News from afar!

[DavidvB]

Let me introduce myself first. I am from Namibia on the south western part of the African continent. Being a member of the regional Land Cruiser Club we are also out and about driving our rigs in unpopulated areas at every opportunity. Obviously is it utterly frustrating to not understand your langauge but the pictures are great!

I took the liberty to place a typical report of one of our recent outings.

<font color="blue">So we left around 0830 on Saturday morning after a normal stressful week at the office. Lovely overcast weather in Windhoek with a hint on fresh rain in the direction set on our GPS. Cobus was eager to cut his new LC79’s teeth in some dirt and we wasted no time getting away from the concrete walls that surrounds us. Traveling with small kids is fun because one gets to stop often for various activities meaning riverbeds many times before one gets to paradise!


<i>Lara found the jackal skull under the bakkie</i>


The gravel from Wilhelmstal to Uis was still wet from the previous night’s downpour and many other travelers went the same way we did.


<i>Passing an old diesel rig with a nifty custom snorkel job!</i>


Near the Ugab we turned off the main road towards the Brandberg and then into the river itself. It was treacherous driving in the riverbed and we gave up after a few minutes with ominous thunderheads lurking in the east ready to pound people like us if we persist in our foolhardiness!


<i>Cobus dashing for firmer terra</i>

We drove up the northern bank of the Ugab on towards the Gwantagab River and our first nights camp. It was again amazing to drive through this normally arid region, with its typical shades of black, brown and red, in such lush greenness now. The few red dunes in the area and most hills are covered with green grass in silver seed now which reminds more of grain field than a desert.


<i>Green everywhere!</i>


Going up a rather steep piece of track, I was jealous and proud at once because SWAMBO was at the helm at that stage…she managed brilliantly! The Brandberg had a omnipresent raining cloud over its head while we were in the area.


<i>SWAMBO getting it right during a rather steep ascend</i>

A very threatening cloud with accompanying thunder and lightning later that evening send us scampering for cover for a few minutes before it blew over and rained behind us towards the east. There is no way trying to describe the awe experienced sitting in the little dry Gwantagab riverbed with thunder and lightning playing in the area!


<i>Nearly got showered</i>

Eventually the weather pasted without harm and we settled down in the normal routine of setting up for the night. Cobus was a very patient fire-master with enough willing little hands to assist. Sleep came easily and the bright moon kept the bush monsters at bay but not the hyena that woke me and the kids early the next morning with its creepy laugh. Kamille asked if we were in the wilderness now!


<i>Cobus teaching the finer points of bushcraft</i>

Breaking camp was quick under the blazing sun which promised a cloudless day and high temperatures. We left with the Brandberg behind us heading north past Doros crater towards Mikberg and the Huab beyond.


<i>Leaving Brandberg</i>

En route we literally drove through herds of springbok interspersed with sebra, oryx and ostrich. We estimated one herd of springbok to be around 400 animals. We also saw the ‘cactus’ Hoodia Currori in bloom…


<i>Admiring the hoodia</i>

The sun was losing its battle for dominance of the sky as lovely dark clouds assembled to make plans for the night. We pushed on up north past Mikberg into the Huab valley where heavy dust clouds hung over the delta as a strong westerly wind blew them into the rains near Twyfelfontein 30 odd kms from there.


<i>On the way to Gai-As</i>

We were running a bit late as we stopped so often to just have a cold one (Rock Shandy and Savanna) and just marveled at the lovely vistas all around us. Our next stop was a little creek in the Huab and we approached it from the southern side of the river. In normal (dry) conditions it is quite difficult to get to the northern side of the river and it now proved impossible. We back tracked and went through the wet river at another spot to try and get to it from the northern bank. No dice! The tracks were all washed away and we nearly got stuck in some lekker thick mud! My Michelins proved no match for the conditions but the lockers on the LC proved their worth again!


<i>Nearly stuck</i>

To further add insult to injury during our abandoned quest for the little creek, was a massive fresh lion spoor in the same piece of mud… My size 12 trapper gives perception of the size…


<i>Size 12 not so big all of a sudden!</i>

We replenished our water reserves at the abandoned farmstead Krone before we set up camp late evening under the cliffs overlooking the Huab valley from the north. A relaxing recap of the day’s events around the campfire followed before we sought the safety of our tents … there was a lion out prowling after all!

After early morning breakfast we were off into the Huab and onwards to De Riet and eventually Twyfelfontein before tackling the last leg to Windhoek. Initial plans were to leave for Windhoek not to late… The rains in the east dumped water in the Huab over night which was our route to De Riet for the next 15 kms!


<i>Fun fun fun!</i>

It was great fun but SWAMBO’s don’t have the stomach for silly LC owner husbands seemingly hell bend on flushing expensive equipment and even lives down a muddy river bed! No amount of explanation on how safe it really is and how many times you have done it before could convince them to allow us to continue. Eventually we gave up and took the route less traveled but not less spectacular


<i>Near De Riet</i>

We ended up at Twyfelfontein of a late but cold rock shandy before we set off on the last leg for Windhoek.


<i>Lekker cold rock shandies here!</i>

In an unguarded moment, Cobus and I convinced our SWAMBOS that the Aba Huab is absolutely safe to drive in and it is anyways just a short 4 kms from the filling station to the main road…. I was leading the way at speed with Cobus a close second when we hit a wet bottomless spot and promptly sunk to the belly and spare wheels of our LCs! And fun we had!


<i>Well and truely stuck</i>

I was completely bottomed out and going nowhere soon. Cobus was not in such bad shape but also not making a lot of progress. Time to test some of the nifty pieces of kit he invested in so heavily the week before and out we rolled the winch cable. It was quite a stretch to the nearest tree on the far side of the riverbed but the cable made it. My recovery strap folded double and serving as a tree protector saw us out of the mire in a nippy. The nice thing about leaving the ego home and taking a lot of humour with on a trip is that one can have fun when you get stuck...and not feel embarrassed!


<i>Warn doing the trick</i>

Just as well we were quick since no more than 20 kms from there we crossed the same river again it had considerably more water coming down….


<i>Crossing the Aba Huab on the main road</i>

Needless to say we were depressed to come back to Windhoek again. But we promised ourselves that we will be back…perhaps even before Jean and Frits come here…</font id="blue">

[røinaas]

real nice history. hopes for more pictures in the future

Må man,så må man

[Blom]

Thanks for the nice report and pictures. Really nice done to share with us !!

And, let it come on :-)

Blom :
33" Taco, noen LJ80's og 1 Willys Jeep CJ6H

[FrankWS]

Welcome to offroad.no, DavidvB.




Frank

Det er ikke farten som dreper, det er smellen.
Eller som vi cowboys sier; It's not the fart that kills, it's the smell.

[Viking067]

Great report, great pictures and beautifull scenery!

Must be nice to have the opportunity to drive (almost) everywhere.

"My drinking team has a racing problem"

[Landcruis73]

Looking at that main road river crossing, makes me think that an LC are standard issued vehicle in Namibia...

Sindre Storholt

[DavidvB]

We do go out to play sometimes but mostly we do overland trips of a few days. During such trip we go into real unpopulated areas for days and camp in the wilderness. Namibia is 825000km2 big with only about 1,5million people, so one can get lost!

During our last trip we had an uncommon lot of rain which turned the normally arid desert into a real challenge and caused a lot of excitement!


Cobus doing a first river crossing


Cobus enroute to the second night's camp


Cobus stuck in the mire on day three


Fritz playing in the mud


Fritz enjoying himself


Jean following a close third in the group


Jean crossing a river in a scenic part of the desert near the fourth night's camping site....