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* In the heat of the night
* Lesotho Passes
* Garden Route Signage
* Ben 10 Eco Challenge (Day 3)
* Wild Coast V7 Tour (Day 4)
* Pass of the Fortnight
Hot Weather
Some would say: "Well it is summer after all"
But the whole country has at some stage over the last six weeks, experienced sweltering heat waves. We are looking forward to some cooler weather in autumn, so we can 'unfry' these creative minds! We are not going to discuss going from stage 2 to stage 6 load shedding. That subject has already been beaten to death by news channels and social media. Just saying!
Our tours for 2024 are steadily being booked out. We have some spaces open for most of the tours (except Lesotho). You can use this link to view what's on offer and still available: TOURS & TRAINING
TEST REPORT ON THE NEW SUZUKI JIMNY 1.5 GLX AUTO
We traded our kinetic yellow 3 dr Jimny manual for a 5 door auto and are most impressed with it so far. We've only done just over 1000 km but here are the test results:
Improvements:
1. A far smoother and more comfortable ride on the longer wheel base. Gone is the jumpiness typically experienced in the 3 dr. The vehicle feels much more stable and safer.
2. Much better sound insulation - therefore far less road noise.
3. High definition rear view camera with PDC and a bigger, higher quality infotainment screen.
4. Much more packing space. The 5 door can accommodate 4 adults in comfort, plus it now has a decent sized boot.
On the downside:
1. Fuel consumption is worse. (We went from 12.6 km per litre in the 3 dr to 11.1 in the 5 dr - admittedly the automatic is obviously heavier on fuel than the manual), but its still acceptable for the size of vehicle and its capabilities.
2. The turning circle is not as small as the 3 door. So its not as nippy to squeeze into small spaces like the 3 dr.
3. It does feel a little underpowered on the highway (like the 3 dr). The little 1500 engine is very willing and is quite comfortable with the higher engine revolutions, but it's the 4 speed automatic gearbox that is somewhat wanting. This requires regular and judicious use of the overdrive switch to maintain a decent speed and good economy. Every vehicle has a unique cruising speed where everything feels just right. In the 5 dr Jimny it's 110 kph. Suzuki really could have fitted a 5 speed auto box to this vehicle. It would have made it an almost perfect offroad/onroad small vehicle.
Overall
When buying a Jimny, don't expect it to perform like a car on the open road. It's still a boxy 4x4 and it doesn't like crosswinds. Drivers have to adapt their driving style to the Jimny's quirks. When you get that right, all will go well. Just on closing on this subject, Suzuki out-sold Volkswagen in the month of January 2024. That's a first!
We will be taking the new Jimny on our first offroad venture later in February to do the recce for our proposed Winterberg Tour and we'll let you know how it performs. From videos posted by professional testing centres, they are raving about the new 5 door. We think so too.
LESOTHO PASSES
During May last year, we filmed about 10 passes in Lesotho. We have finally gotten around to producing those videos, which will appear on this website progressively over the next 4 weeks. You can find them under the LESOTHO tab under the FIND A PASS menu tab.
Not every attempt at filming was up to scratch, so we will make use of our two tours coming up in April, to film those that escaped our attention last year.
GARDEN ROUTE SIGNAGE
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the order has been placed to replace both the Kaaimans River sign on the N2 as well as the Karatara Pass sign on the 7 Passes Road. This has been made possible thanks to generous donations by our readers, most of whom would prefer to remain anonymous. The original contractor (Otto Signs) who put the signs up is still in business, so we will be assured of the same quality workmanship. More news as it happens.
BEN 10 ECO CHALLENGE (DAY 3)
It was time to say farewell to our hosts at the Mountain Shadows Hotel and begin the second half of the tour. This is as big a day as the second day in terms of distance travelled. Our route would go back to Barkly East, Loch Bridge, Tierkrans Pass, 7th & 8th Rail Reverses; New England, Ballochs Pass, Wartrail, Lundean's Nek, Upper Telle, Dangershoek, Volunteershoek, Loch Ness, Tiffindell, Carlisleshoekspruit and finish at Rhodes.
Loch Bridge / Photo: Trygve Roberts/MPSA
The weather was excellent as we set off at 0800 sharp along the now familiar R58 to Barkly East via the Kraai River Pass. We needed all vehicles to have full tanks as there would be no filling stations in sight for the rest of the tour. Lady Luck dictated otherwise as the Caltex garage in Barkly East had run out of petrol and diesel. The only other alternative was at the Agri, but on arrival there we were faced with long queues and a traffic backlog. There was no option but to sit things out until we had all refuelled. Always expect the unexpected.
And so the day started with a time deficit, despite our early start. Just outside Barkly East, we said farewell to the new smooth tar of the R58 and turned right onto gravel at a sign marked NEW ENGLAND. A few kilometres further we arrived at the Joseph Newey built Loch Bridge which gracefully and steadfastly straddles the Kraai River via 8 perfect arches. This is one of the last stone arch bridges still in daily use in South Africa and bears testimony to the quality of the stonemasonry and engineering of the time (1888). It has withstood countless floods in the last 130 years and still stands firmly to this day. It's a single lane bridge.
A little further we ascended the Tierkrans Pass and took some photos and videos of the 7th & 8th Rail Reverses which last saw a train running up and down their zig-zags in the 1970's. The line was closed after a special event steam excursion from Lady Grey to Barkly East derailed killing some guests, the train driver and his son. The railway history in this area is fascinating.
