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Hi all,
I'm very vaguely daydreaming about a plan for a London to Cape Town ride in 2022 with the lady and interested in the collective wisdom about when to leave.
I haven't quite worked out if the east or west coast is the best idea and I suppose it makes a considerable difference, but my current logic would be to leave the UK/Europe in late summer in order to catch the best of the weather...before hitting North Africa in a little bit of the cool of autumn. I would assume it would then be possible to hit Cape Town before winter hits.
Climatically is there any more logical way of doing this? Has anyone done it? How long did it take you and do you have any advice. People seem to cover anything from about 13000km to 25000km and anything from 4 months to a couple of years!
Thoughts?
I have nothing of practical experience to offer, but I did read this guy's book.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riaan_Manser
The book is called 'Around Africa on my Bicycle' and is him riding clockwise around the coast of Africa - so covers all of the 'coastal' route in one way or another. It is nearly 20 years old, so political situations will have changed, but I guess a lot of the practicalities would still hold true.
He set off with pretty much no idea what he was doing!
I'm watching Mark Beaumonts Cairo to Cape Town documentary on GCN. Admittedly it was a record attempt, and he had support and fixers en route.
The political and health situation certainly won't have improved since then, but as ever, regular ordinary people will no doubt be much kinder and helpful than you'd think.
Covid and security issues aside, as things stand you won't be going anywhere (or 2022) as the 2 routes south from north Africa are shut. The Morocco/Western Sahara-Mauritania border is shut. The Egypt-Sudan border is also shut I believe and there are no ferries between Europe and Egypt.
Try these websites for all the up to date information, experiences, equipment and routes.
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/
Corruption will be a major issue once things open up again, as without tourists lots of people have lost their incomes. They are desperate.
Have a read of this - https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/democratic-republic-of-congo-lubumbashi-to-kinshasa.50799/ - to get an idea of how corruption works. Josephine and Frederiks trip was back in 2003 or something but their experiences are relevant.
The vast majority of overlanders aren't travelling at the moment but there are a few out there still. I'm sure the overland routes will re-open (hopefully end of 2021/2022) and tourists will be welcomed back again.
I'm sure by 2022 things will be back to normal. I don't think the world will continue as it is, as it's just not practical in the very long term.
Joe - without a ferry, the eastern Med route would take you through eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Sinai. Your best bet would be to catch a ride on a container/commercial ship to Israel from Italy or Greece. Travel from Egyptian Nubia through Sudan is currently restricted and then you have conflict in Tigray region, with further conflict in South Sudan. Whilst I doubt you'd get caught up in actual conflict, the local population will be tired and looking for opportunity. Once again, I suggest you take a read of Fredriks trip, the constant corruption will break you.
Algeria and Libya is out of the question.
The western route is probably the route I'd take. The borders will reopen and there are people currently travelling safely in Western Sahara and Mauritania but from there, things get complicated. The Mauritaina/Senegal border is renown for corruption, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria both have considerable security issues.
If I was planning a 2022 trip I'd stick to the coast as much as possible but that adds many many kilometres to the journey, OK in a truck but cycling is another thing. Or I'd keep an eye on the security situation in Mali, and travel through Timbuktu and Niger. I'd avoid the DRC completely. The Mali route is my preferred route.
I was watching the Mark Beaumont trip the other day and just thought how much hassle all those African boarders are (and he had a fix it man). Combined with the risk of theft and worse, I wouldn't do it myself, let alone with my wife. But I would still like to do an epic trip.
How about changing continent and riding South America instead. Fewer boarders, safer still stunning views, food, culture. We were there a couple of years ago and explored Patagonia - fantastic place and civilised.
i've taken a car down to gambia (and crossing borders with a car is a lot more trouble than anything else) - you do need a little cash to grease palms/pay a fixer but I don't remember it ever being more than £30 or so (and was more frequently a packet of cigarettes) - this was a few years ago admittedly, but I guess my point is it's not trip-stoppingly-expensive even if you do have to get things moving the local way..
Love the idea. And it is always worth daydreaming. But overlanding does need planning and weighing up the risks. I've just finished reading a book about canoeing in DR Congo and I just don't think I could be doing with the safety / hassle factor, like @piha's link. I really fancy doing similar in a vehicle - has its pros and cons, easier to cover distances and far more convenient for self-sufficient travel (even just protection from the elements and carrying enough food and water for days between supply stops) but I am sure there is more hassle at borders and along-route having a vehicle that people know is worth a lot of money. So because I am a wuss / I like the pretence of safety, if we ever do it, we'll probably only overland the south and east and use shipping to / from Cape Town and Dar es Salaam or similar. (I also wouldn't personally cycle, not only because I am nowhere near fit enough, but because you can't enter most National Parks on one and for me the primary draw is wildlife and wilderness.)
