Road Trip with a Difference
After over-nighting at Augrabies Falls, we headed for Vioolsdrif on the Namibian border and went paddling down the Orange River for 3 days.
Then we hit the road. Vioolsdrif to Sendlingsdrif via the Helskloof pass and Nababeep Reserve.
Our destination. The Richtersveld National Park.
The Nababeep Nature Reserve and Helskloof Pass
Heading out from The Orange River Rafting Lodge situated on the South African side of the border, we didn’t get far before we stopped at The Growcery . There we loaded up with our morning dose of caffeine. Thus fortified, headed out to conquer the mighty Nababeep Nature Reserve and Helskloof Pass.
Things get interesting as soon as you turn away from the Orange River and enter the Nababeep. The landscape becomes unbelievably arid with rocks of all shapes and sizes dominating the landscape. And there are some BIG ones close to the road!
However, stop the car, get out and go for a wander, and you are rewarded with a whole different world of plants and flowers that survive, and even thrive, in this environment.
As you drive further, you all of a sudden come across an area of literally thousands of stone cairns that start right next to the road and head off into the veld in all directions.
It is a bizarre sight.
Apparently building a cairn before you take on the pass will ensure a safe trip up (or down) the 14km long Helskloof Pass. The other side of the coin is that there is a school of thought that says moving rocks/stones/pebbles from where they have lain for perhaps millions of years damages the micro climate and may endanger the mini ecosystem they interact with.
The latter school of thought is probably correct. However,as usual, suspicions and ignorance trump science and common sense.
A Quiver Non Tree
As we were about to take on the pass we spotted a Quiver Tree some distance off to our left. This was quite a specimen and was deserving of a visit. This endangered aloe can grow about 10 – 20cm per year up to a height of about 9 meters, and live for up to 200 years.
Based on those figures, “our” Quiver Tree had been around for a good long while!
And Then Onto The Pass
The pass itself is quite long – 14km odd – but, according to Mountain Passes South Africa only climbs about 360m over that distance. So it’s not as if you are trying to drive up a cliff!
That’s not to say it isn’t challenging though. There are some big step ups/downs that need to be negotiated that most normal sedans wont handle. Even a 2×4 bakkie with good clearance might need a helping push from time to time.
But having a 4×4 and an All Wheel Drive, we had a bit of fun, but no problems.
NB. There is another Helskloof Pass in the Richtersveld National Park. Which is not this one. This has the potential to cause confusion if you don’t sort it out beforehand.
The Richterveld World Heritage Site
The road we traveled then took us to the outskirts of Eksteenville. This is a tiny dorp ( a small provincial town/village) on the periphery of the Richterveld World Heritage Site which is situated on the southern border of the Richtersveld National Park
Due to time constraints, we unfortunately did not stop in Eksteenville. However, from all accounts it would be well worthwhile spending a few hours there visiting the local attractions (which includes a museum).
One of the interesting things about this area is that the local Nama population practice a transhumant lifestyle. In other words they migrate seasonally from one area to another with their livestock to ensure the livestock have adequate feed for the winter.
We later came across the same lifestyle being celebrated in Soncino, Italy.
After Eksteenville things got quite interesting. A variety of sandy and deeply corrugated roads headed off in various directions with very few clues as to where they were headed.
However, we muddled through and arrived shaken, but not stirred, at the main camp of the Richtersveld National Park in time for some well deserved early sun downers.
Trip Notes
We took about 6.5 hrs to cover the 140 odd km between Vioolsdrif and Sendlingsdrif on this route. We didn’t rush – actually you can’t rush – but we stopped frequently to investigate our surroundings.
But even without the not rushing, we would recommend having a 4×4 vehicle or at least an all wheel drive with decent ground clearance for this trip. The road through the Nababeep is surprisingly good but getting up Helskloof pass in an ordinary vehicle would be a challenge. And you might have a few bits of car missing by the time you got to the top!
And closer to Sendlingsdrif the road became one continuous corrugated strip which threatened to rattle everything into a pile of car pieces. You will need to drop your tyre pressures to ease the pain. We have seen 1.4 bar suggested as a guide. But you need a pressure gauge to get that accurate so best to pack one!
Also, we traveled with another couple in a second vehicle which was always reassuring. If you got stuck or broke down it could be a long wait before anyone else came along that stretch of road.
On that note, make sure you have a good supply of water and food and anything else you might want if you had to camp out overnight. #just saying 🙂
Road signs are few and far between and once we left Eksteenville we tended to follow the road with the odd line of old telephone poles along side it even though the lines themselves were long gone. Some sort of link to a satellite system would ease the indecision!
Enjoy the Richtersveld
If you do this trip or just get into the general area, make sure you have plenty of time to take it all in. It is, without question, a unique corner of our planet that needs to be enjoyed and appreciated but above all, preserved for future generations.
See more interesting places we have visited!
