Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Overview of the Route

When Cecil Hill asked me to join a group of friends from the club for a 3-week trip to the Kaokoveld, I agreed in a flash.  Although, at the time of asking the trip was a year in the future, soon the trip was upon us and other plans had crept in.  In particular, on the day of departure from Cape Town, I had to be in Pretoria as part of the GS Trophy adjudicating team.

So the route for me ended up looking like this:

Prologue

Namibia. Ever since I started riding a bike on gravel, this was on our to-do list. The Tankwa Karoo opened my heart to the wide open spaces. Namibia represents space++. By the end of last year, Lance and I booked a Namibia trip with WAVOLT. At that point we hadn’t yet done any trips where it was just the two of us (this would change even before we went on the Namibia trip) and had decided to “play it safe,” as it were.

Van Zyl pass, Namibia

Getting together the day before we leave gives us the opportunity to bond as a group under the roof of the hospitable couple Gerrit and Chantal Karstens at the Cederberg Oasis.
This bonding exercise is necessary as the trip will require a lot of member interaction to overcome the many obstacles that will be encountered on the trip.

This is your truly “Rough and ready” trip!

DAY 1 – HEADING NORTH

Stellenbosch, Klapmuts, Paarl, Malmesbury. Towns with soft on the ear sounding names located in a moderate Mediterranean wine-producing climate, were gradually replaced by towns in a harsher climate with less tranquil names as three motorcyclists on BMW R1200GS adventure motorcycles gradually made their way North on the South Africa/Namibia national road. 

The Namibia tour was planned as a roadies trip. 

I had asked Geoff whether it might be possible to do a bit of gravel on the rest days. He gracefully agreed provided: there were at least 2 of us, we were well prepared and capable, and that we were on our own if anything happened - he was focused on the road trip and any sideshows were completely at our own risk. 

Geoff put a call out to the group, and a couple of people responded - so he kindly plotted some routes. 

It was a trip that just had to be done – 10 days in Namibia, away from everything  and just miles and miles of the best dirt roads to ride.

Day 1 to 17

Leaving Wellington for the Cederberg in the afternoon gives us the opportunity to bond as a group under the roof of the hospitable couple Gerrit and Chantal Karstens at the Cederberg Oasis.
This bonding exercise is necessary as the trip will require a lot of member interaction to overcome the many obstacles that will be encountered on the trip.

The Long Way Around

Cape Town to St Francis Bay

 

Day 1 – 29 Nov. 2009.

Cape Town to Abequa River Camp Richtersveld Namibia

732km

Ek radio na Steve wat so tweehonder meter terug onder ‘n boom lê. Ons moes hom in daai skaduwee in help toe hy vroeër geval het. “Steve hoe voel jy?” “Nee ek is OK”, is sy antwoord, maar my water is op, kan jy nie nog vir my bring nie? Ek vra vir my vrou Jos om maar hare vir hom te gee, sy kan maar myne deel. Later noem Jos dat die eerste gedagte was: “Nee, dis myne, hy het mos klaar syne gehad!” Vroeg in Mei vanjaar het ons in Pofadder byeengekom aan die begin van ‘n toer van twee weke deur Namibië. Dit na maande se voorbereiding om al die moontlikhede oor en oor te oorweeg. Ons bedoeling was om die oostelike grens met Suid-Afrika te volg en dan suid van die Etosha Park deur te reis tot by die Epupawaterval. Daarvandaan weer af tot by Okangwati, af by die Vanzylspas, oor Rooi Drom na Orupembe. Die volgende skof moes oor Puros, Sesfontein, Palmwag na Khorixas. Daarna Uis, die Messumkrater tot by Henties- en Walvisbaai. Die laaste skof sou wees oor Solitair en Helmeringhausen, grens toe en ‘n laaste aand in Pofadder voor almal weer kantore toe trek.