Hey guys so i need your help

Myself and a group of 10 other people will be embarking on a fundraiser for people who have suffered spinal injuries and also to raise awareness on spinal health. In December/January we plan to walk from Johanneshurg to Durban over 2-3 weeks at about 45 km per day with rest days in between to relax aswell as help out in various communities.

My problem is that i have mapped out a route from harrismith to Durban which is fairly easy with plenty towns to stay over at and roads that i know will be safe enough and quiet enough to walk on, but no idea on a route from joburg to harrismith.

Does anyone have ideas of a route from Johannesburg to Harrismith that is safe and also keeping in mind the planned 45km per day with places to stay along the route. We wont walk on the N3 for reasons that dont need explaining.. we dont mind walking obscure routes as long as they are safe!

I dont know the roads that well before harrismith and i know we have plenty people here that know the roads pretty well.

Help and advice of any sort would be massively appreciated:)

Good luck Juzzy! :okay:

Theres the alternate route between Villers and Harrismith, if you carry on down that route you end up in Newcastle but its also a very busy road with lots of trucks using it so you have to becareful.

Its a very brave and great thing you guys are doing.

The easiest way to avoid the N3 and to get more small towns en route is to use the R57. If you go via Warden and Villiers on the N3, even though you have the alternate R103 between the two, you still have long stretches of N3 from Harrismith to Warden (53km) and from Villiers to Heidelberg (65km).

Using the R57, you go on the N5 to Kestell from Harrismith, then turn north on the R57 to Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Heilbron. Eventually you get to the R82 at Sasolburg and Vereeniging, you can then walk this up into Johannesburg via Walkerville.

Not sure of the security aspect (ask Free Staters and Gautengers), but from a regular town, few trucks and vehicular danger point of view, would perhaps be the best route.

Theres the alternate route between Villers and Harrismith, if you carry on down that route you end up in Newcastle but its also a very busy road with lots of trucks using it so you have to becareful.

Its a very brave and great thing you guys are doing.

shot for the help...yeah that route vis newcastle was a bit sketchy coz of the distances between newcastle and the next towns along that road through to jozi

Thanx annman...i was looking at that route but didnt know if those towns were ok in a sense to overnight at? any idea???