Departed Saturday morning 07h00 from Durbanville after picking up Arnold, the navigator for the weekend. We set out to go and see some snow at the Swartberg on the tail of the cold front discussed on the forum.
http://www.stormchasing.co.za/index.php/forum/26-long-term-forecasts-and-models/5170-cold-front-sw-cape-4-5-aug-2011

We stopped at the Spar in Worcester to purchase some supplies,  and standing at the pay piont we saw the pic on the front page of the Cape Argus of some thick snow on the Verlate kloof pass.  I set my mind on this new location and headed off to Matjiesfontein. We reached the first snow on the ground about 70km from Matjiesfontein on the Sutherland road at 1200m on the Verlatenkloof pass.
Verlatekloof location on Google maps. http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-32.557086,20.590439&spn=0.070751,0.109692&t=h&z=13



There were very few cars on the tar but turned off on the dirt road towards Merveville.


In some places the water in the road looks wet, but is frozen with quite a thick crust of ice. As we drive over the ice puddles,  the ice splinters up and comes flying over the bonnet like pieces of broken glass to hit the front windscreen.


We turned into the airstrip located here http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-32.49076,20.700517&spn=0.017701,0.027423&t=h&z=15
and got a pic on some virgin ice.


Drove about 15km along this road to where it starts to decend over the escarpment towards Merveville and the ice thinned and turned back to the tar R354.


A short way back on tar towards Verlatekloof pass, we turned off on the Komsberg road towards Laingsburg. http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-32.570975,20.691547&spn=0.07074,0.109692&t=h&z=13
Both the dirt roads has general elevation of just over 1500m.  The area here is very flat with lots of small pans filled with water.


Allthough it was clear that there was some traffic on the road before us,  we did not get any cars until we were way out of the snow.  Here is another long stretch of snowy road.


For long stretches the road was very slushy and swopped places with Arnold to have fun with the steering wheel.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zucj9Z4sU3g

Arnold, navigator and co-driver.


From Laingsburg we headed off to a base camp at the foot of the Klein Swartberg,  set a fire and spent the night in a warmer climate away from the snow.

Towerkop (Magic Peak) , at 2139m, is an easy recogniseable feature of the Swartberg range.  The word "chase" after "storm" puts people in cars on the ground,  and in my mind this is a form of tourism.  This blog is to put a story to the country drive.  Working as a part time tour guide in the area some time ago,  I have extended the legend to encompass the larger Swartberg.


A very very long time ago a witch lived on the south side of the Swartberg in the Klein Karoo.  She often had to cross over the mountain to the Groot Karoo on the north side to collect cetain herbs and spices.  One day, flying on her broom, she tried to cross over the ever  higher looming  mountain.  Keep in mind that her broom was a very mutch older model  than the Nimbus Two Thousand used in later years at Hogwarts.  So she got thwarted near the summit and got stuck in the many small crevasses and between the  large boulders.  In a fit of rage she lashed out with her broom and cut a deep vertical gash through the high dome shaped summit.


The agry witch then went off to see Mother Nature and demand that something needed to be done. Mother Nature agreed and together, with a magic wand of fire, they burned clefts through the Swarberg range to serve as passage ways.

To name these clefts today and working from west to east,  the first is the Prinsrivier gorge in the Anysberg. The Prinsrivier enters the gorge from Anysberg Nature Reserve and fills the Prinsrivier dam on the south side of the mountain.
Location on Google maps:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.502039,20.752144&spn=0.069997,0.109692&t=h&z=13



Then there is the impressive Buffesrivier gorge where the great Laingsburg flood of 1981 passed trough.
Location on Google maps:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.439463,20.971355&spn=0.070047,0.109692&t=h&z=13



A main gravel road between Laingsburg and Ladismith, running trough this gorge, was completed in 1950.  The plan was to build a major elevated tar road suspended from the cliffs, and with a short tunnel at the thin end of the u-bend in the pic above.  The surveying was done and the road was to be completed by 1983,  but then the great Laingsburg flood happened and took the flood level way above the expected and calculated flood levels for the road.  After the flood the entire plan for the suspended tar road was scrapped and the existing gravel road disappeared.  Today the surveyor markings and test holes can still be seen on the sides of the cliffs.  This also explains the partially completed tar roads from Laingsburg and Ladismith.  On 15 June 1987 Buffelspoort was declared a National Heritage Site. Today this unique wilderness area is still home to leopard, black eagle, fish eagle and lost of small game.  Occationally some organised small groups of 4x4 vehicles venture into the gorge.


View of Buffelspoort showing some of the Jeep tracks up the mountain.


