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Namaqua/Orange/Richtersveld/NC Trip - 2019

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Mike Nel
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#181

Post by Mike Nel »

Mad Manny wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 8:36 pm
Paul#25 wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 8:01 pm
A few hand held radios on the same frequencies could have helped the spotters. I have 2 if they are needed in the future.
We used hand helds & the ORRA fixed radios.
Radio Comms were outstanding....
...until Martin's wiring stopped his working.
The wires between his ears? 😂😂😂
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#182

Post by KurtG »

***reserved for Manny’s trip report***
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#183

Post by Mike Nel »

Manny’s trip report will go like this...


It was good.


Theeee end
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#184

Post by KurtG »

Mike Nel wrote:Manny’s trip report will go like this...


It was good.


Theeee end
Don’t forget the incessant moaning about everything along the way.... I don’t think one Campsite did NOT have some moaning from the Porra at some point.
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#185

Post by Mike Nel »

It just confirmed my suspicions. Porras don’t make good campers. They do make nice coffee though
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#186

Post by Mad Manny »

OK, finally, my report:

Introduction:
I have incorporated & amended a report Mike Nel did into mine.
It is blatant plagiarism, but he is aware that I've done so...
Where possible, I've left Mikes words in black ink...

Where I refer to MY trip only (as opposed to the trip we all did, I'll put 'Personal note:' in front of that paragraph.

Trip Report Richtersveld April/May 2019

Personal Preamble note: I had been looking forward to the trip for months, it was going to Tammy (Tanya), her son Tristan (& perhaps a friend) & myself.
I'd tow my trailer, as that has everything we need.
But then Tammy was diagnosed with Cancer & started Chemo & finally pulled out.
This meant Tristan couldn't attend & this, coupled with work issues, left me debating whether I should cancel.
I finally decided to go for it, but as I was going alone, I no longer needed the trailer, but there was too little time to reconfigure for going without the trailer, so I took it.

Good Friday 19 April 2019

More Personal Stuff: I had been trying to convince Grips to come with, but he was undecided, I then noticed Kathu (Where Grips lives) makes a perfect halfway stop.
So I hatched a plan to stay over at his house & then maybe this would get him to come with - it worked.
So on Good Friday I drove to Kathu & had a great evening with Grips, his wife Karen, his mom & his son's Ignus & Christopher.

Mike Nel had driven up from Cape Town & arrived at the meeting place, Klien Pella.
MartinDJ also drove direct in one day on Good Friday. He got lost, did not fill up at Pofadder as ordered & joined Mike at Klien Pella later that night.


Day one, the Namaqua Orange Northern Cape Trip 1, Martin Zero Image.

20 April (Mike's words)

Mike relaxed (like you should when on holiday), whilst Martin faffed around his trailer.

Slowly but surely the rest of the group arrived.

We were now:
1. Mike Nel in an FJ with hardshell RTT.
2. MartinDJ & Ester in a Fortuner with Homemade Trailer.
3. Grips & Sons in a 76 with ground tent.
4. John Angelblooms in a Ranger 3.2 Supercab, ground tent.
5. Bugger & Renay in a Syncro with a Golf 8V 2.0 motor. Sleep in.
6. Dirk & Linda in a Synchro 2.1. Sleep in.
7. KurtG & Wife & Daughter's in a Paj SWB with a Metalian in tow.
8. The Great & Glorious Mad Manny in the legendary Fearless with a Conqueror Conquest in tow.
8 vehicles, 14 adults, 2 kids, 3 trailers...


Camp was set up in no time, the fires were lit and the trip was truly on its way.

Many a beer, whiskey, G&T and the obligatory Stroh and Jagermeister were had, where after the mandatory meat got singed and devoured by hungry people.

Klien Pella was quite civilised, shade, decent ablutions.


21 April

We left Klein Pella at 09h00 for Kamgab. Out great and glorious leader (Mad Manny) informed us that we would only drive for about 90min because kilometer wise it wasn’t that far ImageImageImage.

We had met Dirk Shubert for the first time the night before (he is an acquantance of Bugger's) - in trying to gather the troops for the briefing, we noticed that Dirk dances to the beat of his own, slightly distorted, guitar. He was to enthrall us with his quirks many times in the days ahead.

