So, the next gravel ironbutt is due. 8days and it is on!
I have done a 1600km/24hr trip which took 23hrs and it really was awesome. It stretched me to my limit, but I do believe this ride should be easier. Around Kathu (start point) the roads are not as fast as the ones in and around Karoo, so for this ride the ratio of good to bad roads should be better. In theory.
Challenges will be that we have no support. But I prefer it that way as support feels like cheating (thought the relief when you see that bakkie was massive, just to know someone has your back). ANd then also this trip will be on a 950 and 1190 while previous was on 2x 1200GS's. The brands, rideability, range and comfort difference I think is fine, but I am worried about loosing out on tubeless tyres. 1 Puncture will be fine but 2 will take up to much time.
So, this is an intro to get some support for our ride, but also to ask maybe for some rough feedback on our routes. I have checked and checked, so think I managed to bypass almost all tar. But please, if this is in your area or well known routes to you, see if I plotted correctly to only or maximally be travelling gravel and also if its good gravel. Maybe inside info can tell me the gravel road just next to chosen one is better?
part 1 851km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/Kathu/-28.595104,22.4812727/Prieska,+Northern+Cape/Vosburg,+Northern+Cape/Victoria+West,+Northern+Cape/Fraserburg,+Northern+Cape/Sutherland,+Northern+Cape/@-31.7186217,21.5852697,9.01z/data=!4m59!4m58!1m15!1m1!1s0x1e9e412827c6296b:0x400f8d69091ba40!2m2!1d23.0250269!2d-27.7600892!3m4!1m2!1d23.0926218!2d-27.619261!3s0x1e9e4674051eb0d9:0x511c96bc706b1233!3m4!1m2!1d22.6430643!2d-27.6256094!3s0x1e9e2994a5c9c0ab:0x514702f4dacd38db!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d22.5162675!2d-28.9667466!3s0x1c2783d9fa0816c9:0x200e3df47560a74d!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e82ac28aa8a6237:0x80d9645a44af8a02!2m2!1d22.739048!2d-29.7069446!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e826c5f56dc9991:0x2768df38dfa02221!2m2!1d22.8463007!2d-30.594412!1m10!1m1!1s0x1e81ba3452845c61:0xa5f698030b6599!2m2!1d23.1203315!2d-31.4217669!3m4!1m2!1d22.7431736!2d-31.5423589!3s0x1e81d0f72e52c951:0x41276385dc576c8d!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c2b0a83338fa9a9:0x2a57b96538d8dc34!2m2!1d21.5133587!2d-31.9149495!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c2cea65ad37a715:0x3b55e074ff5fc372!2m2!1d20.670528!2d-32.4100977!3e0
part 2 805km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/Sutherland,+Northern+Cape/-30.4591412,20.4775216/Loeriesfontein,+Northern+Cape/@-31.6889602,18.69138,7.67z/data=!4m60!4m59!1m45!1m1!1s0x1c2cea65ad37a715:0x3b55e074ff5fc372!2m2!1d20.670528!2d-32.4100977!3m4!1m2!1d20.3746729!2d-32.2284297!3s0x1c2cfdac33c68ac3:0x205f828b04f7d6ae!3m4!1m2!1d20.3601434!2d-32.7325731!3s0x1c2cd5c493867cad:0xb9d701d9eaf8b388!3m4!1m2!1d20.0819326!2d-32.8233791!3s0x1c2d3313581b5a8b:0xe3533b456262748f!3m4!1m2!1d19.917442!2d-32.9588293!3s0x1dd2b5dbeac002ef:0xe6d91de6ff17eb4d!3m4!1m2!1d19.8362601!2d-33.1096697!3s0x1dd2bbc8353d8357:0xe364581b54e39642!3m4!1m2!1d19.7400482!2d-33.1847849!3s0x1dd2a346cb450f7d:0x79d38b0d3d2b580d!3m4!1m2!1d19.7416657!2d-31.9662334!3s0x1c2d8e0d34ed81e1:0x2005341df35ceaa!3m4!1m2!1d19.8141624!2d-31.216062!3s0x1c2e16dedf2c4cdf:0x3992f9480d2423ed!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d19.8333135!2d-30.0368075!3s0x1c2558e40f5cbd47:0x5b8b6e24e79971dc!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c31d16813764b4d:0xb4e51ba411f7af17!2m2!1d19.4497084!2d-30.9199262!3e0
Part 3 959km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/-30.9452595,19.4152363/-29.2793851,19.6810989/Putsonderwater,+Northern+Cape/-28.6778671,22.2136108/-27.532711,22.016745/Kathu/@-29.1437914,18.9577306,7.33z/data=!4m28!4m27!1m0!1m0!1m10!1m1!1s0x1c27b2bac6222b25:0x8d4bf4ac6d94066b!2m2!1d21.870541!2d-29.23295!3m4!1m2!1d21.8722926!2d-28.9767247!3s0x1c2701c2a362b7d9:0x11aa0ac465ce6764!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d22.7126606!2d-28.0428476!3s0x1e9e037c7dc57045:0x1fc2f20e671120b3!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e9e412827c6296b:0x400f8d69091ba40!2m2!1d23.0250269!2d-27.7600892!3e0
Apologies for not posting screenshots, too much detail will be lost that way.
