{"id":4387,"date":"2014-06-10T20:53:30","date_gmt":"2014-06-10T18:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.knottinbotswana.com\/?p=4387"},"modified":"2014-06-10T20:53:30","modified_gmt":"2014-06-10T18:53:30","slug":"degree-confluence-20s-22e-my-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.knottinbotswana.com\/index.php\/2014\/06\/degree-confluence-20s-22e-my-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Degree Confluence 20S 22E: My First"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Idea<\/h3>\n

I’ve been aware of the Degree Confluence Project<\/a> for a while now, and despite there being some unvisited confluences not too far from home I never got round to visiting them.<\/p>\n

A few days ago a friend and I were putting the world to rights under the influence of anti-malarial medication<\/a>, we got to the pleasures of following trails to see where they go, and my memory was refreshed. A visit to the DCP website for Botswana revealed an unvisited confluence not far from where we work, and having passed within a few kilometres earlier in the year I knew it would be possible to get with about 15km.<\/p>\n

\"Remnants<\/a>
Prevents malaria, but may cause bad ideas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Google Earth revealed<\/a> that since the previous visit the Botswana Government has created a cut-line and veterinary cordon fence passing within a few kilometres of the confluence.<\/p>\n

Fast forward a couple of days to the weekend and by the time Sunday lunchtime came around I’d finished all my urgent work, so I loaded my bike in to the back of the car, left my “send help if I haven’t checked in by 18.00” instructions and set off from Toteng.<\/p>\n

Getting There<\/h3>\n

The tar road is unremarkable, although it is getting old and full of potholes, with too many cattle, and overgrown… Absolutely avoid driving on this road at night.\u00a0 Fuel is usually available in Sehitwa and they do have a card-swipe machine – sometimes they have fuel on the same day that the card machine is working. Make sure you leave with enough fuel to get you back to where you came from or to the next village. Gumare has two petrol stations so that should improve your odds (assuming they are both still operating – I haven’t been that way for a few years).<\/p>\n

The turn-off is a few kilometres north of Tsau, signposted for Gcwihaba<\/a> (a most interesting cave system – worth visiting but try and book in advance for a guide to take you into the more complicated parts).<\/p>\n

Most of the track is hard-pack but there are patches of soft sand year round, easier to pass if it has rained recently, but then you will be fighting with some short flooded sections. Exercise caution as they can be deceptively deep and muddy.<\/p>\n

Tracks4Africa<\/a> shows a track swinging off to the north-west after about 30km off-road but as the previous attempt on the confluence found it is impassable due to fallen trees (elephant are rife) and now overgrown from disuse. Rather proceed to the 40km mark and turn due north up the cut-line (almost, but not quite, on the alignment of of 22E). Note:<\/strong> On adding the link I see that T4A online map does not appear to show the main Tsau-Gcwihaba track or the veterinary fence.<\/em><\/p>\n

The cordon fence has taken a beating from elephant, so it is very porous: watch out for wild animals and cattle coming out of the bush. There are also a variety of ground-nesting\/resting birds so drive slowly to give them a chance to get out of the way.<\/p>\n