The Ivory Trail

[Mad Manny]

Anyone done this or interested in doing it? (except Chas who has done it but can't remember it)...

Where: Limpopo
Tour Details: Drive the African Ivory route following in the footsteps of the Ivory hunters to Mafefe camp in the Drakensberg range.

Drive into the Lekgalameetse Reserve through the rain forest.
Drive the Ori Baragwanath pass.
Drive over The knuckles and down The Downs.
Camp on the banks of the Mothlapitsi river in the Wolkberg Nature reserve.

Cross the river a few times
Camp at the Wolkberg campsite.

Drive back via The Knuckles and back to Haenertsburg

[henris]

Never done the route, but I know where it is.

Why not go back via Abel Erasmus pass?

[Mike-PS]

Interested...

[Renier_c]

Never done it. But i will put my name down to join!

[Paul#25]

It looks like a very nice trip to do. I'd be interested to do it with the club rather than just as one vehicle with a tour operator.

[BushWacker]

Yip, I'm keen ... but not too short or rushed is my advice ...

(Tito Mboweni farms near Haenertsberg,
... so maybe Kurt could get the inside line
on the banking road ahead ... as banks are
clearly lost ... )

[Mad Manny]

Yip, I'm keen ... but not too short or rushed is my advice ...

It's over 4 days.
So probably the September long weekend in 2021

(Tito Mboweni farms near Haenertsberg,
... so maybe Kurt could get the inside line
on the banking road ahead ... as banks are
clearly lost ... )

I'm sure, when you typed this, both you & God knew what you were trying to say.
Now, I fear, only God knows...

[grips]

Sounds interesting.

[Martin de Jager]

Manny, I am definitely in, sounds like a very interesting route.

[Saxj]

Anyone done this or interested in doing it? (except Chas who has done it but can't remember it)...

Where: Limpopo
Tour Details: Drive the African Ivory route following in the footsteps of the Ivory hunters to Mafefe camp in the Drakensberg range.

Drive into the Lekgalameetse Reserve through the rain forest.
Drive the Ori Baragwanath pass.
Drive over The knuckles and down The Downs.
Camp on the banks of the Mothlapitsi river in the Wolkberg Nature reserve.

Cross the river a few times
Camp at the Wolkberg campsite.

Drive back via The Knuckles and back to Haenertsburg

I wonder what happened to the Wolkberg Wilderness Area.

[BushWacker]

Manny's trips ( both here ... & the one on our FB group), seem intriguing but this is a trip I did:

Travel via ? to Burgersfort, proceed past the old Penge Asbestos mine, cross the Olifants river to camp up in the mountains.

Travel the old wagon trail through the Strydpoort mountains, camp at Mafefe camp high up on Drakensberg escarpment
Enter Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, follow tracks down through spectacular rain forest, down into the Lowveld.
Exit nature reserve, drive via Ofcolaco to Leydsdorp Hotel to overnight in their bush camp.

Drive to Letaba Ranch sector of Great Limpopo Trans frontier Park (Open to KNP, M).
Take Levuvu 4x4 trail and bush camp in active Big 5 territory (Manny may well sleep in car... )

Continue on the Luvuvhu 4x4 trail to exit the Park. Use 4x4 tracks to drive to Little Letaba.
Enter riverbed and drive to African Ivory Route’s Baleni Camp.
Break Camp & Depart for home


Another, fairly extreme, 3 night, 4 day River Trip I did :

Camped at Makopane then convoy to near HenniesPoort to enter and travel in & along the sides of the Oliphants River / banks as far as the Burgersfort area... basic tracks over first 1/2, more rugged bush and bank travel over 2nd 1/2.
We used local expert guides from Makopane who know the routes, River etc
and are used to difficult in-River recoveries etc ... (eg carry 50 to 100m recovery ropes etc !)
River level and conditions obviously key ... up to 1m deep at times etc.

Would need quite a few days to tag the Ivory Trail Trip onto the full Oliphants River Trip.

[LesseW]

Your reports are clear and exciting when typed within the legal alcohol limits of the republic of SA....

[BushWacker]

Your reports are clear and exciting when typed within the legal alcohol limits of the republic of SA....

Well I’m sure these accounts of ventures into the interior
are always captivating to those sideline Prado guys, who can only dream and read of such ...

[LesseW]

Me Love you long time, Chas!

[BushWacker]

Me Love you long time, Chas!

Now you definitely think I’m under the affluence of inkerhol..!