Sliding in a newsletter between tours!
* Trips & Tours Update
* Lesotho V2 Tour (Overview)
* History Hoekie
* Technical Corner
* Wild Coast Tour V7 (Day 7)
* Pass of the Fortnight
TRIPS & TOURS UPDATE
June: Katberg Tour (1 spot available)
July: Swartberg Tour - (Fully booked)
August: Grabouw 4x4 Training Day (6 places left)
September: Kouga Baviaans Tour - (1 spot available)
November: Wild Coast V9 Tour - (Fully Booked)
December: Ben 10 Eco Challenge - 2 places available)
LESOTHO / OVERVIEW
In our last newsletter we indicated the next newsletter only being released on the 25th April, but we have had a few days to pen a shortened newsletter from the lovely grounds of Resthaven Guest House in Matatiele, surrounded by roses and tall trees. I can vouch that it was a boisterously noisy final night. The mountains had worked their magic bonding all the guests into one big, happy family.
The tour kicked off a week earlier on the 3rd April in pleasant weather after a night of solid rain, leaving the countryside wet and refreshed and the moment we hit the gravel road to Underberg, the mud puddles gave a foretaste of what was to come in the days ahead.
Clearing through the SA Border Control was seamless and soon we were enjoying our first pass, the timeless Sani. The weather was kind and we were able to enjoy the amazing views down the Mkhomazana River Valley from the 2867m high summit at the highest pub in Africa, where a warm fire welcomed visitors for a light lunch and hot chocolate.
For first time visitors to Lesotho, it was something of a wake up call to have to change down to first gear in places to ascend the Black Mountain Pass, which summits at an ear popping 3242m ASL after a climb of 1066m, making Sani Pass look like a poor cousin. All that altitude gain is swiftly lost as the road twists and turns its way into the north where it ends some 32km later near Mokhotlong, where we joined the A1 route northwards towards Butha Buthe.
It's quite a reality check having to tackle such a massive descent and learn to stay off the foot brake, using mainly engine compression to slow our vehicles down, but one soon learns that overheated brakes often leads to brake failure as can be attested by the many car wrecks rusting away down the ravines. Afriski had a few vehicles parked alongside the chalets and were to have their first snow of the season exactly one week later.
The passes got ticked off one after the other in a blur of incredible scenery as we traversed the Tlaeeng Pass and Khalo La Lethunya (Pass of Guns). The rain held off as we worked our way to the New Oxbow Lodge, which has been closed for a few years since Covid and only recently reopened. The lodge still looks the same which has a dated, rustic, traditional Lesotho dolerite stone look about it, but we were pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness of the rooms and the delicious food. It was cold up there in the mountains, but fires in the pub and dining room kept the vibe going. It rained hard throughout the night.
The next day we had a shorter leg to Hlotse, but first we had to tackle the mighty Moteng Pass - one of my personal favourites. On arrival at the summit viewpoint, we stopped alongside an unusually large group of heavy trucks, only to learn that there was an abnormal load truck stuck halfway down the pass, but passenger vehicles and taxis could just squeeze past. A massive backlog of trucks exceeding 300 were parked nose to tail for miles down the pass on the less steep sections. It took them three days to clear the truck, which had gotten stuck on a sharp, steep hairpin bend.
Clive Miller easing his Land Rover gingerly past the truck on the Moteng Pass / Photo: MPSA Guest
We visited the Liphofung Caves and stopped in at the Muela Hydro Power plant for a walk deep into the mountain via a tunnel to see the three massive turbines that generate over 50% of Lesotho's electricity demand. This excursion was a winner with our guests, but the walk back to the vehicle park has a gradient of 1:10 and lasts for 800m. A nice way to take on some much needed exercise!
Once we arrived at Butha Buthe, the traffic increased quickly until we reached the tail of the longest stop-go imaginable. It took us almost an hour to get our full convoy through, as they only allowed a certain number of vehicles through at a time, which happened to coincide with our convoy mid-point. We arrived at Naleli Guest Lodge in Hlotse early enough for refuelling and a relaxing afternoon afternoon in the gardens, quenching thirsts, socialising and anticipating dinner.
The third day of this tour is a big one, which meant being on the road by 08.00 to meet our booking time of 11.30 for the Katse Dam tour. First we had to drive another set of big passes. Mafika Lisiu is the biggest of the three passes en route to Katse, but bad weather lay ahead as the dark, low clouds scudded in from the south and then the drizzle started. By the time we reached the summit we were in a total white-out, making the view point a null and void option.
