Leopard
Trail 4X2
by Braham van ZylMentioning
the name Leopard Trail to outdoor enthusiasts will definitely raise a question or two in
their conversations. Although it was a relatively unknown hideaway up to now, farm owner
Johan Kriel ensured me that the outdoor community will have to take note of what is going
to happen at the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains over the next few months.
Situated halfway
between Ashton and Swellendam, Leopard Trail is a short 2 hour’s drive from Cape
Town’s northern suburbs.
The Eksplôr SA 4X2
diff-lock group had their monthly outride to Leopard Trail at the beginning of March 2001.
Ten vehicles and 25 passengers turned up. It was quite an historic event for our hosts,
Johan and Lizette Kriel, as we were the first guests at their new campsite. They acquired
the farm Daskop recently, not only to consolidate it with their own adjacent farm,
Sitruspoort, but also to utilise the tourism potential of Daskop’s natural beauty.
As toerisme fasiliteit
is Leopard Trail al vir ‘n paar jaar aan die gang. Dit het begin toe die Kriels
‘n groot ou plaashuis, waarin tot 18 mense kan slaap, opgeknap het en dit aan gaste
begin bied het. Saam daarmee het hulle ‘n boot op die plaasdam gesit, visvangplekke
by die damme ingerig, ‘n paar veldpaadjies vir veldfietse skoongekap, en ook ‘n
tweespoorpad die berg uit as 4X4 roete begin bemark.
Die aankoop van Daskop
open nou die geleentheid om die toerisme fasiliteite tot aan die voet van die berg uit te
brei. Daar is pragtige diep klowe waar nog digte inheemse bosse is. Die kamp staan juis
aan die begin van een van hierdie klowe. Johan sê daar gaan sommer binnekort nog ‘n
paar huise ook staan. Hy het ook van die ander plaaspaadjies begin oopmaak vir meer
ryplek.
Our March group’s
vehicles varied from an early 60’s Series II Land Rover to a late model Mazda
Drifter. Leon Viljoen of Worcester even turned up with his caravan, while all the others
pitched a variety of tents. Arnold Steinman’s rooftop tent on a 4X2 confirmed that
the 4X2 crowd is not far behind the 4x4’s and is soon going to outgrow its childhood
stage.
The route itself was
easily accessible to the 4X2’s, although the first part up the mountain involved a
steep and difficult zig-zag climb. Deon Hauptfleisch, in his red Isuzu “enough X
4” diff-lock 4X2, proofed to the rest that an extra load of about 300 kg of sand
ensured a positive grip with minimum wheelspin. Stuart McAllister, in his brand new
Landrover 90 TDS, idling all the way up and down the mountain, frustrated some of the 4X2
drivers who, without the extra help of low range gear, needed a little bit more speed to
negotiate the more difficult parts of the trail.
Jaco van Vuuren in sy
Isuzu en Rian Esterhuyse in sy Nissan was nou al onderskeidelik vier en vyf maal
agtereenvolgend saam met ons en begin sekerlik kwalifiseer vir ere-kleure. Rian het ook sy
Nissan so effens gelig, wat miskien die begin van ‘n nuwe tendens in 4X2 geledere kan
wees. Dink net hoe mooi gaan ‘n groep 4X2’s lyk wat net so hoog soos hulle 4X4
boeties loop.
Leopard Trail sal ons
beslis weer sien. Daar is sommer nog heelwat roetes wat ons nie gery kon kry nie. Boonop
het Johan belowe dat hy ons volgende keer die klowe wil invat om ons te gaan wys waar die
geraamte van ‘n bees hoog bo in ‘n boom sit, waar ‘n luiperd die dooie dier
gedurende die 1950’s ingesleep het. Hy wil ons dan sommer ook die watervalle en die
diep bergpoele gaan wys wat ons hierdie keer gemis het. En, ons sal dan graag wil sien
watter nuwe oorblyfasiliteite hy bygekry het.
Wie op hulle eie vir
die Kriels by Leopard Trail wil gaan kuier, kan meer inligting by die akkommodasie
afdeling van hierdie webwerf kry. Kyk sommer ook na die ander kuierplekke waarvan daar
vertel word. Kliek hier vir
die akkommodasie skakel. |
