Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hopelik gaan ek volgende keer kan saam gaan!

bogeyman wrote:...I had the privilege to do the "higher grade" section in Klein Letaba with Thinus , Micael and Alex. It can be described as 500m of grade 4 and very tough.
Thanks to those who waited and encouraged us through there.

As ek my oe toemaak, dan sien ek die GROOT klippe in die KLEIN Letaba.
Soos jy se, dit is wat die trip onvergeetlik maak.
Ek sou dit nooit gewaag het as daar nie 'n reccie voor my was nie.
Dankie vir almal se geduld en hulp met spotter en guide wees.

ricster wrote:Man.... waking up this morning was just not the same !!!

Ja, I woke up in a bit of a daze. Don't tell my boss, but concentration levels are not so good this morning.

Tinus lotz wrote:......great trip manne wanna gaan ons weer????

Want van volgende naweek? Ek kan plan maak! Okay, as dit dan moet wag, dan oor twee weke?

Dankie vir almal wat deel was van die reelings en vir almal wat dit moontlik gemaak het, was regtig n trip of n lifetime!

Dit was baie uitdagend om daai grade 4 gedeelte saam met Christo, Tinus en Alex te ry en dit was daai stuk waarvoor ek die hele naweek gewag het. Ek het darem geen skade gekry op my voertuik vir die hele trip nie en dit wat ek gekry het is nie groot genoeg om te tel as skade nie.

Ok, so brandstof verbruik was eintlik so rapsie beter as wat ek gedink het ek gaan kry. Ek het vanoggend vol gemaak en het 184L gebruik oor 1141km se "round trip" wat my n avarage gee van 6.2km/L. Ek het net voor Polokwane vol gemaak toe was my brandstof verbruik 7.55km/L en ek skat ek het so tussen 4.5 en 5km/L in die rivier gekry.

Michael, weereens baie dankie vir die verstellings wat jy op my bakkie gedoen het. Hy ry nou soos 'n droom.

SJC wrote:Michael, weereens baie dankie vir die verstellings wat jy op my bakkie gedoen het. Hy ry nou soos 'n droom.

Groot plesier Fanus, as jy een dag vir my kom kuier dan doen ons dit behoorlik

OK, ek gaan nou begin met 'n effens meer formele Trip Report, sodat die wat nie daar was nie ook 'n idee kan he van wat gebeur het.

Maar omdat die groep so groot was, was ek nie oral nie en het ek nie fotos van alles nie, so ek sal bly wees as die ander manne kan bydra waarookal hulle kans sien.

Thursday morning saw us a bit later than the arranged 10AM, as we first had to mount the spade to the roof rack and install the dual battery for the fridge.

However, we were not alone, nor were we last. But some were definately better prepared!
After the guys had all filled up, we hit the freeway.
At Warmbaths, David joined the convoy after taking some photos from the bridge:
This sobering monument caught my eye: Our next stop was the filling station at Pietersburg. We rolled in and occupied all the pumps. I wonder if they had ever pumped this much petrol in one hour before? Shortly, we hit the road again.
After another fuel stop, we arrived at the entrance to the river.
And comenced with foreplay

The only mammal other than humans and cows that we saw was this solitary steenbokkie.
It did not move, even within two meters of it, until making a noise. It was blind. Possibly due to a spitting cobra.
Then some more random photos

Soon we were cruising down the riverbed.
Somewhere not too far away, Christo Boegman had already scouted and secured us a nice campsite, and all we had to do was follow along until we found him.

The place he had chosen was excellent, a bend in the river with a high bank on the outside.
Soon it was dark and a beautiful, starry sky watched over us.

The weather was so good, Tinus and I didn't even pitch our tents, we just rolled out our soogans under the awning and crashed.
At 07h00 precisely, Christo left camp, something that was to become a regular feature of the trip. He was followed shortly by Dirk and Rakker.

A group comprising Tinus, myself and Evan (from WegRy/DriveOut) in Tinus's 4.8, Michael and JoshJ followed at around 08h00. A little while later, we spotted some Little Bee-Eaters. I am especially fond of the various Bee-eaters, so I asked Tinus to stop while I hauled my long lens out of the drawers and tried to get some photos.
Shortly, Michael and Josh caught up with us.
And before I knew what was going on, Tinus had organized a drag race between the two Diesels... Follwed by a drag between the winner and the 4.8, although Josh decided to take part as well.

Jong, dit lyk pragtig, het nie geweet daar droe rivier sand daar ook is