On Sunday the 11th of May, 2003, a group of 4x4
associate members joined Simon Morris on a visit with their 4x4 vehicles to The
Imvani 4x4 Trail which is approximately fifteen kilometers from Queenstown
towards Cathcart, this 4x4 trail is owned by Gary and Haley Sutton, who also run
a bed & breakfast and game hunting lodge.
Morris led the way; we first had the privilege of driving through the game
farm where we were able to see many different types of wild game, consisting of
wildebeest, zebra, springbuck, blesbuck and many other animals from the
Ruminatia family. Once the last
4x4 vehicle had left the game farm area, Morris told us to all stop and then he
gave us a short safety speech, telling those drivers whose vehicles have locking
hubs to now lock them and that everybody must select low range and drive with a
safe distance between each vehicle, otherwise they might end up some ones...
(rhymes I know). While I was
telling the drivers what to do, I noticed a number of big toes tracing circles
in the wet mud, while other drivers stared off into the distance.
Due to the rainy conditions the 4x4 trail would be very slippery and
dangerous. Some of the drivers then
deflated their vehicles 4x4 tyres to give better grip. Morris, " the leader of the pack ", then proceeded onto the
trailhead with caution and the rest of us followed in his tracks.
The trail took us up onto the top plateau of the farm, in fact very near
the Pinical mountain, which is a well know land mark in this area.
At some stages of the trail we were driving on the edge of the
mountainside with jagged cliffs on our left and wild unspoiled remarkable plains
below. We all stopped to admire the fantastic views, many farms in the distance
could also be seen. I overheard one driver saying that big kids need toys too. We all then set off deeper into the trail. There are signboards along the trail with GPS waypoints and
different names telling you what to expect ahead. We then came across the name Bone Shacker, the trail then
turned off to the left at this point and took us up and through a very “bone
shacking” section. It was due to
all the small rocks on the trail, it felt that every bone in my body was loose.
Why is it we do this to ourselves? J But it was well worth the
shake and effort, as we were soon through this section. We then came to the Cycad Avenue, which consisted of a steep
incline - if you dare! On the left
were a few tree trunks and on the right a sheer cliff face, allowing us just
enough space to drive through. Morris decided that the best thing for him to do was jam his right foot
against the fire wall and the accelerator pedal to prevent his foot jumping on
and off the pedal thus preventing him
from loosing control of his 1983 Datsun Tracker 4x4's revs and thus causing
wheel spin. Morris said that along this stream section of the trail there were
selected, optional sections available for those drivers who would like to try
out their winching capabilities on their vehicles, but said that these sections
were rated as a five out of a five, with five being very tough and that it was
extremely technical; suitable only for experienced drivers and that their
vehicles must be well equipped and that
they had all the proper tow and jacking points. Morris also said that vehicle damage was a real possibility,
but escape routes were also available. Morris said that Ronny Rengers and
himself would be taking Ronny's modified Jeep Wrangler TJ auto through the
winching sections in the near future, this will definitely make a great video. Due to the overcast conditions, we all decided to take the escape route,
which took us towards a very steep grassy hill, that we would have to conquer.
To stop was to be stuck for sure. The
grass was wet, so Morris just selected first gear, low range and kept his foot
in the hook and hoping against hope that he would climb out and through the
hidden ruts and make it to the top. Due
to the Firestone 215x15" ATX tyres that Morris has on his 4x4 and the tyre
pressure of 0.5 bars, these added factors allowed his 4x4 to slowly crawl his
way to the top. He did have an
added advantage due to all the fire wood and other 4x4 recovery equipment
consisting of a High Lift jack, the Trail Blaster (which is a CO2 cylinder), mud
tracks, kinetic strap which also includes special strength rated bow-shackles,
fire extinguishers, spades, tree cutters and also tree protector straps. Soon we had the braai fires burning.
Out came the refreshments, braai meat and in no time the delicious smells
of the different meats on the fires could be enjoyed. We all had a good time,
good laughs and the different drivers said that this trail was very cool and
that they had had a blast and this is what this sport is all about, being able
to enjoy the outdoors with their families and friends. The shadows had grown long, evening was approaching, and another day out in the country was drawing to a close. What a pleasure this day had been, maybe you will join us on our next 4x4 trail when we visit the famous Bamboeshoek 4x4 Trail, which is near Sterkstroom, South Africa. Invitations will be sent out in due course, but if you own a 4x4 vehicle and your family or friends are interested in joining this 4x4 Association on a 4x4 trail, then please contact Morris and give him your contact details, his contact cell number is 082 499 1924.
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We all met at The
Shell Ultra City at 9:00am.