"I’m sure by 2022 things will be back to normal" Most African nations haven't started vaccinations yet, and while they don't have as many deaths their healthcare systems are so limited they still get overwhelmed. Many countries are already 'open' for tourism and business although some nations have had or are still in different 'lockdowns', the biggest impact is the general global economic slowdown and change in trade/income/how the socio-economic system works. It is somewhat inevitable that in some locations some people will use the pandemic and economic situation in power struggles. As said above, in many locations many people are very very desperate, they already were before coronavirus, and the institutions and politics of many places (which are very complex and have deep historical roots) mean the impact is going to last for decades IMO.
I agree the vast majority of people you come across will humble you in how friendly and generous they might be, but equally you should be prepared for corruption and security issues, so as everyone has said above you need a good first plan of what route you'll take and then plenty of flexibility for Plans B, C etc as things change on the ground as you are travelling. Would you be willing to fly between a few places to make the logistics and security easier?
'Best' time to travel does depend on your route. Once the rain hits, in some geographies the soil becomes a slippery mess (e.g. black cotton soil) and travel becomes almost impossible in some regions outwith the made or tar roads - which in some regions due to years of neglect and/or construction works even the 'main' roads can be mud tracks. A Zimbabwe highway during construction works in rainy season! You would really need to decide the route and time you think you'll take and then look at the rainfall and heat in each region. If you are flexible with your timings then I guess you can make something work, since you probably can't hit dry seasons across the whole continent at the travel speeds you can maintain by bike. So I guess the main concern should be heat through the Sahara, so for the west route aim for Dec-Feb and the east route aim for Nov-Mar.
Good for detailed information, Tracks4Africa live map has blue and red for tar/bitumen and brown and greys for different grades of track (some gravel hardpack, some just tracks, sand or mud), and between that and Google Streetview you can actually work out what some routes might be like and how often there might be somewhere with supplies or accommodation.
Cheers for the replies and thoughts so far.
I've worked in the Middle East/N.Africa (Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya) for most of my adult life, so I get the route dilemmas and geopolitics. I'm not really worried about the bureaucracy or whether people will be nice to me or not. I'll sort out the route, whether that involves taking a boat from Cyprus to Israel or whatever I don't know, but it's not important to think about right now.
If you think African nations are going to close their borders for another year in 2022, i doubt it. Most of the world outside Europe and the Far East are just getting on with life at this point, I have a friend who just drove from Turkey to France without much hassle, having driven there from Spain last summer. Where there's a will, there's a way.
The question is more how to avoid freezing to death in Europe, before boiling to death in Africa and then reaching Cape Town in the rainy season or whatever is the worst combination of the above. I'm sure there is a seasonably sensible way to go, based on moving with the good weather,
@Trimix it's interesting you mention South America, because the SO suggested that idea. Having worked in the mid-east/N-Africa for years, i actually find the idea of South America far more scary than Africa.
I feel like the risk of violent crime in South America is so much more extreme. I don't know anyone who has done a long trip in South America and not been robbed, often more than once. I just really don't feel like I want to take that risk - i feel that there is a sense of inevitability with it and I would feel constantly on my guard.
It's my experience that if someone is going to come and get you in the Mid-East/North/East Africa, there is probably a reason why, and therefore that risk is much more manageable. I also tend to feel far safer in Muslim countries, but i suppose that might be my comfort zone! Violent muggings at least are very rare in these countries - political risks are a different kettle of fish. I'm less sure about sub-saharan Africa, but still suspect the risks of violent robbery are less than in South America.
@Piha - you are right, the situation in Mali is a great great shame. Wonderful and fascinating country.
Joe - You probably already know but iOverlander is a helpful resource when travelling and looking for places to stay - https://www.ioverlander.com
"I’ve worked in the Middle East/N.Africa ..." sounds like you are in a far better position in terms of your expectations and experiences than most then.
