Sweating In Swaziland

Whether it’s one of South Africa’s fiercest 4x4 trails, the Northern Cape’s deep sand, or the rocky riverbeds of Limpopo, the Nissan Patrol forum isn’t scared of a challenge – something they proved again in Swaziland recently.

- Charles Thompson

Sounds like tomorrow’s trail is going to be a tough one,” I say to Chris Boegman early on the Friday morning of a long weekend in March. We’re having our wake-up coffee in an informal camp the guys from the Patrol forum set up on a friend’s farm in Swaziland. “Well, then I guess we’ll have to drive it,” Chris says nonchalantly as he sips his brew.

I can’t really say that I share the man’s Zen-like tranquillity. David Volschenk, the forum member who organised this 4x4 weekend in Swaziland, told me last night around the campfire that the obstacles on the trail go up to grade 5. What’s more, this weekend in Swaziland with the Patrol forum has a history.

We were supposed to have come at the same time last year, but three days before our departure, the rain started to bucket down over the kingdom. And when the news came that the rivers we were supposed to cross along the trail were all in flood, the Patrol boys decided to rather spend the weekend at Moegatle 4x4 near Brits.

I remember like it was yesterday how I sat in Chris’ Patrol with my legs pressed hard against the foot well and my hands white-knuckled around a door handle as we drove down, then up Moegatle’s infamous hill, Koos se Klip. And I remember equally well how Alex Roux’s Patrol first got wedged so badly in an obstacle that two vehicles had to winch him out, and then almost landed on its roof up Koos se Klip.