Tankwa Karoo bike packing - help please

[Stephan]

Thanks for all the help so far. Really appreciate it. 

I have scoured the net and route plans and looked at a gazzilion maps. This is the plan now:

Day 1 https://www.strava.com/routes/3253648923662638246 (Mt Ceder to Enjo Farm)
Day 2 https://www.strava.com/routes/3253653661864698022 (Enjo to Elandsberg Cottage inside the park)
Day 3 https://www.strava.com/routes/3253662945560747096 (Elandsberg to Rooidakkies) 
Day 4 https://www.strava.com/routes/3253663354081160358 (Rooidakkies to Mt Ceder, over Katbakkies) 

Will appreciate it if anyone who has been on these roads can confirm is this is actually possible? Strava heat maps seem to show yes.

A few comments:

We looked at the option of staying at Tankwa Tented Camp, but we want to try and avoid as much of the R355 tankwa road as possible. Apparently it can be really crap.

I am aware that the road after the Biedouw Valley across from the Doringriver is horrible (classic comment in the video posted above "the road surface varies between bad and terrible") and that actually crossing the Doringriver is not a guarantee. 

Going up to Gannaga Lodge is still an option. 

We realise that if anything goes wrong (mechanical or puncture) in the middle of nowhere, then we may need to wait a few days for the next car to pass. We will carry a satellite tracker just in case. 

[jeandrevanzyl@gmail.com]

Did you end up doing this trip?

 

[Stephan]

Yes, we did do a Tankwa Tour, but not the route above, and I am very glad we didnt because it would have been very hard. The Doringriver was still flowing too high in September so we would not have been able to cross at Uitspankraal and decided to change our plans.

In the end we did four days: 

Day 1: Rooidakkies to Gannaga Lodge

Day 2: Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland 

Day 3: Sutherland to Tankwa River Lodge 

Day 4: Tankwa River Lodge to Da Doer Padstal

Amazing trip with spectacular scenery and met some very kind and friendly people along the way. 

If I had to do this again, I would drive to Da Doer Padstal and start/end the trip there. 

 

[cvdup]

We did a 2 day ride this past weekend.

started at Bike X-Cape 10km from the Padstal. 
 

90km to Apollo de Karoo. The heat got really bad, but the cool pool and beer made up for it.

 

Day 2 was 125km back. Slashed my tyre in the park, ice cold Cole at da Doer and then slapped the last 50km back with a tail wind.

There’s plenty of options if you plan ahead. Be prepared with spares and water and you should be good

 

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 08:16 PM by cvdup

[tubed]

lekker ride and photos - making good memories - thanks for sharing 

[capediver]

22 hours ago, Stephan said:

Yes, we did do a Tankwa Tour, but not the route above, and I am very glad we didnt because it would have been very hard. The Doringriver was still flowing too high in September so we would not have been able to cross at Uitspankraal and decided to change our plans.

In the end we did four days: 

Day 1: Rooidakkies to Gannaga Lodge

Day 2: Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland 

Day 3: Sutherland to Tankwa River Lodge 

Day 4: Tankwa River Lodge to Da Doer Padstal

Amazing trip with spectacular scenery and met some very kind and friendly people along the way. 

If I had to do this again, I would drive to Da Doer Padstal and start/end the trip there. 

 

This sounds awesome, do you have a GPS route for this...I get lost plotting from Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland and beyond trying to stay off the tar!

[Stephan]

Day 1 Rooidakkies to Gannaga Lodge https://www.strava.com/activities/12410432909 

Day 2 Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland https://www.strava.com/activities/12410433867 

Day 3 Sutherland to Tankwa River Lodge via Ouberg Pass https://www.strava.com/activities/12417453403 

Day 4 part A Tankwa River Lodge to Da Doer Padstal https://www.strava.com/activities/12423277278

 

 

[JohanDiv]

Pro Tip: If you catch the tailwind you can free the 70km from Tankwa Padstal to Tankwa Tented Camp in under 2hrs.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyLWKQ8Kxsa/

[Lynskey]

4 hours ago, Stephan said:

Day 1 Rooidakkies to Gannaga Lodge https://www.strava.com/activities/12410432909 

Day 2 Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland https://www.strava.com/activities/12410433867 

Day 3 Sutherland to Tankwa River Lodge via Ouberg Pass https://www.strava.com/activities/12417453403 

Day 4 part A Tankwa River Lodge to Da Doer Padstal https://www.strava.com/activities/12423277278

 

 

Da Doer is a lekka spot. And if you time it right you can hit a band and full kuir there on a Saturday afternoon. Proper Karoo style. 