Katse Dam at 95% about 30 km upstream from the wall near Ha Lejone / Photo: MPSA
Things brightened up a bit near Ha Lejone as the clouds cleared and some blue skies made a welcome appearance. After crossing the impressive high bridge with its 80m high pylons near the main water intake at Ha Lejone (Many towns start with the word 'Ha' as a prefix. It means "Place of" - so in this case Place of Lejone) we commenced with another two massive passes - Laitsoka and Nkoabee passes, before arriving at Katse Dam in lovely weather. The rain had cleared and it was pleasantly warm. We took our lunch break overlooking the Katse Dam, to the accompaniment of cows and sheep - neck bells ringing softly, while the herders with balaclavas, gumboots and blankets kept an eye on their charges.
The drive from Katse Dam to Thaba Tseka is "grof en onbeskof" to quote the late South African comedian Tolla van der Merwe. It took us over 4 hours to cover the 62 km. The sooner they tar and upgrade that road, the better. The counterpoint to that is the scenery more than makes up for the bumpy road.
The Clan Guest Lodge at Thaba Tseka is a haven of hospitality where we soon filled the pub to capacity, roping in the locals to join the festivities. The rain continued overnight, making this the wettest Lesotho tour to date and there was more to come! So much for planning these tours in April which is supposed to the "safest weather window".
The fourth day was a feast of mountain passes as we drove eastwards along the tarred A3 towards Maseru. The passes run back to back for over 110 km and included Mokoabong Pass (28 km), Cheche's Pass (2553m / 19km), Marakabei Pass (2476 / 8.4 km), Likalaneng Pass (2625m / 17 km), Lekhalo La Thaba Putsoa (BLue Mountain Pass (2642m / 18.2 km), Lekhalo La Molimo Nthuse (God Help Me Pass) (2332m / 8.2 km) and Lekhalo La Baroa (Bushmen's Pass) (2277m / 11.9 km). In between we branched off to the Mohale Dam whilst the weather was good to view this impressive reservoir, which was at about 85% capacity.
Cosmos was still blooming in abundance throughout Lesotho, adding a splash of colour to the maize and sorghum fields. We arrived at Thaba Bosiu early enough for lunch, but continued on to Kome Caves, which is a fascinating look at life in Lesotho in the early to mid 1800's. The weather remained stable enough for a quick photo stop at Qiloane Mountain which is reputed to be the inspiration for the traditional Basotho straw hat with the distinctive top knot, known as the Mokorotlo.
A local horseman offered to pose in front of the famous Qiloane koppie / Photo: MPSA
The facilities are Thaba Bosiu are lovely, but the venue is somewhat lacking in maintenance, like many of the hospitality venues in Lesotho. It's commonplace to find fixtures and fittings not working. The late afternoon heralded the arrival of a fresh round of rain which came down in buckets throughout the night. The gravel roads were going to be interesting!
Day 5 was scheduled from Thaba Bosiu to Malealea via Botsoela Falls and pass - a 4x4 only route. It rained incessantly leaving the gravel roads in quite a state with much slipping and sliding. We decided to bypass the Botsoela Falls route and take a safer route to Malealea where we arrived in patchy sunshine, but it would begin raining again overnight, ensuring an exciting drive to Semonkong the following day. Malealea runs on solar power with about half the the rondavels getting hot water via gas heating. Those guests in the solar powered rondavels had little hot water after 4 days of continuous rain, so had the dubious pleasure of having to take their showers in the communal area. It's all part of the package of touring in Lesotho ~ Memories that will last a lifetime.
Day 6: At that stage the consistent rains resulted in good run off with all the streams and rivers showing good flow, but it did mean we had to amend some of our routes to avoid flooded causeways which could be dangerous. Maletsunyane Falls was the first port of call where we were met with the beautiful sight of the falls thumping down the 185m high drop in a cascade of spray. Never before had we seen the falls looking so impressive. The roar of the water could be heard and felt over 2 km away. The temperature had dropped to 4C ensuring the Basotho Blanket Presentation would have to be held indoors in the Moang Restaurant in the new visitor centre.
Maletsunyane Falls in full spate / Photo: Trygve Roberts
We arrived at Semonkong Lodge with time to spare as the Maletsunyane River roared past the lodge in cascades of swiftly flowing white water. Most of the rooms have open fireplaces which were quickly put to work to ward off the cold in the valley. Semongkong village has a unique atmosphere and as one enters the narrow streets filled with the sounds of horses hooves and humanity going about their daily business.
The final day would take us along the most amazing passes (most of them without official names) all along the southern boundary with a stop in at the Horseshoe Bend in the Senqu River, followed by a drive up the switchback peppered Tsoelike River Pass. (In Lesotho some words like Tsoelike, the L is pronounced as a D, so it is pronounced as Tsoedike River Pass. It can get confusing!
One of the lady passengers in our group had such anxiety driving down the pass, that she ended up in tears. That one is not for the faint hearted!
