Matroosberg : what can i say,done this trail for the 3rd time yesterday because we wanted to do a snow trail.Yep thats what we got yesterday. We arrived yesterday about 10am the morning at reception: hell the place was busy.we were the only 2 SFA's on that trail and families arrived in their fancy 4x4 vehicles. We paid our normal R250.00 per vehicle entry fees and as we deflated tyres a jeep with use a lift and a pair of 33's and Khumo's and his partner with a Disco V8 ( also with clearance lift and some Coopers )arrived.
On passing the gate and reaching the sewerage line we took a breather for some breakfast; HOT COFFEE and buns.By then we let the jeep(Cherokee) and Disco) past.half an hour up the hill we got to a stand still.(before landrover hill).A ford ranger was giving way for a nissan hardbody that's on its way down and got stuck(steered off the trail) stuck in da snow.Leaving our vehicles we could see that the clubcab ford was towed by a 4500 cruiser and he was hooked to a Landcruiser bakkie.They struggled a couple of times and eventually it landed on a huge rock and from their onwards the vehicle was dangling and rocking.stomach flat on the boulder.
We suggested to the helping party to get another vehicle from behind to anchor him from slipping down while others tried pulling him out.They were jacking up his behind like crazy,pushing in rocks and just pulling him forward and eventually it became too dangerous to pull him out.(they would not listen to us:too proffessional ) ( no ja wat weet ek van recovery :roll: ) anyway some ou kerel came up to them and his first words were" Julle is besig om die bakkie te rol."
Then only they listened to the eldery chap.anyway he decided to let us all go up before its too late as the turning around time was 13H00.(we left the ford ranger so that a tractor can pull him out as there was a lot of drivers wanting to go up.
The jeep and disco went up with those huge tyre's and all you could here was the sounds of V8 slipping & sliding on those treacherous bends.Another jeep kommando went up also slipping & sliding as we go along.Eventually it was my turn: then I could see what the engin rev's was all about.Thick snow steep inclines on 90deg. bends.Yousr truly went up 2l momentum high staying in the created paths and steer lock counter steer and drifting at the same time mastering two 90 bends and resting behind the cruiser 4500 EFI. what an exhilirating experience.
Along the path two vehicles did not make it up ( Jeep cherokee(standard)nissan hardbody ).Their eyes was looking on me with envy.Anyway waited for my buddy to come up and then we took the path to the midsection were its says Matroosberg peak at the 300m vertical drop.
We were crawling 1L as the snow was so thick and treatcherous and any slight movement could either steer u into the bankment or down the cliff.we managed to get to the midsection with a sigh of relieve as our hearts were sitting u know where.
Had lunch about 3pm and then we head our way back.By now the snow was melting and ripples of water was running down in the paths making it mudpuddles and slippery.Me being clever was driving 2L and trying to follow the paths that was created from the vehicles infont;
About halfway through the downhill the inevetable happaned.Nerves shot and me in 2l the vehicle suddenly jerked off the track and into an embankment on the left.Coming to a brunt stop and I saw that the vehicles was almost on it side.The engin luckily stalled in gear.upon getting my bearings and still nerves shot I noticed that the fuel was oozing out of the petrol cap.
My front left wheel was almost on top of the the left embankment;my rear left wheel was facing skywards and the vehicle was standing on two & a half wheels.A few seconds of standing in that position was feeling like forever.Luckily my stall recovery experience pulled us out of that situation.politely reversed till vehicle was on the path.nobody injured but everybody shocked to their teeth almost wetting ourselves.
Almost at the bottom we was informed that daily visitors was camping it out near to the 300m vertical drop.apparrently he was walking in the soft snow near the cliff and then he hit hard slippery snow losing his balance and then fell 300m down the cliff to his death.On arriving at reception the rescue helicopter was hovering over the section where he was located. Sadley enough on our way home I could not stop thinking about this 38 year old man that came to his demise leaving his wife and 3 month old infant behind.and how lucky we was in surviving a freak accident.
This is a message to all trail riders, no matter how many times you have done a trail and how well you know it ,please be carefull on how You attempt an obstacle or trail. your vehicle can have the fanciest equipment in town ,but if you dont keep your cool and panic,serious injury could occur even death.
That said and done I have forfulled my quest with Matroosberg,done dry,night and snow trails
Cheers for now,will post pictures soon
TOYOTA
