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MTB trails @ Ponta Do Ouro, Mozambique??


Squier

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We're going down to Ponta Do Ouro at the end of September and I was wondering if anyone has done any MTB'ing around there. Are there any good trails to speak off?

 

I haven't been there in 6 or 7 years and from what I can remember I am sure we will be able to do some riding in and around "town" and that it is quite sandy pretty much everywhere...

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pretty sandy all over! offroad motor bikes are good fun there, also be sure to spend most of your time underwater, life 18m below is plentiful! just my 2c worth :)

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All sandy as far as I'm aware....

 

I also remember it being very sandy but I'm sure you can do some riding?

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pretty sandy all over! offroad motor bikes are good fun there, also be sure to spend most of your time underwater, life 18m below is plentiful! just my 2c worth :)

Could no agree more

 

Why on earth would you slep a bike along when you can take fins,w/suit,etc,etc,etc.

 

While you are sweating your arse off in the sand everyone else has got their head stuck in a fish tank

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Ja there is no way I would subject my bike to the potential road side resale market. Inspector Yang used to spot high end bikes for sale there on a regular basis.

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Last year went north just past Xia-Xia. Fishing buddies told me wasting my time taking my MTB, only thick sea sand all over.Took it anyway. Main road is 10 km inland from Resort. Across the road saw Homestead's, were the locals live. Found amazing cow paths and hills. Don't despair take your MTB, Ask locals were is home, wake up early, ride and enjoy.

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Last year went north just past Xia-Xia. Fishing buddies told me wasting my time taking my MTB, only thick sea sand all over.Took it anyway. Main road is 10 km inland from Resort. Across the road saw Homestead's, were the locals live. Found amazing cow paths and hills. Don't despair take your MTB, Ask locals were is home, wake up early, ride and enjoy.

 

We usually go further north to Inhambane but due to time constraints decided to go to Ponta this year. Inhambane is mostly thick sand and one helluva a drive so we never took the bikes.

 

Somehow I remember Ponta a bit differently, even though it is very sandy, I remember a somewhat firmer surface throughout... however, I don't want to drag the bikes along for nothing and it doesn't as if anyone has done any riding there?

 

As for diving, that requires going on a boat... which I don't do... anymore... ever puked on a whale shark <_<

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We usually go further north to Inhambane but due to time constraints decided to go to Ponta this year. Inhambane is mostly thick sand and one helluva a drive so we never took the bikes.

 

Somehow I remember Ponta a bit differently, even though it is very sandy, I remember a somewhat firmer surface throughout... however, I don't want to drag the bikes along for nothing and it doesn't as if anyone has done any riding there?

 

As for diving, that requires going on a boat... which I don't do... anymore... ever puked on a whale shark <_<

Hey Squier Where U stay at Inhambane? Yea its a bit of a drive up but well worth it :)

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Hey Squier Where U stay at Inhambane? Yea its a bit of a drive up but well worth it :)

 

Absolutely! Would've loved to go again this year...

 

We usually stay at a place called Zahawake Lodge, close to Barra Lodge.

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I took my bike there but wasn't worth it, you can ride 1-2km up and down the roads in town but try go anywhere beyond and it is just thick sand. As you know all the roads in and out of town are sand so you don't have much choice.

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I took my bike there but wasn't worth it, you can ride 1-2km up and down the roads in town but try go anywhere beyond and it is just thick sand. As you know all the roads in and out of town are sand so you don't have much choice.

 

Thanks Ian, that was my main concern.

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Don't even bother taking your bike to ride around Ponto itself, HOWEVER...

 

If you are going over a spring low tide, you can ride from Ponto along the beach all the way to Santa Maria. We actually did it in reverse, my son dropped us off at the top, and we rode back to Ponto, nearly 100 km. Took under 6 hours, including stops. Some soft sand here and there, but you can crack >20 km/h average in most places.

 

Check the weather beforehand on WindGuru and make sure you aren't riding into a headwind... Make sure you time the low tide very carefully; remember spring high comes with spring low! Make sure you are totally self-sufficient; this is really remote and you need to be confident of sorting yourself out if there's trouble. Cell phone comms in some places, take a GPS if the wilderness scares you.

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  • 8 years later...

Wanting to revive this topic.  Hows the riding these day in Mozam?  I want to ride from Kosi to Maputo over the new tarred road.  Last time we went to Moz in 2007 we were harassed by the "cops".  Can we expect the same if we do a tour on bikes?

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its a tar road to ponta now,so you could head out of town on the tar and then turn up towards Maputo and do quite a bit of tar work,base training

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