Beautiful fresh air from around Queenstown and 4x4 Trails

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Yeah 8) If you have some free time and you want to get away from things, then you are welcome to come and drive the 4x4 trails around Queenstown, you have the option of staying at my home or at various other places around Queenstown, camping.

Here around Queenstown in The Eastern Cape we have lots of fresh air, no smog and no factory chimneys bellowing out fog and polluting the air.

We have 4x4 trails and areas that you can drive, some trails you will have to pay to drive their trails and for the camping, however some you will not.

[Coopraider]

Hi Simonster,

Wish I had that invite when I did Baviaans and Eastern Cape, Addo etc last year.

Frankly I am a bit intimidated by your truck - yours is bigger than mine, I'll admit.

Cheers,

Peter

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The Hangklip Mountain 4x4 Trails, one huge vast area with no internal fences, +- 30 000 hectars, state land, we have special permission to drive our 4x4 vehicle's through this area, but there are a few common sense rules to follow

1. I have and control the keys to the 8 gates to get to this area through a farmers private land.

2. I have permission to take our fellow club members and friends to this area from the farmer and as well from the local herd men who have been grazing their cattle, sheep and goats in this area for the last few hundred years.

3. During the dry winter months, the lighting of braai fires is only done at a certain place where there is a natural water spring that has water all year round, this is at the base of Hangklip Mountain.

4. All 4x4 vehicle's that join us must have low range and carry their own safety and recovery equipment as well as suitable tow points, if they do not have tow points, then a thin chain is put through the normal tie down hook that is found on most bakkies and joined with a small shackle, at least if they do get stuck, it is easier to hook the tow strap to this chain than trying to get to the hook under the vehicle.

5. Indemnity Forms are filled out before we enter this area.

6. As a token of goodwill, we ask everybody to bring a few old clothes, blankets or shoes and we hand these clothes out to the herdsmen who we see when we visit this area. This is much better than handing out sweets or money.

7. And last of all we ask everybody to not throw their stompies out their windows or litter.

We have had many trails to this area over the years, but prefer to visit this area every few months, it is a special area and we want to keep it like this, we spread out when we drive, this prevents tracks from been made and allows the grass to not be damaged to such an extent that soil erosion is made, some of you might not agree about this method, but it works through this area, when we go back a few months later, you will have to use a GPS to go the same route as before, we have allowed Quads and tweelies to join us, but the tweelies are a problem due to the fact that some of the hill climbs are so steep that they battle to get up them, the Quads seem to handle the terrain alright, we tell the various drivers of the 4x4 vehicle's that they must find their own route and do not even attempt to try and follow us in our Hilux's.

The following few pic's will try and give you an impression of how beautiful this area is.






Looking for the best suitable place to cross over, here there are not tracks, you basically drive where you want to, but you also have to consider the men and ladies that are spread out following behind

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We had basically found a way down the slopes behind the Hilux and the Jeep, a vehicle that has lots of ground clearence makes short work of this area and the huge rocks that stick out of the grass that a person cannot see.

Simon showing off in his Hilux below, just parked the small bakkie on these small rocks for some Photo's.

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back again, yippee found you my mate, am I going mad or stupid.

Anyway the photo below shows you some more views from this vast area.



Find your way through this valley below.




Now these rocks in this photo below are not small, but with the 35" tyres on our Jeep, it just rolls over them as if they were as small as marbles.





Finally at the braai area below, when we leave depending on the time, we just use the main track through this area that was made by a guy who has FM Radio towers on the top of Hangklip Mountain.

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The Rocky Mountain 4x4 Trail, 8km from Queenstown

Now to give you all a brief history of this area, in about 1858 Queen Victoria gave Garden and home lots to 20 families something to do with the people and The Boer War, anyway they were also give the use of the land to graze their cattle, I have seen some of the original title deeds from this area, I have even met some of the people whose parents were envolved in the old days gone by, anyway we have basically obtainer permission from The Land Owners Committee to drive our 4x4 vehicle's across and on their land, however each time we have an official event through this area, we give their committee a token of goodwill of R50. per vehicle, The small town of Lesseyton is where they now all live, over the years I have sponsored soccer balls to their various soccer teams and then also organized water for their dip tank so that they can dip their cattle, these people are very poor and do not get much from The South African governement, some are very timid and their is a lot of respect between our club and these people, the bottom line is; if you have the title deeds to a piece of land, then you have the say, however with the new ANC in power, things did change for them slightly.

