kaokaland - advice needed

[keith]

Hi All

 

Advice needed!

I am travelling into Kaokaland next month. How long will it take to travel from Puros to Camp Syncro on the Cunene. I will be travelling from Puro to Orupembe via Rooidrum through the Marienfluss to Camp Syncro.

 

1. Is this a one or two day trip.

2. Is there any campsites between Puros and Camp Syncro?

3. Any advice on the campsites at Palmwag, and Puros.

4. Is there Diesel available at Puros and is the supply unreliable?

5. What is the condition of the road. I have heard it badly corrugated - similar the the roads in the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park.

 

Thanks

 

Keith

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[John Wells]

Hi Keith,

. Is this a one or two day trip.  Can do in one day.  But why?

2. Is there any campsites between Puros and Camp Syncro? Don't need - bush camp if necessary

3. Any advice on the campsites at Palmwag, and Puros. Both good.

4. Is there Diesel available at Puros and is the supply unreliable? In drums, unreliable. Palmwag last reliable.

5. What is the condition of the road. I have heard it badly corrugated - similar the the roads in the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park.  Not a highway, but that's why you are going there,

Regards

 

John Wells
                
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

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[Hennie Rautenbach]

Hi Keith

Not sure if you are aware that Camp Syncro no longer exist. It was destroyed in a fire and Koos Verwey did not rebuild it. I am not sure about the community campsite. 

Yes - there is a campsite midway between Purros and Syncro - Marble Camp - clearly indicated on T4A. However, there are buscamp options a plenty along the route. This is in my opinion definitely not a one day trip.

No diesel whatsoever along that stretch.

The campsites at both Palmwag and Purros are magnificent. 

The tracks in the Marienflus are horribly corrugated and you are advised to deflate your tires somewhat.

Regards

Hennie

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[mar...@iafrica.com]

Hi Keith,

having not done Puros/Syncro, I am hardly qualified to speak but if my experience of the Palmwag/Puros leg (+/- 4hrs) is anything to go by, I suspect that to do this in a single 'hit' would be a proverbial ball breaker.

Puros is a community campsite with the ellies fairly regular visitors. On this score and assuming he is still around, try get Edison (well that's who he says he is!) as a guide for an afternoon walk

Eish! Your mention of corrugations vis-à-vis Kgalagadi, still busy replacing missing number plate and various tupperware oddments following return from there on the weekend - roads were cr*p!

Mike R

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From:re...@mweb.co.za
Sent:2013/04/23 08:40:11 PM
To:re...@mweb.co.za
Cc:
Subject:RE: [Overland] kaokaland - advice needed

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[Deon Lourens]

Hi Keith,

You're heading for a trip to remember! One of the places that crawls under your skin and adict you to go back! If not yet, buy yourself the latest T4A maps for your GPS, or at least the paper version. I will guide you from these maps. I do asume you are more than one car, as it is not adviseable to do this trip alone.

On your questions:

1. Yes you can do it in one day.....but. Why do it one day? It will take you the whole day to cover and end up being a very unpleasant trip. Make it a two day trip and sleep/camp between.

2. From Puros to Orupembe, there is two routes you can take. One is via road - the D3707, but extreme corrugations! You might be lucky to have the gradder there, but don't rely on that. Then there is the river route from Puros to Orupembe. Highly recomended. This route takes you in the dry Huarosib river bed from Puros, then overland to the dry Khumib river and up to Orupembe. Both these rivers are dry this time of year, but if rain had fallen recently, it might be wet, but no problem if you are causios. From Orupembe, again there is two routes to Rooidrom. One is to the west and then up north, and the other to the east and then up north. I would suggest the latter. On this one there is more to see, and a nice campsite halfway to Rooidrom. On this road you can also bushcamp. So make your halway stop to Camp Syncro here.

3. Palmwag and Puros both excelent places to camp. Best to book for Palmwag in advance. Nice restaurant etc. When in Puros, stay over for two nights. On your spare day, drive the Hoarosib canyon to the west. Unforgetable.

4. There is no diesel at Puros. Last at Palmwag. So fill up here and have enough fuel for at least another 800 to 900 kilometers before you next fuel station. There is a very unreliable source at Orupembe, but use for extreme emergency only, as they sell it in 5 litre plastic cans, it can be dirty fuel.

5. Numbered roads are corrigated in places up there. From Palmwag to Sesfontein very good. From Sesfontein to Puros is okay, but not a highway. Here you want to drive slowley anyway to see the game. Other tracks are good driveable "roads" for offroad vehicles. Not difficult at all. After all, you are going there to enjoy nature.

