Hilux 4x4 Forum

Well I thought I would post a few pics of our recent trip to Hogsback and shed a bit of light on the area. I will post pics as I go coz its a pain in the a....@$.
We arrived the Saterday just after 1pm or so having taken the route on the N6 turning off at Carthcart. I had never been that way before even though I've been going to Hogsback for +-15 years. The road becomes a dirt road shortly after the turn off and with the recents rains there was some bad ruts and muddy sections. So we reduced our speed and kept everything in one piece. We checked in at the Kings Lodge. The price was very reasonable for my wife, my son and myself. The service and facilities were excellent. The breakfast buffet was killer and saw us lasting to way after lunch.
With the recent rains the rivers were flowing strongly and every little ravine had turned into a small forest stream. We had been through the area a few years back on a 4x4 quad and had seen places that you would, well basically you would have to live there and hike everyday to see. There are numerous forestry roads, used and unused, that allow for some awesome forest scenery and wild life viewing. I kept the rule of only following existing tracks and not creating new routes and damaging the area. There is an abundance of fauna and flora and the locals can get a bit touchy when tourists pitch up with their 4x4's and quads and anihilate the place.

Hmmmm...looks like my kinda place

Tx Dylan! Now that wasn't sooooo bad....?

Wait some more on the way....

Very nice indeed

There used to be a trout hatchery up there and they used to stock those rivers with rainbow trout. We have one of those mountain streams bordering our property all along the valley and used to go down there with our trout rods. Hardly ever came away without 2 or 3 for the pan .... fried in butter together with freshly picked mushrooms ... great memories!

Those wattle trees are everywhere .... pesky invaders, but make damn nice firewood for the fireplace on a cold night. And the mountain mists, often present, can be beautiful and eerie at the same time. It is really an enchanting area.

The wife getting some wheel time....






Madonna and Child..










The 3 Hogs: From left Hog 3, Hog2, Hog1

Very nice

Directly on my TO DO list

I sEE Mr B was there also, nice shot

That's the Madonna & Child Falls.

CJ .... we'll be there from 21st to 25th of this month .... you're welcome to join us.

OOPS ... I see you labelled the falls in the 2nd pic. ... :?

Sandile Dam



We started a basic drive from the hotel to the dam going past Madonna and Child Waterfall, turned off at the dam (32°36’59.60”S 26°59’31.76”E). We stopped a played around there. There are some bass to had here just watch out for ticks. We then continued along the track toward the ridge. This basic little drive led us through a few streams, some muddy sections and once on the ridge it narrowed so there was no chance of a u-turn. Unfortunetly there was a Black Wattle tree that had fallen across the trail. I did not have a saw or panga or anything to cut it. So.... I winched the bugger out the way enough to get around without falling down the slope.

With water running down the track it was rutted quite badly in a few places which made for a bit of fun. We stopped along the way and just played around in the water and mud, my son loving the latter more. (Boy's will be boy's). We tried to make a point of stopping regularly throughout the weekend to enjoy the surroundings.

This ended at 32°38’02.53”S 26°59’18.13”E. We proceeded down the road to find a quarry (which they are using for road fill) and managed to squeeze some play time there. This gave the wife a chance to get some 4x4 experience without freaking out. (Yes she is a bit neurotic about falling over).

The following day we drove up from the quarry (it indicates a 4x4 route of 51km of which nobody can tell me where it goes) and just followed the track. There was a small river crossing and some muddy areas again. We came over the ridge to find a cold front coming in. We had some lunch while we were enveloped in this fog cloud. Eeeery stuff....

We followed the track down the back of the mountain towards the river which feeds the Sandile dam. Crossed it and came into a forest section that had not been travelled for some time. There were so many butterfly's you would expect fairies to come out. The Yellow wood trees were hundreds of years old. Just frikken awesome!

I had no knowledge at the time where we would come out so we turned around and headed back. On the way back we we decided to take some muddy action shots. ALWAYS FUN!
Enough for now......

You done well, made my day

OOOOMS wrote:You done well, made my day

My pleasure. Problem is I just want to pack the van and dissappear for a week or two...

I know that trail you went on ..... pity the mist rolled in, nice views along there. Now where you say the trail ended and you went down the road to the quarry, there is a point where a few roads meet. Had you taken either of the roads that go East it would have taken you along the escarpment (it's a loop .... the one runs along the lower escarpment and the other along the upper escarpment) .... takes you right to a lookout point where the escarpment comes to a sharp point, like a sentinel looking out over the valley and surrounding countryside. (Some say you can see the sea from there on a clear day, but I have my doubts .... probably a mirage). Will take Mark up there .... pack nappies! LOL.

We did go there and take pics as well in the early morning.

Mud Dog wrote:I know that trail you went on ..... pity the mist rolled in, nice views along there. Now where you say the trail ended and you went down the road to the quarry, there is a point where a few roads meet. Had you taken either of the roads that go East it would have taken you along the escarpment (it's a loop .... the one runs along the lower escarpment and the other along the upper escarpment) .... takes you right to a lookout point where the escarpment comes to a sharp point, like a sentinel looking out over the valley and surrounding countryside. (Some say you can see the sea from there on a clear day, but I have my doubts .... probably a mirage). Will take Mark up there .... pack nappies! LOL.

Pack nappies.....

Mark, after that trip, you will forget about Nam and Moz and want to re-locate to the EC!

Mud Dog wrote:Mark, after that trip, you will forget about Nam and Moz and want to re-locate to the EC!

Sure you are correct

I'll let you decide afterwards!

AM Racing wrote:We did go there and take pics as well in the early morning.

Co-ords 32°39'33.67"S 27°01'16.93E

Open it in Google Earth and pan over it left and right for the 3D effect.

Will take you to the "Big Tree" as well, an ancient yellowwood tree that was already 400+ years old when Jan Van Riebeeck landed at the cape .... takes something like 12 people holding hands to encircle the trunk.

Tx Dylan, I'm now really homesick

Never been to Hogsback...sure looks like a nice spot..

OOOOMS wrote:Mark, after that trip, you will forget about Nam and Moz and want to re-locate to the EC!

I'm already throwing a few seeds out this coming Easter im an effort to relocate back

Stef wrote:Tx Dylan, I'm now really homesick

Never been to Hogsback...sure looks like a nice spot..

OOOOMS wrote:Mark, after that trip, you will forget about Nam and Moz and want to re-locate to the EC!

I'm already throwing a few seeds out this coming Easter im an effort to relocate back

Bring your SFA down, join us and then claim you can't afford the juice back home and stay there..kill two birdies with one stone???

Great plan will be difficult to claim the next pay cheque though...

Sure you can think of something

nice photo's Dylan.
Tel us more about the winch photo

george wrote:nice photo's Dylan.
Tel us more about the winch photo

Well I try go prepared, but not this time. There was a tree fallen across the track and no way to make a u-turn, no saw, panga so I just winched it out the way.... To the right of the tree there is a drop off.