Not long into the day the Northern Cape roads took it first victim. It was a surprise to have it happen to a BF Goodrich tyre and more surprisingly, because the driver being Grips. (Don't let Neil BFG Hater XJJunkie see this)

We agreed on a “quick” lunch stop just before Goodhouse, Bugger had found a OK spot with some hard to find shade.
Dirk promptly drove under the shade & got stuck - meaning we had no shade.
Martin towing his 1 ton trailer thought it wise to take on soft sand in 2 wheel drive with his Fortuner tires inflated to 1.7 bar (despite Kurt repeatedly admonishing him for not engaging 4High & despite Kurt stopping for a 'deflation station'.
Clearly, this was not going to be a problem - Gripstried to tug Martin & trailer out a few times, then Martin got out & reluctantly deflated, dropping a bar or two :D . Grips then continued whilst the rest of us shook our heads & had lunch.
Dirk spent lunch hour digging, I had no sympathy for this shade stealer & offered no help! :lol:
About 60 Mins were lost with the lunch & recoveries.
Namaqua Orange Northern Cape Trip 2, Martin still Zero Image.

We were finally ready to leave & I was keen to get the convoy going, shouting into the radio for those who can to form up immediately. Just then Dirk pulled out, drove to the front of the convoy, blocked the road & then went back to get his wife & spade etc... :oops:

Onward we drove, well past the 90mins Manny promised us earlier in the day. We finally made camp at Kamgab around 17h00.
The campers were scattered all over the place. Jagermeister and Stoh flowed down the hatch once more.

The 'road' down to Kamgab is like a steep winding section of River Trip, not easy - especially when towing.
Personally, I didn't like the camp area, uneven, little shade, open. We were also scattered out.
I would have preferred camping at a spot a kilometer or 3 further back, itwas cleaner, protected, would have morning shade as it's between the mountains in a valley.
But then, you would not be near the river...
The rest of the group were not as critical of the spot as I was.
Kamgab has no facilities whatsoever, It's wild camping.


22 April:

This is theeeee day of the trio. Today we do the very famous Road to Hell trail. We left nice and early to hopefully be done and dusted by 15h00. The cold Orange River water begged for a swim.
All the men left to do the Road to Hell, the girls (Renay, Esther, Linda & Danae as well as Hannah & Emma) stayed behind with Dirk's Synchro & John's Ranger.
So 6 vehicles went to do Road to Hell.


We arrived, after driving about 42km, at the start of the Road to Hell.
Mike in his FJ volunteered to take down crowd and off we went. This was it. No turning back once you are in.

Bugger took his Syncro down and honestly, I (Mike) thought that that would be the mistake of the day.

Most made it down relatively unscathed in what felt like an eternity. We had a quick lunch at the river and started heading back (the River called for a swim). Did I mention it was hot?

The FJ made it up without any issues (no surprise) and so did Grips also no surprise). Did I mention that both vehicles have Cruiser in their names?

Then (dah, dah, teDahhh)......... all HELL broke loose!

Martin was the last vehicle in convoy. The very first rough section going back up we heard a loud crack and our suspicions and fears were met with the news of the left CV joint looking like a koeksuster.

500m of terror terrain left to go and only 2WD available for Martin (***I still say it was closer to 2km from the top).

Towing him out wasn’t an option. The terrain didn’t allow for it. A Winching we will go. 500 meters *** worth. All hands on deck.

3 and a half hours later, 2 tires that looked like slicks, a broken CV and a whole lot of tired bodies, we finally got to the top. High fives were given and a cold beer was the order of the day before we said goodbye to Grips, Christo Jnr and Ignus.

Last little bit about the Road to Hell. John and Bugger did a hell of job getting Martin back up again. Without you the Fortuner would still be down there. Grips and Manny for using their vehicles as ankers. Thanks guys. And to the rest that packed rocks, took photos and those supplying water, thank you so much.

We arrived back at camp just in time to still go for a “bath” in the Orange River.

An early night was the order of the day. Everyone, especially Martin, was exhausted.

Namaqua Orange Northern Cape Trip 3, Martin still Zero Image.

A bit more about the recovery: With a snapped CV/Side Shaft, Martin only had RWD. You CANNOT get out there with RWD.
We initially had Martins winch connected to a series of straps (including one that was kinetic).
Bugger co-ordinated affairs with a handheld radio, so both Martin & I could hear what was going on.
At one stage Grips brought his 76 down to anchor me as, at times, Martin pulled me backwards on the loose rock.
To do this Grips had to reverse down the top part of Road to Hell.
This plan worked, but it was slow going.
A rated shackle, attached to Fearless, snapped, but as so many different straps etc were linked together, therewas no kinetic drama.
Later a large wide kinetic strap, attached to Fearless snapped. It broke about 3m from the vehicle. The strap hit Fearless with such force it left a hole in the number plate. The other end, which was longer, just fell to the floor - again, because the long trail of attached ropes absorbed the kinetic force.
Eventually Martin's winch overheated & his battery went flat due to the excessive winch usage.
We needed a new plan.
So Grips & I drove up. Bugger then brought his Synchro down - he drove down forwards. This was so we could use Bugger's winch.
Grips had to reverse down again to anchor Bugger.
The recovery continued.
All in all it took 4& a half hours.
Every single person pitched in. Everyone did his bit. No one gave up. No one complained.
It was about 32 - 34*C but the teamwork & camaraderie never wavered.

