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dirtbag
climber
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Jan 11, 2018 - 08:45am PT
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^^*that’s arousing!
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Jane Gallwey
Big Wall climber
Golden CO
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Jan 11, 2018 - 09:20am PT
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I travelled that whole route as part of that hot rock climbing truck thing a long time ago. I was 18 and super naive, had never been out of Europe before.
We just wild camped the whole way for 6 months, looking for crags and nothing ever really happened, now that I work around there and know a bit better I can't imagine what we were thinking.
As for rock there's not a whole lot but can give you a run down of what we found country by country.
Uganda: Some granite domes north of Kampala, not super great and a long way off route. Think northern Uganda has gotten dodgier too. Rwenzori look awesome for trekking but haven't been.
Rwanda: Nuffink. We drove all over the place too.
Tanzania: Great big unexplored boulderfields out near Mwanza, similar to Hampi. Mwanza is a nice spot too and not dodgy feeling. Some cool looking gorges near Arusha but turned out to be vegetated turbochoss on closer inspection.
Malawi: Some nice climbing and a nice hut in the Mulange sp? mountains. The bigger routes are scary looking slabfests that nobody in our group fancied. Some amusing bouldering by the lakeside but can't remember the name I'm afraid.
Mozambique: Good big granite towers in the north nearish (100+ miles of very remote dirt road) Nampula. Bit dodgy though and got moved on by local army/police.
Zimbabwe: Some nice domes, sadly can't remember name.
Namibia: Spitzkoppe is a proper destination, great climbing and chilled out western style campsite.
ZA: Tons around, they have websites and stuff.
The only world class destinations I think are Spitzkoppe and the Mwanza boulders, plus all the stuff in South Africa but yeah it might be wet there that time of year.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Jan 11, 2018 - 09:30am PT
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Sawyer Permethrin... treat every piece of clothing as per directed prior to the trip including mosquito netting hats/bedding/etc.
Deet... awesome stuff. Use it religiously. Unfortunately does NOT work on Tse tse flies or a few other biters.
Sunscreen.
I purchased an insurance policy of sorts from these guys... Coverage is limited however. https://www.flyingdoctorsafrica.org
Don't drink any local water, ever. I screwed up having ice cubes at the end of my tenure there and suffered mightily! I used a katadyn water purifier with much success.
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fgw
climber
portland, or
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Jan 11, 2018 - 03:00pm PT
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“Namibia: Spitzkoppe is a proper destination, great climbing and chilled out western style campsite.”
Chilled out camping & stressful/scary climbing :) We enjoyed a remote wall called Orabeskopf somewhere in the Brandberg Massif a whole lot better (long crack routes vs. runout slabs/edges on exfoliating granite of Spitzkoppe). Supposedly next door Pontoks might have more mild options.
I’m curious Jane – how big were the granite domes in Zimbabwe? How much established stuff?
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 11, 2018 - 07:15pm PT
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I have not been between Durban, SA, and the southern coast of Tanzania, so I cannot say what that part of the Africa is like. However, our youngest daughter lived in Dar es Salaam for five years, and we visited her several times. Also, She and my wife took a three-four week trip from Cape Town north into Namibia and then across Botswana to Victoria Falls, pitching tents every night. Based on the pictures they showed, that is the one trip I am really sorry I missed. Incredible scenery and cultures.
So, base on our combined experiences, this is what sticks out.
The North Eastern part of SA has a large game reserve and also private ones. I spent a long weekend at a private reserve after a business trip to Durban and Richards Bay. There are also the large game reserves in Northwestern Tanzania. Given the path from place-to-place, I would go to the game preserves in Tanzania. Our daughter and my wife traveled to Jane Goodall's chimp preserve in Western Tanzania, and my wife said it is the only trip in Africa she would repeat: she loved all of the trips, but she is more interested in new things. There are also great ape preserves along the Eastern border of Tanzania. Our daughter has travel for fun in the countries north west of Tanzania which could be on your way.
Dar is interesting and Zanzibar is very pretty, like a Caribbean island. If you go to Dar, take the bicycle tour of the city, one of the coolest things I have every done. It was recommended by one of our daughter's friends, a diplomat, who said that all of his new staff were required to take the bicycle trip. And, Dar and Zanzibar are international tourist destinations, but I would stay away from anything that looks like Florida or Disney World, you can do that here. (That said, one day, we wanted a hamburger so we went to a hotel restaurant on the Indian Ocean in Dar and had an American hamburger with fries, tasting and served as if we were in a high-end resort in Florida. Also, if you like tanzanite, the principal mining company for all of the world's tanzanite has a shop in one of the high-end, African, hotels in town. Great stones and great prices.
