What's inside?
* Ben 10 Eco Challenge V6 (Dec)
* Mountain Kingdom Tour (March)
* Novice 4x4 Training
* Swartberg Tour Day 2(b)
* Pass of the week
Fresh off the griddle!
We will be running the ever popular Ben 10 Eco Challenge (Version 6) from the 10th to 15th December, 2022. The Ben 10 is never the same. There are always challenges and surprises and the mid-summer timing adds the element of thunderstorms, mud and river crossings to up the ante a bit. Join us for 5 days of technical gravel travel as we guide you through the myriad obstacles and complex navigation to earn your badge of completion. This trip is not suitable for novice offroad drivers.
You can get the full itinerary and pricing here: BEN 10 V6 OFFICIAL TOUR
Lesotho here we come
You've been waiting patiently for this long awaited tour. With all Covid restrictions lifted we have put together (as promised) the ultimate Lesotho tour package, working with an expert on the Mountain Kingdom in a joint venture, where you will experience some of the finest highlights on offer which will include Sani Pass, Maletsunyane Falls, Katse Dam, Mohale and many of the highest and steepest passes on offer during this spectacular 6 day tour from 12th to 18th March, 2023. Accommodation and meals will be pre-booked in the best lodges. If you want to put your name down on our priority list, pop us an email to
Basic Training
There are hundreds of thousands of 4x4 owners in South Africa who don't know how to drive offroad. We have created a one day introductory course for novice 4x4 drivers. The course covers all the basics you need to know, including recovery techniques. The idea is to give you the confidence to venture out on your own to enjoy the freedom that 4x4 ownership offers. We still have one place open for our Grabouw 4x4 Novice Day on October 30th. Full itinerary and pricing available on this link: GRABOUW TRAINING DAY.
SWARTBERG TOUR - Day 2(B)
The perfect winter weather ensured perfect conditions for touring as our route covered a short stretch of smooth tar along the R328 heading south through Schoemanspoort along the banks of the Grobbelaarsrivier. A short-left halfway through the poort took us past the Cango Resort (a nice camping spot run by the Oudtshoorn municipality) and on to the Koos Raubenheimer Dam.
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The dam is one of Oudtshoorn's important water supplies and is a well known favourite amongst fresh water anglers who go for the black bass that populate the crystal clear waters. There is only one small mountain pass along the stretch of gravel road between the dam and De Rust and that is the Rust en Vrede Pass.
The Koos Raubenheimer Dam offers excellent angling.
The Rust en Vrede Pass (Rest and Peace) provides a fabulous drive along a gravel road with sufficient gradient and curves to make it a memorable mountain pass. It follows the east/west axis of the Swartberg Mountains on its southern side. The road follows a narrow kloof alongside the Klein Leroux Rivier. This road is also known as the Ou Muragie Road. This is the name of a large farming settlement towards the eastern end of the P1713, close to the the junction with the N12 national road. The last section of the road, before joining the N12, bisects the Oude Muragie farm, followed by De Rustica Olive farm, which is one of the biggest olive producers in the region.
The next village is the little Victorian village of De Rust. It was so named as it was the perfect place for travellers to rest before tackling the arduous trek through Meiringspoort and on towards Beaufort West over the barren plains of the Great Karoo. De Rust has become an in vogue dorpie popular with artists and writers. A quick tour through the dusty streets reveals countless examples of lovingly restored buildings. It's a great village to linger awhile.
A typical street in De Rust
Our next point of interest was Meiringspoort and the rest stop at the waterfall offerred a perfect place to park our big convoy. The poort bears a tough history of floods and landslides amongst incredible hardships, yet our engineers and road builders mastered the art of building a magnificent road through this awe-inspiring poort. The poort is named after Petrus Johannes Meiring (1799 - 1876), a local farmer from De Rust. He campaigned tirelessly for a road to be built through the poort to facilitate trade for the towns-people of De Rust. The road was built to transport wool from the Karoo to the port of Mossel Bay. The first official road through the poort was opened to the public on 3rd March, 1858.
The road through the poort was originally a toll road (like many of the passes in the area) and a toll house was built and operated by a Mr. Rankin, who besides collecting pennies from weary travellers, also dispensed medicines as he was a herbalist, and to add to the gentleman's many talents, he also practiced dentistry! The first road was known as the Boer Road (Farmers Road) and was completed in 1858 at a cost of 5,018 Pounds Sterling. In 1885 the road was seriously damaged in a great flood and the inimitable pass guru, Thomas Bain, stepped in to upgrade the road. During the Great Depression of the 1920's to 1930's the government set up a job creation programme and spent 10,000 Pounds on upgrading the road.
The immaculate main rest area in Meiringspoort
The modern day Meiringspoort is a joy to drive amongst the towering sandstone cliffs. One of the impressive things about the poort is the first class cleanliness of the roadsides, as well as all the rest stops. There's a story behind that. When the road was rebuilt two decades ago, a local lady applied for and won the tender to maintain the facilities. So good was she at her job, that she is now a shining example to all other 'special roads' as to how the job should be done. Give that girl a Bells!
We took a shortcut out of the poort taking a slower gravel option via Bloupuntrivierspoort, Kleinvlei Pass and Aapsrivierpoort before joining the R407 at Klaarstroom. We arrived In Prince Albert with some time to spare, allowing enough time for a sunset stroll through the town. Our venue was the Swartberg Hotel - the grand old lady of the town. The owners have been investing heavily in upgrading the gracious old hotel. Our rooms were excellent and the food was exceptionally good. Highly recommended.
Next week: Up the Swartberg Pass.
PASS OF THE WEEK
This enjoyable gravel pass is located along the northern foothills of the Swartberg Range near Klaarstroom.
* * K L E I N V L E I P A S S * *
Trygve Roberts
Editor
'Surround yourself with positive people'