Ga-Ma "trail" on Klein Pella, Northern Cape for the adventurous

[Bex]

Update, Website for Gama 4x4 trails https://www.gama4x4trails.com/home
8 trails finished and ready to drive, ranging from a grade 2 to grade 5

Klein Pella is a farm that you will drive through just after starting the Namakwa trail. It is a commercial farm producing dates and grapes and conserving the other 90% of the area.
A couple of us living and working on the farm started looking for an access route to the more remote corners and ended up making a semi circular trail of about 20km accessible only with a 4x4.
We have also identified aditional tracks that can eventually extend the trail to more than double the existing bit.
The idea is to eventually develop it into a formal trail after sorting out all the legalities and burocratic stuff.

We have opened up the trail to visitor subject to signing an indemnity forum and in future a small fee. Advice on how to proceed will be of great help.

I'll give a description of what we have done so far with some pictures and some of the first vehicles to pass through.

Most of the work was done by hand, minimal disturbance of the environment is the idea. Most of the work was moving of rocks that prevented passage or cause tire damage.
We believe the grading to be a 4 so experience and difflocks are needed. I did manage the 20km in 3hrs without damage to my unmodified Pathfinder, and we did it in a Discovery in 2 hours.

UPDATE: Recent visits by 4x4 enthusiasts with a variety of unmodified vehicles gave some insight into the dificulty of this route. It is a bit harder than it apears in the pictures. At no point was machines used and at no point in the past was this a normal road that have deteriorated. It was built as a 4x4 track and in a lot of the obstacles there is only one correct line. This means that if you do not take the correct line you may get some damage or get into a dangerous situation|
YES, I have done it with my unmodified Pathfinder without any damage, but I did modify it in that I changed the tyres from 255/65 R17 to 265/75 R17. I also did it with an unmodified Hardbody 4x4, but it apears to have a better break over angle than newer vehicles.
And finaly, I have done the route more than a hundred times in the last year, and it seems rather easy to me, but first time users disagrees with me, so fair warning it is a Grade 4 route and 4x4 experience is needed as whe will attemp to have a guide available on request, but it will not always be possible in our harvest season.

If anyone is in the area with enough time, contact me and if I have the time available I might join you on the drive.

[RiaanJ]

Sh1t, and we spent 2 nights at Klein Pella 14 days ago.... Still eating your dates.

[Bex]

This weekend the trail claimed some white paint off some brand new Toyota Dakar DC bakkies. The drivers say that the new Toyota DC is too long to make the turns unless their suspensions are raised.

This brings me to the first question that I would like to ask on the forum, we have been discussing this for some time and have not been able to reach a conclusion.

Do I make the trail easier until it is a grade 3 to allow more vehicles to do it, or do I leave it as is and limit the numbers passing through and keep the challenge and excitement?

Keep in mind that there is no escape route once you are in it, though the first real obstacles from either side will keep vehicle/drivers that should not enter it out anyway.

Any comments?

[Bex]

These are the 2 obstacles that removed the paint.
The Ranger made it through undamaged and is much wider than the DC's, but raised.

[Walnut]

I like the idea of a challange, but if a unmodified Toyota cant do it then i would possibly make a chicken track around it or modify it to be slightly easier.

You sure the guys in the Toyota were just not taking the right line?

[Bogaards]

Awesome idea the trail.

Hope I can do it one day...

I agree, rather add escape routes on the difficult sections if possible.

Klein Pella is a awesome place...

[Chopped]

This weekend the trail claimed some white paint off some brand new Toyota Dakar DC bakkies. The drivers say that the new Toyota DC is too long to make the turns unless their suspensions are raised.

This brings me to the first question that I would like to ask on the forum, we have been discussing this for some time and have not been able to reach a conclusion.

Do I make the trail easier until it is a grade 3 to allow more vehicles to do it, or do I leave it as is and limit the numbers passing through and keep the challenge and excitement?

Keep in mind that there is no escape route once you are in it, though the first real obstacles from either side will keep vehicle/drivers that should not enter it out anyway.

Any comments?

I would leave it as it is. Warn drivers in writing before they pay. Let them choose and dont let people drive alone unless they are prepared to pay a recovery fee.

[KurtG]

I would leave it at a more difficult level to make it unique. The rest of the route is easy so making it more difficult will keep it interesting. If a standard (slightly raised) Ranger can do it, then it can’t be that difficult in any case.

[Bex]

Thanks for the replies. I was there with the Ranger, it just cleared some of the turns with not much to spare. I was not present with the Hilux, so I don't know. The Ranger is bigger in all dimensions according to o line specs. My unmodified Pathfinder did it easily

On that trail there is no options for escape routes, the existing one is the only one that goes into that area unless you use bulldozers.
I am going to drive through it tomorrow and maybe move one or 2 rocks, I'll look for those with white paint on them.

[Bex]

We drove through the trail on Sunday and I think the 2 spots needs a bit of attention to allow the new Toyotas to get through without damage. The Hilux seems to have grown a lot over the years, an old one that joined me on the drive slipped through with ease.



A real steep section where most vehicles have all 4 wheels slip a bit at some stage.


In between the obstacles I cleared the rocks out of the road to make the ride comportable.


The old Hilux had some trouble engaging the difflock and strugled a bit with some of the steep inclines and cross overs.


In some places i had to build up some gaps by filling in with rocks.


This area halfway through the trail will probably end up as a camping spot, no faccilities except maybe for a toilet hidden behind the rocks on the left to keep the area sanitary.

[Walnut]

Look like a stunning trail.

[Bex]

I believe it is, the scenery was the primary reason we selected the route. I have seen Klipspringer about 90% of the time I go through and they have gotten so used to us that they don't bolt, you can get close to them. Look carefully, there are 3 of them in the picture. They do not appear to be close, but take into account that the picture was taken with a phone.


I plan to drive through it again tomorrow and fix 2of the 3 spots that are a problem for the new Toyota's. The 3rd spot I could not identify yet as I am not having the same problems and it could be one of many that are close.

[milbury]

Thanks for this Bex. This is what this forum needs. Keep the updates coming!!

[Damdan]

Looks good.
May I ask, do you work/live/grew up on Klein Pella?

[Bex]

I work and live on Klein Pella, more than 20 years now.

[Bex]

I did a quick drive through the new trail in the opposite direction to see what it is like. I had a colleague visiting so took him along.


It is whole new experience to drive it in the opposite direction, every turn and obstacle needs to be handled differently.

It did feel like climbing up was a bit easier than down because you can see the ground in front of you better.

[Damdan]

Dan ken jy vir Louise.

[EugeneMader]

Very interesting thread and thanks for taking the time to forge the new trail.
I will be doing the Namakwa Trail from East to West in 2 weeks time. Would love to add that to my route.
I will contact you via WhatsApp.

[Bex]

I did go to Amam today and had a blast on the dunes.

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...ing-still-open

[Riaan van Wyk]

The "gwala" word comes from the Zulu name "umgxala."
English a crowbar.

Hard work you have been doing Bex!