Given my experience and my family's experiences, I would start from Cape Town (lots of famous things to do there) (also, Cape Town hosts the world's largest, timed bicycle race in March, I think, around Cape Peninsula that our daughter competed in last year; look into riding bikes along that road above the cliffs which drop into the Ocean. I think the rally itself is invitation only), go to Namibia: deserts, German culture, Fisher Canyon (take a hike into it), Spitzkoppe (climbing), then East to Botswana, Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta (take a plane ride to look at the animals, take a camping trip into the Okavango Delta in a dugout).
Then head east by northeast to southern Tanzania. I don't know what is good between Botswana and Southern Tanzania. Victoria Falls, on the border between SA and Zimbabwe, is beautiful and looks like an adventure--bungie jumping into the falls!! After spending weeks in the dirt, my wife and daughter checked into a old five star hotel out of the colonial days and took lots of baths. Cool hotel. Even if you go to Victoria Falls, I would guess that moving north into Zambia and then into Malawi would be the way to get into Tanzania--there don't seem to be any roads otherwise. In Tanzania, Kilwa on Indian Ocean is very cool, an ancient Arab trading city, with beautiful fishing lodges (you don't have to fish); a Unesco site.
Dar es Salaam is worth a vist as is Zanzibar. The climate and landscape changes drastically between Kilwa and Dar and the roads are less than modern, but it is a cool ride. There are wonderful old hotels in Zanzbar and great, Indian Jones, streets with shops. Most of it is touristy, but we found a shop which collects and sells African artifacts worldwide. We bought an old West African mask for a about $200. Zanzabar also has beautiful resorts along its North Coast, if you need a break from Africa.
The Northwestern parts of Tanzania have all of the great game preserves. Also Jane Goodall's chimp preserve is on the western edge of Tanzania. I would also take in Uganda and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania and Kenya--great bragging rights.
It is all interesting, and you can make it as rough or luxurious as you like.
The one thing I would say is work out how you plan to pay for everything if you are going off-road. If is not hard, but you need to be prepared, especially if you are in an unstable country like Zimbabwe. But even in westernize places, like Zanzibar, US $ cash can be problematic. We were buying old wooden artifacts from West Africa in a great old shop and I gave the clerk a stack of $20, he handed them to his dad, who carefully separated them in the newly designed bills and the old design bills. The dad then passed the old bills to his son, who explained that they could only accept new bills, to avoid the risk of counterfeiting. My upstanding disguise did not work, apparently.
Also, figure out to have a good phone that will work well whereever you are in Africa. I don't think it is hard, but the US carriers advertise international service when what they mean is Mexico and Canada only. And nowadays, everyone relies on phone for everything (maps don't exist) so you have to have them working and on most of the time. And get your shots early. You will be traveling through places that require shots, some in series, and some of them are hard to get.
The last trip we took we figured it would be the last to East Africa since our daughter has moved to the UK, so we stopped in Ethiopia and looked around Addis Abba--not much to look at, but still interesting, and drove to look at the underground stone churches. Ethiopia is no longer as safe as it was, but if your best flights to through Addis Abba, it might be worth taking the time to visit. I would take the three day trip north to see the underground churches carved into stone.
Also, be careful of cheap deals on airlines. The major airlines are fine but the cheap deals can be tricky if there are any changes. one of our flights was rescheduled and we had to pay the flight a second time. No amount a talking to the airline or the discounter got anywhere. I call ed American express and they fixed it immediately. I would suggest buying everything expensive with American Express--the world's best fixers.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 14, 2018 - 09:25am PT
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I just remembered a an experience I had in a private game reserve in South Africa. We were flown from Durban to the private landing strip near the Western border of the Kruger National Park. The safari camp looked primitive from the air, but was not once we were on the ground. It was on a hill near a large water hole, so there were many animals around to watch. The individual sleeping tents were on large wooden platforms well off the ground. The main area was a large patio, partly covered. The drill was to get up really early, take jeep-like trucks into the shrub and look for wild beasts. Breakfast came later and then later in the day, there was another excursion. I am sure that this routine is common for all attentive safari outfits. However, because we did not have to share the immediate area with any other tours and people, our guides could go anywhere. That is all background. Here is the story.
