Route Advise Beitbridge to Gonarezhou

[BruceT]

ADVICE - sorry typo

Hi All,

We have booked at Chipinda for a few days in December. yes I know it will be hot and yet I know the BP with be chaos but we need to get there to hand out soccer balls to the schools and rangers in the area.

Please can someone give me details on the below proposed route.

We have not planned to go through pafuri as I am concerned about the levels of the Limpopo on the 23rd of December.

Also, does anyone have contacts at Beit Bridge BP to help us speed up the crossing process? I have a contact that is in charge of inland revenue or something like that but would like a back up plan.

Thank you

[RobH]

Bruce, it's been a decade since I last did that route so my road conditions info will be very out of date and not worth reporting on. It's not a technical route so if the conditions are okay, then no problem.

The issue for you may come in at the end of the road, where you have to cross the causeway over the Runde to get to Chipinda Pools. If the river is too full you may have to detour to the new causeway which is further downstream (it's a new, higher structure so shouldn't be affected by anything other than floods).

The locals use the Rutenga - Mbizi - Lundi road as a shortcut to get to Triangle.

[nhoro]

That road is passable but slow. Very slow. And in the next 3 weeks forecast is for lots of rain. So that road will probably be pretty bad. The tar road through Ngundu halt-Triangle is pretty good. I used to do shopping trips from Malilangwe to Musina and return (almost at Chipinda) in a day trip (13 hrs or so) Keep in mind that those roads are poorly maintained dirt and rivers flood over the low level bridges very easily.

[BruceT]

Thank you. Plan is to stay at lion and elephant on the 23rd and then leave early the next morning

I see the Ngundu route is an extra 40 or so I’m so maybe best to keep to tar depending on the traffic

[MikevR]

Bruce the Ngundu Holt route is the better route. The other route has a horrendous dirt road section. A lot of deviations into the bush to avoid terrible corrugations. I lost my trailer tail gate on this section. Are you sleeping over At Lion and Elephant on the way up. PM your email address and I will send some more details. I can explain an interesting way back if you have an extra day.
Cheers

[BruceT]

Thank you Mike. Will PM you now

yes we hoping to sleep at Lion and Elephant as we will be arriving there late

[Tedx2]

Thank you Mike. Will PM you now

yes we hoping to sleep at Lion and Elephant as we will be arriving there late

Beware of the "tarmac" road, or what remains of it, between Beitbridge and Lion and Elephant, particularly stretches close to Lion and Elephant. Certainly wouldn't recommend this in the dark. Many people travelling from BB to Harare now travel via Bulawayo because the BB to Masvingo road is now so bad.

[BruceT]

Wow seriously?
One positive about that is hopefully the BB L&E road will be quieter then

thank you.