Ben 10 Echo challenge

[Renier_c]

Who has done this?

Any info to share please?

Thinking of doing it end Nov.

[Mad Manny]

I haven't done the Ben10 Challenge, but the Great & Glorious 4x4 Action Group did a 10 passes trip, arranged by MartinDJ, in 2018.
It was, for some, actually an 11 Passes Challenge as some also did Sani Pass.

Read about it here...

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9&start=45

The feedback & reports start from around Post #%0, so you can skip to there to save time...

[Renier_c]

Thanks Manny.

[Paul#25]

At the moment there is no access to the Ben Macdhui mountain because Tiffendel resort is closed and may not reopen.
Have a look on the Mountain Passes of South Africa website as they are the guys that run the actual Ben-Ten Challenge.
Apparently there is an alternate but you can't get to the best one in the area.
You can also look for information on the area on the War Trail area website.

[Mad Manny]

Paul, I wasn't aware of this Tiffendal story so I did some digging.
Back in the 1990's I went to Tiffendal twice on 'Work Weekends' to help build the original site with Wits Ski Club...

From what I can gather:

Tiffendal was opened in 1993.
It did well until in 2007 it was bought by David Taylor & Andre Le Roux.
It appears thats when things started going badly.
Sounds like they mismanaged it?
It was closed in 2010.

In 2012 Lew Campbell & Peter Pitz bought it.
It reopened & was certainly still going when we were there in 2018.

Now I see it's permanently closed.

I'm sure the Lockdown introduced to stop the spread of Covid (in vain) had an effect.,

I'd love to know what happened.

Rhodes is certainly suffering as a result.

Would love to know what happened since 2018...

[Paul#25]

Correct Manny, from what I read in one of the travel magazines was that the Covid shutdown of the tourism industry was the final nail in their coffin. It's a pity as it could be a great place if correctly run and managed.

[Woolf]

I did the Mountain Passes tour with Trygve a few years ago after trying and failing to get a group together. It’s expensive. I see current costs are just short of R10000 for 1 person and R11000 for 2 in one vehicle. One still has to pay for one’s accommodation. Essentially one is paying for guiding and organisation which I thought was worth it.

A big thing that has changed in addition to the the exclusion of Ben Mcdhui is that the Rhodes Hotel has reopened which cuts out some travelling. In the past one returned to Mountain Shadows every night which entailed a lot of extra travelling. Being in a Jimny and not having jerry cans meant I had to go into Elliot most nights for fuel.

In the absence of Ben Mcdhui the Bastervoet pass is the highlight. Certain short sections are not dissimilar Baboon’s. The scenery is also magnificent.

I was also lucky that I ended up with a nice group of people

[Martin de Jager]

Renier, I have done most of them twice, 2016 and 2018.

[Martin de Jager]

You do not need to go with tour groups, plan your own trip.

[Renier_c]

You do not need to go with tour groups, plan your own trip.

Dis d idee. Het jy jou GPS tracks nog?

[Martin de Jager]

Ek sal help om roete the beplan.

[Martin de Jager]

Renier,
This is the Ben Ten challenge
01. Ben MacDhui Pass (3001m) I did it 2016 and 2018
02. Carlisleshoekspruit Pass (2563m) Same
03. Volunteershoek Pass (2581m] 2016
04. Naudes Nek Pass (2590m] 2016 and 2018
05. Lundin’s Nek Pass (2170m) up and down
06. Joubert’s Pass (2234m) 2016
07. Bastervoetpad Pass (2240m] 2018
08. TTT [Tiffindell-Tenahead Traverse] (2720m) 2018
09. Otto du Plessis Pass (2115m) 2016
10. Barkly Pass (2018m) tar 2016

I suggest entering up Zastron, go up Lundine Pass, use Rhodes as your base for three days, we stayed at Kinmel farm, 5km outside Rhodes before going up Naude's.
We went down Wartrail, Tiffendel was never fenced in, I am not sure how they intend blocking 4x4's from using it.
Bastervoedpad was the most exciting, you go up Naude's and down, to Mc clear, then out on the Ugie road, the entrance to Bastervoedpad was a bit unclear, Paul picked it on Maps for Africa, then you go up, a very scenic pass.
its the old Lapa Munnik Pass,
To do Barkley Pass , you drive through scenic routes, then go up Barley Pass, cant remember where we linked up with Otto Du Plessis pass,
In addition you can go up Naude, do Pitseng pass, drive to Matiele , use this as base. remember you will exit SA border and enter at the same post.
Shout if you need help.

[Renier_c]

Dankie!

[Saxj]

Does Ben MacDhui even really qualify as a pass? It is a road up to the summit. It doesn't go anywhere.

[Martin de Jager]

Technically no, but it does appear on the list.