Grips original plan was to leave to go back home (Kathu 500km away) but because of the recovery. he & his son's refused to leave until Martin was safely at the top.
They finally left at 16:00 & only got home at 23:00.
The whole recovery & the way everyone responded made me extremely proud of Our Club!
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

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#187

Post by Mad Manny »

23 April:

We woke early on Tuesday 23 April. With Martin only having RWD there was no way he could tow his trailer out the valley.
So we asked Mike to assist, luckily he had his tow hitch & was able to assist.

With the Namaqua Eco Trail behind The remaining 7 vehicles set sail for the Richtersveld trip via Port Nolloth. But not before some more bad luck.
Mike hooked Martin’s trailer onto the mighty FJ and clearly the trailer was caught off guard and started losing parts.
John first radio'd to say he needed to pick up a Jockey Wheel. Then the stabiiliser arm fell off - john found more trailers spares behind the FJ than what Martin had wished for. Namaqua Orange Northern Cape Trip plenty, Martin still Zero Image.

Five of us (Kurt, Manny, John & the two Synchro's of Bugger & Dirk) headed for Port Nolloth.

Martin had to head to Springbok to have the repairs done & Mike took Martin’s trailer all the way to Springbok si it could be fixed along with his Fortuner.

In Springbok Mike stripped his moer for one of the laaities tending to Martin’s vehicle when the laaitie asked Mike to please move his Jeep once the trailer was unhitched. The audacityImageImage

We Five refueled in Port Nolloth & then went for a sit down lunch at Vespetti. Kieth Newnham met us for a Milkshake. It was great to see him & get some info from him.
Mike then arrived & fueled up & the six vehicle convoy headed down the coast to Alezander baai & then into the Richtersveld via Srndlingsdrift.


The rest of the way went pretty easy and camp was set up at Potjiespram whilst Martin and his wife spoilt themselves with a night at Springbok Hotel.

Bugger got the festivities on the way. Manny beers were had and plenty of meat devoured.

24 April:

The long awaited day of rest finally arrived and rest we certainly did. A real day of leisure. No one started a vehicle.

Kurt’s girls enjoyed what the river had to offer with the help of Dirk and a tractor tube. Mike tried his hand at fishing but failed miserably.

Meanwhile reports from Springbok were that Martin’s Fortuner was fixed and he was on his way to De Hoop (our next camp site).

25 April:

We broke up camp and made our way to De Hoop via the Hand of God and the Akkedis Pass. Lovely scenery.

Arriving at De Hoop Manny complained about the lack of shade ImageImageImageImage.

Irrespective of Manny’s thoughts, this was a lovely campsite.

Kurt’s girls enjoyed the water, Mike managed to finally land a fish ( very small one) and Martin’s bonnet was still open.



26 April:

Another day of leisure.

Martin worked on that Vehicle whenever he wasn't fishing (unsuccessfully) or staring down the increasingly daring Baboons (successfully).

Saturday 27 April:
On this day we were supposed to move to Kokerboomkloof for another two nights.
But we were tired. We did not want to move further into the Richtersveld as this would make leaving and getting to Reimvasmaak a very, very, very long day.
So Kurt, John, Martin & Manny decided to stay put.
Mike left, as planned, to go back home.
The two Synchros (Bugger & Dirk) decided to leave, Bugger was determined to visit EksteenFontein (his surname is Eksteen & he has a Land Claim idea :lol: and he also wanted to get to signal to do some mails, banking & payments).
Dirk had to go with as his Synchro needs a VW Mechanic & Bugger is one.
Dirk's Synchro had a few issues, mainly overheating.

So three left, four stayed...

