GingNinj

Hi Nofuss, I've done the mapped route below three times before and would highly recommend it. If you wanted to extend it an option which comes to mind that I would like to do in the near future is to add on nottingham road-lotheni-himeville (Berg 100 route) and even add on a Bushmans Nek loop if you so desire. Give me a shout if you want more details.

I've done both and I feel they both have pros and cons. Going on an adventure with someone else has brought plenty of awesome memories. Took my aunt on her first bikepacking adventure and did the gentlemanly thing of carrying her heavier pack, only to find out that she had two pieces of frozen steak and a pile of briquettes at the bottom of her bag for the first night. Moral of the story is I now only ride with my own kit and carry on by my ace if people drop out. That said I find being out in the sticks with only the sound of my bike and no-one else around one of the best feelings. I always use my ICE bracelet when I'm riding.

Hi leeubok, Sound like a nice route. Half of the fun for me is planning the route :-). When planning a route I use a combination of the free online tracks4africa map (https://tracks4africa.co.za/maps/africa/) and google earth. With google earth, I zoom in to try find yellow roads that are dirt roads (yet to encounter a gate on a yellow road), and join these sections to 'unknown sections' or tracks which I have got from mates/other sources eg dragons spine. I always have a backup plan for "unknown sections" but include them because after all it is an adventure all the best and take lots of pics

Wow!! My bucket list has just got longer...

Dust off that bivvy..Never too late for another tour

Looks like an amazing route Freak! Would be interested in seeing the profile for the seven days if you are prepared to share it? Took me a day to get from himeville up to the top of Sani pass with my kit so I'm sure I would be needing more than 7 days for the route..

Some pics from the 3 day ride over the long weekend...

Working on some DIY kit for the ride next weekend. Managed to make a down quilt from an old down duvet and cut the pattern for a silnylon tarp... http://s10.postimg.org/xce88rk6g/DSC_4016.jpg http://s10.postimg.org/imte49hwo/DSC_4015.jpg

How did the trip go freak?

Some random info that might be of use to someone... For those of you that drink Horlicks, keep the container, I found it fits perfectly in a bottle cage and is a handy storage container, Its a decent volume, has a nice wide mouth for easy access and is transparant once you rip off the outer plastic branding. http://mytuck.co.za/image/cache/retail/makro-horlicks-300x300.jpg

Interesting design freak. Did you by anychance take a pic of what the entrance looks like? Interested to see what you are using as upright supports. From what I can see it looks like you have taken your front wheel off and the tarp is resting on the top of your bars in the front and over your rear wheel on the back? My eyes arent too sharp so correct me if I'm wrong? I gather you are running a guy line out from your bike in the opposite direction to the tarp to keep your bike upright? I played around with a similar design with my bike upside down. Turned a few heads at the campsite that I was at and had someone offer me a spare tent

Was thinking Goxhill trout lodge in himeville (http://goxhilltroutlodge.co.za/accommodation/) and Mount Park guest camp in the Darge area (http://www.mountpark.co.za/) finish in PMB at Cascades. Both spots offer beds and you cando afew laps around cascads while you wait for your lift

Gonna battle to keep up with you if you using that setup... thought you ride a single speed!?

Mariarty the bag on my bike is one that I made myself. I'm busy working on a prototype with some improvements and will let you know when I have one for testing

Seadog, Funny that you mentioned frame bags, I met with a manufacturer today wrt making frame bags for hard and soft tails based on the design that I made for my bike (see attached). If you keen to join us on the ride at the end of march you can have a look and would be great to see what you guys think.

Hi Andre, We are postponing this trip for now. It clashes with the berg100 and there are a few guys doing the berg100 who would like to do the route so we will do it over a long weekend later in the year. Instead we are going to be bikepacking back to PMB after the berg100. Some of us are not racing the berg100 (myself included) but will be doing a 'casual' ride from notties-himeville on the same day as the berg100 and meet up with the racing snakes there. There are also some people who are also keen to get dropped off in himeville and just do the bikepacking leg back to PMB. The plan is: Day 1: Notties-himeville (~100km) Day 2: Himeville Dargle (~78 km) Day 3: Dargle-PMB. (~76 km)

@CJG & Slowbee. Although hellish expensive in my opinion, check out the following link http://www.gps4africa.co.za/mounts/384-rost-etrex

Moving on to something that might also make you drool. Wish I was a UK citizen between the age of 18 and 25.... http://www.farawayvisions.com/janapar-grant-adventurous-young-cyclists/

Thats correct Ryan, I will send you a kml of the route below. Would you mind putting together a kml for your proposed option to get back to PMB from Dargle (Mt Park Guest Farm)? http://s2.postimg.org/fwuc06x61/Himeville_Dargle.png

With my fitness level I need to keep weight down to a bare minimum so I can get from point A to point B

@ryan,monark,kenG and anyone else interested in doing a return bikepack ride from the berg100. Any ideas/preference on a preferred return route back to PMB from Himeville? Found a spot in Himeville (Goxhill trout lodge) which has camping and self catering. A thought I had was to head across to the Dargle area (Mount Park guest camp) via Compensation/Impendle to avoid riding the same route as the berg100.I haven't ridden in the area before and this shortest route from Himeville to Dargle (around 77 km) goes through a fair amount of townships. Anyone had experience riding in the area or thoughts on alternative routes?

Monark we can load Ryan with some of our kit Bivvy bag and tarp for me...

Sounds like a plan Ryan... I'll start in Notties early Sat morning and meet you racing snakes in himeville.Could camp at Cobham on Sat night1? Head back towards pmb on day 2 and camp in the Dargle area (~75km) and then via howich to PMB on day 3? Will use the R350 that I would have paid for the Berg100 entrance to buy a round of drinks in himeville rather

Will do. You welcome to get dropped off at Karkloof on the way back from the berg100 and join us for days 2 and 3 .

Hi guys, I'm going to be doing an unsupported 3 day bikepacking ride at a leisurely pace in the PMB area from he 19-21st of March and would like to extend the invite to anyone who would be keen to join. The majority of the route will be on dirt and I will be camping for the two nights Summary of the route is as follows: PMB-Karkloof-Nottingham Road-PMB. . Day 1 (19 March): Cascades parking lot - Bushwillow Caravan park (~60 km) Day 2: (20 March): Bushwillow Caravan Park - Glensheiling Caravan park (~53 km) Day 3: (21 March): Glensheiling caravan park - Cascades parking lot (~68 km) Give me a shout if you keen to join and I will send you a copy of planned route Justin