Too much water in the desert!

[El Stiemo]

We had a really "nice" easter weekend. Weather forecast: No rain. OK, so we decide to go drive into Damaraland, which is a semi desert area in north - western Namibia.

Team Land Rover: GF and El Stiemo
Team Toyota: GF's Parents, her brother and her sister with boyfriend, none of whom had ever been on a 4x4 trip before and did not know the area.

So: Go to western side of Brandberg, sleep in Messum River. Continue next day, down Divorce Pass (now why would it be called that?:rolleyes: ), across the Ugab river (still dry) and up again the other side, both Hilux had problems going up, its very steep with loads of loose rocks. Continue into the Gontergab river and up a side arm, when it starts raining. No way out except up onto high ground and set up camp and hope the river doesn't come down. Which it did the next morning (Sunday) while we were having breakfast. Stuck on our little island, had to wait till early afternoon, to risk driving in. Battled for two hours for +/- 500 m gain. camp again as it got dark. River was going down quite quickly, were sure to be able to drive it easily enough the next morning. Except that there was another thunderstorm that night which meant the river came down again. :(

So... Monday: more battling, digging and scouting followed until we were able to get out of that thing. Over the plains down to the Huab river which (what a surprise) was wet, but not running, arrival at dusk, search for track in the dark in the bushes, camp on high ground again.

Tuesday morning (when I was supposed to be back in the office) drive down to the Huab river, which (yay) had used the night to come down again in flood. More scouting for route across and finally got onto the gravel road at +/- 12h30.

Back in Swakopmund yesterday night.

Safe and sound, although it was a near thing to lose one of the cars...

[Geobloke]

Wow that musta been a fun couple of days mate! Anymore pics?

[ROB 110 HICAP]

Proper offroad adventure!

[El Stiemo]

Ok so some more pics.

First one is on Divorce pass going down
Second is one of our camps
Three is the Hi - lift jack in action
four and five are the top of the mountain ridge to gai ais
six is a lake in the desert (there is no vegetation or lake here normally)
seven is the plains again

Frank

[ROB 110 HICAP]

Wow photos.

[El Stiemo]

Yes, the country really is exceptionally beautiful this year...

Swakopmund even had rain this weekend - it almost NEVER rains here (the average annual rainfall is something like 25 mm). Most of that is mist and fog. It rained 18 mm this Saturday. Fourth time this year we have had rain.

[etsdit]

Awsome adventure in Nam :D

so what was the final score Team LR vs Team Toyota :)

[abyssdj]

love the 4th pic in the first set! wish we could go and drive places like that... :)

[ROB 110 HICAP]

My fav is set2 pic 1 of the hilux, rocks! But love the wide open spaces and big skies in the others. Namibia/Skeleton coast/Landy/KTM...........one day!

[El Stiemo]

Oh you want pictures of Toyotas, do you? :D

herewith some more.

By the way, Ets:

Toyotas both got stuck on Divorce pass, which the Landy didn't. The Landy got stuck more often in the river than the Toyotas did, but then again, the Landy is the heavier vehicle and I was the guinea pig to test the route. This meant that Muehle got stuck more often.

The Landy pulled the Toyotas out several times but the Toyotas never pulled the Landy out, always got it out manually. This is also due to the fact that they did not dare drive into the same hole that I was already stuck in.

After the danger passed, it was actually a lot of fun.

[ROB 110 HICAP]

I thought Disco colour schemes were bad, but beige Toyota with black and orange go faster stripes, yuk!

[El Stiemo]

Rob,

that is actually a 1988 Hilux, they came out standard that way and were very popular at the time, that vehicle is a one owner, 51.000 km car. I don't think he (GF's dad) will take it offroading with me again...:D
Probably go get a rental for the next trip...

[etsdit]

wow Frank! the scenery is just amazing! and i guess its honours even between the two teams :D

what was the temperature like in the heat of the day - seeing as you are just coming into autumn? it looks a little sunny in some of your images :)

[El Stiemo]

day at lunchtime around 30 - 35 in the shade (where present), but humid as hell and nighttime +/- 15 deg. Getting cold now.

[etsdit]

day at lunchtime around 30 - 35 in the shade

ahhh... how i could do with a couple of days like that right now :) - i need to get rid of the bluey, milky skintone!



when it gets above 13 Celcius the people here start taking their shirts off and catch some rays in the parks :D crazy i tell you :rolleyes:

[El Stiemo]

It rained another 7 mm last night in Swakopmund. If the weather keeps this up, our desert will be suitable for agriculture in about two years time...:rolleyes:

[K&S]

That's excellent adventure stuff. The rains definitely have been great all over this year.

Those are great pics. Thanks for sharing them.

[jeff]

when i was in western cape in feb/march it was verry dry locals complaning of lack of rain since last september
jeff

[Marc Lurie]

Great photo's Frank. It's colder than a witch's heart in Johannesburg today. The wind is icy. I was going to work on the 200Tdi (she's not charging the battery), but it hurts when I hold a spanner, so I'm rather going to watch a DVD and have a beer.

I bought a few Erdinger Dunkels and a few bottles of "Gilroy Serious". The "Serious" is a great winter beer... 7% alcohol, gloriously thick and sticky, with only a hint of hops. A lot like the Bok or Alt beers.

Stay dry...

Marc

[etsdit]

I'm rather going to watch a DVD and have a beer.


sounds like a great way to settle into the Sunday :)

[El Stiemo]

Marc,

the whole of the country is bitter cold with some places in the minus last night. Here at the coast: sun, warm, perfect. Except that we spend the day in the office...

Will drive into Damaraland again this weekend, we've cancelled the Kunene trip as first the girls weren't supposed to come along (men's retreat weekend). Then they kicked up a fuss :rolleyes: and wanted to come, so we said OK, but now they can't because they need to work on thursday (public hol here) and it is now too short notice and too far and blah blah blah. :(
So it will be just Padda's owner and myself going into northern Damaraland to get away. Let's hope we don't get stuck again in a running river for two days like the last time... :D

Frost and rain at this time of year is not supposed to happen here. I wonder what will be next. Snow?

Cheers Frank

[Marc Lurie]

Yup, and it can get COLD in the desert at night. There was snow in Lesotho this weekend, which is quite early in the year, so I think the region is going to have a cold winter in general.

What's the Fish River Canyon like in winter? We couldn't walk into the canyon when we were there in December.

[El Stiemo]

Marc,

the Canyon is only open for hikers between April and September. You would die from heat exhaustion if you go down in December. Even in winter you must produce a medical certificate declaring you fit enough. It is really beautiful, but day hikes are not allowed into the canyon, not even in winter. It's either the whole hike to Ai Ais or nothing. That said, there are some places where access is possible from private farms as day excursions, but that is outside the national parc area.