Table of contents for May 2016 in SA4x4

There it is, a snorting beast up to its neck in mire that has the viscosity of bathroom sealant. The cloying sludge lies inches beneath an exhausted cow’s nostrils, which are desperately vacuuming in a mixture of air, water and filth. Having wandered too close to the edge of the Senqu River ten hours before, the exhausted bovine’s neck muscles are failing to prop up the weight of skull and horn. Suffocation is inevitable. Rewind five days to a bright, crisp Monday morning, and it’s the clatter of an almost 70-year-old engine being swung into life that drags me from a beery coma. After some bemused rubbing of eyes, I reluctantly crawl out of my dew-covered tent to witness an intrepid conglomeration of ancient Land Rovers and their eccentric owners,…

Vultures are like the hyenas of the sky and have been mistreated, misunderstood and persecuted for centuries. Unfortunately, they are teetering on the brink of extinction because of this, and we need some serious intervention to prevent them from disappearing forever. There are not too many creatures that are as ungainly as a vulture hopping along the ground, but they are like angels in flight when they take to the sky. One can just marvel at how they ride the thermals, often not needing to flap their wings for hours on end. Because of this ability, they can cover vast distances, flying hundreds or even thousands of kilometres with little effort. As a wilderness trails ranger and as a protected area game ranger working in Africa, I was often alerted…

For some, chucking a mat on the ground beneath the stars is enough, but Eddie Visser and his wife couldn’t be bothered with that level of slumming. They prefer a bit of the good life while camping, so a solution for comfort on the move was needed. Who better to help plan that solution than lifelong friend Freddie van Wyk, with whom he had travelled all over southern Africa? And this was the very same Freddie who’d been responsible for the unique Club Cab Land Rover Defender featured in the November 2015 issue of SA4x4 – a man with a massive workshop in Stellenbosch, full of work in progress. First-off, this was going to be a Land-Rover-based camper, since Freddie is a self-confessed Landy fanatic. Secondly, Eddie is a structural…

A murderous hail of AK-47 bullets shreds the air as we ease away from yet another roadblock. Then the shooting stops. Mandi lay crushed onto the floor; me draped above her. The Landy has rolled into a dip on the roadside and stalled, with the cooling exhaust ticking the hour-long seconds. I realised I was holding my breath but eventually managed a dry croak: “You OK, love?” “Yeah think so. You?” “Yup, no additional holes or anything.” “Shit! What happened?” We were whispering for some reason. “I watched him aim the AK, then he let fly. He must be bloody nuts. Just keep your head down, I am going to check the side mirrors and see where he is. No point in trying to run from this.” Mandi ventured: “Maybe…

I often get asked how many satellites there are in outer space. Estimates vary, depending on the definition of satellite, which extends from man-made satellites to the more than half-a -million pieces of space debris in orbit at different levels. At its most basic, a satellite is a foreign object in outer space. A single piece today could break up and become 20 pieces, hence the lack of a finite number. For navigation purposes, in 2014 there were about 1000 operational/functional satellites and about another 2 500 redundant satellites in outer space, now included in the broad category of space debris. On 5 February 2016, the United Air Forces 45 Air Wing delivered into space the 50th GPS satellite that Boeing has built into space. This Boeing Global Positioning System…

UNSTOPPABLE LANDY I read the April issue of SA4x4 Magazine from cover to cover, as I have a great respect for Land Rovers. My respect was triggered by driving these robust vehicles during military training when we could take the officers’ short-wheelbase Landies through the bush on manoeuvres. The attached photographs are testimony to the durability of these vehicles. In July 1972, Witwatersrand University supplied this aged Land Rover (see attached) which transported nine of us and our mountaineering equipment to Sekororo Gorge in Sekhukhuneland, Northern Province. We enjoyed swimming and ‘bum-sliding’ in the smooth rock gulleys, and rock climbing in the gorge which has since been rated as one of the top 10 kloofs to visit in the country. When our supply of provisions dwindled, two of us walked…

