4x4 off-road: of sand, sea, solitude, horsepower and adrenaline

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 43

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38 • DO IT NOW Magazine October | November 2012

inGEAR: Words by Jaco van der WesthuizenPhotos by various photographers

I received an invitation from Johan de Kock and Ean 'Whiskey' Steenkamp from Augrabies, to join this 4x4 adventure, and had no trouble convincing my buddies, Jan Luwes and Ockert Olivier from Johannesburg, to also come along. A previously impossible dream was about to become a reality.

Our five-day 4x4 trip would take us across the Namib Desert to the southern reaches of the Namib-Naukluft Park, then on to Meob Bay on the Namibian Skeleton Coast, and all along the coastline to Walvis Bay! As the crow flies, this would entail 700 km of desert riding … magic! And so a journey the likes of which we had only heard about via second or third hand reports began to unfold.

Right from the start, nothing about this trip was ordinary. Just getting to the meeting point at Seeheim was an adventure. Leaving Johannesburg in Jan Luwes’ 2008 Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2 Di-D, we took the fun route via the dry river bed of the Molopo, then crossed the Rietfontein border post and continued through Keetmanshoop to an idyllic little hotel in Seeheim. Of the eight vehicles waiting there, five were either Land Cruiser 4,5EFi or 4.0 V6s, one was a 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4, another a 4.0 V6 Fortuner and vehicle number eight was a demon; the only indication that the light blue former KZTe may not be stock standard was the 200-litre drum of petrol on the back and the roar that should have been coming from an 18-wheeler.

In June 2012, the namIb-naukluft natIonal Park In namIbIa Played host to

one of the greatest 4x4 adventures stIll avaIlable to those who have

Invested In a vehIcle that has only one requIrement - It can because

It must! and the vehIcles that could on thIs trIP were all of JaPanese

orIgIn, wIth the technIcal excePtIon of hannes kruger’s 'madmax'; a

toyota bakkIe cursed wIth a 300-horsePower, 5,7-lItre v8 chevy “stroker”

that haIls from the land of the nascar, usa.

Of Sand,Sea, SOlitude, HOrSepOwer& adrenaline

Photo by Dop & Tjop de Vries


Leaving the German-colonial comforts of Seeheim behind us, we travelled in a convoy via Goageband Helmeringhausen to Betta, which was led by tour leader Grant Knight of Namab Desert Tours and his three-man support team. We overnighted in the chalets at the Betta camp site, and the great food and companionship, bolstered by the Boks getting the better of England in the first rugby test, set the tone for the tour ahead.

Breakfast the next morning was followed by a reading from a scripture and prayer, and if this had left us mildly impressed about the calibre of men taking us across one of Africa’s true deserts, the sight of the first 100 m high slip face later in the day put it all into perspective. "Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” became our motto, which was supported by Grant’s regular warnings of, "If you fly, you die!” The message was clear: Out there it helps to have one’s own hand tightly grasped in the Lord’s hand, so to speak.

The route from Betta took us westward into the Namib-Naukluft Park and along the Namab Desert Tours concession route through Uri-Hauchab; a typical African desert savannah, with mountain ranges and large herds of springbuck and oryx grazing on the grassy plains. Lunch was at the Jagermeister Tree, and it was here that we received our first lesson of the trip: leave nothing behind but footprints. Not a single piece of human evidence was to be left behind, not a cigarette butt, a bottle top, or, worst of all, a piece of used toilet paper! So we left only our footprints, and those of the vehicles, on the jeep tracks that snaked through the plains, our rubbish safely stashed in the vehicles all the way to Walvis Bay. While at Jagermeister Tree we saw the remnants of a leopard kill, which had been dragged up a tree three days earlier. How privileged we were to see Africa in its most natural, unspoilt and wild state. It was a humbling feeling.

Namab Desert Tours require at least seven vehicles and 14 people per tour. The reason being that if anything were to go wrong with a vehicle during the next few days, it would, in all likelihood, be left behind in the desert, as there's no tow-in service to call! Therefore, each convoy has to be large enough to take the crew of a stranded vehicle and all its equipment. No mean feat when every vehicle was loaded to capacity with water, fuel, camping equipment, fire wood and so on. The time had come to put our best foot forward!

With two superb guides in Grant Knight and his South African agent, Hannes Kruger, safety was always of paramount importance. At Betta, each vehicle was fitted with a two-way radio and whilst it allowed for some good natured bantering, its main purpose was to have all members of the convoy in communication with one another at all times. The importance of this soon became apparent as we entered the dunes. The convoy had a strict order of approach and a vehicle was only allowed to breach a dune and descend down the slip face after the vehicle in front of it had reported itself to be clear and out of the way, down the other side. Lesson two: safety first!

after a hard day’s drIvIng, we camPed amongst the famous namIb dunes. however, the Infamous 'oosweer' blew In an Icy wInd for the nIght, leavIng a soft drIzzle of desert sand In Its wake, and In every nook and crannIe. welcome to the namIb boys!

The next day brought the first of the Really Big Dunes - monsters towering up to 200 m high, frightening in appearance, and a true test for any driver. This is what makes the experience of crossing the Namib such an unforgettable one; the knowledge that a mistake could be costly. One has to put blind faith in the equipment chosen, and know that with patience, common sense and pure guts, the job will have to get done … because there are no alternatives. This was the time to ‘balls up and shut up’.


