Monteco - Montagu

Tell us about your recent trip. Please add some photographs.
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ThysdJ
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Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Kaspaas is packed and ready. He's been nagging me for a while now to take him somewhere wild and wonderful and I just could not come up with any more excuses, so I had to give in. Just to shut him up, mind you. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

So we are off to Monteco for the weekend. We have been there before, but only did the trails on the southern section of the reserve. This time we will do the northern side. At the time THE downhill was scary but fun. Now I am looking forward to the Knife's Edge to get some adrenalin pumping. For the rest of the weekend we'll just relax and braai and have a few beers. With no TV or cell-phone reception it sounds like paradise. We are not camping, but staying in one of the cottages.

I will take some pics and do a little write-up when we get back.

More info on Monteco at http://www.monteco.co.za
Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
email: thys@teamoffroad.co.za

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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Niel »

Enjoy, and keep the skid marks on the gravel :lol:
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Doctor V »

Stop net by Uitvlucht vir sielsversnaperinge. :twisted:
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ThysdJ
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

We left for Monteco on Friday afternoon end sommer right at the outset things went wrong. We were stopped at a traffic light in Brackenfell when weird smelling steam all of a sudden started coming from under the bonnet. Pulled off the road onto the pavement and saw that it was the heater hose that comes out the bottom of the block that got burnt through on the exhaust headers. The hose was covered with this asbestos matting, and even that burnt thru, so it was a long time coming.. Luckily it happened in town before we left. I phoned Allan to come help, and he arrived after I finished the job to inspect my handiwork and give his stamp of approval. Arrived Monteco at about 6:30 that evening and had a lekker braai and a few well deserved beers.

Our lodgings for the weekend:
IMG_0140.jpg
Saturday at about 10 am after a nice brekkie we did the Bulberg trail. It is a 25km trail with some lekker steep rocky uphills and serious downhills. The management of Monteco rates this trail at a 4 and I would sort of agree because it has grade 4 elements to it but there are NO escape routes, and also no turning around, so once you're in it, you got to stay to the end. Especially the Knife's Edge needs a mention. It is a tricky zig-zag downhill section (approx 30-40 degrees) rocky underfoot with steep drops to both sides of the track. Some road building was required, but not too much. The rest of the trail meanders along dry riverbeds though the mountains. We also did the Rondomtalie trail which is sort of part of the Bulberg trail. This trail has some serious approach and departure angles. A lot of fun. All the time Kaspaas just chugged along in 4L and never missed a beat up the steep inclines. He never even went over 2500 revs. The electric fan came on from time to time, but there was never a hint of overheating, so the BMW radiator is doing its job beautifully. It took us about 5 hours to complete the trail, but then I must point out that we stopped a lot to take pictures and just walk around and enjoy nature.

The Route:
IMG_0085.jpg
Up there we go:
IMG_0090.jpg
Flexing the Muscles:
IMG_0103.jpg
More flexing:
IMG_0123.jpg
We also saw some wildlife, like Eland, Gemsbok, Springbok, Swartwildebees and Duikers and stuff. This is a nature reserve after all.

Gemsbok:
IMG_0076.jpg
Relax after a hard day:
IMG_0149.jpg
On out way home we came over the Du Toits Kloof pass and not through the Hugenot Tunnel. The view from up the pass is still spectacular.
IMG_0171.jpg
Next Time:
I think that a Hilux4x4 Forum outing to this trail would be a very nice experience. It will have to be a weekend trip though. There are many trails to do ranging from a 1 to 4 rating. Remeber to take enough spare tyres Niel, as this is more rocky than Tierkloof.

Lessons Learned:
1) The exhaust headers are very very very very very hot. Don't touch them.
2) Dont forget to take pictures of the hairy parts of the trail. (I did).
3) Spicy biltong makes you VERY thirsty.
Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
email: thys@teamoffroad.co.za

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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Doctor V »

En dan staan en drink jy Windhoek Light...!! :lol:
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Doctor V wrote:En dan staan en drink jy Windhoek Light...!! :lol:
Beck's
IMG_0150.jpg
Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
email: thys@teamoffroad.co.za

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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Doctor V »

Sorry nie my bril op nie - selfde liga anyway :twisted:
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ThysdJ
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Dit was nie koud genoeg vir soetes nie... en ek was nie lus vir brannas-en-coke, cowboy-koeldank, spook-en-diesel, poliesiekoffie of enige van daai nie.. en daai botteltjie pas so lekker in die hand man.. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Thys de Jager
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2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ToyX4 »

Dit lyk of dit lekker was.

Wens ons het ook sulke plekke gahd om heen te gaan vir n naweek :mrgreen: (jealous)
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Doctor V »

Ja miskien erens as ons meer tyd het kan ons almal soontoe gaan :P ek sal my Roeskleur wa stock met Djeerlikepiko. Of dit koud is of nie!
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Dadz Toy BFI »

Nice Photos Thys :wink:

I'm sure that once the oilprice has dropped even further, you'll have many many more followers :wink: :wink:

Thanks for the pics and report :wink:

Rich
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Family_Dog »

Thanks for the interesting report Thys, excellent, as usual!

Man-O-Man, all we can report on here is a couple of smelly sulphur-smelly Mine dumps!


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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Family_BullDog wrote:Man-O-Man, all we can report on here is a couple of smelly sulphur-smelly Mine dumps!
It's a pleasure Eric.. :twisted: It is time for you to start up that Bulldog of yours and go climb a mine-dump or something... Maybe even Wolverton Mountain.. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Toybox »

Thys was Steve there or just the other young manager guy?
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ThysdJ
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Steve wasn't there, just Daniel... :D
Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
email: thys@teamoffroad.co.za

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ThysdJ
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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by ThysdJ »

Here is a little something of Kaspaas going thru a little slootjie at Monteco.. :twisted: :twisted:

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Thys de Jager
CEO and Refreshments Manager at Team Offroad.

2010 Hilux 3.0 D4D D/C 4x4 with GOMAD "Brood" Canopy. Tripod.
1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0 Sport. The original SFA. AGA... Gooi kole
email: thys@teamoffroad.co.za

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Re: Monteco - Montagu

Post by Dadz Toy BFI »

Glad you managed to capture a hint of that AWESOME engine note Thys :wink:

Music to my ears :D: :D: :D: :D:

Thanks for the pics and vids, much appreciated :wink: :D: :D: :D: :D:


Rich
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