We were now struggling with power, we hadn't had 220v since Klien Pella & the high ambient temps were making the fridges chew power.
Mike had left his Flexopower Solar panels & I had them connected all day.
To charge the vehicle batteries we took a drive to Richtersberg & Tatasberg, it was a 16km round trip. It took over 2 hours.
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

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2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

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Mad Manny
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#188

Post by Mad Manny »

Sunday 28 April:
The remaining four (Kurt, Martin, John & Manny) broke camp & took a stunning scenic drive out the Richtersveld via Helskloof Pass & Alexanderbaai to Port Nolloth.
We had lunch at Vespetti (again) & refueled (again) then headed to Springbok...

Meanwhile Mike had spent a night at home. Pierrie (Bugger) had broken down (some injector fanbelt spark issue) & was towed, unceremoniously, through Eksteenfontein, they had spent last night in Sprinkbok, but left for Augrabies that morning.

So the pair of Synchros made their way to Augrabies in Kakamas & the other 5 spent the night at Annie's place in Springbok - a welcome break from the dust.

Monday 29 April:
John decided he had better head home, so we left Springbok (After John bought a tyre, having shredded one on the road from Port Nolloth, I bought a few supplies at the Springbok Spar & the Gerbers did a month's worth of shopping at the same Spar!) in convoy to Kakamas.

En Route, John bade us farewell & pressed on to Kuruman where he'd overnight.
We re-fuelled in Kakamas, I invited everyone to the Pienk Padstal for Milkshakes on the club, & Bugger replied!
They were at Ma's se Plaas tasting wine & heard me over the radio.

So we all met up Bugger, Dirk, Martin, Kurt & Manny - the last remaining five vehicles...

We then all headed to Riemvasmaak....

More later, it's 00:38...


"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

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Mad Manny
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#189

Post by Mad Manny »

Riemvasmaak & beyond...

Monday 29 April Continued....:
The remaining 5 vehicles (Manny, Kurt, Martin & the two Syncro's) headed to Reimvasmaak.
It's a nice drive, initially past the Kakamas wine lands & then down the rugged valley.
It was tough going, especially with a trailer in tow.
Therewas no one at the reception/boom gate so we just drove on.
When we finally arrived at the campsite at the bottom we noticed a few platkarre (Mazda CX-5 & Polo), which is impressive.

It was very hot, well over 34+C with little air flow in the steep valley.
The vibe was very shitty, the local Ranger/Warden was unhappy & unhelpful - he gave me the distinct impression he did not like us there.
There were a few coloured locals (in the platkarre) enjoying the springs & a group of well-oiled whites in Rangers & Landi's who seemed to know the Ranger/Warden.

Kurt & I both felt uneasy. The two Syncro's had set up camp & Martin was busy doing so when we made the call to leave.
It was well after 17:00 & still hot.
Kurt, Martin & I then, with the sun setting, high tailed it out of there & went to check in at Augrabies.
Bugger & Dirk telling how lovely Augrabies was & me seeing how crappy Riemvasmaak is, sealed the deal.

So the Synchro's stayed & we three left, the 3rd night we were separated from the Syncro's.

Tuesday 30 April - the last day.

The guys at Riemvasmaak packed-up early & went their separate ways - Dirk to Kuruman.
Bugger took an adventurous route back -I'm sure he'll post about it.

At Augrabies, Martin slowly packed up, went to see the falls & then started the 11 hour drive home.

Kurt & family & I had a chilled day, visiting the falls & relaxing.

The next morning, at 07;04 we were packed & on our way...

Everyone got home without incident...




In the words of Bugger, “ hiers op die eerste enetjie”
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

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#190

Post by Mad Manny »

Anecdotes & Thanks:

Radios: The radios worked brilliantly & the Club Radio Policy is spot on.
It also helped having a few hand helds on the ORRA network as it helped in the recovery or if a person on foot wanted comms with the group.
Only Martin had problems, he got his radio just before the trip, using some convoluted supply system via some coastal town & was therefore unable to test it.
His radio worked untill the after market wiring played up & eventually he had no comms.
But overall, Comms were perfect. We frequently spoke over distances of 10km or more.

Dirk: Dirk is a character, an energetic 61 year old lover of life who takes time to enjoy the little things.
As I said above, Dirk marches to the beat of his own distorted drum.
We'd all be chatting on the radiuos about something, say tyre pressures or Speed per 1000 revs in top gear or something.
We'd then ask Dirk for his input & then there would be a long silence before Dirk would reply asking what the question is.
I remain convinced he kept his radio packed away in the back of his Kombi & he had to go dig it out when he (eventually) heard us calling.

Resistance: In a few cases, guys didn't do what they were advised to do, deflating, refueling etc. This bit them bad.
It's always better to understand why a order is given & then follow it rather than trying to be a maverick.

