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- Oct 26, 2019
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- Bike
- BMW R850GS
Hi All
First post!
I'm looking for feedback on a trip I'm planning. Here's a link to the gpx file and a colour coded google-mymaps route.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1CD7G09Dgk_EO3qlmebhPlz86EAA_XAxa (gdb file attached below)
I've done one 1100km trip in the Karoo recently, absolutely loved it. Swartberg Pass and Groenfontein were like a dream come true. My bike is a BMW 800GSA with Karoo 3 tyres.
This trip is essentially an longwinded excuse to go to Knysna, while staying on as much gravel as possible. I'm going to be relying on my GPS to navigate me through the windy back roads. The overall distance is 1500km.
What I'd love is feedback with regards to any idiotic decisions, eg. "A sherman tank will struggle on that road", or "Why don't you take this road instead, it'a amazing because..."
Day 1: Cape Town to Breede River: This is really normal routing to Caledon and then taking back roads to get to a house at Malgas. I've driven many of these roads before (in a car) and am fairly confident that I'm not doing anything stupid here. (240km)
Day 2: Malgas (over the pont) to Riversdale, skirt the Langeberge on the R323 (tar) then head east on unnamed gravel for 20km, then head north on gravel to Van Wyksdorp, then through Rooiberg and pop out in Calitzdorp. Then the long Groenfontein stretch where you end up as Kobus se Gat for late lunch, then Swartberg Pass and sleep in Prince Albert. (287km)
Day 3: Prince Albert to Willowmore via gravel, then R332 gravel to Uniondale, then Avontuur, then continue South on the R339 (Prins Alfredpas) through the Garden Route National Park and eventually arriving in Knysna. Eat an Oyster before falling asleep.
Day 4: Leave Knysna via Seven Passes, then the Montagu Pass (which is no where near Montagu), then skirt up towards Oudshoorn via the back roads. Then head west on the gravel road next to the Olifantsrivier (parallel to the R62) until Calitzdorp, join the R62 through Huisrivierpass, Zoar, Seweweekspoort and sleep at Porcupine Rest Camp.
Day 5. Head towards Lainsburg but before reaching town head West onto a stretch that I believe is called the Witteberg road (unsure of the condition of this road?), pop out on the N1 and head towards Touws River. Then south on the gravel road that becomes Ouberg Pass ending in Montagu.
Day 6. Montagu, Ashton, Robertson then follow the farm roads past the Brandvleidam eventually meeting up with the N1 again, finally over the top of the Dutoitskloof Pass and then home.
I'm leaving late November. I know I am missing Bavianskloof but I can't commit to much more time off, so unless there's a short (less than 2 hours) and amazing section of Baviaanskloof that I can add on, I'll have to save it for next time.
First post!
I'm looking for feedback on a trip I'm planning. Here's a link to the gpx file and a colour coded google-mymaps route.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1CD7G09Dgk_EO3qlmebhPlz86EAA_XAxa (gdb file attached below)
I've done one 1100km trip in the Karoo recently, absolutely loved it. Swartberg Pass and Groenfontein were like a dream come true. My bike is a BMW 800GSA with Karoo 3 tyres.
This trip is essentially an longwinded excuse to go to Knysna, while staying on as much gravel as possible. I'm going to be relying on my GPS to navigate me through the windy back roads. The overall distance is 1500km.
What I'd love is feedback with regards to any idiotic decisions, eg. "A sherman tank will struggle on that road", or "Why don't you take this road instead, it'a amazing because..."
Day 1: Cape Town to Breede River: This is really normal routing to Caledon and then taking back roads to get to a house at Malgas. I've driven many of these roads before (in a car) and am fairly confident that I'm not doing anything stupid here. (240km)
Day 2: Malgas (over the pont) to Riversdale, skirt the Langeberge on the R323 (tar) then head east on unnamed gravel for 20km, then head north on gravel to Van Wyksdorp, then through Rooiberg and pop out in Calitzdorp. Then the long Groenfontein stretch where you end up as Kobus se Gat for late lunch, then Swartberg Pass and sleep in Prince Albert. (287km)
Day 3: Prince Albert to Willowmore via gravel, then R332 gravel to Uniondale, then Avontuur, then continue South on the R339 (Prins Alfredpas) through the Garden Route National Park and eventually arriving in Knysna. Eat an Oyster before falling asleep.
Day 4: Leave Knysna via Seven Passes, then the Montagu Pass (which is no where near Montagu), then skirt up towards Oudshoorn via the back roads. Then head west on the gravel road next to the Olifantsrivier (parallel to the R62) until Calitzdorp, join the R62 through Huisrivierpass, Zoar, Seweweekspoort and sleep at Porcupine Rest Camp.
Day 5. Head towards Lainsburg but before reaching town head West onto a stretch that I believe is called the Witteberg road (unsure of the condition of this road?), pop out on the N1 and head towards Touws River. Then south on the gravel road that becomes Ouberg Pass ending in Montagu.
Day 6. Montagu, Ashton, Robertson then follow the farm roads past the Brandvleidam eventually meeting up with the N1 again, finally over the top of the Dutoitskloof Pass and then home.
I'm leaving late November. I know I am missing Bavianskloof but I can't commit to much more time off, so unless there's a short (less than 2 hours) and amazing section of Baviaanskloof that I can add on, I'll have to save it for next time.