We were watching a herd of elephants feeding in a mixed terrain of tall grasses and tall, thick shrub. It was hard to see, and our guide tried to take us around to a better vantage point. As he was barreling along, the track passed around a tall thicket. As the truck pulled around the corner, we nearly ran into an elephant. In a split second, the startled elephant, leaped up, all four legs in the air, and disappeared into the thicket, like a cat would jump and disappear if startled, leaping into a wall and magically passing through it. Who knew an elephant could move like a cat. Who knew a thick wall of brush could accommodate a full-ground elephant.
The reason I am including this story is because it occurs to me that the experience of visiting a private game preserve may be very different compared to driving around the Serengeti plain. Something to think about about, along with taking a small plane to few animals in Botswana.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 14, 2018 - 09:34am PT
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And, FYI, wherever you fly in Africa DO NOT leave anything of value, or which you cannot do
without, in your checked baggage. Even Johannesburg airport is infamous for having your
checked bags rifled through. The baggage ‘handlers’ there have even been known to slash soft
sided bags open in the spirit of expediency.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 14, 2018 - 11:40am PT
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Reilly, it may be true that pilfering of luggage is a problem in Johannesburg, but it is a problem, or a potential problem, in every airport worldwide, including US airports, where there are more than a few documented cases of TAS employees and baggage handlers stealing from luggage. This is not an Africa problem. Never put anything of value in your luggage.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Jan 14, 2018 - 01:53pm PT
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Yes, twice. Once as a 30 day solo trip in West Africa, using public transport, from Dakar, Senegal to Timbuktu/Tomboktou in Mali, now sadly too dangerous to visit. Secondly in East Africa, as a "touron credit card safari-ist" on a 30 day truck/camping trip from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Nairobi, Kenya. Both methods worked well.
My advice?
1. Remember that there is more to Africa than wildlife.
2. Watch out for soft sand.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 14, 2018 - 03:22pm PT
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applejax, never seen you before so you probably don't know that I'm married
to an African and I'd wager good money that we know more Africans than there
are African countries that you've been or ever will go to. And I posted that
article from The Economist cause I know nobody would take my word for it.
Ever read it? As for credit cards, what did I say about them to get yer knickers bunched?
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 14, 2018 - 05:37pm PT
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Reilly, I am glad you referenced the article from the Economist to support your statement so we can read it ourselves.
Your statement:
And, FYI, wherever you fly in Africa DO NOT leave anything of value, or which you cannot do without, in your checked baggage. Even Johannesburg airport is infamous for having your checked bags rifled through. The baggage ‘handlers’ there have even been known to slash soft sided bags open in the spirit of expediency.
Here is what the Econmist printed: I have highlighted the two airports mentioned in the section on theft.
Although each awful airport is unique, four themes recur: danger, bullying by officials, theft and delay. Sometimes, all these reinforce each other….
Air travellers make tempting targets for thieves. They are rich enough to afford an air ticket, which in many places makes them rich indeed. They carry luggage, some of it valuable…The ones in Manila are especially creative. Some have been known to plant bullets in luggage so they can “find” them and demand bribes not to have the owners arrested. This scam is known in Tagalog as “laglag bala” (“drop bullet”).
In Johannesburg the pilfering is covert but rampant. Our correspondent grumbles: “Despite packing absolutely nothing of value in my checked bags they are regularly rifled through and were twice slashed open (they weren’t even locked). Once I found someone else’s sunglasses case in my bag; mislaid, perhaps, by luggage handlers in a looting frenzy.”
I think that if you quoted the last paragraph, if would have been helpful to know for someone flying into and out of Joburg. I certainly would not expect Joburg to have rampant pilfering but I have not been there in 30 years, and I would welcome the heads up. But you took the opportunity to extend your warning to every country in Africa. I certainly never heard of rampant pilfering from our daughter's friends and colleagues who flew all over within Africa. And, in any case, the Economist didn't say Africa; they mentioned two airports, Joburg and Manila in their section on theft.
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Yury
Mountain climber
T.O.
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Jan 14, 2018 - 05:40pm PT
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Reilly:
Kenya is far from the safest part of Africa these days. +
Son of my friend lives in Nairobi.
He likes its climate and told me that it was a rather safe city.
