Status:PreparationTrekkingChilling

Walking from Johannesburg to Cape Town

Hi, my name is Gregory Gerhardt. I work for Drupal agency Amazee Labs. After three years of employment we get one month off to free our mind and do something really extreme. My project? I'm walking from Johannesburg to Cape Town. See my route

07
Apr
2012

Day 12: Through the Karoo to Fraserburg

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Day 12: The Karoo served me the full spectrum: Majestic plains and lots of animals to wonder at. Stormy and ruthless headwinds to fight against. After a morning that started out just perfect with Lorenz' company (a South African sportsman I met at the Guesthouse) the wind shifted to South West after I left Loxton for the 100 km of gravel road heading to Fraserburg. For the next ten hours the estimated 5 to 6 beaufort of wind slowed me down to a steady 10km/h (!).

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05
Apr
2012

Day 11: From Britstown to Victoria West and on

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Travelled the Karoo for 170km today. Strenuous but rewarding ride with fascinating (seemingly) empty plains, hills and little towns that appear about all 50-100km. Today it was Britstown and Victoria West. Britstown, positioned between Johannesburg and Capetown, marked the middle of my trek. Had a little breakfast celebration at Sollie's petrol station. Instead a of champagne I chose a Creme Soda and a Steri Stumpy. The second town, Victoria West, is a charming little desert oasis with a core of victorian houses. Close to dead tired now. Will let the images speak.

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05
Apr
2012

Day 10: From Magersfontein to Britstown

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Today I saddled up for my first propper moonboot safari from Magersfontein to Hopetown, Strydenburg and Kambro farm close to Britstown; a total of 200 km and 12.5 hours of riding. The landscape has drastically changed sine I entered the Karoo. It's dry, and the bushes have definitely and exclusively replaced the ever present maize fields and instead of cattle there is sheep only. The racial mix has also shifted and instead of black people its mostly coloured people. The rencontre of the day no doubt was Eddie. A South African who has been walking across the country for five years.

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03
Apr
2012

Day 9: Preparing the 1000 km to Cape Town

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Drove past Modder River and Magersfontein to visit 2 of the most important battle sites of the second boer war. Within 2 hours I had another two punctures. Land of thornes. Knew that I had to get back to Kimberley to buy some more reserve tubes for the deserted 1000 km down to Cape Town. This shopping tour at the sportsman's warehouse I opted for the thorn resistant ones (>2mm) plus tyre liners and self-repair slime that gets injected into the tube and fills the holes as they appear (to be proven, maybe it's just a slimy sales story).

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03
Apr
2012

Day 8: From Kimberley to Magersfontein

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Plan B: Took it easy today and toured Kimberley with my newly purchased bicycle (sportsman's warehouse, 3000 rand). Went to visit the local museum (McGregor) and the Big Hole, an open mine and the largest hole excavated by hand (it is huge). From 1871 to 1914 up to 50'000 miners dug the hole with picks and shovels yielding a total of 2720 kilograms of diamonds. My ankle did well as long as I kept it in a stiff angle and after two punctures (!) I arrived at today's milestone: Magersfontein.

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From Johannesburg to Cape Town

On the left you can see my route through South Africa. The pins depict the milestones on the fastest possible way from Johannesburg (top right) to Cape Town (bottom left). Milestones will be: Johannesburg, Wagterskop, Parys, Viljoenskron, Bothaville, Hoopstad, Hertzogville, Boshof, Kimberley, Hopetown, Strydenburg, Britstown, Vosburg, Pampoenpoort, Loxton, Fraserburg, Sutherland, Inverdoorn Game Reserve, Ceres, Wellington, Cape Town.