Next is Seweweekspoort (Seven weeks canyon) with a gravel road from Laingsburg to the old misson settlement of Zoar and Allemienstein.
Location on Google maps:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.397626,21.405659&spn=0.070081,0.109692&t=h&z=13



Then there is Gamkapoort with the large dam and the bottom end of Gamkaskloof, a secluded vally better known as the Hell.
This pic by Ralph Pina shows the Gamka dam from the Prince Albert side looking towards the gorge.
Location on Google maps:
http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.358348,21.62487&spn=0.140226,0.219383&t=h&z=12



The main tar road from Oudtshoorn to Beufort West runs on the floor of Meiringspoort, managed by National Parks.
Location on Google maps:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.428003,22.566605&spn=0.140113,0.219383&t=h&z=12



Finally is Towerwater poort near Willowmore where the railway line makes its way through the Swartberg at Vondeling.
Location on Google maps:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.402498,23.117638&spn=0.140154,0.219383&t=h&z=12



The faces of the precipices still glow with the reds and oranges of flames,  and the warping of the rocks resemble those to be seen in the embers of a fire.  Strange spirits are said to make their journey through the clefts.  Sometimes in the night for a few minutes, the wind drops and stills the rusling leaves,  the stream seems suddenly silent as the frogs stop croaking.  The world is hushed as though holding its breath,  while something all-powerful passes by on its journey between the two Karoos,  or just on a pleasant promenade through the beutiful pass.

In later years a pass over the top of the Swartberg was made between Oudtshoorn and the small town of Prince Albert.
Google maps location:  http://maps.google.co.za/?ll=-33.33397,22.027245&spn=0.140265,0.219383&t=h&z=12



From the top of the Swarberg pass, you can decend into a secluded dead end vally towards the Gamkarivier. This is Gamkaskloof,  better know by the name The Hell.

Road to Hell.

Today is a public holiday and a grey rainy day here in the Cape.  Last weekend's trip was a disater with the 4x4 breaking down  before we  got to the toll tunnel to get out of the Cape.  With my mind still set on getting away, I got into the old car and just headed off towards Villiersdorp area hoping to see some water flow.  That I certainly found.  Here is a series of pics from the day trip.

A river in Banhoek Stellenbosch.


The Franshoek Villiersdorp pass had hundreds of streams running down the mountain onto the road. This is a drive-by picture.


A river rushing off towards the Theewaterskloof dam in the background.


Tree lined foaming stream comming from the mountains.


Brown water river.


A few low water crossings along the way.




No need for a 4x4 to experience the thrill of driving a sloshy road.




Another low water causeway.


Rivulet in the veld.


Final pic for the day is the upper reaches of the Botrivier.

The planning for this weekend was to explore some of the Sutherland area to identify snow chasing routes and accommodation for the up comming snow season. I ended up in the Tankwa Karoo finding something very different I was looking for.

The Tankwa Karoo can be described as a barren low lying "death valley" between the Cedarberg mountains on the south, and the Sutherland escarpment on the north side.  Large parts of this area is basicaly a desert.


In the south are the Cedarberg mountains, seen here with a bit of zoom


and turning 180 degrees to face north, are the Sutherland mountains.


Starting our weekend at Bizansgat on the Ceres - Sutherland road, we turned off on the Bo Wadrif road and followed the lower perimeter of the Sutherland mountains from east to west. This is where I was surprised and found the winter rain Karoo area I was looking for.  At 450 - 550m above sea level it is a bit more elevated than the barren south side and is covered with succulent vegitation. As a river runner my delight was in finding the road crossing hundreds of streans running down the mountain slopes. Ok, they were dry now but still had water from the cold front a few days ago. So, now waiting  for a strong cold front with rain stretching to here, and hopefully corresponds with a weekend.




The level of the Oudebaskraal dam was very low. We spotted 6 Kudu close up from the dam wall in the thorn trees just below the wall. At the Tankwa Karoo National Park offices there is a selection of impressive pics taken when this dam overflows.


I never miss the opportunity to drive a riverbed. Difficult to magine that water was flowing here only 4  days ago.


Even the smaller rivers and streams make a good drive.


Next morning watched the sun rise over the farm house we stayed in for the night. Very green and succulent vegitation.


I learned a lot a bout Hoodia (Ghaap - local name), a plant havested for appetite supressant qualities and exported to the USA. I was pleased to learn that it can be cultivated and not just ripped out of the veld.




Following a track to the cold face of the southern cliffs of the escarpment. We managed to reach 980m above sea level from the 490m at the farm house, and still needed to look up at the towering walls. The top gets capped with snow in winter we were told.


Spent some time exploring the vast open spaces of the Tankwa. This pic is like a scene from Namibia.  Big herds of Gemsbok, Eland, Rooi Hartebees and Springbok to be seen.


