At the end of Marienfluss there is a nice little community campsite. I went walking from there for a few hours during the 'cool' season in the morning wearing a huge hat etc.

I had heat stroke when I returned 3 hours later and I'd been in Africa for almost two years in high 30's temps for most of that time. It's really hot and reflective from the ground.

Will ask...

Another thought: If you would enter the Kaokoveld riding from Sesfontein west-northwest you'd approach the Marienfluss valley from the south. Then you'd travel up the Van Zyl's pass in an easterly direction and end up in Opuwe. From there northwards are the Epupa Falls, frm where a piste goes along the Kunene eastwards via Swartbois Drift to Ruacana.

But that would mean that you travel directly through the Elephant country...

__________________
Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

Replies so far:

1. No way from northern Marienfluss to Epupa along the Kunene on the SA side, unless you want to swim upstream with the crocodiles. Researched it a few years ago.

2. I think they should plan to do it clockwise.
Even Ruacana to Epupa to vZyls, to rooidrom to Marienfluss to groendrom to Hartmannberge (Serra Cafema) etc.
To make things interesting on cycles, they could carry a BIG rock to put at the base of vZyls (Marienfluss side), in rememberance of Jan Joubert.

Hey.

I am in Springbok, about to cross into Namibia and make my way north to Windhoek. Off the main tarred road, of course.
I don't have my Angolan visa, I am hoping to get it in Windhoek. I have a few leads for the necessary letter of invitation but as of today I have yet to hear from my contacts in Angola. Fingers crossed !
Cheers,

Levelo.

3.
Agree on the clockwise route.

I did it on my mountain bike in June/July 2013.

Day 1: Ruacana Filling station to Kunene River lodge (72km, 596m vertical climb)
Day 2: Kunene River lodge, along the river to a bush camp half way to Epupa (64km, 451m vertical climb)
Day 3: Bush camp to Epupa (37km, 176m vertical climb)
Day 4: Epupa to start of Van Zyls pass (community camp) (158km, 1210m vertical climb)
Day 5: Down van Zyl’s pass (13km, 87m vertical climb)
Total: 344 km, 2520 m vertical climb.

Over most of the terrain I could keep up with the vehicles or even go quicker (down Van Zyl's), except for the 80 odd kilometers on the gravel road from Epupa down to Okongwati – took a 5am early start.
I didn’t cycle up the Marienfluss – a bit sandy in places and didn’t fit into our planning. If I ever do it again, I would skip the Marienfluss and turn south and follow the road to Rooidrom, Puros, Sesfontein, Palmwag and finish in Khorixas.
Although it was winter, the daytime temperatures were in the middle 30's and I consumed liters of water and stopped at the Himba kraals to refill - they were always very helpful, although they could not understand why I would do this on a bicycle!

I have the GPS data, cycling times, vertical climbs, etc if interested…

Regards, Corné

(PM me if you'd like his email address to discuss etc - he even has a cool graph of elevation and km's etc)

To me that is counter clock wise. Well, in Afrika the clocks run differently anyway.

__________________
Seen whilst travelling - Fernwehstammtisch Karlsruhe - Relief action Togo Togoville e.V.

Southern hemisphere mate

Another update received:

I have been following this thread and thought that maybe a hike I did along the Cunene from Epupa Falls to the Marinanfluss may be of interest (see link).

https://picasaweb.google.com/1121220...CL22y9Sp5LjgHA

Thanks a lot! Those pictures helped! The eastern half seems doable - but the western seems too complicated. I can push my bike - but carry it..? Naa...

I might mail that guy though. Cheers man!

Btw - do you know where I can get hands on the maps they used? There were pics on them in the photo album (now the album is gone...)