SGB
Race Dog
Hi Guys
We are planning a trip to the pans with Kwa Nokeng, the pans are really special this year – with the late rains they had, there is less dust but the mud has dried, so we have an advantage – double the fun! And we decided to take advantage of the long weekend in September, in order to minimize the time off work. And riding the pans with the peace of mind and comfort that proper medical support, local guidance and backup and riding a bike with no luggage in the pans is just an awesome idea – no worries about any possible mishaps along the way….. Now you have no reason not to go along!
The dates for the pans adventure will be from Wednesday the 23rd of September 2009 to Sunday the 27th of September 2009.
Wednesday 23rd: Arrive at Kwa Nokeng, Sleep at the Lodge.
Thursday 24th : Day 1 on the pans
Friday 25th: Day 2 on the pans
Saturday 26th: Sleep at Kwa Nokeng
Sunday 27th: Ride Back to GP
Please find some info on this weekend below:
A few notes on the upcoming adventure in September:.
1. The Ride
Wednesday 23rd: Travel to Kwa Nokeng with Outdoor Medical as back up, route and meeting spot depending on where the majority of riders come from. Arrive at Kwa Nokeng early evening, a staff member will meet you on the Botswana side to assist with formalities at the border. We will sleep at Kwa Nokeng have dinner around the fire etc. Distance is 400km’s all tar.
Thursday 24th : Breakfast at 05h00, we leave the lodge at 06h00; have coffee in Serowe en route to Lethlakane. At Lethlakane we will refuel off load bikes etc, all vehicles except the back up vehicle and medic vehicle will stay at the Shell in Lethlakane they have a locked parking area. From her we ride onto to Matsumo village and onto the Pans where we will have lunch at Kubu Island. From Kubu we ride to Tswagong Vet Gate and then onto our bivouac. Distance Tar 350km’s Dirt 120km’s.There is a heavy sand section of 2km’s prior to entering the pans.
Friday 25th: After a lazy breakfast we will ride along the pans to view Chapman’s & Greens Baobabs. From Green’s we leave the pan edge to encounter the thickest sand of the trip en route to Gweta to refuel. After Gweta we will have lunch at Planet Baobab. After lunch we will make our way back to the bivouac with some more sand thrown in for good measure. We should get to the bivouac in time for a lovely pans sunset. Distance today should be approx 150km’s Dirt and Sand.
Saturday 26th: After Breakfast we will follow the same route as yesterday to Chapman’s, at Chapman’s we will ride South past Gabasadi Island leaving the pans for the last time at Tchai Vet Gate. From here the road is gravel surrounded by Savannah almost all the way to the Orapa Mine entrance. From here its a few kilometers tar to the Shell in Lethlakane where we will refuel and make our way back to Kwa Nokeng. At Kwa Nokeng we will gather around the fire for a last time after dinner. Distance today Dirt 150km’s tar 370km’s.
Sunday 27th: Back home
2. Outdoor Medical:
Outdoor Medical provides medical back up along the route. The ambulance is equipped with all the drugs you could wish for and a level 7 paramedic. In the event of an injury Outdoor Medical will take care
of you and take you to the closest medical facility, in the event of a potential life threatening injury you will have to be airlifted from the scene to JHB. Please insure that your medical aid covers this and that they are also aware that you will be traveling in Botswana. A lot of our clients take out medical insurance while on our adventures. Outdoor Medical will also during the adventure keep your passport and medical aid details with them, this is done to have you passport handy to give to the pilot that flies you out, and not have to go back to the bivouac and look for your passport. The service that Outdoor Medical provides is included with our fee.
Bertus from Outdoor Medical will mail each of you a medical questionnaire form that you must complete and mail back to him please. If you have any queries please contact Bertus at [email protected]
3. Money:
You must have enough money for fuel to do approximately 2 000km’s. Border Post clearance fees of approx P110.00 per vehicle. Bring all your reg docs, passport etc.
4. Back Up:
We have a Landcruiser station wagon that will serve as back up vehicle with the outdoor medical 4x4. This vehicle will carry your luggage to the bivouac and back, it will also carry 4 x 20L Jerry cans for those bikes with a short range. Our food and beverages wil be kept in this vehicle as well. A three bike trailer will be towed by this vehicle as well.
We do carry some basic tools with us such as spare tubes, tubeless inflation kits, tool boxes, compressors, jumper cables etc
5. Accommodation, Food & Beverages:
Food: Kwa Nokeng will provide meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on the last day.