However during the first round of their latest presidential elections he travelled back to Canada to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
He stayed back there during second election attempt because he could not afford to miss his job.
It makes sense to keep track of the current political situation in Kenya and all countries along your way.
He likes spending weekends in Zanzibar. You may also consider traveling there.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Jan 14, 2018 - 10:49pm PT
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H.W. Tilman's book "Snow on the Equator" is a great read, and ends with an account of traveling E-W across Africa by bicycle, back in the late '20s or early '30s.
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Hector
Trad climber
Johannesburg, South Africa
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Jan 15, 2018 - 04:39am PT
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I'm a South African living in Johannesburg. Sadly I've done too little travelling on my own continent. Your trip sounds great! Too bad its through a bunch of shithole countries...
Climbing in SA and Namibia:
If you're after world class convenient sport climbing that will fit the family vibe be sure to spend a few days at Waterval Boven in Mpumalanga, SA (an hour from Kruger National Park which will for sure be on your itinerary). If you don't feel like lugging gear you can rent sport gear from Roc n Rope. There are plenty accommodation options from camping to renting a (very nice) house in town. Good mountain biking too (you can rent bikes)
http://rocrope.com/
You'll get by at Spitzkoppe with just a sport rack, although the longer (and cooler) routes need trad gear. Even if you don't climb there Spitz is well worth it.
The Drakensburg mountains (5 hours SE of Johannesburg in KZN) are well worth a visit. The hiking is excellent. The climbing is an aquired taste - alpine in nature: chossy insecure rock with grass tufts, huge wild towers and pinnacles. Its very convenient to visit as a family. Any of these resorts will give you access to beautiful hikes and peaks: Royal Natal National Park (Mahai Campsite is great), Cathedral Peak Hotel or Didima, Giants Castle Game Reserve, Monks Cowl, Injisuthi - take a google.
Theres a ton of great climbing in and around Cape Town. The sport (Silvermine, the Hole, the Mine, and Montagu) is pretty decent. The trad on Table Mountain is world class. And of course world class bouldering 4 hours from CT in Rocklands (the trad in that area is even better but sadly much of it is currently closed due to a bad fire)
There are route guides available for most of these places. The wiki on this website is a good start:
http://www.climbing.co.za/
THere is some good (although old) info on some of the bigger stuff here:
http://alardsbigwallclimbing.com/
Non-climbing stuff:
Joburg: Visit the Apartheid museum. On the same day you could go next door to Gold Reef City which is a big theme park but unless you have small kids I wouldn't bother. Check out what shows are on at the Market Theatre, and come early and spend some time in Braamfontein (cafes and bars plus some good museums). The suburb of Melville is a great place to stay (plenty of guest houses / airbnb's within walking distance of excellent restaurants and bars).
Cape Town: obviously take the cable car up the mountain. Its also a nice hike (Platteklip Gorge). Go to Simonstown and see the penguins. On your way there or back stop at Muizenburg beach. Bloubergstrand gives the classic view of the Table plus has a nice beach. Take a trip out to Robben Island.
Go watch a rugby game in either Joburg or Cape Town.
Go to Kruger Park. If you can afford it go to one of the luxury game lodges, or at least get on one of their game viewing vehicles. You'll see plenty self-driving in Kruger, but its a whole different experience in a game viewing vehicle with a guide and tracker that will get you within meters of the game.
Eat seafood in Maputo in Mozambique. Visit the beaches at Ponta do Ouro, a few hours south of Maputo.
Swakopmund on the Namibian coast is worth a visit. Actually, anywhere in Namibia is worth a visit - the whole country is achingly beautiful and very empty. Visit Joe's Beer Hall in Windhoek.
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Jonnnyyyzzz
Trad climber
San Diego,CA
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Did some Climbing in Malawi. Some of that scary slab stuff that was mentioned earlier. Also Uganda on a motorcycle. The game parks are amazing. Especially solo on a Motorcycle. [Click to View YouTube Video]
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I certainly never heard of rampant pilfering from our daughter's friends and colleagues who flew all over within Africa.
Sorry, I must have done a mental swap with data from my Egyptian, Moroccan, Nigerian, Zimbabwean, S African, Ethiopian, Malian. Camerounian, and Zairian friends.
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Roughster
Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 7, 2018 - 06:02pm PT
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We leave Monday! Africa ... 2 months. What have I done ;) I can't frickin' wait!
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