Grant led the convoy with experience and the utmost dedication to safety and respect for the terrain, and at the back Hannes and MadMax made sure that no one got left behind. Crossing dunes in excess of 150 m high required the drivers to charge up the dune in fourth gear, low range, and as fast as possible to get the vehicle to the top, often with the limiters complaining and the crew in 'white knuckle' mode. Only at the very last moment could one gear down, as it would inevitably lead to a loss of speed. So with the motor and transmission mustering everything it had to get the vehicle to the point of inertia and across the peak of the dune, the momentum would tilt the vehicle forward for the hairy descent down a 60-storey high slip face, with a gradient of around 38 degrees and tons of loose sand following in its wake. High range was often considered, but often proved the down fall of the attempt - riding sand seemed to be less about how fast one could do it, but rather how hard one could!

Now if a successful charge up the dune was all about speed, power, traction, and support from everyone, then going down was a whole different ball game! Firstly the driver had to apply his brakes at the exact moment the momentum of the car took it from going up and past the point of no return, to going down. Should the driver let go of the accelerator or apply the brakes too soon, the car would hang on its belly on top of the dune, with all four wheels aimlessly spinning in fresh air - not cool! This would then result in either Hannes Kruger or Hannes Nel having to pull the stuck vehicle back a metre or two so it could reverse all the way down and allow the driver another attempt.

Dune riding requires tyre pressures to be as low as 0,5 bar, and it's this requirement that also presents a challenge when descending the slip face of a dune. The wheels should always be straight when descending, as tons of loose sand will follow the vehicle, and voila, an avalanche. Should a tyre come off its rim for any reason and cause the vehicle to alter its direction, the loose sand could push the vehicle sideways. This in turn can cause the vehicle to roll down the slip face, with dire consequences for the crew and vehicle. For this reason a vehicle must descend in first gear, low range, and with as little as possible braking. This act is a study in patience and strong nerves, but the feeling of successfully navigating your first monster dune is indescribable.

Therefore, any successful breach only requires the driver to apply his brakes just as the vehicle gets to the 'tipping point' at the crest of the dune. Remember, “If you fly, you die!” Too much speed at the crest and ramping over the edge without applying the brakes could result in a tyre coming off a rim, or the front wheels landing when still turned. This, together with speed and momentum, could be the end of the tour for both vehicle and crew. Knowing just how hard to go up a slope, where to gear down, when to apply the brakes, when to slip back into first gear and how to steer a sliding car down 170 m of Namib dune slip face requires experience. For us experience came hard and fast, and already by the end of day two, we were negotiating the terrain with admirable aplomb. The adrenaline, determination, concentration and appreciation had woven 20-odd men, who were mostly strangers, into a strong group of friends with a common goal: to get through the Namib without drama.

movIng on to 'eben se gat', Just a few kIlometres to the west of sossusvleI, we set uP camP agaIn, thIs tIme wIth hot showers courtesy of grant’s IntrePIdwater-heatIng system. bIg braggIng rIghts came wIth camPIng west of thIs famous land mark, havIng drIven through the desert from the south east!

Day three included more monster dunes, but feeling more confident and with assistance from the guides, we easily made it to the NDT camp site at Meob Bay by mid afternoon, and our home for the next two nights. What a place! We set up our tents amongst the dunes and just off the beach, and then the rods came out. Steenbras took pilchards off barbless hooks in the shallow waters and barely 10 m in. Within half an hour we had caught forty fish, all heavier than two kilogrammes. Grant has a strict catch and release ethos, so we only kept a few of the smaller fish for our dinner. Coetzer Hanekom, of Kakamas, hauled out his own special blend of herbs and spices to expertly cook our catch, and together with Grant’s lamb and green bean potjie, the end of another day was almost bearable.

Photo by Ockert Olivier


We spent the next day fishing and exploring the dunes around the camp. If we were impressed with our prowess at driving in the dunes, our confidence grew when Grant and Hannes took us through the technicalities of driving in the desert, and demonstrated what our vehicle can do if properly put through its paces.

Our last day took us approximately 260 km up the coast from Meob Bay to Walvis Bay, via derelict fishing and mining settlements, and several ship wrecks that gave rise to the name 'Skeleton Coast'. Dozens of seal colonies dotted the coastline and were jealously guarded by black-backed jackals, a common sight around seals. We arrived in Walvis Bay, our base for the last evening, and with great sadness said our goodbyes.

we'd had the PrIvIlege of gettIng to know ourselves, our vehIcles and a small Part of one of the natural wonders of the world a lIttle better, and In the comPany of a league of extraordInary gentlemen.

A heartfelt word of gratitude to Grant Knight and his crew who led us, and Hannes Kruger who organised everything; without your work, so much would have remained a mere dream. Thank you! •

To arrange or join a tour with Namab Desert

Tours from South Africa, contact Hannes Kruger at [email protected] or visit their

website www.namabdeserttours.com.na

iDINfo box

Photo by Jaco van der Westhuizen








4x4 off-road: of sand, sea, solitude, horsepower and adrenaline

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