2008 Tour de Kruger - Tuli to Pafuri Route
The ‘Tour de Kruger -Tuli to Pafuri’ cycle tour is a five day/5 night mountain bike ride travelling through the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Mapungubwe and through the Makuleke / Pafuri region of northern Kruger National Park. This route is an exclusive for this tour and will be the only time that cyclists will be able to ride this route.
The 2008 cycle tour will start in the The Northern Tuli Game Reserve and end in the Pafuri region of Kruger National Park, approximately 350km later.
We will ride through the beautiful Northern Tuli Game Reserve on ancient elephant paths which now serve as single track. The terrain varies from undulating savanna to rocky outcrops, and wooded floodplains with a few technical stages and some good wildlife habitat. We cross the Shashe/Limpopo River floodplain into the Mapungubwe National Park, a World Heritage Site of enormous cultural significance to the indigenous people of Southern Africa. We will cycle through this beautiful National Park predominantly on graded roads. We follow the Limpopo all the way to Sigonde and take the back roads through some local villages to Pafuri. The last day will be spent cycling through the Pafuri concession.
We get the cyclists up early each morning, have breakfast and will be on the road at around sunrise so that the cycling can be enjoyed during the cool of the early mornings. All riders should reach the overnight camp from lunch time to late afternoon.
We will be dividing the cyclists into smaller groups of around 20 cyclists of similar riding abilities. We will have back up support vehicles to assist the cyclists throughout the tour, however as much of the cycling will be done on single track, the vehicles will not necessarily be able to follow the cyclists at all times, but will meet up with them at pre-determined spots. These vehicles will be stocked with spares, water,drinks and food (and for the collection of all the trash that cyclists accumulate during the day). It is
important that the groups ride closely together in areas of high wildlife concentrations. In areas where we travel through remote villages etc we will be less strict on staying in bunches so long as the cyclists are riding with another cyclist. It is important that no rider should be left on his/her own.
There will be a sweeper vehicle to pick up anyone who can't make it on a particular day or who needs help to get through a stage. There will also be a bicycle mechanic and spares to help with repairs. A medical team will also be on standby to assist with any medical emergencies or injuries.
This cycle tour is strenuous. Although there is plenty of back up and support (for weary cyclists) anyone that considers entering, should take consideration of the following recommendations to ensure a more enjoyable cycle tour:
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Must be in good, physical condition. This doesn't just mean just generally fit, you also need to have spent some time on a mountain bike!
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As far as a training schedule goes, we would suggest a couple of weeks of cycling, building up to at least 6-8hrs of riding a week over 6-8weeks.
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A resting heart rate of around 60bpms at least.
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A good quality mountain bike is recommended. If your bike is custom built with specific specs, please ensure that you have necessary consumables and parts, as we cannot guarantee having all parts available along this very remote route.
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It will also help to ensure that your bike size and set up are correct.
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The ability to do a continuous ride of a minimum of 3-4hrs
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Doing an off-road cycle ride at least once a week, so that you can master technical skills
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Experiment with energy drinks to ensure that you find one that you know works for you and that you can use on the tour.
Over and above the above mentioned the following are compulsory :
Any potential cyclists need to have the initiative to raise at least the minimum fundraising donation, a great sense of adventure and a good sense of humour.
THE ROUTE OVERVIEW
TUESDAY 05TH AUGUST 2008:
The cycle tour will officially commence at 4pm on Tuesday 05th August .
Cyclists have two choices of joining the Tour :
(a)Coach transfers to/from Johannesburg
(b) Self Drive to Pont Drift (SA, Botswana border post)
Coach Transfers to/from Johannesburg
The riders who are joining the cycle tour in Johannesburg will board the coaches at 06h00 from Wilderness Safaris' offices at 373 Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia. Arrival time in Tuli will be in the early afternoon. A tea stop will be arranged enroute for cyclist’s own account. Please remember that to get to the Tuli you have to enter Botswana through the Pont Drift Border Post and therefore will require a valid passport.
The return coach transfer will leave Pafuri at 09:00 am to arrive back in Johannesburg at approximately 5:00 pm. If you are booking connecting flights to/from Johannesburg please do not book any flights earlier than 7pm for domestic departure or after 8pm for international departures. Please note that your bicycles will travel by a separate vehicle and therefore may not arrive at the same time as you. If you are connecting onto a domestic or international flight please be sure to advise us so that we can make sure that your bicycle gets loaded onto the coach.
There will be no parking facilities available at the Wilderness Safaris offices. You will need to arrange for transfers to and from our offices
Please note that this option is subjecto to availability at time of reservation
Self Drive to Pont Drift
Cyclists doing a self drive will need to arrive at Pont Drift BEFORE 4pm as the Border closes at this time. We do recommend that you plan to arrive at the latest by 3pm in case of any eventualities along the route. We can not assist with any cyclists who do not make the border post in time. The distance is approximately 500km or 5 hours travelling time, The route is on the N1 to Polokwane. From here you follow the R521 past Dedron to Alldays. Turn right and continue on the R521 to Pont Drift Border post. Cross the border into Botswana where we will meet you.
From Pont Drift we will transfer you approximately 10 minutes to the starting point of the cycle tour. Our transfer times will be scheduled every hour from 12 pm - 4 pm on the hour. Please plan your travelling time accordingly.
At the end of the cycle tour we will arrange for a transfer back to your vehicle i.e. Pafuri Camp back to Pont Drift . We will leave Pafuri at 9 am to be back at Tuli at around 12 noon.
Please note that your car will be parked in a open parking area and will not be guarded. Whilst we will do everything possible to ensure its safety, you take this option at your own risk . Once again this transfer option is subject to availability at time of reservation.
There is also an airstrip at both Mashatu and Pafuri, so charter options are available for cyclists wanting to pursue this option. Prices available on request
6:30 pm - Cycle Tour Orientation and dinner
Overnight in a tented camp on the Limpopo Valley Airfield