Old Dirk came on the radio one day asking Bugger to stop so he could deflate, now this was a few days into the trip & Kurt always stopped for Deflation/Inflation stations. We'd had one earlier. So I asked Dirk WTF he was doing a few hours earlier when we stropped to deflate, in true Dirk fashion he replied "Watching & Learning, watching & learning.".

Camaraderie: This was otstanding - refer to the recovery above.

Vehicles: We had no Jeeps or Land Rovers in our convoy, so, other than Martin's Sideshaft (a non Toyota part) & his aftermarket wiring (also non Toyota obviously) & a few hiccups with the Synchros we had no vehicle issues.
Kurt had his engine warning light burning most of the trip. It was a minor issue, but anally retentive Kurt was concerned about it.
It made no difference to his performance.

Leadership: As Andreas, who arranged the trip, was unable to attend, Kurt stepped up to the plate & did an outstanding job.
So much so we all relaxed & followed his lead. This upset him when we asked questions like "How long do we stay here?" or "Where do we go next?".
Kurt was quick with a sarky comeback - but it was because we had faith in him, we just enjoyed the trip.

Garmin: Is useless outside of well tarred routes. My Garmin got me slightly lost twice. In the first case I asked Kurt "Left or right at the fork?" (Remember, because of dust, the vehicles were 1 or 2 km apart) & he said "Follow you Garmin".
In the 2nd case I could not get Kurt on the Radio & followed Garmin.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST VERSION OF T4A before going on a trip like this.

Diesel & Petrol: You can get it easily, but a little planning is required. Fearless hasan 80 litre tank & that was sufficient. I did fill a Jerry can which I used, but it wasn't absolutely neccessary.
At the time, Diesel 50ppm in JHB was around R15:30 to R15:90. I paid R16:90 in Kathu, which was the most expoensive place. But everywhere in the NC it was over R16:00.

Water: We all took too much water, I took 25l + 15l of clean drinking water & 150l of hose pipe water (from Kathu).
I came home with 15l of clean & wasted the remaining (?75l) of tank water on the road on the way back.
Others also had more than enough.
10l per person per day is more than enough.

National Club: The people who attended, all Club Members, were from Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape & Western Cape (4 of the 9 provinces) Proving that keeping the club national has worked.

Damages: Apart from Martin's Sideshaft & a bit of damage to his home made trailer, there was other damage; I smashed my passenger side fender & door because I did not listen to Christopher Van Vuuren on RTH.
I also lost a exhaust mounting bracket - so I drove home with a rattle - very irritating.
Kurt dinged his LHS at the same spot I did (same spot on the vehicle, same spot on RTH, but his damage was not as bad as mine.
Kurt's damage was also caused, because he too, did not listen to Christopher Van Vuuren on RTH.
The Syncros had a few issues, but none caused by the trip - remember, these are older vehicles.

So the vehicles all did well. In fact, had we NOT done the RTH, we would have had no issues & no stoppages.

Finally, the Thank you's: Firstly, we MUST thank Andreas for arranging the trip. He did good. Then, thanks to Kurt for leading it, he did a great job.
We made a few changes to the original plan & these were well considered & worked out well.

Then a big thanks to all who attended, it was a great group.
Buggers mechanical knowledge.
Dirks beautiful spirit.
Martin's unflinching determination no matter what the trip threw at him.
Kurt's 'behind the scenes' leadership style.
Hannah & Emma's outstanding behaviour under the conditions (those little girls were fantastic).
John's insight & easy going relaxed nature (I've never seen John so chilled).
Mike's energy & helpfulness.
The Van Vuuren's shooter & drink pouring skills (Ignus must have handed me over 30 drinks throughout the trip) & their support during the recovery..
The FOUR wives being supportive (& not full of kak as women can be). :D
All contributed to making it a truly memorable trip.

That's All Folks!!!!
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

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#191

Post by grips »

Thanks Manny, Mike what a nice report. We really enjoyed the little part we were able to join and that is a thanks to every one one the trip.
Met a very nice bunch of oke`s and those wives that went along. Will do a trip with you guys any day. John thanks for keeping the Cruiser in one piece up RTH.
I must have the record reversing down RTH. First as an anchor for Pierre winching the Syncro over the steps. Pierre jou roekelose wetter ek het gesien hoe gaan ons saam die afgrond af. :lol: The next to anchor Fearless asiting Martin. Last time to anchor the Syncro winching out Martin.

