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* I love my calendar girl
* Kouga Baviaans Tour (Day 1)
* Sand Driving Tips
* Chappies
* Sand Driving Tips
* Featured Pass
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2025 CALENDAR
We have good news and bad news. The 2025 tour planning is well underway, but the bad news is it's not ready for publication yet. To whet your appetite we have the following planned:
- Lesotho - 4 tours
- Swartberg - 2 tours
- Kouga Baviaans - 2 tours
- Baviaanskloof for beginners - 1 tour
- Katberg - 2 tours
- Wild Coast - 2 tours (possibly 3)
- Great Karoo - New
- Cederberg - New
- Garden Route - 1 tour
- 35 Passes Tour (Eastern Cape Highlands) - New
- Intermediate level 4x4 training - New
- Novice 4x4 training
- Sand driving training
The Ben 10 Eco Challenge has been going for almost a decade. The time has come for us to close the chapter, but we will still be driving all the Ben 10 passes during the all-new 35 Passes Sky Tour - so it will be like a Ben 10 on steroids! We are exploring some new routes in the Tankwa with a view to reinstating our original Tankwa route, but adding in some extra points of interest. Also new is the Intermediate 4x4 training day at the Zevenwacht training facility where we will be teaching driving on side slopes, steep ascents and descents and how to choose good driving lines.
We are also planning a special pro-bono trip through the Baviaanskloof to clean up all the sticker plastered signs. This will be a very different type of outing which will involve some hard work, standing on ladders in the elements and applying some elbow grease. We are looking at a maximum of 4 to 5 vehicles. The project should be able to be completed in 3 to 4 days. Entry will be free from MPSA as this is how we give back to the community. Watch this space. We will supply all the cleaning materials, blades, scrapers, etc. If you're interested in being part of this project, send us an email:
KOUGA BAVIAANS TOUR (DAY 1)
The first day of this tour was an easy one, routing west on the R62 up the Langkloof from Kareedouw to Joubertina, with a coffee stop just outside Joubertina. As soon we were on gravel, we stopped and went through the tyre deflation ritual to ensure better traction, more comfort and reduced risk of punctures.
Before long we were meandering through the green hills and valleys of the Kouga Mountains, where the first pass of the tour was waiting. The Kouga-Kleinrivier Pass is a fairly short, but captivating gravel pass, which traverses the Kouga River and a short while later a tributary, the Kleinrivier. The drive alongside the river is in dense bush with lots of crystal-clear mountain streams criss-crossing under the road. This is followed by a steep climb out the eastern side of the valley, offering dreamy views and an almost complete perspective of the road you have just travelled.
Ascending the eastern section of the Kouga-Kleinrivier Pass / Photo: Trygve Roberts
Once up on the eastern plateau, we took a left turn towards the Kouga Wilderness reception, where we were met by Bronwyn and her daughter, who regaled our group with a few farm stories and collected the entry fees. The start of the 4x4 route is a steep and bumpy hairpin peppered route which rapidly gains altitude to deposit drivers on the spine of a long ridge that forms the watershed between the two rivers on the farm.
Once up on the ridge, the gradients ease off and there's time to look at all the proteas ericas and other wildflowers that abound. Our timing (September) was spot on as we traversed many kilometres of colourful flowers. Towards the end of the route the road forks with the right hand option leading to a spot called Abseil Cliff, which is where we took our lunch break in excellent weather.
The left hand fork leads back to the farmstead via a much tricker route known as "Sukkelkloof". It's apparently rated at Grade 3 to 5, so we opted for the safer route back the way we had come. A recent veld fire had burned a large tract of mountainside, which spoilt the perfect scenery a little, but that is what nature dishes up and we must give her space.
Kouga Wilderness 4x4 Route after a fire / Photo: Trygve Roberts
Once the convoy was safely down the mountain, we said our farewells to Bronwyn and a promise to return next year. Once back on the main gravel road, we turned east and drove through a beautiful farming area (with several gate stops) before driving the second pass of the day, the Brakkloof Pass. It's not quite as spectacular as the Kouga-Kleinrivier Pass, but it's is well worth driving with some stunning views of the Kouga River valley and gorge and a low level crossing, before reconnecting with the R62 and returning to Assegaaibosch Lodge at a reasonable hour, allowing time for refuelling, a shower or even a nap.
On this tour we had five couples that were friends and they were always in high spirits right from the start of the tour. Their enthusiasm and energy soon rubbed off on the rest of the guests and the evenings were shall we say "full of laughter and stories". That's what the tours are all about.
Next Episode: Day 2 from Kareedouw to Ragelsrivier and a visit to the spooky Moordenaarskloof.
How to drive on sand (Part 2)
Understanding the fine line between momentum and traction. The proven offroad adage of "as slow as possible, as fast as necessary" is an excellent maxim to follow during all your offroading adventures. Mud, sand and snow require more momentum than other surface types. Start slowly and gradually learn where the magic point is between momentum and traction. Each car has its own sweet spot.
Tyre pressure can be reduced further as required, but care needs to be taken not to bottom out your rim into the tyre tread, and not to pop the bead. Avoid impacts, sudden turns and any violent manoeuvres. At very low tyre pressures you also risk sand getting trapped between the bead and rim, causing a slow air leak as the bead no longer seals adequately. Driving carefully to avoid popping the bead will also avoid sand between the bead and rim.
Always descend a dune at 90 degrees to the slope / Photo: T4A
You’ll need some sort of pressure gauge or a set of tyre deflators to air down. We recommend 'Indeflate' where you can buy the two or four tyre version. It greatly reduces the time of airing down individually and the same applies when you reinflate your tyres. You simply connect your compressor hose to the bottom of the gauge. All four tyres are aired down or pumped up at the same time, and they stop automatically at the set pressure. The 2 hose units retail around R1800 available from most 4x4 accessory stores.
A pressure gauge is still required to check pressure and air down further as required. If you plan to do a lot of sand driving you should get a pressure gauge designed specifically to measure low tyre pressures. Ordinary pressure gauges lose accuracy at typical sand driving pressures and are pretty useless below 1 bar. You’ll also need a compressor to air up once you’ve finished on the sand. .
Don’t drive on a hard surface with under-inflated tyres (1 bar or less) You risk tyre overheating, tyre damage and / or blowout. Don’t drive on rocky or jagged surfaces with very low tyre pressure. Again you risk tyre damage. Tyres are very vulnerable to hard, rough or sharp objects when at very low pressure, especially the bulging sidewalls. If you need to traverse a rocky outcrop when your tyres are set to very low pressure, the official recommendation would be to air up.
We use the double hose Indeflate system. Photo: 4x4 Mega World
However airing up and down a hundred times a day is not practical. If you aren’t going to air up, drive over the rocky outcrop with extreme care. Idle through in first gear low range. Pick your line carefully to avoid the worst rocks. Pay special attention to any areas where the tyre sidewall may contact the rocks. Eject your heaviest passengers and get them to walk. Minimize the risk of tyre damage. The best tyre pressure for rock is less than highway pressure (1.4 bar) to give the tyre some flex and reduce impact loads and stress fractures, but greater than sand pressure to protect the tyre from pinches and side wall damage.
FEATURED PASS
This attractive and sometimes challenging pass is named after the two river valleys which it traverses on its way to Brandhoek north of Joubertina in the Langkloof. It's a typical farm road and forms a long loop starting just west and ending 10 km east of Joubertina which includes the much longer Brakkloof Pass.
* * K O U G A - K L E I N R I V I ER P A S S * *
Trygve Roberts / Editor
"It is better to understand a little, than to misunderstand a lot" ~ Jacques Anatole Thibault
