The Merry Month of May
* Out & About
* Tours Update
* Lesotho (Part 2)
* Local History
* Wild Coast Day 9
* Technical Topics
* Pass of the Fortnight
OUT & ABOUT
On a recent trip between Swellendam and Knysna, we counted 14 stop-gos over a distance of 145 km. Whilst it affects fuel consumption negatively, the traffic was managed efficiently and our ETA remained on track. It's great to see our roads being maintained. More please! We will happily live with the stop-gos.
TOURS UPDATE
June: The inaugural Katberg Tour remains fully booked. We are looking forward to this one - smack bang in the middle of winter.
July (7 to 13) Swartberg Tour: We have had a cancellation, so there's one ticket up for grabs.
August 11th Grabouw Training Day. There are two tickets left. This is a perfect way to brush up on your offroad driving skills or as a novice to discover your vehicles capabilities in a natural trail environment.
October (23 to 28): Kouga-Baviaans Tour. There is one place available.
November: Wild Coast Tour - Fully booked
December (1 to 7) Ben 10 Eco Challenge. There is one place available
LESOTHO V2 & V3 TOURS (Part 2)
The A1 road is taking strain with the volume of heavy construction vehicles that are plying back and forth to the Polihali Dam construction site. A large number of deep potholes have taken a foothold, so driving has become a sort of hit and miss story with trucks, buses and cars dodging the hazards and often appearing on the wrong side of the road. After a while we all got the hang of things and moderated our driving style to match the locals.
We passed the (unsightly) ore dumps of the highly profitable Letsing Diamond Mine. Apparently diamonds processed from the mine are transported away by helicopter as a security measure. The Letsing Mine marks the start of the Tlaeeng Pass. This is the big daddy of the Lesotho passes in terms of altitude. It tops out at a lung wheezing 3275m, but the pass itself doesn't hold the allure of Moteng or Mafika Lisiu in terms of scenery and dramatic driving conditions. The pass ends at the crossing of the Matsoku River, which sources at Mont-Aux-Sources close to the RSA/Lesotho border.
The next pass, which is the Pass of Guns starts immediatey after the bridge and ascends up the Mahlasela Hill (3220m). The Pass of Guns dates back to the previous century when a skirmish took place here to prevent invaders from gaining access beyond the hill.
Mahlasela Pass near the New Oxbow Lodge at sunset / Photo: MPSA
The Mahlasela Pass is a lesser known pass for some odd reason, but it's impessive as it descends steeply down a long valley to end at our overnight venue, the New Oxbox Lodge. The lodge has been closed since Covid and recently reopened for business, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. Although pleasantly old, the place was spotless and functioning well. Comfortable rooms and good food accompanied by plenty of wine, ensured a happy group of guests and one hapless truck driver who joined our (noisy) group to watch his favourite soccer team lose on the pub TV. The Moteng Pass a few kilometres to the east was closed to trucks due to a massive snarl up when an abnormal load truck transporting a bulldozer got stuck on one of the hairpins. This is apparently a regular scene on the pass with trucks being delayed for up to 4 days and longer.
Next episode: Moteng Pass, Muela Hydroelectric Plant, Liphofung Caves and Hlotse
LOCAL HISTORY
BARKLY EAST RAIL REVERSES
Substitution of the six reverses to replace the bridge was approved only in November 1911, three months after the tunnel and the approach earthworks for the high-level bridge had been completed in August 1911. Naturally this led to an embarrassing situation: an expensive, complete, lined railway tunnel, worthless and unusable to this day. Additionally, the rail formation constructed on side-long ground on the western approach to the proposed high-level bridge has left a hillside scar visible to the present.
