Bikepacking the Namaqualand Bikamino

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Nama Khoi Local Municipality, Northern Cape, ZA

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Bicycle South

Discover South Africa’s top cycling destinations & adventures.

473 km

5 904 m

A 10-day bikepacking adventure following the Bikamino route through the most sparsely populated but exceptionally hospitable region of South Africa – the Namaqualand. A journey from hidden valleys to icy oceans, through dirt, sand and snow.

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The + 470km route cuts across the arid Northern Cape – from the once booming mining outpost of O’Kiep to the icy waters of the Atlantic Oceanside village of Hondeklipbaai.

## **FULL ITINERARY & RESOURCES**

For the full itinerary, route details, more photos and detailed descriptions of the accommodations and dining visit BicycleSouth.co.za or [click here](https://bicyclesouth.co.za/2018/08/bikepacking-the-namaqualand/).

## MUST KNOW & TRAIL NOTES.
* **Skill level.** 90% gravel roads, with a few jeep track sections. So you’ll need to be a proficient rider, but technical skills won’t hold you back on the Bikamino.
* **Best time to go.** Spring or Autumn are the best times to visit the Namaqualand. The day time temperatures are moderate then and it doesn’t get too cold at night. Spring flower season is the best time to go from a scenery point of view, but the usually quiet roads will be busy with 4×4 traffic then, so your bikepacking experience could be a little compromised by the dust kicked up by their tyres.
* **Accommodation:** You can camp throughout as Namaqualand is probably one of the safest regions in South Africa, but there are formal accommodation options available at all the stops barring @poi[Koringkorrel Baai](7963035) and @poi[Groenriviermond](7963034).
* **Group size:** The only place where group size will be an issue is @poi[Luiperdskloof](7963031), which sleeps 6. But if you are prepared to camp then group size won’t be an issue.
* **Trail head.** The route starts at the @poi[O’Kiep Country Hotel](7963023), in O’Kiep just north of Springbok. Accommodation can be booked here: [www.okiep.co.za](http://www.okiep.co.za).
* **Water & Food.** Keep the daily distance in mind when packing food and water for each leg. Usually you’ll be able to restock at a spaza store every 50km or so throughout the region, so while hydration packs are a essential to carry with you – you might not have to fill them more than twice if you are carrying 3-4 bottles.
* **Gear.** Take warm clothes for the evenings and sun protection for the day. We found that cycling in a loose long sleeve cotton top is a good way to keep the sun off. Temperatures drop abruptly at night and can be freezing even during summer. Download our bikepacking gear check list [here](http://www.mediafire.com/file/199y75l85iy56kn/Bikepacking_Check_List.pdf/file).
* **Navigation.** When entering to ride the Bikamino at any stage of the year you’ll receive the GPS files, printed maps, route descriptions and a Spot Tracker, in case of emergencies. EcoBound will also book your accommodation for you, which means you just have to show up and ride.
* **Road Conditions.** You will be riding primarily on gravel roads with no bike lanes. Outside of flower season car and truck traffic is limited, but what traffic there is tends to be mining vehicles and they drive the rough gravel roads at break neck speeds. So stick left, especially on blind rises. Please ride responsibly and stay alert. The off-road trails are predominantly jeep tracks.

Bikepacking the Namaqualand Bikamino

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