The middle child is often overlooked, feeling unloved and ignored between its more interesting siblings, but maybe, just maybe, this middle child is the best of the breed. Sitting in the line-up between the top-spec 2.8 GD-6 and the basic commercial variants, the new 2.4 GD (Global Diesel) may well be the pick of the Hilux bunch. Replacing the old 2.5 D-4D derivative, the new 2.4 GD takes massive leaps over its predecessor with a 46% improvement in power and huge 72% increase in torque, pushing out 110kW and 343Nm respectively. A high-output version is also available, with up to 400Nm, raising towing capacity to 2500kg for the single cab and 2750kg for raised body derivatives. The 2.4 GD-6 4x4, with its six-speed manual gearbox, will pull 3200kg across all…

There are lots of canopy options out there, and it is hard to make a choice that ticks all the boxes for functionality, strength, weight, great looks and add-on capability. Not to mention price. So, it is a real pleasure to come across a product designed and made in South Africa that can cut it with the world’s best on all these counts. Safari Centre outlets are now selling just such a canopy, the Off Grid RhinoCab. It’s the high-end version of a range of canopies distinguished by their chamfered structure and gullwing doors. They are made by the team at Rhinoman, using CAD design, CNC machines and top-grade materials, welded in zero-tolerance jigs to avoid any deforming that can sometimes take place during the welding process. Afterwards, the canopies…

Ross and Anna Holgate in their front-wheel-drive rocket ship of a Land Rover. This must be the fastest Series 1 on earth, racing past everyone and disappearing into the distant horizon. Some say Ross had cut a hole in the floor and was running ‘Flintstone-style’ up hills for an extra boost. Nicknamed Indiana Jones thanks to his hat, Kenneth Jones drives a 1956 model 88-inch called ‘Jenny,’ and uses it as his daily driver. Note the vital supplies of tonic water. No doubt the Jerry cans are filled with gin. Peter George has driven his 1955 Series 1 right through Africa, getting arrested and held up in Tanzania, only escaping with his life by the skin of his teeth. Peter’s Landy used to be a long-wheelbase, but rust saw a…

PROVINCE Eastern Cape Nearest town Uitenhage – 23km Nearest fuel stop Uitenhage Directions From Uitenhage, take the R334 for approximately 12.7km. Then turn right onto the Elands River Road (gravel) and travel for approximately 10km until you see the Off-Camber Adventures signboard and a gate on your left. GPS S 33° 49’ 25.856’’ E 25° 13’ 52.435’’ TRAIL DETAILS Terrain Steep hills, loose rock, water crossings, log bridges, technical descents. Guided/Unguided Guide available on request for training and guiding at an extra fee. Open/Closed Open all year round, but booking is essential. Will I get lost? No Difficulty A difficulty of 3-5 for a standard bakkie. The trail becomes a 5 when damp. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS Remove running boards if you have them installed. Low-range Vital Diff-lock Necessary for long-wheelbase vehicles.…

When the latest crop of Mercedes SUVs was launched, I had some difficulty pinning down exactly which was which. Like the automotive equivalent of Matryoshka, Russian nesting dolls, each one is similar in the looks department. It’s only when they are lined up together you can see the upsizing order of things. And forgive me for stupidity too, but at first I couldn’t understand the naming convention. Like BMW’s 1s, 2s ,3s, 4s and Xs, Mercedes has also been afflicted with niche-chasing at a higher speed than public comprehension. But it’s simple really, when it comes to the new crop of Merc softroaders. The smaller hatchback-like GLA is based on A-Class, the middle-ground GLC on test here is based on the C-Class, and the rather larger GLE, which replaces the…

In the world of modern cars, you get facelifts and all-new. The Hyundai Tucson, despite a reversal to the old nameplate to bring it in line with the rest of the world, is being touted as all-new. This is well within the usual seven-year replacement cycle, but typical of the Korean approach, given that Gen 1’s tenure stretched from 2005-2010 (and sold 22 716 units in SA) and the iX35-badged Gen 2 racked up 33 692 local sales from launch in 2010 to a few months’ back. That’s just under 600 units a month – a local top-seller. Gen 3 is, of course, longer, wider, lower and much cleverer. The old gripe about Hyundai lagging in the drivetrain technology race is no longer valid. In the latest five-model all-petrol local…

