Twee Water Trip Report - 24 September 2009
EC Offroad Adventures decided to spend their heritage day, 24 september 2009, at the Twee Water 4x4 trail just outside Patensie. Twee Water is one of the lesser known trails in the area, but it is certainly worth a visit. It offers stunning scenic views with some proper offroad driving.
The meeting point for the event was the Padlangs farm stall at 9am, but I went out to the trail at around 7am to check out a part we couldn't drive during the recce trip and to see what the one steep downhill looks like. By 8:30 I had done what I wanted to do and headed to Padlangs. Chris, Bernadette and a few attendees where already there enjoying breakfasts and coffee. The rest of the people slowly arrived until we set off at about 9:30.
We drove to the entry point of the trail about 2km down the road from Patensie where everyone let down their tyres and I did a quick driver's briefing. The trail starts off with a real steep loose hill. Igmar, the trail owner, joined us at this point and led us up the first hill. I followed and made it to the top with ease. Andre's Jeep Cherokee came soon after me, then came Bryan in the Hilux and Brent of Adventure 4x4 Academy in his Fortuner. In the distance I saw Alexis's Defender and Andrew's Hilux and after a few minutes I decided to carry on down the next very steep hill and told everyone behind me to give me a gap and then follow me down. At the bottom of the hill I gave my bakkie over to my co-driver to move it further out the way. I then walked back up to the worst section. I guided the Cherokee, the Hilux and the Fortuner down the toughest section to ensure they took the correct line.
Brent's Fortuner at the top of the first hill.
Andre coming down the steep downhill approaching the worst section.
Down the worst bit.
Vigo hilux down the worst bit.
Fortuner down the worst bit.
Some of the views.
Chris coming down the worst section on the steep downhill.
After waiting a while with no one else showing up, I decided to start walking up the extremely steep hill, with Andre also joining me on the tough climb. At the top I met up with Igmar who also had no idea what happened to the rest of the group. Andre and I got on the back of Igmar's bakkie to go and look what happened to the rest of our group. We found Andrew, Alexis and Chris walking up the first hill. While we were heading down the second hill, one of the vehicles struggled on the first hill, which resulted in it breaking a side shaft and stalling the engine. The engine could not restart again and it was stuck on the hill. I waited at the Defender and Hilux, while Andrew, Chris and Andre went down with Igmar to assist the stuck vehicle.
Once the vehicle was removed from the hill, the owner unfortunately had to head back home, something we terribly regret, as it is not nice when your trip ends so soon and with such misfortune. The rest of the vehicles made their way up the first hill and back down the very steep downhill where the rest of the group was waiting for us.
After the drama I led the group down the trail up to a point where we met up with Igmar again. He then led us down a nice tough hill, the same hill I couldn't get up during the recce trip. At the bottom of the hill, we turned right and started to climb again up steep but easier climb up to a point where you can see large parts of the valley on the farm and then back down to the next obstacle.
Defender coming down the hill.
Igmar stopped off at a nice vantage point and directed me to the next tough loose hill we'd have to get up next. He warned me it will be tough and said I should get ready at the top to do recoveries. I went down and made it up the hill with quite a bit of bouncing and sliding around. I parked off on the left just after the toughest part of the hill and prepared my recovery equipment. Next up on the hill was Andre in the Cherokee, he gave it 4 attempts and came very close to the top, but he just couldn't make it. Out of the rest that tried, the 2 Defenders, the Vigo Hilux and Chris in his Colt couldn't make it up the hill. Brent in the Fortuner made also with a bit of bouncing on his first attempt, JJ's Jeep Wrangler made it look easy as well as Andrew's double diff-lock Hilux. Greg in the V8 disco made it right to the edge of the hill before he stalled. Brent and I instructed him not to go back again, but to try and crawl forward in first low. With the added traction of his new tyres and a bit of traction control doing it's bit, the V8 disco pulled away on the hill and made it up without any further drama.
Cherokee almost at the top.
Cherokee spinning the wheels.
Brent's Fortuner coming up on it's first attempt.
JJ's well equipped Wrangler making it look easy.
Greg storming up the hill in a cloud of dust.
Andrew coming up way faster that he needed to.
Chris failing the climb in a cloud of dust.
At this point JJ decided to head back home and the rest of those who got up the hill made their way back down to the farm house. The rest of the group was sent through another short loop and we all came out to the farm house at the same time. Here we thanked Igmar for his efforts and 2 of the vehicles decided they have to get back home to perform their National Braai Day duties. I suggested we drive a bit more and the rest of the group agreed.
I then took them back up the steep little hill where we just came down, which in itself is quite a tough obstacle and some of the vehicles had to take the bypass. We drove a short loop and then ended up at the camp site. I suggested we attempt to get up one of the steep hills we came down that morning. The hill has an open area at the bottom from where everyone could view the vehicles attempt this tough hill. Chris went first and got stuck about 100m up the hill. He corrected his line and after a lot of wheel spin the Colt clawed it's way up the hill. Next vehicle was Brent's Fortuner. He got stuck in the same place as Chris, but after rolling back a bit and giving it a bit more juice, the Fortuner slid a bit left and right, but found enough traction to make it up the hill. Andrew in the Ford V6 Hilux, locked both diffs and was next to take on the hill. He also got stuck in the same place, but with both diffs locked it just took a small line correction for the Hilux to find traction and conquer the hill. 3 Vehicles took a wise decision not to risk their vehicles on the hill, so I had to go next. I took a slightly different line than the 3 previous vehicles, and although I was spinning and sliding a lot at one point, the Triton kept it's momentum and made it up the hill in one go.
Chris making it up the hill in a cloud of dust.
Brent spinning and sliding, but making it up.
Andrew's Hilux going up with much less wheel spin than the previous vehicles.
Chris, Brent, Andrew and I took the easier route back down where we met up with the rest of the group. from here we headed back to the farm house where we said our goodbyes and everyone went their separate ways.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on this trip!