Beverages: We provide all beverages along the route, which is included in your package. It will be great if each of you could mail me a list of things you drink as we do not want to cart beverages along that no one wants.
Accommodation: Each of you will be provided with a one man tent on the pans, you will however have to bring a sleeping bag, blow up mattress and camping pillow. Some of the riders do sleep outside under the stars but be warned it is very very cold at night
6. Payment
Please transfer R5 995.00 into:
The Year Ahead T/A Kwa Nokeng Lodge
Account no 621300 12826
Branch 200918
FNB Lakefield Square Branch Benoni,
Ref: Sept 09, your name.
7. Cancellation
As mentioned to you guys we need a minimum of 10 riders on this adventure as the logistical expense is huge. In the event that we cannot get 10 riders together we will do a refund into you account. I am confident that we will get 10 pax to do this ride. In 2008 we did 11 trips to the pans and 5 to the Tuli.
8. Short list of things to bring
Documents:
- Passport
- Medical Card
- Bike & Car Papers. (Most of the guys tow their bikes as the last thing you feel like doing is riding your bike back the last day from Lethlakane to Kwa Nokeng)
- Money, Pula can be obtained at the Caltex at Martins Drift
Bike:
- Fit your bike with knobblies, do not even try and attempt this adventure with no knobblies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Tubeless repair kit for your bike
- Riding Gear
- Assortment of tools that you always ride with.
- GPS, this is a must guys we will be giving a list of the most important points so that you could find your way to the bivouac if you get lost. You do not want to look for us on
12 000sq/km of salt pans with no GPS
- Sun block
- Energy or Protein bars 6 x to be kept with the bike at all times
Other:
- Sleeping Bag, a good one
- Blow up mattress
- Small camping pillow ( they sell them at Outdoor Warehouse)
- Space blanket to be kept with the bike at all times
- T Shirt for each day & underwear.
- 1 x pair of longs or cargo pants for the night
- 1 x pair of shorts
- Shower stuff
- 1 x pair shoes, slops work during the day but at night its too cold for slops
Ok that’s about it.
Regards,
SGB
Contact details: Kwa Nokeng Lodge
Ria van Vuuren
Tel: zero82 378 2906
e-mail: [email protected]
www.kwanokeng.com
We are planning a trip to the pans with Kwa Nokeng, the pans are really special this year – with the late rains they had, there is less dust but the mud has dried, so we have an advantage – double the fun! And we decided to take advantage of the long weekend in September, in order to minimize the time off work. And riding the pans with the peace of mind and comfort that proper medical support, local guidance and backup and riding a bike with no luggage in the pans is just an awesome idea – no worries about any possible mishaps along the way….. Now you have no reason not to go along!
The dates for the pans adventure will be from Wednesday the 23rd of September 2009 to Sunday the 27th of September 2009.
Wednesday 23rd: Arrive at Kwa Nokeng, Sleep at the Lodge.
Thursday 24th : Day 1 on the pans
Friday 25th: Day 2 on the pans
Saturday 26th: Sleep at Kwa Nokeng
Sunday 27th: Ride Back to GP
Please find some info on this weekend below:
A few notes on the upcoming adventure in September:.
1. The Ride
Wednesday 23rd: Travel to Kwa Nokeng with Outdoor Medical as back up, route and meeting spot depending on where the majority of riders come from. Arrive at Kwa Nokeng early evening, a staff member will meet you on the Botswana side to assist with formalities at the border. We will sleep at Kwa Nokeng have dinner around the fire etc. Distance is 400km’s all tar.
Thursday 24th : Breakfast at 05h00, we leave the lodge at 06h00; have coffee in Serowe en route to Lethlakane. At Lethlakane we will refuel off load bikes etc, all vehicles except the back up vehicle and medic vehicle will stay at the Shell in Lethlakane they have a locked parking area. From her we ride onto to Matsumo village and onto the Pans where we will have lunch at Kubu Island. From Kubu we ride to Tswagong Vet Gate and then onto our bivouac. Distance Tar 350km’s Dirt 120km’s.There is a heavy sand section of 2km’s prior to entering the pans.
Friday 25th: After a lazy breakfast we will ride along the pans to view Chapman’s & Greens Baobabs. From Green’s we leave the pan edge to encounter the thickest sand of the trip en route to Gweta to refuel. After Gweta we will have lunch at Planet Baobab. After lunch we will make our way back to the bivouac with some more sand thrown in for good measure. We should get to the bivouac in time for a lovely pans sunset. Distance today should be approx 150km’s Dirt and Sand.
