Rapier missiles controlled by the Army. Find one of their foxholes and after locating
the entry announce who I am and accept their hospitality of a nice hot cup of tea.
I can now see where I need to get to and this is not going to be easy (but where’s the fun in
that?) its getting dark and I still have about 20 miles to go. Eventually with the pathetic
headlamp just illuminating rocks as you hit them I stumble into the old Sheep Slaughter House
beside the water at San Carlos. Quite a trip and now time for some serious drinking!
The Sheep Slaughter House SAN CARLOS
To ride across a mine filled Island wearing a Green Crash Helmet and full Cabbage kit (camo)
on a black/olive bike, with no roads, or maps, with just a line of sight VHF radio for emergency
… how bright is that?
that?) its getting dark and I still have about 20 miles to go. Eventually with the pathetic
headlamp just illuminating rocks as you hit them I stumble into the old Sheep Slaughter House
beside the water at San Carlos. Quite a trip and now time for some serious drinking!
The Sheep Slaughter House SAN CARLOS
To ride across a mine filled Island wearing a Green Crash Helmet and full Cabbage kit (camo)
on a black/olive bike, with no roads, or maps, with just a line of sight VHF radio for emergency
… how bright is that?
Another Chapter from the Annals of Stupidity
Squadron Leader Tony Down RAF
If you liked these stories there are plenty more in the October Archives.
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