Enjoy the trip!

Deon Lourens

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[Glen Roberts]

Hi Keith

I can second the Huarosib river bed/Khumib river route proposed by Deon, there are nice places to bush camp in the river beds as well. 
The Marble Camp facilities looked reasonable when we stopped there in 2010 (didn't camp there though), so if you prefer more 'civilised' options then this can be considered.  There are a few too many 'locals' around at the camp site for my liking though, so I personally prefer the bush camp option along this route.

Note that there are sometimes rangers around in the Marienfluss, so stay on the main track and don't bush camp here - they are getting quite strict on this.
If camp Syncro no longer exists, there is a community camp (Okarohombo Campsite) a little bit further to the North (down stream) that is very good, nice camp sites under Ana trees, solar geyser etc.   Costs was N$50 per person in 2010.

Definitely plan for 900km without a diesel stop, last reliable diesel is Palmwag as mentioned by others.  We did about 850km from Epupa falls, down Van Zyls, through Marienfluss to Okarohombe campsite, past Rooidrom and then the river bed route down to Palmwag.

Regards
Glen

On 2013/04/24 07:11 AM, Hennie Rautenbach wrote:

Hi Keith

Not sure if you are aware that Camp Syncro no longer exist. It was destroyed in a fire and Koos Verwey did not rebuild it. I am not sure about the community campsite. 

Yes - there is a campsite midway between Purros and Syncro - Marble Camp - clearly indicated on T4A. However, there are bushcamp options a plenty along the route. This is in my opinion definitely not a one day trip.

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[Francois Visagie]

I see no-one mentions Sesfontein as a possible source of fuel anymore. Although its supply wasn’t without the odd disruption, is it now known never to have fuel anymore? I.e. has the filling station closed down or something?

 

Francois Visagie

 

 

T: +27 (83) 326-4358

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[Hennie Rautenbach]

My experience at Marble Campsite also weren't too good. We stopped there for lunch (2008) and were accosted by some of the locals hanging about for not having asked permission to stop & eat there. The hangers about definitely didn't look too kosher. However, I read Wouter Brand's very recent ride report on Wilddogs.za.net (or was it Facebook ?) and they stayed over at Marble and it appears from the images in the report like the place got jacked up quite a bit. Perhaps the attitudes have changed too. Definitely looks like a viable option for a stay-over...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151542532065813&set=a.10151541682780813.1073741826.564245812&type=3&theater

[Glen Roberts]

I suppose this can be based on the fact that you usually hear about who could NOT get fuel there, but no-one reports when they did get fuel!
All I can say is that they did NOT have fuel when we were there in June 2010.  Maybe others have been more lucky?  In any event, I would not put it down as somewhere that you can rely on getting fuel, so bargain on no fuel, and if there is fuel available then it's a bonus.
Glen

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[Marius Liebenberg]

When you guys mention no diesel, does that go for petrol as well or is it a different situation?

On 2013/04/24 10:09 AM, Francois Visagie wrote:

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[Hennie Rautenbach]

For the life of me I can't remember whether I refilled there or in Palmwag. 

[Peter Tiedt]

There was no fuel in April 2010 either.

 

My advice would be to fill up in Palmwag, and then (hopefully) top up in Sesfontein on your way north.

 

Never rely on Sesfontein!!

[Glen Roberts]

In June 2010 there was NO fuel at Sesfontein, Petrol or Diesel.  We filled up from drums (Diesel) at Okangwati, 80km south of Epupa falls, and the next available fuel of ANY kind was at Palmwag.   

On 2013/04/24 10:20 AM, Marius Liebenberg wrote:

[Peter Levey]

Hennie,

According to my records I didn't fill up at either.  I filled up at Opuwo including 40l in jerries, then we did the trip to Camp Synchro, Orupembe, Puros, Sesfontein, Palmwag and Outjo where I filled up again.  Distance was 1136 km.

Peter Levey
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leveypa/

[Mike_R]

Hennie Rautenbach wrote

 

>For the life of me I can't remember whether I refilled there or in Palmwag. 

 

Maybe this pic of the forecourt will jog the memory.

 

Mike R

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Hennie Rautenbach]

Nope :)

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[Michael Spencer-Wilson]

Perhaps, it's worth giving some reliable camps worth their salt a call
even whilst on route. Just a thought.

On Apr 24, 11:24 am, Hennie Rautenbach <hennie.rautenb...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Nope :)
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