Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

There are easier ways of seeing the wilds of Namibia, but none quite as special as that from the back of a motorcycle. And, as MSL’s Ian Kerr discovered, trips such as this offer up all sorts of unique experiences and are open to everyone.

Looking down from the Air Namibia flight on the terrain below as we flew from Windhoek to Cape Town, I began to realise just how much of both countries is still very much as nature intended. You could just about pick out the many tracks that I would soon be riding, but there were no towns, or much in the way of inhabitation, – almost a case of roads to nowhere.

Later on when I was actually in full flight across the Namibian desert, I could not get the seventies song ‘A horse with no name’ by America (originally called the Desert Song) out of mind; it just seemed so apt. One thing about travel by motorcycle is that you actually experience more by being exposed to the elements, rather than being in an air-conditioned box on four wheels.

Why you might ask was I there? Why was I going to be riding a motorcycle from one of the most vibrant and bustling cities in the world to a capital city off –road. I could after all have done the journey in comfort in half the time of my fifteen day trek.
But, to do so, I would not experience the magnificent, hidden terrain ignored by the main tourist routes.

Besides I have travelled extensively by bike on the metalled roads in South Africa before and wanted a new challenge.
Ever since Ewan and Charlie first appeared on our TV screens, there has been an increase in the number of companies offering off-road adventure tours around the world. The type of tours being offered, lead you to believe that you need a decent level of off-road riding ability and a desire to rough-it in terms of accommodation.

While it may be true for some areas, it is not true for all and there are many sights and areas that can be accessed by any reasonably competent road rider without putting themselves at risk, or having to compromise on their levels of comfort.

The real problem is that once you go away from the more populated areas you need some form of back up, some local knowledge and some contingency of dealing with any problems. Mobile phones do not work in the more remote areas and the AA or equivalent is not just an hour away, nor is the local bike shop. Let’s face it we all like adventure, but we also like insurance policies.

Gravel Travel was started by German Ralf Moeglich, a Paris-Dakar rider, seventeen years ago. He realised that not everybody wanted to train hard and buy specialised machinery to cross deserts and see the world the hard way. So he set about offering the ordinary rider the chance to experience the desert and parts of Africa in complete safety without feeling they are on a package holiday.

Now he has a fleet of fifteen mildly modified Yamaha XT 660R’s, (which will shortly be replaced by the new Tenere) back up vehicles and a variety of accommodation at his disposal that is totally unique.

His formula is simple, mildly challenging routes that allow you to see the real countryside and wildlife in South Africa and Namibia, with a discreet back-up and top-notch accommodation at the end of each day. He makes use of the many hard packed gravel trails/roads that cross the region and despite the fact they are unsurfaced, are easily ridden by any reasonably experienced road rider who has never been off a Tarmac road.

Like anything though, the only real way to find out if it is as good as the claims, is to try it out and see if an average road rider with no real off-road ability like me can cope – hence my trip courtesy of the Namibian Tourist Board.

The flight was overnight and I arrived at lunch time giving me the afternoon to explore before meeting the other ten riders in my group in the luxury sea-front hotel for a quick briefing prior to dinner. The average age was well above forty and all seemed to have quite hi-powered jobs. Despite many having toured extensively in Europe this was first for many and apart from one, nobody had ridden off-road before.

The next day saw Ralf (who still personally runs most of the tours) taking us out to an off-road site with the bikes to give us a few hints and tips of how to cope with the terrain, get used to working with the Garmin GPS and generally get everyone feeling comfortable.

The afternoon was free for exploring the likes of Table Mountain and the very popular Waterfront and other areas like Robben Island not reached the day before.
The splendid skyline of the city is of course dominated by Table Mountain, but it is justly counted among the most beautiful cities in the world. It is not only because of its fascinating scenery, but also because of its impressive architecture (it has just spent a lot of money restoring its harbour area), its cultural diversity and the happy-go-lucky nature of the inhabitants which give it an almost Mediterranean flair.

