We borrow the Parys Le Cap name from the 1992 Paris Le Cap version of the Dakar rally from Paris to Cape Town, this trip starting in the Afrikaans Paris (Parys) on the Vaal River, the starting point being the Eiffel Tower too.
The route differs from our Joburg 2 Blouberg and Forgotten Highways 1,000 Miler routes in a few ways. Firstly, it starts in the more peaceful location of Parys, just outside of the busy Gauteng Province, which means less vehicle traffic (always a challenge in Gauteng). In addition, the route is quieter than the 2 routes mentioned above, going far further north into the Northern Cape than those, to places far more sparsely populated such as Van Wyksvlei and Brandvlei. Kimberley, the only major city that it passes through, is also a less busy and congested city than Bloemfontein to pass through (the other 2 above-mentioned routes passing through the latter), but nevertheless has everything in terms of services that Bloemfontein has, which can be useful.
On the other hand, perhaps, the Parys le Cap route is logistically more challenging, with resupply points being further apart in some places than on Joburg 2 Blouberg, while less people around means potentially less assistance should things go awry.
In any case, the routes all have their place, and their pros and cons, but we felt that trying a new 1,000 mile route to Cape Town something cool….and now its been done. There were no route “snags”, such as blockages, and the ride was awesome.
The gravel roads were generally good by South African standards, but not without the odd short rutted section.
Day 1: Parys to Bothaville (145.8km) - Moving Time: 7 hours 37 minutes
Just out of Parys, the 2 riders turned into mountains known as the Vredefort Dome, the edge of what is the largest known meteor impact crater in the world, and a very scenic part of the ride too.
A few hours in, they emerged from the mountainous area onto the flat lands of the maize farming regions around Viljoenskroon and Bothaville, Bothaville at 145.8km in providing ample accommodation for the night. We found that Booking.com worked a treat for accommodation in most of the towns on the route, and accommodation was quite plentiful in most.
Day 2: Bothaville to Christiana (191.7km) - Moving Time: 10 hours 35 minutes
After Bothaville, the route hugs the Vaal River Valley, crossing the river a few times en route to the 2nd night’s stop at Christiana for a 195km day.
Day 3: Christiana to Douglas (267km) - Moving Time: 14 hours 12 minutes
The 3rd day would be the longest distance day of the entire trip, and the temperatures were starting to crank up well-into the 30s, a 267km ride from Christiana through Boshoff, Kimberley, the tiny village of Plooysburg, and on to Douglas for the evening.
The distance to be covered left no time for any Kimberley sightseeing….Big Hole Museum etc….it was head down and pedal, with a quick stop for some delightful Scottish cuisine (McDonalds) on the way through. While McDonalds probably doesn’t sound too exciting to many, it is quite scarce on this route, only available in Kimberley and Malmesbury near the end. Even KFC was not found in all of the, much of the route too remote even for the Colonel.
At
Day 4: Douglas to Prieska (157.5km) - Moving Time: 10 hours 39 minutes
Day 4’s ride was the longest distance between 2 towns, from Douglas to Prieska, a distance of 159km. Again, no time for a detour to view the Orange-Vaal River confluence. The route was quite undulating, regularly going in and out of the Orange River Valley. While there are no shops in between the 2 towns, there are working farms in the Orange River Valley, and we did find a welcome water resupply at one such farm, with high temperatures driving up our water consumption.
Day 5: Prieska to Van Wyksvlei (125km) - Moving Time: 7 hours 27 minutes
While the Douglas - Prieska stretch was the longest between towns, the next few days thereafter would prove logistically the most challenging, with the route leaving the Orange River Valley and heading into a far drier and more sparsely populated stretch.
The start of Day 5 was delayed due to John losing a screw in his one cleat. While there were some potentially helpful suggestions on the chat group, it turned out that the only way forward was to wait for the hardware store in Prieska to open and to obtain a screw that fitted….with the help of a grinder to adjust the screw’s length. Fortunately, Prieska is fitted with a 24 hour KFC with a cappuccino machine installed, just perfect for the early morning wait.
This cleat issue delayed the start from a planned 3h00 one to 8h00, meaning that we'd face the full heat of the day for 126km to the small town of Van Wyksvlei.
The initial part of this stage was a nice tar road as far as some old copper mining operations at a place called Copperton. Near Copperton we found Nelspoortjie Guest Farm, about 40km out of Prieska, which was a useful water top up. The guest farm could be useful accommodation fo future rides. Big wind and solar farms were also on display in this area, a reflection of how SA’s energy sector is rapidly changing.
Van Wyksvlei was one town where we could find no accommodation on Google or on the booking apps. But a quick word with a passing local made us aware of a local business owner with the illustrious name of Kate Middleton no less, who did have a very comfy room for hire. She can be found at the GWK Retail store in the town much of the time. An early sleep was then undertaken, before setting off in the early hours of the next morning for Brandvlei.
