Waterberg thriller no walk in the park                         

Visiting the Marakele National Park used to mean a leisurely game drive on a narrow tar track, gently idling from one end of the park to the other.
One of the main draw cards then, when just a small part of the park was open to the public, was a detour to the top of the Waterberge massif to visit the largest colony of Cape vultures in the world and to ooh and ah about the great views across the Bushveld.
More than 800 pairs of Cape vultures breed on the mountain. And if you unsuspectingly stray into their territory, they launch themselves into kamikaze-like flybys to warn you.
But after the opening of the three-day Marakele 4x4 Eco Trail a whole new dimension of this national park has become accessible to the public.
The route runs inside and outside the park. The part in the park runs through a remote section in the northeast that used to be a no-go zone to anyone but game rangers. But to get there, you drive some distance outside the park through the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, of which the 67 000 ha park is the core. And it is to this wilderness sanctum of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve that the trail allows access.
Set amid mountains and grass-clad hills, Marakele lies in a transition zone between the dry western and moister eastern regions of South Africa, and therefore has a wide range of plants, ranging from yellowwoods and proteas to cycads.
What Sanparks calls a “wilderness experience on wheels”, is a 3-day, 2-night outdoor adventure that follows the management tracks near the northeastern boundary of the Marakele National Park, all the way up to the top of the Waterberge.
And it’s strictly for 4x4s. Low-range and 4x4 are essential, as some ascents are very steep and, as we would discover, a number of muddy wetland crossings await …

Into the park …

It’s around noon on a winter’s day that Sydney, the Sanparks tour guide, briefs our ten-vehicle convoy at the park’s main entrance gate.
As we’re doing the trail with Land Rover Centurion, our party consists of two Disco 4’s, a Discovery 3 and seven Defenders − from the Puma to the TDI.
After each vehicle has received a two-way radio, we’re off on the first part of the trail. It runs for some 57 km along the park’s western and northern boundary fence, before re-entering the park through the Moralane Gate in the northeast.
Although the first night’s campsite is only 5 km from the gate, it takes about an hour to reach it on the rough, very bumpy road.
Out in the open under some trees, the site is about as far away from civilisation as you could hope to get in a mere day’s drive.
As we’re travelling in an organised convoy, we can indulge in excellent meals prepared by Gerard van Meygaarden of Land Rover Experience (Gerotek) and his experienced bush chef, Bernard Radingwane.
After a social evening around the fire, we go to bed in our respective rooftop or ground tents.
When nature calls at night, you tiptoe gingerly into the darkness to the campsite’s only infrastructure − a chemical-free toilet about 40 m away − hoping you don’t bump into any lion, elephant or rhino that roam the park. Chances of that happening are small though, as mainly buck frequent this part of the park.
At sunrise the next morning, the 360º view from this loo across the Waterberg bushveld is most certainly a better experience than reading the morning newspaper.

Hugging the mountain

We set off bright and breezy the next morning, at 7h30 sharp, to the next campsite some 25 km away. Little did we know it would take us more than ten hours to get there …
The trail follows a combination of management roads and old farm tracks up, down and between the various mountain peaks.
It crosses the Matlabas River and criss-crosses numerous streams. None run above knee height and we have no problems.
Although progress is slow over the rocky, bumpy track, the views are fantastic and we see lots of wildebeest, eland, zebra, mountain reedbuck, duiker, waterbuck and impala. Cycads and sugar bush line the track.
At each lookout, Sydney stops the convoy and describes the surrounding vegetation and geology. You certainly learn a lot on this trail.
We start crawling up long sections of narrow track that have been cut into the mountainside. The Land Rovers hug the mountain face, with a gaping abyss next to the passenger’s door.
The hazardous ascent is made worthwhile though by three waterfalls where you can pause and by the great views on top of the mountain.
The track continues around the mountain on the descent. It is a challenging, high-adrenalin experience that keeps you riveted.

Back on solid ground, heart rates have just calmed down when another obstacle awaits − a vast wetland lies between the mountain and the second camp.
First, one car gets stuck in the mud. Some pushing, to-ing and fro-ing − and it’s free.
Then a second car gets stuck … and a third! More and more cars fall prey to the boggy mire.
Eventually, after lots of pushing and shoving and stacking of rocks under tyres, the convoy makes it through.
Dirty, tired and hungry we bear down on our overnight campsite. We arrive by late afternoon after the Landies spent much of the day in first gear, low-range.
Located beneath tall trees, the campsite has a pleasant view from its slightly raised perch of the surrounding grassland hills and distant mountains.
A reed-walled shower cubicle, complete with hot water, is a welcome sight. The “geyser” is a series of pots in which water is heated on a fire. An enclosed toilet completes the facilities.
Then, quite unexpectedly, just as we are settling in for dinner, the heavens open.
However, Gerard and Bernard still manage to produce an excellent lamb potjie, which we enjoy in our tents. With no sign of the rain abating, we go to bed early.

Stuck – and dirty

Early the next morning we tackle the home run, continuing our journey on the bumpy rock-strewn park track.
Another full day of mountain rock climbing and treacherous wetland crossings follows.
With successive vehicles bogging down in the mud, especially the newbies in the group start perfecting the art of recovery.
During brunch, three hours later, the radio crackles, warning us of a last wetland ahead …It’s even more challenging and time consuming than the first. Just inches short of the end zone, the lead vehicle cracks the crust − and the fun begins …
It takes quite a bit of struggling, winching and unwinching to get through, but eventually, we are all across.
From there another hour of more climbing, bumping and grinding follows before, eventually, we reach the last summit on the trail.
This is where we stop for a rest and a group photo, saying goodbye before beginning the final descent back to Moralane Gate that we so unsuspectingly entered only two days ago. It feels like we’ve been away from home for at least a week …

Drive Out says: A proper break with the chance to see game, but you face rough roads and some recoveries.
• Drive Out travelled as the guests of Sanparks and Land Rover Centurion.