Normal tourism finished, and with kit loaded onto the support vehicle we left Cape Town the following day and headed south following the coast. While I had opted to use an Enduro-based suit with plenty of vents and armour, motocross boots for better protection and my old Nolan helmet with a peak and visor, not to mention U-tag, many of my fellow riders were in normal fabric based road riding kit.

Most though had opted for a hydration pack, rather than carry water in bottles, something Ralf recommends to ensure that plenty of fluids are taken on board without the need for constant stops, which riders often ignore and this can lead to problems when they become dehydrated..

Our first stop was at the Cape of Good Hope for that all important group photo.
We had split into small groups, or were riding singly, everyone setting their own pace which is a big plus point as far as I was concerned – no pressure.

The Cape of Good Hope was feared by the first European sailors because of its dangerous currents and winds as much as it was a reason to celebrate the prospect of going on land and refilling supplies after a long time at sea. The Cape is one of the seven floral kingdoms but is probably more famous for its baboons.

While the first days riding was mainly on surfaced roads there were a few easy gravel tracks to break us in gently. Certainly by the time we had reached the overnight stop in Hermanus via Chapman’s Peak, further round the coast, most of us were comfortable with relying on the GPS (back-up maps and directions are also supplied) and dealing with the unsurfaced roads.

The evening was spent watching the whales in the bay from our hotel, before an excellent meal at a local restaurant.
A leisurely start the following day saw us move further down the coast to Cape Agulhus, the most southerly point of the African continent and the point where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.

Most of the route down was on the gravel tracks that for the locals are roads, complete with road signs and speed limits, although no locals seem to take much notice of the latter. These were now to be our main source of route for the rest of the tour and provide us with the views not seen by the average tourist in either country.

After another group photo stop, the route took us back inland to Stellenbosch, known for its wine region and another luxury hotel right in the heart of a vineyard. A good excuse to spend the evening sampling their excellent Chardonnay. On the way, a coffee-stop at the charming town of Greyton gave us some idea of how South Africa was during the early twentieth century.

The "Theewaterkloof-Dam" which creates the reservoir which supplies Cape Town and the famous "Franchhoek Pass" consumed a fair amount of camera memory as well as some boot rubber on the latter’s curves.
It was here for brief moment that I thought I would have preferred to be on a sportbike as I was the last time I blasted up.

The next day started with a quick ride up the equally spectacular Bains Pass on the outskirts of Cape Town, before the route really started to move totally away from the normal tourist areas. The Cedarberg Mountains provided us with slightly more challenging trails with views that just blew your mind. It really was a case of ride, or stop and just look at the vistas, you could not do both.

Despite the lack of other vehicles on the trail it was always advisable to check the mirror from time to time, because some locals seemed to take great delight in blasting past you as quickly as possible. Never advisable to cut corners either for the same reason.

After a night in the small town of Clanwilliam and some local hospitality, it was more of the same, mountains with views as we gradually moved out towards the coast for an overnight stop in Strandfontein.

In the afternoon, though we rode through the extended wine-lands on the banks of the Olifants River, South Africa's most northern wine farming area apart from that in the Orange River Valley. The Olifant River feeds huge irrigation plants which allow fertile orchards as well as fruit and vegetable farming in this region and was particularly green compared to the mountains at the start of the day.

It was on this leg one of our number managed to step off at low speed with nothing more than embarrassment to show for his trouble on a slightly more challenging section in the morning.

However the bike did not fare as well cracking a case on a rock necessitating it being placed on the trailer, pending attention that night with some liquid metal. The final repair might not have looked good, but proved good enough for the bike to complete the tour on.

Certainly, the way this incident was dealt with showed the efficiency of the operation and increased confidence levels, useful later on when we were in the desert.
From Strandfontein the route ran north, nearly parallel to the coastline passing the mouth of the aforementioned Olifant River. Having refuelled in Lutzville, we then seemed to leave civilisation behind.

The gentle and seemingly endless hill ranges of Namaqualand dominated the landscapes throughout the day. This area gets a large amount of the winter rainfall, but beyond its 1000km stretch, is the semi arid Great Karoo.

The terrain was certainly becoming more rugged and there were less villages and signs of civilisation as we headed further north. While up to this point you might have thought you could have mapped out your own route, you began to appreciate that to ride through this spectacular area, you really do need back up, knowledge of where to find the petrol stations etc.