Day 6: Van Wyksvlei to Brandvlei (145km) - Moving Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
We set out at 1h00 on Day 6 for Brandvlei, 146.5km on from Van Wyksvlei, with the aim of covering a large part of this section before the sun got up and the heat became severe. This stretch is the most remote of the route. We saw little evidence of working farms where farmhouses were anywhere close to the road, and no obvious place to get water should we need it (not even operating windmills with tanks/dams). The old farmhouses that were visible were all abandoned. The decision to leave so early and get a large part of the trip done before the heat of the day arrived was thus a good one, and by just before midday whene we arrived in Brandvlei, the temperature was well into the 30s.
Both of us carried extra water, John filling up a spare 3litre bladder to bring his water carrying to about 6.5litres. It proved sufficient, but may not have been if we had only started out later.
We also saw no vehicles until very near to Brandvlei. This stretch was extremely quiet.
It is a flat stretch, and when we switched off all out lights in the early hours of the morning, we could see no other light anywhere in any direction around us….not a farm, car, tower or any type of light whatsoever. And the stars were as bright as you will see anywhere as a result.
The remoteness of stretches such as this one makes it advisable to do this ride with a riding partner, I would say, because should one have a major technical issue here, the wait for some help from a bypassing vehicle may be a long one. And there is no obvious water resupply spot, nor is there any shade.
Brandvlei itself, though, was a bigger town than Van Wyksvlei, with a few accommodation options and even a nice restaurant known as the Windpomp Restaurant. From here onward the trip would begin to head towards more populated areas and towns with better services.
Day 7: Brandvlei to Nieuwoudtville (186km) - Moving Time: 11 hours 56 minutes
Day 7 was a lengthy 186km ride from Brandvlei to Nieuwoudtville via Loeriesfontein. For much of the ride to Loeriesfontein, it was barren and seemingly uninhabited, but near to Loeriesfontein the human activity started to become visible once more. An early start meant that Loeriesfontein was the breakfast spot. Thereafter, it was time to start the descent off the country’s Inland Plateau, and the start of a series of ups and downs over some quite spectacular mountain passes. Until this point, the entire route had been without any major pass, and had maintained a similar altitude to that at the start in Parys.
Shortly after Loeriesfontein came a big drop down Koopmanskloof se Hoogte, the first significant pass on the route. This was followed by a major climb up Doornrivier Pass to Nieuwoudtville, the rest spot for the 7th night.
Day 8: Nieuwoudtville to Clanwilliam (133km) - Moving Time: 9 hours 54 minutes
The 8th day would be tougher in terms of climbing. After an awesome descent down Botterkloof Pass, off the plateau which houses Nieuwoudtville, it was time for a 2-pass climbing session, up Klipfonteinrant Pass followed by the major Pakhuis Pass. Pakhuis Pass is the biggest climb on the whole route. It is a major pass in South Africa too, with its 824 metres of vertical ascent making it the pass with the 11th most metres of vertical ascent in the country.
After this major bit of climbing, the drop down into Clanwilliam was fast and quick, the pass being tar too.
The pretty town of Clanwilliam was the stopover for night number 8 on this trip. It is touristy, and full of good quality accommodation.
Day 9: Clanwilliam to Moorreesburg (165km) - Moving Time: 12 hours 42 minutes
Day 9 started early in the morning with an immediate long climb up Kransvleikloof Pass, followed shortly by Witelskloof Pass. The entire day was an “ undulating” one all the way to Moorreesburg, with quite severe heat, and one further pass as we went through the Banghoek Private Nature Reserve. We no longer had to concern ourselves with water supplies too much though, as there was far more human habitation and farming activity on this stretch, along with the odd fresh water stream and trading store. Carina at the Paleisheuwel Trading Store was our first lifesaver, with cold cokes and microwave pies being the order of the day as the temperatures climbed. Later in the day, the air conditioned shop at the tiny Moravia settlement would be the next one. We skipped Koringberg town late in the afternoon, being a km or so of the route, but that is a further stop option.
Moorreesburg seemed like a big city after the towns we had been passing through on this ride, and the Samoa Hotel would be the final overnight sleep and dinner.
Day 10: Moorreesburg to Blouberg (103.7km) - Moving Time: 6 hours 9 minutes
The final morning would be an easy and fast run in to Eden on the Bay in Blouberg. Overcast weather cooled things down, and after the initial gravel ride from Moorreesburg to Malmesbury, it was mostly quiet tar road to the finish….after a healthy Scottish breakfast at McDonalds in Malmesbury.
We arrived at Blouberg shortly after midday, about 9 days, 1 hour and 40 mins after leaving Parys on 3 October.