Saturday 26th: After Breakfast we will follow the same route as yesterday to Chapman’s, at Chapman’s we will ride South past Gabasadi Island leaving the pans for the last time at Tchai Vet Gate. From here the road is gravel surrounded by Savannah almost all the way to the Orapa Mine entrance. From here its a few kilometers tar to the Shell in Lethlakane where we will refuel and make our way back to Kwa Nokeng. At Kwa Nokeng we will gather around the fire for a last time after dinner. Distance today Dirt 150km’s tar 370km’s.
Sunday 27th: Back home
2. Outdoor Medical:
Outdoor Medical provides medical back up along the route. The ambulance is equipped with all the drugs you could wish for and a level 7 paramedic. In the event of an injury Outdoor Medical will take care
of you and take you to the closest medical facility, in the event of a potential life threatening injury you will have to be airlifted from the scene to JHB. Please insure that your medical aid covers this and that they are also aware that you will be traveling in Botswana. A lot of our clients take out medical insurance while on our adventures. Outdoor Medical will also during the adventure keep your passport and medical aid details with them, this is done to have you passport handy to give to the pilot that flies you out, and not have to go back to the bivouac and look for your passport. The service that Outdoor Medical provides is included with our fee.
Bertus from Outdoor Medical will mail each of you a medical questionnaire form that you must complete and mail back to him please. If you have any queries please contact Bertus at [email protected]
3. Money:
You must have enough money for fuel to do approximately 2 000km’s. Border Post clearance fees of approx P110.00 per vehicle. Bring all your reg docs, passport etc.
4. Back Up:
We have a Landcruiser station wagon that will serve as back up vehicle with the outdoor medical 4x4. This vehicle will carry your luggage to the bivouac and back, it will also carry 4 x 20L Jerry cans for those bikes with a short range. Our food and beverages wil be kept in this vehicle as well. A three bike trailer will be towed by this vehicle as well.
We do carry some basic tools with us such as spare tubes, tubeless inflation kits, tool boxes, compressors, jumper cables etc
5. Accommodation, Food & Beverages:
Food: Kwa Nokeng will provide meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on the last day.
Beverages: We provide all beverages along the route, which is included in your package. It will be great if each of you could mail me a list of things you drink as we do not want to cart beverages along that no one wants.
Accommodation: Each of you will be provided with a one man tent on the pans, you will however have to bring a sleeping bag, blow up mattress and camping pillow. Some of the riders do sleep outside under the stars but be warned it is very very cold at night
6. Payment
Please transfer R5 995.00 into:
The Year Ahead T/A Kwa Nokeng Lodge
Account no 621300 12826
Branch 200918
FNB Lakefield Square Branch Benoni,
Ref: Sept 09, your name.
7. Cancellation
As mentioned to you guys we need a minimum of 10 riders on this adventure as the logistical expense is huge. In the event that we cannot get 10 riders together we will do a refund into you account. I am confident that we will get 10 pax to do this ride. In 2008 we did 11 trips to the pans and 5 to the Tuli.
8. Short list of things to bring
Documents:
- Passport
- Medical Card
- Bike & Car Papers. (Most of the guys tow their bikes as the last thing you feel like doing is riding your bike back the last day from Lethlakane to Kwa Nokeng)
- Money, Pula can be obtained at the Caltex at Martins Drift
Bike:
- Fit your bike with knobblies, do not even try and attempt this adventure with no knobblies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Tubeless repair kit for your bike
- Riding Gear
- Assortment of tools that you always ride with.
- GPS, this is a must guys we will be giving a list of the most important points so that you could find your way to the bivouac if you get lost. You do not want to look for us on
12 000sq/km of salt pans with no GPS
- Sun block
- Energy or Protein bars 6 x to be kept with the bike at all times
Other:
- Sleeping Bag, a good one
- Blow up mattress
- Small camping pillow ( they sell them at Outdoor Warehouse)
- Space blanket to be kept with the bike at all times
- T Shirt for each day & underwear.
- 1 x pair of longs or cargo pants for the night
- 1 x pair of shorts
- Shower stuff
- 1 x pair shoes, slops work during the day but at night its too cold for slops
Ok that’s about it.
Regards,
SGB
Contact details: Kwa Nokeng Lodge
Ria van Vuuren
Tel: zero82 378 2906
e-mail: [email protected]
www.kwanokeng.com