We have opened up an old wagon trail through this area, in some sections we have made additional trails down and out of the river that runs through this area and where the trail has been completely washed away, we have made our own route, we have to yearly continue cut back the thorntree branches and if you are not driving a Hilux, sometimes Rocks also have to be moved, this trail has a rating of 3 to 5 and yes vehicle damage can accur if you do not use your common semce and know what and where your vehicle can drive or not, what your ground clearence of your vehicle allows, your wade depth and your experience, we have also made by-pass sections for the drivers who do not want to tackle the more difficult trail sections, this is an awesome trail, I will be posting many pic's to make you relieze what we have at our doorstep as one of the best 4x4 trails on Africa.

Beauti is in the mind of the beholder, I have watched this shrub grow the last few years and it is still there to remind me of Life

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Photo's taken from various sections of the trail

This section is optional





Also an optional section, but nice safe water crossing, depending on the rainfall, can get deeper, but there is always a secret to water crossings when you see water like this standing, tell me what it is?

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wild and wet



you must remember the green Nissan was upfront taking the lead.





Jeep recovery vehicle



They had a slight problem, left front wheel bearing



*a* side angle to the right as you drive up this hill.



I will let the photo tell the story, it was dark when we got this guy out, it was on the return journey, he blocked the trail

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And now we are off to Bamboeshoek 4x4 Trails, this is near a little town here in The Eastern Cape called Sterkstroom.
Bamboeshoek 4x4 Trails is about 70km from Queenstown, it is very scenic, has many deep valleys, rocky inclines that twist themselves up to the escarpment, lots of snow during the cold winter months and the ambient tempreture during the day is so cold that ice does not even melt.

We have visited Bamboeshoek 4x4 Trails for a few years now, the owner
Chris Bartlett is a very accommodating guy, he has an extra house that he can hire out as well as another small flat that has three seperate rooms and they even have their own bathrooms, there is a kitchen and a bar entertainment area.

For the people who want to rough it, there is a nice camping site area up against the mountain, it has a flushing toilet and some sort of parrafin burner type hot water shower with a little privatsy with some reeds around it, very nature orintated.

Half the way up the mountain there is a thatch roofed cottage a braai lapa area as well as enough space to pitch your tent, there is this throne with an excellent view, there was a hot water shower wg\hich was very nice to wash away all the grime from pushing The Landrovers up the mountain during the day.

Chris also offers Hunting as there are also a variety of wild animlas on offer, I only shoot them through the lens of my camera, however some people like to murder them as well, but everybody to their own means of enjoyment.

Bamboeshoek is a place where you do not only have to 4x4, you can also explore the cliff faces and the numerous Bushmen Paintings in the caves that you find.

It is also nice terrian for mounting biking, but please note, due to the safety factor and with the trail been very dangerous in some places, Quad bikes are not allowed on the trails.

4X4 Low range is a must and diff locks will protect the trails and make it easier on the vehicle's, however I have driven the trails
(well some of them) with a vehicle that does not have diff lock, only the one sitting next to me in the passenger seat, the trails are rated as a 3 to 5 with 5 been tough.

Indemnity forms have to be filled out and there is also an entry fee of R150. per vehicle, but if there is a large group this amount is neg.
There is also fishing for Bass in a nearby farmers dam.

Below my mate Danie Nell in his CJ 2 Willy's Jeep, waiting at the meeting point it was june month, middle of winter, there was ice on his windscreen, this is how cold it was that morning

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This photo basically show the cottage below and what the start of the trail looks like, if it has rained or snowed, it is difficult enought to just get up to this point of the trail



Yeah Jeep taking the lead again



Surely cannot be Hilux country, maybe it is too tough for them




Yeah Landrover :roll:

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Half way up the mountain at the rough and tough bush cottage and the toilet with a view



This section was windened since this photo was taken, but still if you are scared of hights, this trail is not for sissies, not very nice for a guy in a LHD vehicle going up.



Now ontop of this mountain, there are these natural rock pools, where fish are found, sometimes these water pools dry up, but every year there are these small skeloton boney fish swimming in the water pools, this photo shows you what the ice looked like at 13h00 midday.




Yeah my wife is a tough cookie, look no gloves, just her bare hands holding this thick piece of ice


more pic's will follow.

[Dadz Toy BFI]

Looks stunning Simon , and I thought we were seriously blessed in the Kaap :!:

I'd love to get up there, just not the most fuel affordable trip for us Kaapies

Great photos thanks Simon :!:

Rich

[Tristan]

All this so close to me :!: :!: I have to come try out these trails sometime.
And if I wasn't already sold on the trails you even through in my other two favorite hobbies mountain biking and fishing :D

hey Simon check out the May issue of Getaway magazine their is an extra booklet (4x4 trails) and have a look what vehicle is featured in the Eastern Cape.... Aaaahh!! yes you guessed it Hilux of course. Sure proof that this is Hilux country

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We call this The Muntu 4x4 Trail