The next step up from the (1,000) “Miler” distance is the “Double (2,000) Miler”,,,,,a ride not far in excess of 2,000 Miles, or 3,200km.
And so the 1st of this distance in the Miler Club’s route repertoire is the Notties-Parys-Le Cap Namib Detour, a stunning route from Nottingham Road in KZN, to Parys in the Free State, just south of Johannesburg, and then to Blouberg, Cape Town via the Northern Cape, Southern Namibia and the West Coast of South Africa
Click on the link below to the route and downloadable GPX file on RidewithGPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49075123?privacy_code=MRJ66i79BXpDeGfGDtEURR3AKspYNn4q
The route starts at KZN's well-known Notties Pub in Nottingham Road, not far from Pietermaritzburg and Hilton. From there, it winds its way up to the Great Escarpment, exiting KZN into the Free State Province via Oliviershoek Pass in the Northern Drakensberg.
The Free State section to Parys includes Bethlehem, arguably the "capital" of the Eastern Free State, Petrus Steyn, and then the town Heilbron, which served as the capital of the Free State Republic for a few weeks near the end of the Anglo-Boer War.
From Parys, the route heads for Kimberley along the Diamond Dash Route, initially via the mountainous area known as the Vredefort Dome, the remains of the outer edge of what is the world's largest known meteor impact crater. On exiting the crater area, the route stays in close proximity to the Vaal River form much of the way to Kimberley, going through the Maize Triangle via its main town of Bothaville. En route to Kimberley we also take a cruise past Bloemhof Dam, South Africa’s 7th largest dam
Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape Province, as well as the Griqualand West’s main city, is famous for the diamond rush that gave rise to what is believed to be the biggest and deepest hand dug hole in the world, known as the “Big Hole”. It was also the 1st town in the Southern hemisphere to get street lights. Once upon a time it had a stock exchange too.
The route criss-crosses the majestic Vaal River, SA’s 2nd longest river, and later on the Orange River, SA’s longest river.
It will cross the Orange River, SA’s longest river, a few times before the trip is done, including cruising close past the famous Augrabies Falls, downstream from Upington.
From there is northward via Kenhardt, to Kakamas on the Orange River, not far from Upington, should one wish to terminate here and take a flight home. Upington is the other main town of the Northern Cape Province. The Upington-Kakamas region is known for major table grape farming operations, some wine making, and more recently the emergence of a significant solar farm industry….yes, the sun rarely goes beyond the clouds in those parts.
A bit of trivia about Upington is that its airport has a 4.9km runway long runway, one of the longest in the world. It was built in the Apartheid boycott and sanctions years to facilitate the refuelling of large Boeing 747 aircraft traveling from Johannesburg to Europe at a time when SAA aircraft were not allowed to fly directly over Africa, thus lengthening their travel distance to Europe around West Africa. The aircraft could not take off with full tanks from Joburg due to its altitude, so the plan was to fly to lower altitude Upington and then refuel for a non-stop flight to Europe thereafter. Its intense heat also contributed to the long runway plan.
We had initially considered jumping onto the N14 from Kakamas to Pofadder, not far past Upington, but after hearing that foreign vehicle manufacturers are authorized to test vehicles on that stretch of road…..with a speed limit of 250km/hour for them…..we thought perhaps another route would do just fine.
But back to the route.
After passing close to Augrabies Falls, close enough to possibly go and have a look, the route crosses the Orange into Namibia at Onseepkans, then following a gravel road to Karasburg and Grunau, and then on to the Fish River Canyon via Hobas.
Source: RudiBosbouer File:Fish River Canyon from Main View Point.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Then we head south-westwards back to the Orange Rive near Aussenkehr, and on to Oranjemund, the mouth of South Africa's major river, the Orange River.
Thereafter it is southwards back into South Africa at Alexander Bay, for a trip down the West Coast to Port Nolloth and Kleinsee.
From Kleinsee it is back inland up to Springbok, the main town of the Namaqualand region. Here, there is everything that opens and shuts, including cycle shops.
