Need an advice, please:
A mate from a forum back home in Europe is flying over to CT in November for a trip. He has rented Tenere for 16 days and is looking for a nice loop - starting and ending in CT. He rides 690 back home and has done the usual Euro adv stuff like Morocco and such, so he is not complete newbie on dirt.
He is planning to do it right - i.e. doesn't expect to run up to Kilimanjaro and back, but rather would like to use his time properly in the west of SA - i.e. more or less within the rectangle delineated by CT bottom left, Porth Elizabeth bottom right and Namibian border at the top. He would like to taste the best SA has offer in terms of open space and dirt riding (OK - 'adv' dirt riding), as well as do few of those touristy thingies like game drive, probably shark cage dive and whatever historical/cultural sites are there. He has allocated 4 days for CT on top of those 16 days, so those 16 as fully dedicated to the ride about.
While I have ridden some of the popular highlights down there like Cederberg, Die Hell, Bavians and such, I am not familiar at all with some of the really interesting (for me) bits like Tankwa Karoo, sand tracks along the west coast to Richtersveld and Namaqua Eco trail. Nevertheless I have read some reports here, so I have general idea and came up with the preliminary route - and I would like to ask you people who know the area to comment on the route and let me know if I have missed something really good (very tasty dirt track, very scenic route and such).
My thinking is as follows: Spend first week riding the really exquisite and adventurous stuff like Tankwa Karoo (Padstal, Sunderland, Ouberg, Gannaga pass and such), cut to Cederberg (Wupertahl, Oasis and such) and then cut straight to the sand tracks along the coast up to Richtersveld, maybe do some rafting or relaxing at the Oragne river and then hit the Namaqua Eco 4x4 trail to Poffader. Then traverse as quickly as possible (but idealy on dirt roads) down to Addo NP for a day of safari. And then spend the next week or so relaxing on the nice roads towards CT. I.e. turn west, ride via Baviaans, to Willowmore, then to Die Hel, Swarberg pass and then dirt roads to that Veldtie place, and from there cut it down on dirt roads to Cape Aghuilas and Gansbaai for shark diving. From there it is just easy sting along the coast through Hermanus and that penguin place to CT.
The route I have planned is attached as picture and you can also view it here (including being able to zoom in and out):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SHaQFhYGimx7VLPDQldsqnqEcCs&usp=sharing
Coud please people who know these areas have a look and let me know if I have missed something really good (either fantastic track or something very scenic)? I am particuarly interested in
- Tankwa Karoo - is the route I have chose to get there from CT interesting or is there better one, is there any interesting pass I have missed.
- The sand tracks along the coast (I have basically potted any track I have found closest to the sea) - are we allower to ride on them or are there any exemptions.
- The route from Poffader to Addo - is there something specific to focus on - I have basically plotted the shortest route using as much dirt as I could.
- Is there anywhere else in this area apart from Addo where one can go for safari drive with big 5?
And of course if I missed anything else, please comment or criticise at will.
Thanks a mil!
A mate from a forum back home in Europe is flying over to CT in November for a trip. He has rented Tenere for 16 days and is looking for a nice loop - starting and ending in CT. He rides 690 back home and has done the usual Euro adv stuff like Morocco and such, so he is not complete newbie on dirt.
He is planning to do it right - i.e. doesn't expect to run up to Kilimanjaro and back, but rather would like to use his time properly in the west of SA - i.e. more or less within the rectangle delineated by CT bottom left, Porth Elizabeth bottom right and Namibian border at the top. He would like to taste the best SA has offer in terms of open space and dirt riding (OK - 'adv' dirt riding), as well as do few of those touristy thingies like game drive, probably shark cage dive and whatever historical/cultural sites are there. He has allocated 4 days for CT on top of those 16 days, so those 16 as fully dedicated to the ride about.
While I have ridden some of the popular highlights down there like Cederberg, Die Hell, Bavians and such, I am not familiar at all with some of the really interesting (for me) bits like Tankwa Karoo, sand tracks along the west coast to Richtersveld and Namaqua Eco trail. Nevertheless I have read some reports here, so I have general idea and came up with the preliminary route - and I would like to ask you people who know the area to comment on the route and let me know if I have missed something really good (very tasty dirt track, very scenic route and such).
My thinking is as follows: Spend first week riding the really exquisite and adventurous stuff like Tankwa Karoo (Padstal, Sunderland, Ouberg, Gannaga pass and such), cut to Cederberg (Wupertahl, Oasis and such) and then cut straight to the sand tracks along the coast up to Richtersveld, maybe do some rafting or relaxing at the Oragne river and then hit the Namaqua Eco 4x4 trail to Poffader. Then traverse as quickly as possible (but idealy on dirt roads) down to Addo NP for a day of safari. And then spend the next week or so relaxing on the nice roads towards CT. I.e. turn west, ride via Baviaans, to Willowmore, then to Die Hel, Swarberg pass and then dirt roads to that Veldtie place, and from there cut it down on dirt roads to Cape Aghuilas and Gansbaai for shark diving. From there it is just easy sting along the coast through Hermanus and that penguin place to CT.
The route I have planned is attached as picture and you can also view it here (including being able to zoom in and out):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SHaQFhYGimx7VLPDQldsqnqEcCs&usp=sharing
Coud please people who know these areas have a look and let me know if I have missed something really good (either fantastic track or something very scenic)? I am particuarly interested in
- Tankwa Karoo - is the route I have chose to get there from CT interesting or is there better one, is there any interesting pass I have missed.
- The sand tracks along the coast (I have basically potted any track I have found closest to the sea) - are we allower to ride on them or are there any exemptions.
- The route from Poffader to Addo - is there something specific to focus on - I have basically plotted the shortest route using as much dirt as I could.
- Is there anywhere else in this area apart from Addo where one can go for safari drive with big 5?
And of course if I missed anything else, please comment or criticise at will.
Thanks a mil!
