mev Thanks for the info.
WRT road surface, yup, looks like one should expect a mixture of new tarmac, awful tarmac and dirt. I'd tend to bet on good tarmac at the moment, that'll degrade over time. But based on the YouTube videos, this isn't a major concern.
WRT temperature, frankly I don't know what to expect. Haven't weathersparked the surroundings yet, but based on glimpses, I'd expect the possibility of freezing temperatures during the day and sub freezing at night. As a matter of fact, I was looking at the down jacket market today
(zpacks is, again, a serious contender).
WRT to your experience - worth it or unfavorable pain/gain ratio?