Dude, where is my car?


In places there are long stretches of slipery wet mud and a few times got a dark surprise when the windscreen just blanked out.

From the main Park offices took the track via Paulshoek to Ouberg Pass.  This is a very bumpy strech with hundreds of streams making ditches across the road. Got to get back here just after some rain. Here are some views from this road.

 

Ouberg Pass is impressive in that you climb from 500m above sea level to 1450m in less than 10km. It is not a very scenic pass imho, but offers vast vistas over the Tankwa towards the Cedarberg. On top of the pass we met a group of paragliders encouraging each other to launch in a very strong upflow of air from the bottom. Finally one took off and just started climbing  and climbing. We watched him for a while on his way to the moon and left wondering how he was ever going to come down again.

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This is a quote from a report this past weekend by Aziz Al Saleh who lives in Kuwait. I had the pleasure of meeting this remarkable youngster here in South Africa last year. "As You might know that during the month's of April and May the weather in the Gulf region is not stable. Strong wind and dust storms can hit at any time without warning! Therefore, it is not advisable to travel during this time of year. But the love of the desert trips and tea outing couldn't help me staying home, so in the last weekend I decided to travel to one of my favorite places in Saudi Arabia.

I stayed there for about 2 days and enjoyed a full day....then, on Saturday the 30th when I was heading back home, a very very strong Dusty storm hit! and the wind speed was about 150km/h, some car windows was broken! at the gas station one of the fuel pumps was fully broken!! the roof of the supermarket was going up and down!!!

It was the moment when I felt that I was totally hopeless and weak! I cant get out of the vehicle and I cant move the vehicle because I dont want my side window to get broken (my Cruiser rear-end was facing the wind direction as it was the best solution) dust was little bit getting inside (thank good I am in a Cruiser) I was really scared in those moments..the sound of the sand hitting the vehicle at that speed and the strong wind moving the vehicle side to side was very scary!!

After one hour of the horror! lots and lots of rain came and then...everything is alright again..,

Today I washed my Cruiser and noticed that it had been sand blasted! some parts of the vehicle including the wheels and especially the rear-end, lost the gloss (it dosen't shine anymore!) Anyway, have a look at the pictures below that I took during the storm:"



"We both let our vehicle's rear end facing the wind since the side window is the weakest one I believe"


"After a while..rain came"



"Finally, moved again..."


"And took a picture! "


Edit. Add pic of another dust storm near city of Al Ain July 2011.

Many may have noticed "vegburner" and "offroader"  with my avatar. Well, the offroader part is quite clear in most of my pics, and the vegburner refers to running a diesel engine on veg oil, ie processed used cooking oil from restaurants.  One of the most suitable vehicles to run on straight veg oil are the old Mercedes W123 models with 240d and 300d motors. I just happened to find a 240d in Fraserburg for R10k on Gumtree and spent another R5k to some spit and polish the mechanical side. The result is a very econonical ride very suited for gravel travel with bakkie tyres and coil springs all round.  Whilst the Helderberg was burning back home this past weekend,  I escaped to the Little Karoo to strech her legs, so a bit of a chase car biased blog.

Agricultural and dusty at Voorbaat.


Belly bouncing on twee-spoor at Van Zylsdamme


Crossing the Buffels Rivier


Climbing a rock at Die Poort


The gorge at Prinsrivier Poort is very dry.

The short pass at Honnewater.

The frequency of traffic here is perhaps one vehicle per fortnight near the Honnewater station.


I am very happy with the performance of the vehicle  on the dirt and am very confidant to take on some longer distances to catch some  of those thunder storms and other weather events outside Cape Town. Very comforable ride for a 34 year old lady with a dust free cabin. The tank range is about 600km with an extra 250km in every (space for 3) "long range" drum loaded in the boot.  That is an easy trip to see the Augrabies and back without spending bucks at the pumps on route.

Filling golden veg oil from the "long range Tank"


When I travel on gravel I deflate the tyres to 1.5 bar (a) to enlarge the footprint for better road holding, (b) avoid puntures from sharp stones, (c) more comfy ride.  Here tyres are inflated back to 2.2 bar just before hitting the tar back home.

Hey guys,

So to make it easier for you to log certain storm chases in a manner which is far more organized than a forum post I have installed this blog component where you will be able to add blogs to your profile. I would request that you keep the blogs for chase logs or anything you feel would be better located here than in the forum, though naturally we want to keep the discussions within the forum. You're welcome to insert images into your blog posts from where-ever you have your photos hosted (photobucket, tinypic, flickr, etc)

I look forward to seeing some of your contributions to the blog and I hope you all find it useful, if you have any questions or concerns regarding these blog posts just left a post in the suggestions and feedback forum.