SANParks.org Forums

Hollebollegys,

We did the Nossob Eco 4x4 trail in a Nissan Pathfinder that is also not well known for its ground clearance at 238 mm. In the qutote below you can get an idea of vehicles that completed the trail. Some did not make Big Bertha but that is another story. We all did the trail without too many problems or retrieval geared used.

Hope the video and link will give you some idea.

Link to 2011 Nossob Eco 4x4 trail Trip Report

http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?style=2&f=27&t=57752

Thank you for your replies.

That is the point I try to make all the bakkie, double cab, Pathfinder, fortuner kind of 4x4's ground clearance is i less than 30cm.

I feel the site is WRONG an should be corrected, there are no standard 4x4"s with 35 to 45cm ground clearance.

I know you can do it in a ML but that is not the point. I kindly want to advise Sanparks that their info provided is wrong.

I do agree on that. In actual fact 245mm is the higest ground clearance for unmodified 4x4 vehicle. The only vehicles I could find are military vehicles and tractors which will be high enough for the recommended height and game driving vehicles. Just a few pics of possible options for the next trip to KTP.

At 46 cm clearance this Cougar 4x4 ISS is a winner:



And less comfortable at 36 cm the Jeep Hurricane.




Jokes aside I do think Hollebollegys got a valid point unless the error is wading depth and not ground clearance. We had a few nervous moments last Dec going through the pools of water near Nossob

I see that the road to Bitterpan is marked as a 4x4 road, but can anybody tell me whether we would be able to go to Bitterpan in a 4 wheel drive Tiguan. It has no low range gear.

Don't want to book and then find out that we can't get there.

ta

We did the road a couple of years ago. We only needed low range once. The sand is very deep on some of the steep dunes. I would certainly feel happier with low range capability. Maybe KG can give you more up to date info.

4 low is a must otherwise you will have to storm some of the dunes and that will not be good on the dunes or your vehicle. You will bounce around going up at high speeds.

If a Terios can get to Bitterpan without a problem then I suppose the Tiguan can do it as well. If low range was a requirement, Parks would have stipulated it as such. I haven't done the Bitterpan route but done the Echo 4x4 route and the Leeuwdril 4x4 route. Never needed low range for Leeuwdril and in the case of the Echo it was only a little matter called "Bertha" that really needed a real 4x4. (sorry I had to throw this in )

In my opinion, for dune riding it is more important to drop tyre pressures as low as possible than to have low range. This all depends on the tyres fitted to the Tiguan. Low profiles will pose a problem but if your load is not so heavy that you have a ground clearance problem you will be OK. Also do the route early as possible in the morning. Don't attempt it midday when the sun is high - this is when the sand is loose and going is a bit tougher. It is momentum that carries you over the dune - choose your line carefully and keep it steady, you'll be fine.

Hi there,

I drive a Hilux bakkie but not a 4*4. Wat roads can I take in the morning to look for animals leaving from Mata-mata?

Can I go north from Nossob with a 2*4?

Your favourite dam or loop?

All advice would be appreciated.

Regards,

Anton

Hallo

Well from Mata Mata there is only one road to take!!

But as Nossob you can definitively drive north with a 4x2....these are spots I advice you to visit while at Nossob
1. Cubetjie quip (north)
2. Kwang(north)
3.Marie se draai (south)its a loop
4.And if you want to drive up north Lijersdraai is a beautiful picnic spot.

I don't know if you take photos but if you do the waterholes can sometimes be hiding a surprise or two, don’t know in what season your going but the dry season (may-October) the temp. Can drop quite low. The vegetation dies and photography (and game viewing) is a dream. The coldness in the morning will allow you to see animals lying still and doing sunbathing, raptors will be warming up before a day of hunting and if you look carefully you might see some owls roosting in the large camel thorn trees.

The dry season will encourage animals and large predators to come to the waterholes-watch the daily sightings.
While in Mata-Mata your chances of seeing cheetah is VERY good, they love the riverbed and hunt there frequently.

The wet season (november-april)
Temp. Are very high.
Thunderstorms build up and make beautiful photos, after the first good rains the springboks will start dropping fawns. Be on the lookout for nursery groups and a lonely fawn hiding between dead wood under a camel torn tree!
Keep an eye out for snakes in Jan-Feb and if you find a waterhole with lots of birds keep a lookout for raptors and especially the lanner falcon.
have a great trip....

AntonA,

You can basically travel on all the roads in KTP on the SA side, except the 4x4 routes you will require a permit or reservation to drive.

Bibronsgecko summed it up well. At Mata-Mata one way out and Nossob toss the coin for head or tails. The sightings board will tell you if you made a fault. Cubitje Quap is a bit of a dark horse. I had one of my best lion sighting there in Dec. These lions knew to choose the best waterhole for lots of cars to watch when they killed a wildebeest, but some days it can be rather quiet. Same goes for Maries draai. (BG I think your friend KS was there as well)

We always drive around Maries and if unlucky head north. Rooikop 3km south of Nossob can deliver good sightings of lion and brown hyaena, but at Maries we were not that lucky with cats and had some slip-ups as well like cheetahs we missed when heading north.

I have an unmodified 4x4 with GC of 290mm

Gotta go test it then in KTP soon.

Hi, We are planning a Kgalagadi trip in late December 2012 - early January 2013. I understand a 4x 4 is desirable, but my question is it it really necessary. The costs of hiring a 4x4 in South Africa are exhorbitantly high so if I could get away with a 2x4 it would be great. From what I have been able to research on the net the most difficult road will be between Nossob and Bitterpan and Bitterpan to Kalahari tented camp.

I really need some first hand practical dvice. The differance in the hire costs between the two types of vehicles is +Rands 10K which I find ridiculous.

Appreciate your comments and advice. Regards, John

I agree with you that the cost of hiring a 4x4 is prohibitive and I can assure you that it is NOT necessary. I have visited KTP three times (so far), always in a sedan — Toyota Corolla (1992), VW Polo (2007) and Ford Fiesta (2010). Many will tell you that (at least) a higher clearance vehicle is preferable, particularly because of the high verges along the Nossob, but I in fact prefer being on eye level with those KTP lions, as you are in a sedan.

Just be sure to lower your tyre pressure when you enter the park, as overinflated tyres are a major cause of corrugations on the park roads. All the main tourist roads are accessible with a sedan, but a 4x4 IS required if you are planning to visit either Bitterpan or Gharagab. I'm not sure from your post whether you are actually booked into Bitterpan (and you are not allowed to drive those roads from Nossob via Bitterpan to KTC unless you are booked for Bitterpan), but if you are booked for Bitterpan then yes, you MUST have a 4x4.

HTH. Have a great trip!

We have been to Kgalagadi 3 times and have always rented a sedan also. We've had a Toyota Taz, Volks wagen Polo and Toyota Corolla. We obviously did not do the 4x4 roads and did not go to Gharagab or Bitterpan. We got stuck once, on each visit, usually around mid-day and in deep sand. All were due to driver error/distraction. We also found that most drivers in Kgalagadi are more than willing to assist if you do get stuck. A truck/bakkie will give you additional height to see over the banks, which can be a bonus sometimes. But as Arks mentioned, eye level with a Kalahari lion is pretty amazing. We had one that was laying on the bank at the side of the road, less than a metre away. I had to roll up the window. He then backed off a bit and I was able to lower the window. (Yes, I do have the photos.) Will try to dig them out and post later.

One must lower the tire pressure (recommended pressure is posted at the filling stations). We have also found that Volkwagen vehicles are notorious for losing hub-caps.

To answer your question, a 4x4 is not necessary. Hope this helps.