We exited Lesotho at Rama's Gate, after enjoying a fantastic smooth drive on one the new Chinese built roads. This one will be a winner with the motorcycle fraternity!
A slow and bumpy drive down Ramaselito's Pass to Matatiele concluded the final day of the tour. Not a single puncture or mechanical breakdown were reasons worth celebrating. Our next group arrived on Saturday 13th April. Meanwhile it has been snowing at Afriski. More news in the next lewsletter in two weeks time.
HISTORY HOEKIE
RAILWAY ENGINEERING - REVISITING THE BARCLAY EAST BRANCH LINE (Part 1)
Along the mountainous border of Lesotho, between Aliwal North and Barkly East, ran what was arguably the most scenic branch railway line in South Africa. Railway enthusiasts also know the line for the famous set of eight reverses (or switchbacks) that negotiate the dif 500 New Cape lines completed (km) 400 300 200 100 0 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 Figure 1: New railway lines completed in the Cape 1900 to 1909 May 2013 Civil Engineering 1908 1909 through the difficult terrain of the Witteberge in the southern foothills of the Drakensberg.
Although relatively short in length, its overall construction period was unduly long (28 years), spanning from March 1903 to December 1930, and included the puzzling abandonment of an essentially completed and particularly striking section. What circumstances interfered?
LENGTHY CONSTRUCTION TIME
Although only 157 km in length, the line was constructed in four separate sections:
1. Aliwal North to Lady Grey, 64 km, constructed from March 1903 to November 1905. This was a relatively easy section, the only significant obstacle being the first crossing of the Kraai River near Aliwal North.
2. Lady Grey to Motkop, 33 km, April 1910 to December 1913. This section was the most difficult, as the line had to cross the Karringmelkspruit, a deeply incised valley. It is here where six of the eight reverses were eventually built. Motkop comprised an insignificant temporary siding, a terminus necessitated by budget constraints.
3. Motkop to New England, 32 km, August 1914 to December 1915. New England was a more substantial terminus, better accessible by road from Barkly East and the surrounding farming country. This section was easy going without difficult obstacles.
4. New England to Barkly East, 28 km, after a 13 year delay, constructed from November 1928 to December 1930. This section crossed the Kraai River for a second time, and required two more reverses. To the question why construction took so long, a short answer is that each section had to follow a similar, protracted procedure of lobbying, parliamentary authorisation of a desirable “new line”, and then awaiting parliamentary appropriation of the necessary funds (against fierce com petition from many rival construction demands and requests). On each occasion insufficient funds were voted to complete the entire branch line – so, to complete the line, a new cycle had to be started.
Economic and political conditions in the country also played a role: Section 1 was built at a time of national reconstruction following the end of the South African War, when almost every district was clamouring for rail access. Funds were stretched widely. Cape rail construction tapered off dramatically after 1905. From about 1906, large capital investment by government, which included new rail construction, was inhibited by the pending unification of South Africa in 1910, holding to the well-established principle that projects could only be approved if “those that have to pay have a voice in the expenditure incurred”.
Section 2 of the branch line was the exception to the rule, as it was started only one month before unification after aggressive lobbying by the Barkly East community, based on the fear that their line would never be approved under a new government covering a much larger area of jurisdiction. Of course, the line was absorbed into the South African Railways (SAR) upon unifi cation. World War 1 (1914 – 1918) put an automatic stop to rail construction; the SAR had to divert its resources to, amongst other activities, connecting the South African and South West African rail ways in record time, and transporting troops and war supplies. Section 4 was authorised in 1925, when serious doubts were raised about the economic viability of branch lines in general. Critical examination of branch line proposals, coupled with difficult economic conditions, obliged a wait of three more years before construction started.
Compiled by Johannes Haarhoff, Francis legge, Mike Johns, Bill James & Johan de Koker. First published in Engineering News in 2013 magazine.
Part 2 will be published in the next newsletter.
TECHNICAL CORNER
Introduction to 4x4 driving (Part 1)
1. INTRODUCTION - PRINCIPLES
- Drive with respect – towards yourself, your friends, and the environment;
- Don't overdo it – rather do it over;
- As slow as possible, as fast as necessary;
- Safety first;
- "Ego and attitude" stay at home – they don't come along;
- Remember hat and sunscreen;
- No alcohol – "no drinking and driving!"
- Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker, and Captain Morgan are not good consultants. They let people do "stupid and irresponsible things!"
2. GENERAL REMARKS
- Always use your seatbelt except when passing through water crossings. This applies to all occupants!
- Always keep your window up (closed) to above your eye level to protect your eyes when driving in bushes and through thorn trees. This applies to all We only have one set of eyes, and they are irreplaceable.
