* Tours updates
* Rescues and recoveries
* Wild Coast Tour V6 Overview
* Lesotho Tour - Day 5
* Tankwa Tour - Day 4
* Pass of the Week
We've just had a cancellation for the Kouga Baviaans Tour in October and there's one spot open on the Swartberg Classic in July. Last year's Swartberg Classic was such a success and proved that July was a very good month to run this ever popular tour. We've made some changes to the routes and a few extra passes will be included along the western side of the Swartberg Range with 2 nights at the tranquil Bosch Luys Kloof Lodge.
Swartberg Tour (July 9-15)
Garden Route Tour (August 7-12)
Seven Sisters Tour (September 9-10)
Kouga Baviaans Tour (October 11-15)
All the other tours are fully booked, but you can put your name down on the cancellation lists by sending us an email to
We have run many tours, but this is the first time guests had tears in their eyes on the final night. We stand humbled.
We explored the Wild Coast from Msikaba to Kei Mouth - the Full Monty. We had some beautiful calm days; some heavy rain; there was mud; there were recoveries of a bus and taxi with a bull in tow. We had to turn around once and do a long detour due to damage to a bridge exit. We laughed a lot. We walked till our feet ached. We took thousands of photos. We flew our drones. One crashed. There was the whisky contingent who ensured merry evenings. We fished, swam, got educated about birds and bridges. We posed hypothetical questions. We ate seafood. Oysters galore. What a tour!
* Cleaning road signs
* Tankwa Tour
* Mountain Kingdom Tour
* Pass of the Week
In 2000 we started a campaign to get rid of stickers on our MPSA tourism boards. We have 54 of them in the Western Cape. The campaign has been an unqualified success. Working on a process of creating awareness that it's not the right thing to deface property that is not yours, the number of cleaned up signs is growing steadily, with MPSA fans and followers rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in.
However, this has not happened without some growing pains. Every time we feature a sticker plastered sign, we receive abusive messages from the sticker people. This past week one of our followers posted a photo of the signboard on the N2 to Jeffries Bay which is smothered in mainly surfer stickers. We put out an appeal to anyone willing to clean that board up with a free one year subscription to MPSA.
Then the hate mail arrived with sticker folk threatening us physically and using some seriously bad language. Most of those are just keyboard warriors and it's part of the educational process in trying to engage with people that stickers should only be put on your own property or if you have been given permission by the lawful owner. It's important to look beyond the here and now and remain focused on the long term goal.
Our heartfelt thanks to Andrew Dunn and his wife for cleaning up signs in the Tankwa, Swartberg Pass and Baviaanskloof.
Do you fancy a road trip? Get out of the city and enjoy some fresh mountain air and dramatic scenery? Well, we still have a few places open on some of the tours. To view availability and get full details use this link: MPSA TOURS
Our tour at the South African Large Telesope completed, we headed back to Sutherland to meet up with the rest of the group for a light lunch which was followed by a tour of the Dutch Reformed Church and later a one hour show at the planetarium, watched on a domed display in 3D, which was fascinating.
* Wild Coast Tour
* Lesotho - Day 4
* Podcast
* Pass of the week
By the time you read this newsletter, we will be in Mbotyi on the Wild Coast on Day 2 of the tour, walking to Waterfall Bluff and Cathedral Rock. We plan on being quite adventurous with the drone, so the many attractions along the Wild Coast, like the new Msikaba Bridge, Waterfall Bluff, cathedral Rock and Hole in the Hall should provide ample opportunities at getting these famous landmarks viewed from the air. We have a loose plan to fly the drone through Hole in the Wall, but it will require near perfect conditions to get it right - low tide, calm seas and no wind.
You can follow along on the MountainPassesSouthAfrica Facebook group
Thaba Bosiu to Malealea (103 km / 8 hours)
We got going 0900 from our comfortable accommodation at Thaba Bosiu Cutural Village heading south-west to Makhalanyane, where we intersected with the A3 for a brief stint of 5 km, before taking the A5 to Roma where we refuelled again. We drove the Ngakana Pass for a second time, vividly recalling Theo's previous radiator hose drama with plenty of ragging over the radios.