I have done a 1600km/24hr trip which took 23hrs and it really was awesome. It stretched me to my limit, but I do believe this ride should be easier. Around Kathu (start point) the roads are not as fast as the ones in and around Karoo, so for this ride the ratio of good to bad roads should be better. In theory.
Challenges will be that we have no support. But I prefer it that way as support feels like cheating (thought the relief when you see that bakkie was massive, just to know someone has your back). ANd then also this trip will be on a 950 and 1190 while previous was on 2x 1200GS's. The brands, rideability, range and comfort difference I think is fine, but I am worried about loosing out on tubeless tyres. 1 Puncture will be fine but 2 will take up to much time.
So, this is an intro to get some support for our ride, but also to ask maybe for some rough feedback on our routes. I have checked and checked, so think I managed to bypass almost all tar. But please, if this is in your area or well known routes to you, see if I plotted correctly to only or maximally be travelling gravel and also if its good gravel. Maybe inside info can tell me the gravel road just next to chosen one is better?
part 1 851km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/Kathu/-28.595104,22.4812727/Prieska,+Northern+Cape/Vosburg,+Northern+Cape/Victoria+West,+Northern+Cape/Fraserburg,+Northern+Cape/Sutherland,+Northern+Cape/@-31.7186217,21.5852697,9.01z/data=!4m59!4m58!1m15!1m1!1s0x1e9e412827c6296b:0x400f8d69091ba40!2m2!1d23.0250269!2d-27.7600892!3m4!1m2!1d23.0926218!2d-27.619261!3s0x1e9e4674051eb0d9:0x511c96bc706b1233!3m4!1m2!1d22.6430643!2d-27.6256094!3s0x1e9e2994a5c9c0ab:0x514702f4dacd38db!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d22.5162675!2d-28.9667466!3s0x1c2783d9fa0816c9:0x200e3df47560a74d!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e82ac28aa8a6237:0x80d9645a44af8a02!2m2!1d22.739048!2d-29.7069446!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e826c5f56dc9991:0x2768df38dfa02221!2m2!1d22.8463007!2d-30.594412!1m10!1m1!1s0x1e81ba3452845c61:0xa5f698030b6599!2m2!1d23.1203315!2d-31.4217669!3m4!1m2!1d22.7431736!2d-31.5423589!3s0x1e81d0f72e52c951:0x41276385dc576c8d!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c2b0a83338fa9a9:0x2a57b96538d8dc34!2m2!1d21.5133587!2d-31.9149495!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c2cea65ad37a715:0x3b55e074ff5fc372!2m2!1d20.670528!2d-32.4100977!3e0
part 2 805km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/Sutherland,+Northern+Cape/-30.4591412,20.4775216/Loeriesfontein,+Northern+Cape/@-31.6889602,18.69138,7.67z/data=!4m60!4m59!1m45!1m1!1s0x1c2cea65ad37a715:0x3b55e074ff5fc372!2m2!1d20.670528!2d-32.4100977!3m4!1m2!1d20.3746729!2d-32.2284297!3s0x1c2cfdac33c68ac3:0x205f828b04f7d6ae!3m4!1m2!1d20.3601434!2d-32.7325731!3s0x1c2cd5c493867cad:0xb9d701d9eaf8b388!3m4!1m2!1d20.0819326!2d-32.8233791!3s0x1c2d3313581b5a8b:0xe3533b456262748f!3m4!1m2!1d19.917442!2d-32.9588293!3s0x1dd2b5dbeac002ef:0xe6d91de6ff17eb4d!3m4!1m2!1d19.8362601!2d-33.1096697!3s0x1dd2bbc8353d8357:0xe364581b54e39642!3m4!1m2!1d19.7400482!2d-33.1847849!3s0x1dd2a346cb450f7d:0x79d38b0d3d2b580d!3m4!1m2!1d19.7416657!2d-31.9662334!3s0x1c2d8e0d34ed81e1:0x2005341df35ceaa!3m4!1m2!1d19.8141624!2d-31.216062!3s0x1c2e16dedf2c4cdf:0x3992f9480d2423ed!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d19.8333135!2d-30.0368075!3s0x1c2558e40f5cbd47:0x5b8b6e24e79971dc!1m5!1m1!1s0x1c31d16813764b4d:0xb4e51ba411f7af17!2m2!1d19.4497084!2d-30.9199262!3e0
Part 3 959km
https://www.google.co.za/maps/dir/-30.9452595,19.4152363/-29.2793851,19.6810989/Putsonderwater,+Northern+Cape/-28.6778671,22.2136108/-27.532711,22.016745/Kathu/@-29.1437914,18.9577306,7.33z/data=!4m28!4m27!1m0!1m0!1m10!1m1!1s0x1c27b2bac6222b25:0x8d4bf4ac6d94066b!2m2!1d21.870541!2d-29.23295!3m4!1m2!1d21.8722926!2d-28.9767247!3s0x1c2701c2a362b7d9:0x11aa0ac465ce6764!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d22.7126606!2d-28.0428476!3s0x1e9e037c7dc57045:0x1fc2f20e671120b3!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x1e9e412827c6296b:0x400f8d69091ba40!2m2!1d23.0250269!2d-27.7600892!3e0
Apologies for not posting screenshots, too much detail will be lost that way.
