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is this the right time? London- Cape Town is this the right time? London- Cape Town
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 24 Aug 2006
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Question is this the right time? London- Cape Town
Now i understand the best time to set off is the UK autumn. This way i would cross the Sahara in Oct/Nov and travel the tropics out of the wet season. HOWEVER due to other commitments i would like to leave London next Feb/Mar for the 5 month trip

Is this really such an issue? :confused1: it would put me in:
Sahara: Mar/Apr
Kenya: May/Jun
South Africa: Aug

I could steady my exited little arse and postpone my trip till Sept 07 but that just seems too far away!

Anyone done the trip in similar seasons? All advice greatly appreciated.

Paul
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  #2  
Old 25 Aug 2006
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you probably will be cold when leaving home,wet in central africa and cold again in southern Africa.
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  #3  
Old 25 Aug 2006
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Get rugged up over your swimmers :)
You'll probably need to be rugged up when you leave London. It's be pretty fresh and wet until you get doen into Spain. A few layers should sort you out though.
I can't speak for the rest of your African adventure (very envious!!), but South Africa in August is fabulous. Not balmy, but comfortably warm (albeit a bit windy). It may get a bit chills overnight, but then that will be the case for Northern Africa too.

You know what, unless we're talking flash flooding, and monsoons, (experienced African adventurers will be able to let you know), the most important thing is that you are ready. No point rushing it and forcing things.

Good luck!
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  #4  
Old 8 Sep 2006
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Leaving for Cape Town March April 07
I am currently planning the same trip for about the same time. Are you interested in company? I have plenty of riding experience in Europe and N. America and did Morocco last year with Nick Sanders. I am currently modifying a R100 GS for the trip.
Kudu has done this trip leaving in Mid March for several years without major weather issues, so it shouldn't be impossible. I was planning to take the ferry from Plymouth to Santander in an effort to minimize the cold weather aspects at this end.

Dave T
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  #5  
Old 11 Sep 2006
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what route do you propose across the Sahara? Santander thing sounds like a good idea.

I would like to do the Tunisia- Algeria- Niger. This way i go through the hoggar mountains and the heart of the dessert, however the requirement for a guide puts me off. Would i have to go in some kind of convoy?

Alternatively it would be Egypt- Sudan possibley via Syria and Jordan. On the down side here, expensive Carnet for Egypt and a bit of a trek to get round to Turkey in the cold (would be interesting though!)

I've yet to buy the wheels, but have got my eye on the R80 GS and F650.

you can mail me on hurcomb@f2s.com.
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  #6  
Old 11 Sep 2006
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route alternative
Howdy,

I drove Cape Town to UK in a Landie (boooooo I hear you say). We avoided Egypt by catching the ferry from Port Sudan, Sudan to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Quite a headache getting Saudi visas but everything should be possible to arrange from Jordan.

Hope that's of some help.

Having seen this excellent website I will be doing a huge mission on a bike in 2008. Next year I'm doing the Amazon in a canoe. Each to their own!

If there is anything you think I can help you with just shout pathfinder_05@yahoo.co.uk

See ya
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  #7  
Old 5 Oct 2006
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Yet another London Capetown plan..
Hi guys,

Also trying to get my shit together to do the UK to SA trip leaving Feb 07.

Question - does anyone know whether ferries will be running from Scilily to Malta & then Libya ? Has anyone done this route ?

I want to avoid the Bulgaria/Turkey thing that time of year if at all possible.

Any comments or advice greatly appreciated.

Dave.:confused1:
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  #8  
Old 6 Oct 2006
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Hi Dave,
Are thinking about Libya in to Niger or Egypt? South into Niger looks interesting though fairly hardcore though perhaps possible.

Chris Scott's book talks about 100s of km of sandy pistes with few wells and little fuel!

The FO web site for Libya says:
With the exception of the official land border crossings to Tunisia and Egypt, visitors and residents are not permitted to travel in the interior or to border areas without an officially sanctioned guide or specific permission from the Libyan authorities.

I take it the Turkey thing is based on the temperature?
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  #9  
Old 6 Oct 2006
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hurcomb
Sahara: Mar/Apr
Kenya: May/Jun
South Africa: Aug
The temperatures in the Sahara usually raise sharply at the end of March. In Feb/March, you can have a comfy 30c while in April, it's 40+, meaning that you may not even be able to carry all the water you need.

If you are coming into Kenya from the North, you might be blocked by the rainy season on the Moyale-Marsabit road. It's usually a quagmire in April/May. People say that sometimes when a truck gets stuck in the mud, they have to abandon it and wait until June to free it with hammer and chisel.

Pierre (& Merritt too)
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  #10  
Old 7 Oct 2006
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Cool Route Planning - London to Cape Town
Yep - I was thinking Italy/Malta/Libya/Egypt simply to avoid the freezing temperatures in eastern europe. I plan to leave Feb/March.

Another alternative maybe Marseille to Tunisia & then follow the north african coast.

I hear Libya is easier to get visas & travel through than it has been. Anyone know ?

My saharan experince to date is on some of the shorter pistes in Morocco/Mauritana so I think heading into the central sahara is a non starter for me.

Good to travel together where possible (partciularly southern Sudan, Ethopia, northern Kenya). Will keep an eye on the hub to see how other plans develop.

As always, appreciate all advice or recent info. Cheers - Dave.
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  #11  
Old 7 Oct 2006
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kenya
May in Kenya is the time of the long rains. And it really, really can pelt down for many hours at a time. Unless of course they're having a drought, which is entirely possible. June is the start of the winter, where Nairobi is pretty dismal and grey, but the rest of the country is quite nice. Sounds like a great trip and I certainly wouldn't let this info deter me!

Lorraine
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