* Wild Coast Tour V6
* Tankwa Tour Day 2
* Mountain Kingdom Tour Day 3
* Podcast
* Pass of the Week
In a few days' time our next tour begins in Matatiele. We work our way down the Wild Coast over 10 days taking in all the best points of interest on offer. We have added some great side excursions to make this tour the ultimate Wild Coast adventure tour with plenty of "opt out" days and more days to simply relax. Once again we have obtained permission to visit the Msikaba bridge construction site which has reached the sections of the deck being put in place. We have two vulture viewing sites to visit and of course the walk to Waterfall Bluff and Cathedral Rock is not to be missed. We have also secured accommodation at Umngazi River Bungalows (which is the sort of "Ritz" of the Wild Coast), so our guests will enjoy a 5 star weekend there.
We'll tell you more when we get back to HQ on the 22nd May.
July - Swartberg Classic - 1 spot available
August - Garden Route Tour - 2 available
September - Seven Sisters - 6 available
October - Kouga Baviaans - 1 available
December - Ben 10 V7 - 4 available
This week we continue with our journey through the Tankwa and over the Roggeveld Mountains to one of the coldest places in South Africa - Sutherland. It's an other-worldy kind of town, locked in its own time warp, where life plods along at a gentle pace and the stars are amongst the brightest in the whole world.
* Freedom Day
* Tankwa Tour Day 1 & 2
* Mountain Kingdom Tour Day 3
* Podcast
* Pass of the Week
Janis Joplin shook our moral foundations in 1967 when she hit the world stage, somewhat wasted and definitely telling things as she saw them. Kris Kristofferson penned her first major hit 'Me and Bobby McGee' with the thought provoking chorus line "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"
It started a whole generation of young adults thinking more deeply about freedom.
Whatever you're doing on this public holiday, have a toast to freedom; however you visualise it. As the rain patters softly down in Cape Town, your editor is writing this newsletter! Now that is freedom!
TOURS
We have between a 60 and 90% repeat business ratio on our tours. There's a good reason for that. If you've been thinking about booking a tour, don't delay. We promise you a fun filled adventure where safety comes first. To peruse ticket availability, use the link below:
Our first and second nights on tour were spent at the Gannaga Lodge - a rambling set of buildings consisting of the main lodge (reception, bar, dining, lounge and kitchen), The Stables with about 6 double rooms; the old farmhouse with another six rooms and a stone cottage about a kilometre away called Kliphuis.
The main workhorse at Gannaga is a young Zulu man, who is well educated, well-spoken and sharp as a brand new Minora. Shihle worked flat out manning the bar, reception, sorting out drains, taking food orders and generally making a huge effort ensuring our group was happy. What an asset this youngster is to the lodge. I hope the owners realise his value.
We had arrived at about 15.30 on Good Friday on a beautiful sunny day. Whilst most guests were happy to chill before happy hour and dinner, some of the more adventurous ones, roped us in to go with them on one of the 4x4 routes close by. And so it was that Rupert Worsdale (the self-appointed ring-leader of this little side adventure and self-confessed dodgy navigator) roped MPSA 1 to lead the way, based on some vague directions about turning left at the blue bicycle, offered by the barman and Rupert's memory; hence our title of "Rupert's Folly". The ever cheerful Liesel Fowler in her rental lime green Jimny joined the adventure.
To put it mildly, we got lost ending up at a dried up farm dam and had to retrace our route back to a fork, barred by a 'NO ENTRY' sign.
* Autumn
* Tours
* Tankwa Tour - Day 1
* Dealing with corrugations
* Lesotho Tour - Day 2
* Pass of the Week
The months of April and May in the Western Cape bring pleasantly mild temperatures with cool nights and it's that time of year we give the Cape Doctor some annual leave. The trees change colour from yellows to deep reds. It has a soothing effect on the soul. Lovely calm days bring out the need to go camping far from the madding crowd. But I digress....back to work!
Ticket sales are clicking away nicely. There are still a few places left on some of the tours. Take the link below if you would like to explore the tour itineraries and pricing. If you haven't been on an MPSA tour yet, be warned, they are addictive!
TOUR ONLINE DETAILS & BOOKINGS
Our visit to the "famous" Tankwa Padstal was an eye opener. Being the start of the Easter weekend, the place was humming. Vehicles were coming and going and a festive vibe prevailed as happy faces milled about ordering breakfasts, moerkoffie and ginger beer. We spent an hour there soaking it all in. We got the drone airborne and will put together a video in the next week or two.
