Wild coast Mtb trip - December

[Wil6]

Thinking of doing a mtb trip this December with some friends.Basically the plan is to start in Coffee Bay, Transkei, and end in East London / or close to.Total distance via local road = 200km (Ending in East London).But we will not be riding the normal route.

 

We are going to have back up vehicles (driven by my wive and my friends better halves) that will drive through everyday to the place were we plan to sleep that night after each ride, and wait for us there.We have a holiday home in Kei - Mouth that we will be spending the remainder of the December holiday so that's why I want to end there.

 

Now I need some advise on what routes to ride and were to sleep over?I see the Imana Wild ride is very similar to what I had in mind.Has somebody got the gps route for me of the Imana wild ride and/or is there more interesting routes?

 

Thanks!

 

[deanbean]

I'll send you what I've got Wil.

A few points to note,

the distances that you will be riding are deceptive, the steepness of the terrain south of Coffee Bay, makes the distances deceptive, its about 50km to The Haven, but that is a long ride, also take the sand into consideration,

you will need to get a permit to ride through Dwesa/Cebe, I'd make The Haven my overnight stop for the first night, then ask them if they could get the permits for you, and even if they cannot, they'll be able to put you onto the right person,

book your accommodation early, those hotels are small, and fill up quickly

the prevailing wind in December is an Easterly, so you will be going in the right direction, but December is in the rainy season, so the rivers could be deep, from reports from guy's that did the Imana this year the rivers are shallower than last year, when we had to swim, lots....

take the tides into consideration, you will have to start riding about 2 hours before low, so check that, as you don't want to start riding in the middle of the day, believe me, this will be the most important consideration, you don't want to have to push 40km in sand, it's not fun,

stay at the Cob Inn on the second night, or Mazeppa, that will give you about 40km for days 2 and 3 to Kei Mouth, these days you will be riding on the sand a lot, above rocks, so there is little hard sand, and it is a lot of pushing,

From Kei to Haga Haga is a problem, as the farm manager has prohibited bikes from his farm, so you will have to ride to Double Mouth, then alonf paths just behind the rocks to Haga, from Haga I don't know, but get hold of Jeff at Cycle Torque in East London, he'll know the route from there.

 

Your support vehicles will have to leave at about the same time as you, because the roads in the Transkei are shocking, I pity them.

PM me your email address.

[deanbean]

Oh I forgot, organise a ferry over the Mbashe(Bashee) river, there are Zambezi sharks in that river, the rest of the rivers that you cross are ok, I think' also across the river at Cob Inn.

You will need fatter tyres for the sand, I used 2.4 Killer Bees