For the first decades following the tunnel construction, it was commonly reported and generally accepted that abandonment of the tunnel and its approach formation ending in a short but deep curved cutting, was caused by an unavoidable shortage of money. Latterly, however, a number of myths have arisen to explain why the tunnel and formation were abandoned and the bridge design aborted; some are listed below, all easy to disprove by simply considering the timeline:
■“During World War 1 a ship loaded with bridge material en route to South Africa was sunk by a German U-boat.” (1978, The Great Steam Trek)
■“The ship with the bridge parts sank in a storm on its way from the United Kingdom to South Africa. The reverses were planned all along as a provisional arrangement for the transport of material for track and tunnel construction. As no second bridge could be ordered due to the impending war, the provisional arrangement became permanent.” (From a 1979 report on www.drehscheibe.com)
■“The reverses were designed in 1923 by a German woman living in the area.” (1980, Volksblad)
■“The steelwork for the bridge was lost at sea en route from the UK.” (1980, South African Steam Today)
■“The steel girders for the bridge were manufactured in England but the ship Mexico, carrying the girders, was sunk during World War 1.” (2011, Heritage Management Strategy and Implementation Plan for Barkly East)
■“Two bridges were sent from England and both failed to reach their destination – one was sent back for ammunition during World War 1 and the second sank with the ship that was transporting it.”
Next Episode - Crossing the Kraai River
WILD COAST TOUR (2023) - DAY 9
The pleasant problem with travel is that it's often tough to say goodbye, as was the case at The Haven, where we are always made to feel warmly welcome. We had a fairly easy schedule for the day - aiming to reach Kob Inn by mid afternoon and some more Wild Coast chill-time. Some guests were early risers and took a walk to the lighthouse.
The drive out of The Haven involves traversing the Cwebe Nature Reserve, which is always a treat. The major pass of the day was the Mbashe River where we usually take our lunch break along the grassy banks. It's a tranquil place with high cliffs giving the graceful curves of the river a vertain kind of majesty as the brown waters surge past.
There were no problems along the way and we made it to Kob Inn bang on target. The early arrival allowed time for guests to go for a walk on the beach or take an afternoon nap to the sounds of the ocean crshing on the rocks. We made a short video which gives a good idea of the look and feel of Kob Inn. This was our base for the next two nights.
We asked guests to be ready for a 07.30 departure the following morning and for those who were feeling a little travel weary it was the final opportunity to take a day off from the bumpy driving. The 10th day of the tour involves a long, but ncredibly scenic drive to The Collywobbles to see the vulture colony. We will cover that story in the next episode.
TECHNICAL TOPICS
How to drive in deep water
Water
If you don't know what’s in or under the water that you want/ need to cross, then there’s no other option but to walk through the water. Use “crocs” for this and not your Hi-Techs or Caterpillars. Crocs can easily rinse off again.
Feel for traction, holes, stones, and logs. If there is any uncertainty – consider an alternative route or bypass. You can use a stick to feel underwater.
a. Look out for:
- The surface under the water;
- The speed at which the water flows. If the water flows too strongly/ or run too fast to walk through it – then it flows too fast to drive through it;
- The depth of the water in relation to your vehicle’s air intake; and
- Whether there may be any animals in the water that pose danger to you, i.e., animals that can eat you. Remember most rivers in the wilderness have crocodiles, hippos and or water buffalo. If you get stuck, the beasts can hold you “hostage.” This complicates recovery and your adventure can change from “rescue” to “recovery.”
b. When safe to cross:
- Keep your recovery equipment ready. If there is any doubt and you must go through it, you should have your towrope attached to your recovery points. This will speed up a recovery exercise;
- Unfasten seatbelts and open windows;
- Select 2nd Low with differential lock (“diff lock”) engaged;
- Slowly enter the water to prevent your engine from “drowning”;
- Keep even momentum and cross at a constant speed;
- Making the water splash looks impressive, but it should be avoided;
PASS OF THE FORTNIGHT
A drive up the Sani Pass never disappoints, regardless of how many times you've done it. In this issue we take you down the pass, which highlights the scenery in this 7 part video series. Sit back, relax and enjoy the drive, then set your dates and go and drive it yourself.
* * S A N I P A S S * *
Trygve Roberts
“You are your own biggest critic. People do not see the faults in yourself that you do. Realize that they are actually not faults, they are what makes you!” – Unknown.
