Kaoko - A journey, not destination!

[JourneyMan]

Finally got to see all the pics.

Words fail me! Well done chaps! An epic trip.

[Welsh]

i would be intersted to see whats left of your tyres, as they looked close to used up at epupa

Here is a picture of the rear of my bike the day we arrived back in Pretoria.  This rear tyre has done about 6300 km of both tar and offroad riding.  I did the Paradise Rally, this journey to Namibia and some relatively fast riding from the Botswana border home.  If you correctly set your tyre pressures, a tyre should last you about 6000 - 7000 km (Continental TKC80's).  The front tyre will last about 12000 km.  I will fit both front and rear for the GS Challenge 2006.



Not bad considering this tyre should be used offroad only.

So what pressures do you run at?

Welsh  :?:  

[Chippie]

Chippie, is Oom Oom Willem met die BM?

I prefer to remain anonymous      

[Uncle Bob]

Fark me that's AMAZING - Love it.
I'm jealous and excited at the same time.
wanna do it!!!!!

[FortyZA]

So what pressures do you run at?

Welsh  :?:  

On this trip, fully loaded as per the picture, the rear tyre was at 3 bar and the front was at 2.5 bar.  When we got to the dirt, I dropped the tyre pressure to 1.5 at the rear and 1.5 front.  The terain did not allow us to drop any further because of the odd rock and the chances of damaging a rim would have been too high.  The bike handled well off and on road.  The only mistake we made was having the fuel so high up, it tended to make it top heavy and difficult to pick-up when it was put down in thick sand (very tired) or when you lost your footing. (All part of the journey) :oops:

[shark_za]

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

[KiLRoy]

Zonk and kie, congrats on a fine journey.  hell, i wish I can do a trip like this.  (funacide, leo - i'm in!!!!)

Thanx for the effort to share the trip with us

Questions:

1. How many km's per day? i guess it depends on the terrain, but say for nice roads - ?, for average roads - ?, and for bad shit - ?
2. How long would you recommend going for a trip of this nature - in order to cover those areas, but also to do it at a leisury pace?
3. What is essential for the trip - items wise?
4. What would you take along in addition, now in retrospect?
5. budget for the trip?

Thanx again for sharing - stunning 10/10

Hein

[krazy-eyes]

eddie, your bike looks like has marked its territory,  

[krazy-eyes]

1. How many km's per day? i guess it depends on the terrain, but say for nice roads - ?, for average roads - ?, and for bad shit - ?
2. How long would you recommend going for a trip of this nature - in order to cover those areas, but also to do it at a leisury pace?
3. What is essential for the trip - items wise?
4. What would you take along in addition, now in retrospect?
5. budget for the trip?

1. once in namibia, anything from 150km - 200km a day is good in terms of not feeling pressurised to "get there", although i did 750km from epupa to brandberg in one day, gravel only! that wasnt as much fun, but i wanted to see if it could be done.

2. lesiurely pace is a relative term. but if you do it at my speed, 10-14 days is enough, but 21 days would be ideal, because then you can bush camp every time you see a nice spot. also, you'd be able to spend more than one day per campsite and explore the surroundings and people.
i reckon on a trip like this it is essential to choose two campsites at which you spend at least two nights each. that is what i did last year whilst in namibia, it takes away that feeling of "merely passing through".

3. a good pillow, and a decent sleeping bag. one pair of soft cotton clothes for wearing in camp, aliong with plakkies so you can get out of those boots. headlamp.
one thing ive always said but somehow failed to adhere to - a tent that can stand without the use of pegs, ie. a 4 cornered dome tent. i have one but took my "coffin" instead. i was jealous of zonk and forty and richard every night because their tents were up in seconds.
then also obvious stuff like tyre levers etc.

4. aluminium panniers. i'm tired of "sukkeling". i want lock-up facilities for when i go into shops or turn my back.
watch this space - i'm getting some made for a fraction of the price!

5. R3500, but i over spent by R1000. still cheap though.

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

KE = 1 , but it was more of a topple-over than a fall.

[Rooibaard]

Grenspos by Ruacana

Bitter baie dankie vir hierdie foto Zonkel.
Dis waar ons oor was angola toe, en kon self nie fotos neem nie.