It was time to bid the dusty and unique farm stall farewell as we faced the challenges of the R355 - the longest uninterrupted road in South Africa at 257 km which connects Ceres and Calvinia. It has earned itself the tag of "The Tyre Eating Road" for its voracious appetite for destroying tyres. The rationale behind this is that the road was built using locally quarried gravel which consists predominantly of shale. The shale breaks up into wafer thin slivers which are also sharp. The vast majority of punctures occur on the LR wheel.
Shale fragments are spun backwards from the RF wheel and end up under the LR wheel and pop goes the weasel! The secret is not to drive on the camber where possible and use the two centre tracks to have your vehicle as level as possible. Our tyre pressures were down to 1.4 bar and we limited our speed to no more than 60 kph. That seemed to be a good recipe as we made it unscathed to the turnoff to the R354 and the Tankwa National Park.
* Tours Update
* Mountain Kingdom Tour
* Tankwa Tour
* Pass of the Week
May: Wild Coast V6 Tour - Fully booked.
July: Swartberg Classic Tour - We have had a cancellation. One place available.
August: Garden Route Tour - 3 places available
September: Seven Sisters Tour - 6 places available
October: Kouga-Baviaans Tour - 1 places available
November: Wild Coast V7 Tour - Fully booked
December: Ben 10 Eco Challenge - 5 places available.
Our rendezvous point for this tour was at the Tulbagh Heritage Hotel. The hotel is well run with attentive staff and good service. The rooms were comfortable and spotless with plenty of hot water. It's located right in the heart of town along the main street. The swimming pool was a welcome relief from the 35C temperatures. All the suites had efficient air-conditioners ensuring a peaceful night's rest. We can recommend this venue.
The usual driver's briefing took place in the conference room, where questions were answered. This was followed by an extended happy hour and a lovely meal.
DAY ONE - Tulbagh to Gannaga Lodge.
We had our convoy ready to depart by 09.00 as we headed out of Tulbagh in the direction of Ceres. The valley was looking fabulous, cloaked in shades of green with some of the trees displaying the first orange and yellow tones of autumn.
One of our vehicles, driven by Dave Hulbert, was the only non 4WD vehicle in the group - a Honda CRV 2.0 4x2. As things turned out Dave drove his car exceptionally well, managing to clear the worst obstacles over the four days, without any need for assistance. He went on to win the Man of the Match award, not only for his driving skills, but for his throughtfulness and generosity as well.
The basin has been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous Bushmen and Khoi-San peoples. It was about 300 years ago when, after a land grant by the Dutch Colonial Government to a more or less equal number of Dutch and Huguenot settlers to settle the area, that the town of Tulbagh was founded. The region was named "Land van Waveren" in 1699 by Willem Adriaan van der Stel in honour of the Oetgens van Waveren family, from which his mother was descended. Before this date, but also subsequent to it, the region had also been known as Roodezand ("red sand"). The region corresponds to the present Tulbagh district, named after Governor Ryk Tulbagh. The town developed slowly and over time and in the period many notable examples of Cape Dutch architecture, Victorian and Edwardian houses and other buildings such as the Oude Kerk (1743) and the Oude Drosdy (the original colonial Magistrate's complex) were built.
* Tours update
* Easter
* Lesotho Tour (Day 2)
* Podcast (Sani Pass/Cape Talk 567)
* Podcast (Lesotho Day 1)
* Pass of the Week
April - Tankwa Tour - Fully Booked
May - Wild Coast V6 Tour - Fully Booked
July - Swartberg Tour - Fully Booked
August - Garden Route Tour (3 places open)
September - Seven Sisters Tour (6 places open)
October - Kouga-Baviaans (1 place open)
November - Wild Coast Tour V7 - Fully Booked
December - Ben 10 Eco Challenge V7 - (6 places open)
Wishing all our readers a blessed and safe Easter weekend. As we all know the Easter break brings untold dangers on the major roads. If you're travelling, please rest when you're tired. Don't take unnecessary risks. Be patient. Be kind. Stay off the alcohol. We would like you all back here next week.
As you receive this newsletter, we will be on our way to our rendezvous of Tulbagh for the start of our 2023 Tankwa Tour. We have four full days of action planned for the guests, which will include no less than 20 mountain passes, which will include the Gannaga and Ouberg passes.
Last Sunday we left at 0500 to do a basic recce of the roads after all the flood damage. We took the little Jimny and headed for Ceres and a breakfast at the Tankwa Farm Stall. We got there just after 08.00 and were joined by two pilots who had flown their light aircraft in from Worcester. Did you know the Tankwa Padstal has an airstrip?