- It's advisable to move your seat one notch forward and set your backrest slightly more upright when approaching technical (“harder”) sections.
- Tyre pressure must always be changed to adapt to the terrain. The topic of tyre pressure will be dealt with later.
- Obstacles should be examined in advance before being tackled. Get out and take a good look at it.
- Both hands should always be on the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving, keeping your thumbs on the outside of the steering wheel especially on rocky and stony sections.
- Pre-select your gears and “line” and stay with them until you're completely through the obstacle.
- A small piece of tape, or cable tie on the top centre of your steering wheel is handy to easily tell if your wheels are straight – this is especially important on sand.
- When driving on and in challenging terrain, the vehicle in front of you must first be allowed to travel completely through before you proceed.
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- Select 4x4 (“high range/ low range”), “diff lock” etc., before you need it - not only when you’re already in trouble.
- When driving on a two-track road where tall grass grows, regular inspection should be made under the vehicle for packing grass. Differentials and exhaust systems become very hot, and dry grass quickly catches fire. Your vehicle can catch fire quickly and it can also result in runaway wildfires.
- Stay calm at all times. If you're having trouble getting clear – drink coffee/ tea, water or soda and think through the situation. Sometimes the solution comes quickly and no damage has been sustained. Never “push” to get out. Patience and calm! – are ALWAYS good driving companions(j) Always avoid aggressive use of your steering wheel, throttle and brakes. Use smooth, even, and controlled actions.
3. VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS AND LIMITATIONS
- Know what your vehicle's approach and departure angles are. Approach angle and fallout angle for the language purists.
- Know what your vehicle's “break-over angle” is. (Break-over angle i.e., where it will flip and or roll).
- Know what your vehicle’s ground clearance height is.
- Know where your vehicle’s lowest point is.
- Know where the vulnerable parts are brake pipes, fuel pipes, pumpkin “diff.” From your driver’s seat, you need to KNOW it!
- Know where your vehicle’s air intake and how deep water you can drive through (wading depth) before you will start floating.
- Understand the dynamics of centre of gravity especially considering roof racks and roof tents.
Part 2 will follow in two weeks time.
- Select 4x4 (“high range/ low range”), “diff lock” etc., before you need it - not only when you’re already in trouble.
WILD COAST V7 TOUR - DAY 7
An easy day awaited us with glorious blue sky weather. Our first port of call was Maulzi River Mouth, where the Indian Ocean crashed against the vertical cliffs that protect the Mapuzi River lagoon. This is also a popular spot where deep sea fishing boats launch. The video shows the location nicely.
Further south well hidden from view are the Mapuzi Caves, where the ANC stashed weapons during the sruggle. The walk down to the caves is difficult and extremely steep and probably better suited to abseiling than hiking. We have only ever done the caves once and deemed it to be too dangerous for most of our guests.
The 7th day is the easiest of the tour, where the going is easy and we do minimal driving. Our stops include Whale Hill with sublime views over Coffee Bay and the Wild Coast coast line, followed by Little Hole in the Wall, which is a rock stack similar to Cathedral Rock near Mbotyi but much smaller.
The highlight is Hole in the Wall itself with its mystique and legends. We have managed to keep the dagga smoking car guards and self appointed guides under control byt managing a temporary car wash system for them to earn some cash in exchange for their labours. It seemed to work quite well and it was smiles all round, when we left.
Hole in the Wall - the most iconic symbol of the Wild Coast / Photo: Trygve Roberts
The social and gastronomical highlight is our lunch at White Clay which is always a winner with our guests, where the ozone laden sea breeze filters through the open windows to reveal one of the best seaside views you will see anywhere in South Africa. Fresh oysters, prawns, calamari and linefish are the dishes to order.
Next episode: Day 8. Coffee Bay to The Haven
PASS OF THE WEEK
With our focus on Lesotho, we feature Cheche's Pass on the A3 route. It's a big tarred pass, where the king of Lesotho (Moshoeshoe ll) died in a car crash in 1996. A small monument can be seen on the roadside if you know where to look.
This is a major pass covering 19 km and includes a huge number of bends, corners and curves - 122 of them in total. The altitude variance is a whopping 728 metres which produces and average gradient of 1:26 with the steepest parts reaching 1:7. The pass is tarred which reduces traction issues in wet weather, but when ice forms on the road things can quickly become dangerous. The pass has a classic profile with a central summit point, but the steeper and more attractive section is on the western side.
With a summit altitude of 2553m ASL this pass is regularly under snow for many months of the year. It connects Maseru with Thaba-Tseka on the A3 route together with a string of other passes.
* * C H E C H E S P A S S * *
Trygve Roberts / Editor
“Forgiveness is the power to choose how things affect you.”