The Kraai River flanked by the 7th & 8th rail reverses of the old Barkly branch line / Photo: Trygve Roberts/MPSA
We routed east through the New England farming area through fields of green pastures over Wintersnek and down into Ballochs Pass where we connected with the R393 to Wartrail. Road conditions were fairly good, so we were able to make up some time as we approached Lundean's Nek. This pass always impresses our guests so the stop at the summit in good weather was a treat.
The descent to Upper Telle is a remarkably beautiful drive and not too technical, which allows drivers time to enjoy the scenery of waterfalls, streams, and sandstone outcrops as the road winds down the mountain in a series of tight hairpins. Challenge Pass #5 was completed, so we hooked a right at the Telle River to drive the 6th Challenge Pass - Dangershoek, and a new addition to the Ben 10 - replacing the Ben MacDhui Pass.
A beautiful rock pool topped off with a double cascade of fresh mountain water / Photo: MPSA archives
The drive along the southern bank of the river is dramatic with huge rocks balancing precariously over the road and some awkwardly tight corners where the road has been undermined by the powerful Telle River. At the summit, there was time for a leg stretch and some photographs - as well as a group photo - before retracing our route back to the Wartrail Country Club for our lunch break. Challenge Pass #6 done and dusted.
A happy bunch of Ben Tenners at the summit of Dangershoek Pass / Photo: Trygve Roberts
Looking west from the switchback section of the Dangershoek Pass/ Photo: Trygve Roberts/MPSA
As happens every day, the clouds start building around lunch time, so we didn't linger over lunch too long, before making our way along the Funnystone Valley, which is a lovely drive as it winds its way through riverine forests and on towards the last farm in the valley, the Bidstone farm.
Here is where the fun begins, but this year we had much drier conditions than the previous event, which was very slippery and muddy. The convoy all made it up Volunteershoek Pass (Challenge Pass #7) with its embedded tyres, which look much worse than what they actually are. After breaking at the summit for a comfort break, the 8 kilometre slow drive to Loch Ness and Tiffindell proceeded without mishap.
This photo lends scale to the sheer scope of the terrain ascending the Volunteershoek Pass / Photo: Trygve Roberts/MPSA
All that remained was the descent of the extremely steep Carlisleshoekspruit Pass (Challenge Pass #8) until we reached our overnight destination - the Rhodes Hotel, where the thirsty descended on the pub with obvious relish to quench big thirsts after a fantastic day in the mountains.
Glitches with some unservicable rooms were resolved and then it was time for Chappie Hour and a big dinner served up in the old school dining room, which dates back to 1888. We slept soundly in a tjoepstil Rhodes. It's incredibly dark there at night.
Next issue: Naude's Neck, Pot River Pass, Maclear, Luzi Poort, Pitseng Pass and back to Rhodes.
WILD COAST TOUR (DAY 4)
The day of the waterfalls. Still blessed with excellent weather we had a later than normal start from Mbotyi River Lodge, hauling up the steep, concrete pass for the 5th time in two days. Jacques Rudman and his brother had spotted a small pack of jackals the day before and were excited about the sighting, but a little embarrassed to mention it in case no-one believed them.
We were about 1 km from the summit, still in the deep forest when we also spotted them. We counted 5 of them and absolutely no question that they were black backed jackals. These animals have obviously gravitated closer to the coastal forests in search of food. It's certainly was a first for us in all our trips to the Wild Coast.
Fraser Falls / Photo: MPSA Archives
Our first stop was at Fraser Falls. The remarkable feature of Fraser Falls is that the main road is really close to the waterfall and its gorge, but it remains unseen, only 300m away. Unless you know exactly where to turn, these falls are difficult to find. So often we arrive at this waterfall, only to find it shrouded in mountain mist, but we were lucky this year. Our weather was perfection itself as we got good views of the waterfall which at first looks like its pouring straight out of the mountain, but as one moves around to the edge of the gorge, it becomes clear that the river has carved a near vertical channel through the rock via a double drop. This is an underrated waterfall which lives in the shadow of its more famous cousin, Magwa Falls, just a few kilometres down the road.
We took our secret forest route through to Magwa. This logging road changes each year presenting a range of interesting obstacles, but we reached Magwa Falls without incident, bang on schedule. Armstrong (our local guide) helped guests across the Magwa River, where one gets the best views of the falls. The view point is unguarded and dangerous. One slip and you're history as it's a free fall down the gorge onto the rocks below of around 125m.
Whilst the guests were enjoying the spectacle, I remained with the vehicles and got the drone airborne, the results which you can watch in this video;
Even the best plans can go wrong. One of our fitter, agile guests, Mandy Minnaar, slipped whilst crossing the river. As she reached out to stop the fall, she cut the palm of her hand deeply on a sharp rock. It would require stitches. With the help of Jo Schutten, who kept the wound compressed, it was temporarily dressed and the Minnaars took off to Lusikisiki to find a doctor, as she required stitches.
That event meant we had to adapt our programme for the day and cancelled the afternoon activities. The rest of the group drove directly to Umngazi River Bungalows, whilst we waited for the Minnaars to rejoin us. They arrived ahead of Chappie Hour, duly stitched up and bandaged, but she was clearly in considerable pain.
The spread at Umngazi is a mouth watering array of fine food. The hotel was full, which was great to see the business thriving despite the effects of Covid and the notoriously bad Wild Coast roads.
Next Episode: Mlengana Pass, Execution Rock, majola Tea Estates and some cool drag racing in the clouds.
PASS OF THE FORTNIGHT
As we have recently completed a brand new three part video set on this pass, which is now officially a part of the 2024 version of the Ben 10 Eco Challenge, it is fitting that this should be our featured pass this week.
* * D A N G E R S H O E K P A S S * *
A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether. ~ Roy H. Williams