* Tours
* Winterberg
* Lesotho - Day 1
* Katse Dam
* Podcast
For the latest information on ticket availability, itineraries and pricing, use this link: MPSA TOURS
We are busy exploring and creating a brand new tour, which we know will be an instant hit. It will be called the WINTERBERG TOUR and will be based at the Katberg Mountain Resort and Hogsback. Some wonderful passes will be included on this tour, which will include, Katberg, Devil's Bellows, De Waalkloof, Wolf River, Michells, Blinkwater, Fullershoek and Bosnek plus several more. Watch this space!
Last week we gave you an overview of this wonderful tour. Today we will get into the nitty gritty of the first day.
Monday 13th March (Matatiele to Butha Buthe) 240 km / 8.5 hours
We had the guests up early and ready to roll by 08h00 with a very big day ahead of us. The one thing we have learned on our tours as that any delays are very difficult to make up time later in the day. As always we start the day with a radio comms check. We had two vehicles with their own VHF radios, both of which were problematic. The frequency we always use was not audible on Murray Cubitt's radio. No matter which other options we tried on common frequencies, led to other users not having audio. After lots of head scratching and experimentation, Murray agreed to drive "audio blind". The other problem was lots of static and interference on Philip's radio when transmitting, which we will have to resolve in time.
We eventually got going after 08.30 heading east along the badly potholed R56 to Cedarville. We were about 2 km out of Matatiele when Alan Butler in a new Land Rover Defender announced on the radio that he had a problem with his brakes. We have still not been able to figure out what the vehicle's electronics were up to, but (obviously) all four tyres indicated low pressure warnings as we had all deflated our tyres. After some analysis Alan opted to drive on and see if things improved, which they did and he went on to complete the entire tour without any further issues. You do not want to be driving in Lesotho with suspect brakes!!
* Latest updates on tours
* Sani Pass
* Mountain Kingdom Tour Overview
* Podcast
* Featured Pass of the Week.
* Wisdom
April: Tankwa Tour - We have one place open on this unique tour over the Easter weekend. We will be driving some great passes like Michells, Gydo, Klein Cederberg, Katbakkies, Peerboomskloof and a coffee break at the marvellous Tankwa Padstal. The Tankwa Karoo proper is entered as we cross the empty plains of the Tankwa via the national park and up the winding Gannaga Pass to the Gannaga Lodge where we stay for two nights. We will be taking a guided tour to the SALT Telescope north of Sutherland and enjoy some of our own stargazing at night. Various remote passes will be driven in the middle of the weekend including Ouberg and Komsberg. Our return route will be via another series of gravel passes through the Tankwa's eastern corridor. Bookings close next week.
May: Wild Coast V6 Tour is fully booked.
July: Swartberg Tour - We have one place open on this ever popular tour. We have amended our routing and venues to make this tour even more memorable than its predecessors.
August: Garden Route Tour - Four places available.
September: Seven Sisters Tour - Seven places available.
October: Kouga-Baviaans Tour - One place available
November: Wild Coast Tour V7 - Fully booked.
December: Ben 10 Eco Challenge V7 - Six places available. This will be the first tour over the new route.
Your scribe is still slowly coming off the post tour high. In this newsletter I'm going to paint the tour with some broad brush strokes which will be followed in next week's newsletter in much more detail.
It took us a year to plan this tour. We formed a JV with Philip Rawlins (an expert on matters Lesotho) to ensure our clients saw the very best of what Lesotho has to offer. His presence (he's well known by many people in Lesotho) ensured we were whisked through road blocks unhindered and accommodation and meals ran smoothly. We put him in front of the convoy to this end whilst MPSA 1 functioned as sweep. This was his first experience at leading a large group and he did himself proud.
Lesotho has changed a lot over the past four years (our previous visit) with many new roads offering more convenience and speed (but that's a relative term). One doesn't measure distance in kilometres in Lesotho, but time. We found the locals overwhelmingly friendly. In some of the villages we were treated like celebrities with people lining both sides of the road, cheering, smiling and singing. There were about three incidents of stone throwing by very young children - this a learned response if tourists don't give them a treat. In each incident we took note of the time and place and this will be reported back to Lesotho Tourism for those schools to receive some education in terms of tourism. Lesotho Tourism is keen to rid the country of this bad habit.
Page 6 of 57
|
Mountain Passes of South Africa | 2024 © Trygve Roberts |
disclaimer |