[CrazyPorra]

This is better than 2001, then only that excuse of a hut existed, will find the pic.

[Zonkelnut]

Rooibaard, jou can download the full pic of the border (3MB) here hhttp://www.upitall.com/Public/Pictures/AngolaBorder.JPG

[Zonkelnut]

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

Not one of us fell off. Everyone had a "topple over" as KE puts it. I had 3. 2 when I stopped for a 4x4 coming down a hill and when I tried to put my right foot out, it slipped out over the loose rocks and stones. Then when I picked up the bike I tried to get on the bike without stand and the bike just came back down.
The 3rd time I was pulling away, but as I pulled away, the center stand got hooked on a Huge rock and my pony thought it was a good idea to throw me off balance.
And with the load we had, anything less than 70% upright is hard to keep up. So then you just let the bike fall over.
But nothing on speed or even moving.

And not one in the sand. Not one. My mentor Sharkie taught me well.  

[>Herman<]

Zonk & kie, thanks for great report and to rub it in that I could not go.

Leo & Fun - if you go next year Easter, count me in!!!

[FortyZA]

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

I had 5 put downs, 3 in sand and 2 on the route between Epupa Falls and Kunene River Lodge.

On sand, I tried to turn around to assist my brother who had not caught up and lost my footing.  Had to unpack bike to pick it up, fell off 2 times crossing the river bed at Puros Camp site (very tired and very thick sand, bike took vehicle track and lost footing twice) Zonk and Richard helped pick up bike.  On the "Not recommended route" where Zonk put his bike down, I had 2 instances where the bike stopped on an incline and when you put your foot down, there is still too much drop, your foot hits the ground, the bike is past the 50% tilt, you cannot recover, so you try and gently lay the bike over until someone can help you pick it up, also to try and minimise damage / scratches.

Richard had 1 fall, that was in the thick sand where I tried to turn around to assist, otherwise he rode extremely well and too very little chances, followed lines which he saw Zonkelnut and myself take. Very wise move on his part.

INFO
Once you come off, cannot pick your bike up without first off loading, this takes lots of energy out of you and then your mind plays tricks on you, you get a fright and then you are rattled because you don't want to go through the same thing again and that happened to Richard.  I was fine mentally but the sand rattled him lots.

[Welsh]

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

I had 5 put downs, 3 in sand and 2 on the route between Epupa Falls and Kunene River Lodge.


INFO
  I was fine mentally

We should discuss this?


Welshie  

They're armed.
Armed, armed with what?
Err, bad breath, colorful language, feather duster... what do you think they're gonna be armed with? Guns, you tit!
-lock, stock and two smoking barrels

[JourneyMan]

INFO
Once you come off, cannot pick your bike up without first off loading, this takes lots of energy out of you and then your mind plays tricks on you, you get a fright and then you are rattled because you don't want to go through the same thing again and that happened to Richard.  I was fine mentally but the sand rattled him lots.

It helps that one does not have a turn around option. Have to go on. Sure he was well satisfied in the end that he made it. Only way to increase your skills. Ride it when you have the opportunity.

But yeah. Been there. Sometimes one feels "WTF i'm doing here!"

[shark_za]

A lot of it is in the mind.
When you think you cant do it and you are going to fall, you do.

[Welsh]

A lot of it is in the mind.
When you think you cant do it and you are going to fall, you do.

A lot of it is in the body to, shear physical farking exhaustion.

Especially when you are in such fine physical shape as me.


Welsh  

[FortyZA]

The report does not say, how many falls were there in the sand?

I had 5 put downs, 3 in sand and 2 on the route between Epupa Falls and Kunene River Lodge.


INFO
  I was fine mentally

We should discuss this?

I too am in such fine physical shape as you.  I think if you are not fit physically and mentally, a trip like this could catch up on you and sometimes due to your location you are in, you could either suffer the route already ridden or you can plod along and see some more amzing landscape.  

Although I was tired, a good night's sleep does a world of good for your riding confidence and the previous days happening are somehow forgotten and continue as normal.  This is also got to do with water and dehydration which must be in abundance when doing a trip of this nature.