Some comments on the route:
This one should probably best be done in cooler parts of the year. Compared with the Joburg 2 Blouberg and Forgotten Highways 1,000 Miler routes to Cape Town, this one will probably be a few degrees hotter in summer, and resupply options are far less abundant, especially on the stretch from Prieska to Loeriesfontein. It is probably also preferably done with a riding partner (as opposed to solo), because some parts of it see extremely little in the way of functioning farm homesteads of passing traffic. Should one have a technical issue on the road between Van Wyksvlei and Brandvlei, for instance, the wait for some assistance could be very long, there is no shade, and if it is hot the water supply could run out quickly. On the upside, as far as safety issues regarding motor vehicles goes, it probably doesn't get much better than this. Apart from small sections on tar, this largely gravel route is extremely quiet from a vehicle traffic point of view. Finally, it is important to have significant water carrying capability for the long remote stretches outlined above.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
Click on link below for introductory video:https://youtu.be/6xqm7uy38rc?si=rFp4yFb7a71hbmJx
Besides the attraction of riding from near to Gauteng (or near to Gauteng, at least) to Blouberg Beach, Cape Town, the idea is to have a 1,000 Miler Route going via the Diamond Rush city of Kimberley instead of the Joburg 2 Blouberg’s Bloemfontein route. Call the Parys 2 Kimberley section the “Diamond Dash” if you wish….which alone can offer a great nonstop weekend ride before returning to Gauteng by hired car or plane (We’re past recommending trains anymore).
Key features along the route also include a ride through the Vredefort Dome area shortly after leaving Parys, the biggest known meteor impact crater in the world; ....
....the option of a small detour to see Kimberley’s Big Hole, claimed to be the world’s deepest hand dug hole, and perhaps even a night at Kimberley’s historic Kimberley Club, once frequented by Cecil John Rhodes and other illustrious magnates;...
.... not far past Kimberley the confluence of SA’s 2 largest rivers, the Orange and Vaal;
....and further on a ride into Cape Town via the beautiful Swartland region, home to Moorreesburg, Malmesbury and other pretty Boland towns.
Going further north into the Northern Cape than the Joburg 2 Blouberg, the route will likely be drier and hotter than the Joburg 2 Blouberg route to the south, and possibly a tad colder in winter.
The route is 1,619.7 km in distance with 10,058m of vertical ascent and 11,437m of vertical descent
For the route map and GPX file download, click on the link below:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45346856
ROUTE DISTANCES BETWEEN TOWNS
Parys to Viljoenskroon - 100.2km (100.2km from the start) W/F/A
Viljoenskroon to Bothaville - 45.6km (145.8km from the start) W/F/A
Bothaville to Bloemhof - 133.6km (279.4km from the start) W/F/A
Bloemhof to Christiana - 58.1km (337.5 km from the start) W/F/A
Christiana to Boshoff - 75.2km (412.7km from the start) W/F/A
Boshoff to Kimberley - 59.8km (472.5km from the start) W/F/A/BM
Kimberley to Plooysburg - 79.5km (552km from the start) W
Plooysburg to Douglas - 52.3km (604.5km from the start) W/F/A
Douglas to Prieska - 157.5km (762km from the start) W/F/A
Prieska to Van Wyks Vlei - 125km (887km from the start) W/F/A
Van Wyks Vlei to Brandvlei - 145km (1,032km from the start) W/F/A
Brandvlei to Loeriesfontein - 122km (1,154 km from the start) W/F/A
loeriesfontein to Nieuwoudtsville - 64km (1,218 km from the start) W/F/A
Nieuwoudtsville to Clanwilliam - 133km (1,351 km from the start) W/F/A
Clanwilliam to Moravia - 128km (1,479km from the start) W/F
Moravia to Koringberg 10 km (1,489km from the start) W/F/A
Koringberg to Moorreesburg - 27 km (1,516 km from the start) W/F/A/BM
Moorreesburg to Malmesbury - 46 km (1,562 km from the start) W/F/A/BM
Malmesbury to Kalbaskraal - 15km (1,577km from the start) W/F
Kalbaskraal to Blouberg - 42.7km (1,619.7 km the start)
*W - Water
*F - Food
*A - Accommodation
*BM - Bike Maintenance
*The original 1st ridden route described in this post was 1,619.7km as referenced in the text above and original videos/posts. After this ride the distance has changed slightly to 1,621.9km due to minor route changes between Paleisheuwel and Mooreesburg. The new route on this section includes more town resupply options and is as follows
Clanwilliam to Paleisheuwel Trading Store - 53km (1,404km from start) W/F
Paleisheuwel to Eendekuil 36 km (1,440km from the start) W/F/A
Eendekuil to Piketberg 38km (1,478km from the start) W/F/A
Piketberg to Moorreesburg - 40 km (1,518 km from the start) W/F/A/BM
Moorreesburg to Malmesbury - 46 km (1,564 km from the start) W/F/A/BM
Malmesbury to Kalbaskraal - 15km (1,579km from the start) W/F
Kalbaskraal to Blouberg - 42.7km (1,621.9 km the start)