It was pitch dark in the dense trees surrounding our campsite. The fire was tingeing the umbrella of Jackalberry tree branches above our heads with licks of red, orange and yellow. Our first night’s camp was on the banks of the Letaba River, and I guess we were still in ‘city’ mode, because Tshepo Mathebula, our Kruger National Park guide, said, “Hey guys, keep quiet - don’t make a sound.” He quietly added, “Listen… Can you hear that that low cough?” Except for the crackle of the fire, a deadly silence surrounded the laager of vehicles with the tents pitched protectively inside the circle. Tshepo added, “It’s a leopard. He is quite close.” Now he had our full attention. Eyes wide, we five umlungus listened to the muted, guttural rasping…

As time ticks away, our memory capacity starts reaching its limits, and we start forgetting some of the less significant experiences that have come our way during our lifetime. However, certain events may stay very clear in our minds, as if they’d happened only recently. Some of these were pleasant enough, so that you don’t mind remembering them often, while others may have been less satisfying, so that you may even wish at times that you could forget. And then there are those incidents that sit somewhere between the good and the bad. My first three months of national service comprise one such experience that stirs a whole collection of mixed feelings and memories. The idolised prospect of a young man becoming a real soldier with a rifle in his…

The Mohave Road Trail must be old hat to most US 4x4 nuts. But not to me. My number one passion is crossing deserts in a 4x4. My second passion is the 4x4s themselves. And what better way is there to indulge these passions than by combining them in a not-so-familiar country? I’ve been to the US eight times now, but on only one other occasion did I venture into the wilderness. This time, driving a vehicle born and modified in the US, I was determined to do the wilderness properly in the five days I had available. So, in May 2015, after attending the Overland Expo West in the rain and snow, I headed for sunny California in the driver’s seat of a Ford E-Series with a full-spec Sportsmobile…

The Eastern Cape is chock-full of 4x4 routes, and you don’t even need to stray far from the major towns to drive them. In our case, we decided to visit Off-Camber Adventures, an outfit sited just 40km from Port Elizabeth in the Elands River Valley. With a name like ‘Off-Camber,’ you already know what to expect – this place isn’t a walk in the park. Cutting through dense indigenous undergrowth, the various rough trails on the property head up and down the Elands River valley with no thought for your easy passage. Delve deeper, and there is ample evidence that this is not just a walk in the park – it’s hard to ignore a legacy of scarred trees, skid marks and AWOL car parts. However, more on that later.…

ZIYAAD YASSEEN KHAN First time 4x4 owner, Ziyaad, took his twin boys, his nephew, and his 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero on a camping trip to Sterkfontein Dam and to the Drakensberg in December 2015. JACO VISAGIE “Fresh air, the smell of pine needles and one sexy-looking Toyota Hilux,” is how Jaco describes his recent trip to the Magoebaskloof Mountain near Tzaneen. JOHAN COETZEE Trekking across the Tankwa Karoo in his ‘99 4.0-litre V8 Discovery II, Johan Coetzee covered 3800km in a road trip through the Swartberg Pass, Die Hel, and Old Bainskloof Pass. This snapshot was taken on the R355 between Ceres and Calvinia, said to be the longest stretch of gravel road in South Africa. EBEN HUGO This photo captured Eben’s 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser, nicknamed Ou Dad, ‘piggybacking’ a…

ANTON SWART 2003 MITSUBISHI PAJERO 3.2 DID Occupation: Pump salesman (Weir Minerals Africa) Modifications: All standard except changing the rims/tyres from 18- to 15-inch. The Pajero sports a homemade roof rack made of fibreglass, and I carry two Andrew Mentis floor grating panels for use as tracks when stuck in sand. I don’t have a winch, so carry decent recovery ropes and a two-ton chain block. Future modifications: Decent roof rack to attach spade and jerry cans. Dream vehicle: The new 2016 Toyota Fortuner 4x4 diesel. Most memorable trip: Namibia: Ai-Ais through Lüderitz up to Sesriem. The gravel roads are in very good condition and lots of free-ranging antelope can be seen. Canyon Roadhouse is a must-do stop and overnight location. At Kolmanskop ghost town near Lüderitz you can take…