I wouldn't worry about weather towards Cape Town at all. Their winters you might get a storm come through and strong winds, but really hard-going winds are more likely in the desert areas through Namibia (if you choose that route) and further north. Even at its coldest it's like spring in the UK IME. As I said, I would be aware of rainy season in the West-East Africa tropical belt, where the rain can be so intense it is damaging, and really intense thunderstorms can happen as far as ~ Botswana (depending on route). Once in Namibia or South Africa roads are (very) good and in much of Kenya they are ok. If you go through the Sahara in Dec-Jan, how feasible is it to pass the West Africa tropical belt or Eastern route as far as Kenya/DR Congo/Angola borders by June? Then you have the full dry season to get to Cape Town without too many weather-related problems.
I guess with your experience you'll know a good way for your 'lady' travelling companion to dress appropriately (non-offensively) in the Saharan region on a cycle. I am sure there are options. For practicalities maybe you can get family/friends to post parcels to drop-offs en-route so you can change from hottest gear to robust waterproofs!
TDA run these routes as commercial cycling holidays, worth checking out to get an idea of a reasonable route that is feasible and their timings:
Cairo - Cape Town
I would have said don't you are gonna be out of your dept in trouble.
But this makes you think you might be the limited group that ca actually enjoy it
I’ve worked in the Middle East/N.Africa (Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya) for most of my adult life, so I get the route dilemmas and geopolitics. I’m not really worried about the bureaucracy or whether people will be nice to me or not.
An acquitances attempte the other way around might give you some pointers http://www.shanecycles.com/africa/
Not much to add, as I only cycled across south africa myself and the route was rather hard. Lived in Morocco, Mozambique and Angola(expensive rip off place) pity as I liked Namibia next to it(although quite empty)
Hi Joe, I rode *most* of the way to Cape Town in 2001.
Took 10 months and it was incredible. I started with someone, but unfortunately they became very sick in Morocco with amoebic dysentery and decided to quit (they're fine now).
The plan was to go Morocco, crossing the Sahara via the coast, then east at Senegal. Fly from CAR to Uganda. In the end, once I was solo I made the decision to fly directly to Uganda and I rode on from there. It was a hard choice, as I was looking forward to Mali (which was fully open then) and Senegal etc, but solo I thought it would have been too stressful.
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania (the hardest part physically), Malawi, Mozambique, Zim, SA. 13,000km
The most difficult element by far was the amount of distance between what I call 'services' ie, clean water, good cycling food, and a bed (I decided against camping, something I probably regret). We're so used, in Europe, to getting any of these things reasonably easily that it's something of a shock when you realise it's another day of ugali (pounded maze meal, also know as mele mele)! Travelling any other way, if you're not keen on the available food you just miss lunch/whatever. But if you need x thousand calories it's really hard to force down a lot of food that you're really not keen on...
The most acute period of that was definitely SW Tanzania, when I was doing 125 miles a day in very remote country. There was no option because there wasn't really anywhere else to stay. It was pretty rough. Hitting SA was fantastic - the ability to stop at a gas station and see a wall of Gatorade fridges, when you're used to lukewarm off-colour water!
Ask any queries!
Hey Joe
I found this thread when I did some searching for similar things as you - I also plan to do a London to Cape Town cycle in 2022! My thinking is to go through eastern Europe, through Turkey and then take a view on whether to get a ferry to avoid Syria (I haven't done research there yet). Then I plan to go down the Nile, and down the eastern side of Africa. It has something to do with my route to Cape Town - I want to go via Johannesburg (the city of my birth), and via some of the parks on the east side of South Africa.
I've seen a couple of previous cyclists doing the eastern routes through Africa which made sense to me. I always thought that the western route would be longer and difficult to avoid tough roads through jungle-like terrain. But, I've never visited these regions, it's just a hunch.
Like you, I'm wondering about the right month to set out. Whenever it is, I need to spend the time between now and then getting fit - Covid has made me lazy!
I'd be keen to share ideas, route plans and border crossing tips if you would be interested? I understand if not, but I'm open to it. Let me know if you're up for it. Either way, I wish you lots of luck and enjoyment on your planning and your actual journey.
Paul
Hey Joe
where you goin' with that gun of your hand?
where you goin’ with that gun of your hand?
Africa.
Africa
No Vampires apparently - they bless the rains...
I know nothing about your planned trip, but I have followed a few people on IG doing cycle trips in far flung places, you could randomly message people via IG for specific advice on certain areas.
there will be loads of others.
Netflix has Kapp to Cape (from memory episodes 3 & 4 deal with Africa). Reza live in The Big Smoke and gave huge input which enabled Mark Beaumont to achieve his circa 44 days record.