[capediver]

9 hours ago, Stephan said:

Day 1 Rooidakkies to Gannaga Lodge https://www.strava.com/activities/12410432909 

Day 2 Gannaga Lodge to Sutherland https://www.strava.com/activities/12410433867 

Day 3 Sutherland to Tankwa River Lodge via Ouberg Pass https://www.strava.com/activities/12417453403 

Day 4 part A Tankwa River Lodge to Da Doer Padstal https://www.strava.com/activities/12423277278

 

 

Excellent thanks! Was hoping there was a way from Gannaga Lodge direct to Ouberg Pass via that Northern Plateau skipping the R354....there appears to be a 4 x 4 track that starts after you climb out from Gannaga Lodge....about halfway to Middelpos..but it looks pretty hardcore....can be seen better on Komoot..runs along that plateau and meets the R354 S of Kompromise, turn right down the R354 for a few k's then left back onto a gravel road that eventually either loops around to Sutherland or goes to head of Ouberg Pass???

Anyone know of this route?

 

PS tried to create a route this way on Komoot but it rejects it...will only go via Middelpos then just past Kompromise then to top of Ouberg...so maybe its a no go!

 

Edited 16 hours ago by capediver

[capediver]

21 hours ago, cvdup said:

We did a 2 day ride this past weekend.

started at Bike X-Cape 10km from the Padstal. 
 

90km to Apollo de Karoo. The heat got really bad, but the cool pool and beer made up for it.

 

Day 2 was 125km back. Slashed my tyre in the park, ice cold Cole at da Doer and then slapped the last 50km back with a tail wind.

There’s plenty of options if you plan ahead. Be prepared with spares and water and you should be good

 

 

 

 

A big ride for 2 days!!!!! Which route did you take from Apollo back to Bike X?

[cvdup]

2 hours ago, capediver said:

A big ride for 2 days!!!!! Which route did you take from Apollo back to Bike X?

We headed back from Apollo to the main road which is about 11km.

From there we turned up towards Tankwa River Logde (direction Ouberg Pass) - Took a left to Ceres - through the Park to Da Doer Padstal, then onto the R355 back to padstal.

Total distance = 125km. 

[RossTopher]

32 minutes ago, cvdup said:

We headed back from Apollo to the main road which is about 11km.

From there we turned up towards Tankwa River Logde (direction Ouberg Pass) - Took a left to Ceres - through the Park to Da Doer Padstal, then onto the R355 back to padstal.

Total distance = 125km. 

if anyone is interested. there is another route that doenst come up on komoot, but it does on Google, if you choose the walking option. apollo to bike-x-cape was 1 of our days on a 2 week tour back in 2020, and it was a 78km day. still tough because of the heat and running out of water. same story but you turn left - farmers gates are unlocked and its a provincial road. checked with the apollo folks, and spoke to a farmer too. heads straight for the mountain and there is a fairly tough shale climb (we had to walk our bikes up) before descending into the tankwa proper.

i didnt have a gps then, so every turn was on a piece of paper and marked by distance (the google walking option gives you this)

[Lynskey]

8 hours ago, RossTopher said:

if anyone is interested. there is another route that doenst come up on komoot, but it does on Google, if you choose the walking option. apollo to bike-x-cape was 1 of our days on a 2 week tour back in 2020, and it was a 78km day. still tough because of the heat and running out of water. same story but you turn left - farmers gates are unlocked and its a provincial road. checked with the apollo folks, and spoke to a farmer too. heads straight for the mountain and there is a fairly tough shale climb (we had to walk our bikes up) before descending into the tankwa proper.

i didnt have a gps then, so every turn was on a piece of paper and marked by distance (the google walking option gives you this)

If permission was granted and at the time you did this, would it be possible to drive this route? Small 4X4. 

[RossTopher]

15 minutes ago, Lynskey said:

If permission was granted and at the time you did this, would it be possible to drive this route? Small 4X4. 

Definitely. I think we had 5 farm gates running between private land. It's just a short stretch of about 2km up the pass where it's loose slate/shale. A 4wd vehicle should have no issues. There was an abandoned tractor over the top but the descent down the other side isnt too hectic and runs through open land. Hannes and Paula from Appollo would be your best source.