From here the home stretch southward starts. The route goes through the Namaqualand and Bushmanland towns of Kamieskroon and Garies, then inland to Kliprand, on to Nieuwoudtsville, and then over the big Pakhuis Pass to Clanwilliam.
From Clanwilliam it is into the green and well-inhabited Swartland farming region, with Paleisheuwel Trading Store our favorite Coke and Pie stop.
Then, onwards through the country towns of Eendekuil, Piketberg, Mooreesburg and Malmesbury before a flattish run-in along most tar roads to the finish at Eden on the Bay, Blouberg.
If you take to riding this route, be sure to take your photo on the Table Mountain picture frame, a stunning backdrop on a clear sunny day.
The route promises to be extremely dry through much of the Northern Cape and Namibia. It also promises to have extreme heat in summer, and extreme cold (at least for us soft South Africans) in winter.This one promises to be special and spectacular in a very different way to, say, the Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler route, the latter being greener and wetter and far hillier, while this one is about dry, harsh and spectacularly rugged terrain....including a taste of the world's oldest desert. Carrying sufficient water over some lengthy distances between certain resupply points will be crucial here.
Location Distance from Start Distance from last Amenities (Water/Food/Accommodation/Bike Maint.)
Nottingham Road 0km
Bergville 131km 131km W/F/A
Border Post 173km 42km W/F/A
Bethlehem 294km 121km W/F/A/BM
Petrus Steyn 375km 81km WF/A
Heilbron 429km 54km W/F/A
Parys 504km 65km W/F/A
Viljoenskroon 604km 100km W/F/A
Bothaville 648km 44km W/F/A
Bloemhof 782km 134km W/F/A
Christiana 840km 58km W/F/A
Boshoff 915km 75km W/F/A
Kimberley 974km 59km W/F/A/BM
Plooysburg 1,054km 80km W/F
Douglas 1,107km 53km W/F/A
Griekwastad 1,173km 66km W/F/A
Niekerkshoop 1,246km 73km W/F
Marydale 1,338km 92km W/F
Putsonderwater 1,372km 34km Nothing
Kenhardt 1,455km 73km W/F/A
Kakamas 1,537km 92km W/F/A
Augrabies 1,570km 33km W/F/A
Onseepkans 1,679km 132km W/F/A
(Border Times 08h00 - 16h30)
Karasburg 1,806km 104km W/F/A
Grunau 1,857km 51km W/F/A
Canyon Roadhouse 1,928km 71km W/F/A
Hobas 1,941km 13km W/F/A
Canyon Lodge 1,948km 7km W/F/A
Ai Ais turn-off 1,996km 48km W/F/A (off route)
Aussenkehr 2,051km 55km W/F/A
Sendelingsdrif turn-off/Namwater 2,130km 79km W
Oranjemund 2,224km 94km W/F/A
(Border Times 06h00-22h00)
Alexander Bay 2,230km 6km W/F/A
Port Nolloth 2,313km 83km W/F/A
Kleinsee turn-off 2,369km 56 km W/F/A
Springbok 2,468km 99km W/F/A/BM
Kamieskroon 2,539km 71km W/F/A
Garies 2,618km 77km W/F/A
Kliprand 2,712km 96km W/F
Loeriesfontein turn-off 2,795km 83km W/F/A
Nieuwoudtville 2,850km 55km W/F/A
Brandewyn River 2,951km 101km W/F/A
Clanwilliam 2,982km 31km W/F/A/BM
Paleisheuwel Trading Store 3,037km 55km W/F
Eendekuil 3,072km 35km W/F/A
Piketberg 3,110km 38km W/F/A
Mooreesburg 3,150km 40km W/F/A/BM
Malmesbury 3,196km 46km W/F/A/BM
Kalbaskraal 3,112km 16km W/F
Melkbos 3,245km 33km W/F/A
Blouberg 3,253.7km 8.7km W/F/A
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