In choosing a route for the ride, we wanted something that would really test the durability of the bikes. It had to be long and hard, hence the Katima to Cape Town ride. It would be a mix of tarmac and dirt, 3000km and done over 14 days. Hard days were to alternate with ‘recovery’ days. Katima Mulilo is in the eastern Caprivi Strip, which juts out in the north east corner of Namibia. The town is on the Zambezi River, and the ideal place to start from. Northern Namibia is open woodland, still with elephants roaming around. As we turn south at Rundu, things start to get drier until we reach Windhoek up on a plateau. Here the tarmac ends, and the daily distances shorten as our average speed drops. Heading down the escarpment, we enter the Namib desert. Heat and rough roads will be the biggest challenges here, and it doesn’t stop until we’ve followed the Orange River to the South African border at Noordoewer.