You certainly would not find accommodation like the ‘Woodpile’ our overnight lodging in huts on the edge of Namaqualand and our first introduction to the diamond mining industry and history. The quirky, hospitable accommodation, the sunset and the subsequent seafood barbecue really has to be experienced to be appreciated.

A brief rain shower and gloomy start to the following day, but a quick coffee stop in the fishing village of Port Nolloth saw the weather improve. Here I met a local farmer, also on an XT 660R who spent a lot of his spare time exploring mainly on his own. His tail of four hours extracting himself from under his bike when he fell on the previous trip and passing nobody for two days, certainly reinforced the view that you really do need back up when off the beaten path.

Having said goodbye, we picked our way through the diamond mines to reach the border crossing with Namibia. Despite the temptation to do a little prospecting along the way, Ralf informed us that we stood more chance of getting away with murder rather than uncut diamonds.

Formalities were thankfully minimal at the border. It was then a short blast to Noordoever and the reed huts on the banks of the Orange River that were to be our home for the night. This was another unusual place that provided an excellent outdoor meal and stunning views, as well as a relaxed afternoon away from the bikes.

Namibia like South Africa also drives on the left, but have their limits and distances shown in kilometres, even on the tracks.
The temperature was starting to rise as we headed north the next day along the banks of the Fish River Canyon off-road to Aus on the edge of the Namibian desert and some much needed petrol, this being our longest day on the bikes.

The route then took us on a beautiful Tarmac road out to Luderitz on the coast and a hotel on the bay. Despite the surfaced road there was drifting sand blowing across and you certainly began to realise how vast and hostile the desert is and can be – hence the aforementioned song by America constantly running round my brain.

The petrol stations such as they were had locked petrol pumps and you were not allowed to serve yourself – cash was the only accepted method of payment as you might expect, but gas was remarkably cheap.

The night was spent in the desert town of Helmeringhausen, such as it was with its six buildings. Standing in middle of the desert at night you can see all the stars quite clearly as the sky seems blacker than normal as there are no clouds to spoil the view – a truly awesome experience.

Despite the chill of the evening, the following day was the hottest of the trip with temperatures rising to 45 degrees. I really began to realise quite how insignificant you are in the great scheme of things when you look around and realise there is literally nothing for miles.

The main part of the route on this leg took us right along the border between the desert and central highlands of Namibia. On one side there were the red desert dunes, on the other side, the bizarre mountain ranges of Naukluft.

Our final night out was in the Deseret Homestead Lodge with small huts right on the edge of the desert, sitting looking at the various different colours of the desert which appear more vividly as the sun sets.

A leisurely start on the last riding day saw us pass through Solitaire a famous meeting point for all travellers to the region, before climbing up Speetsoogte Pass for a last look at the desert before heading off to Windhoek and the end of the journey.

It almost seemed an anti-climax to have to travel on surfaced roads and deal with the traffic of the city before heading up to the Gravel Travel base on the side of a nearby mountain.

At the end we had covered nearly four thousand kilometres over two weeks, with over 80 per cent being on unsurfaced roads with no problems. Nobody had experienced problems despite the fact that most of us had never ventured off a Tarmac road before.

The Yamaha 660R had proved the ideal tool for most, even those who owned BMW GS’s praised it and stated they did not think they could have coped on the German machines due to their size and bulk.

The only modifications that Ralf makes are an additional air filter, hand guards, stronger sump plates and carrier at the back. A roller route and GPS complete the ensemble.

As far as riders are concerned everybody had a big smile on their faces and a huge sense of achievement, which is probably why the bar was open to small hours as everyone celebrated after an outside barbecue. All that was left was a morning sightseeing in Windhoek prior to an overnight flight home.

As one of the riders on the trip all I can say is that Gravel Travel does exactly as they promise to do, show you areas of South Africa and Namibia you would not see otherwise. Give you a feeling of adventure, while providing discreet back-up and five star luxury in a totally brilliant manner and for this they deserve a five star rating.

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* MSL July 2009 - Issue no. 586