ThenearbySprinkbokvlakteis
abarrenMartian-esque landscape
thatmakes youfeel insignificant
in itsvastness.http://www.weg.c o.za go! Drive&CampMay2019|^53
the rest of the park.Tw omust-see
spots are the Kokerboomkloof and the
Springbokvlakte.Theformeris abeautiful
campsite nestled between massive
rocksand quivertrees.Thenearby
Springbokvlakte, on the other hand,
is abarren Martian-esque landscape
thatmakesyoufeel insignificant in its
vastness. Directlysouth ofTatasberg is
the so-called SecretValleywhereyoucan
enjoyasundowner or two.Thegeography
here is amazing: some koppies look like
heaps of marbleswhilethe mountains are
reminiscent of Neapolitan ice cream.
Rockyroadsto the south
After spendingafewdays in thepark,
youfollowthe Gannakouriep Riveron
your wayout.Thisroutetakesyoupast
the Hakkiesdoring hiking hut and the
Gannakouriep wilderness camp.Both
accommodations haveneatbuildings with
beds, kitchens and showers.
On the slightlychallenging Helskloof
Pass youwillsee Pearson’saloes.This is
the onlyplac eonearthwhere theygrow
so thickand close together.
Backatthe park’s main gate,youhave
to decide ifyouwant to briefly return to
Sendelingsdrift for some fuel (our Jimny
needed some petrol) orwhetheryouwant
push on to the southeast ifyour vehicle
hasalong-range tank.
ThetownofKuboes has until recently
had self-catering cottages and cute
Nama reed huts, but they’re no longer
operational.Thetownlookstired, but the
shopsat least sellsweetsand cold drinks.
Stopat the tourism office to getapermit
for the first real 4x4challenge: theKuboes
4x4 communityroute.
This routeistoochallenging for
an ordinary SUV– it will destroy a
VolkswagenTiguan andaHondaCRV.Here,youneedagenuinefour-wheel
drivewith big tyres (33” and bigger is
desirable) andanicestrong engine (a V6,
please). Low-range gearing is essential
andadifflockwillhelp.Inretrospect,we
haveto admit thatwebit offtoomuch
by attempting it inaJimny. Although our
tiny4x4wasable to conquer the trail,
it suffered some damage,even with the
help of sand boards used asrock ladders.
Fortunately, the damage is cosmeticrather
than mechanical–the Jimnyisclearlyas
tough as nails.
Right off the bat, with the first hill,you
seerockyterraces with rubber skidmarks
leftbypreceeding travelers. It’supand
down the Cornelisberg–inand out of
dry riverbeds–untilyoureachanarrow
rockypath, uphill between boulders
(S28.49592 E17.12552).Youcan tell from
adistance thatarealchallengeawaits.
Get out first andwalk thetrack to plan >LAND SPEED RECORD.Just likeall the other national parks inSouth Africaspeeding is nottoleratedhere, but it’s still temptingto mash the acceleratorpedal
on this flatpiece of land (above). TheSecretValley(topright) is the ideal spotto enjoyasundowner.