Pitty I could not do the rest of the trip. :cry:

For the lost BF a first out of many lost due to a sidewall cut. Looks like something very sharp slicing the sidewall. That happened on a very nice piece of road. Must be a jinx from XJ :D
You will never find me without Stroh or a 4x4 :D

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#192

Post by BushWacker »

Nice report , thanks Manny ... brings back
memories though I never stayed at
Potjiespram nor visited Port Nolloth
and Springbok.
... and I always thought ascent up RTH
should be called Road to Heaven...
... Famous Fiver VoorLoper ...
... Veni Vidi Vici ...

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#193

Post by KurtG »

Great summary Manny.

I would like to echo some of the things mentioned above, for future travelers doing something similar plus adding some of my own.

The Namakwa Eco Route is R450 per vehicle, plus R200 per vehicle per night for wild camping. Not sure what this is for as you never get checked and there are zero facilities. I would skip this part but I would use Klein Pella as a starting point if time allows. It’s a working date farm and a box of dates that you buy at Woolies, is a quarter of the price from the farm. Yes, they are suppliers to Woolies.

Second, the camping facilities are top notch, nice shady level stands with very clean ablutions.

After Klein Pella I would head for Springbok or Port Nolloth, bypassing the Eco Route altogether, it really wasn’t worth it IMHO.

Then head into the Richtersveld via Alexander Bay. The road from Port Nolloth is along the coast which is interesting because of the mining operations all along the route. It’s about 80km of tar and 90km of gravel road to Sendelingsdrift.

The campsites in the Richtersveld have flushing toilets and cold showers, but it’s not an issue because of the heat.

I wish we could have spent more time at Poitjiespram, it’s a bit away from the river (about 100m) but the sites are flat and shady.

De Hoop was my favourite Campsite. Yes it’s sunnier than Poitjiespram but the river offers plenty of activities for young and old alike. My two young girls were entertained for 6 or 7 hours a day, non-stop, that’s how much they enjoyed the water.

Baboons are a problem at De Hoop in the morning and the afternoon, so be aware if you have young kids. And please DO NOT throw any food around the campsites, it aggravates the situation.

We didn’t do Kokerboomkloof but we received mixed reviews from fellow travelers. One group said the Baboons were a major issue, the other group said it was spectacular and Baboons weren’t an issue. It is far into the park, hence we decided to rather leave from De Hoop. Here is a picture of our De Hoop campsite:

Image
Essentials:

1) solar power to charge batteries. In the searing heat your fridge cannot cope without the extra power. I sorely missed having a panel.

2) fuel - don’t skimp and skip fuel stations. You never know what might happen, for example having to turn back somewhere, having to tow a fellow traveler or having to idle to charge batteries (which Martin and I both had to do). You’re not a hero because you can “stretch” your fill ups. The going is slow so you use more fuel than you think.

3) vehicle and trailer reliability. This is very rough country, it takes no prisoners on your vehicles. Lots of corrugations over many km of gravel and also some slow technical passes to negotiate. Make sure your vehicle is in good shape and give it a once over every day checking if anything has vibrated loose etc. Decent tyres are also a must.

Would I do it again? Not in a hurry due to the cost but definitely in a few years time if I can. This is a stunning part of SA, very remote and in stark contrast to your usual coastal or city holidays. I loved it and my family also really enjoyed the solitude and serenity (no cell reception in the Richtersveld).

Thanks again to AndreasR for planning the trip and making all the payments etc. on the club’s behalf, much appreciated old man.

Now for the next trip..... Image


Flex is overrated
Flex is overrated

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Martin de Jager
Location: Ekurhuleni
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#194

Post by Martin de Jager »

Well this was one to remember, really disregarding everything that did not go to plan, we enjoyed every minute of this trip. A real tester in many ways, its hard country, come prepared.
A new solar battery failed affecting the normal quiet surroundings of our camp. The road to Hell, tough as mother nature can throw at you, and low and behold myself I made a decision to use the rock to ascend that obstacle, others avoided it, and it cost me big time.
The area is photographer's dream but it does affect your focus, something many forgets, but it's part of the fun and adventure.
Thanks again for everyone of you that assisted in my 4 hours of need, a shit one, but we did it,

Baboons will be the next big one, hope to see you all on this great pass.
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2013 Suzuki Jimny, Brutus, (larger than life),
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Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
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#195

Post by Mad Manny »

I don't know many people who would have held on with the grit & determination that Martin did.
Most people would have asked for the trailer to be brought to tar & then limped home.
Martin has one tough 'Never say die' attitude!
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

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