We took our D90 on its first proper off road drive at Piesangkloof 4×4 trail and it was pretty extreme. But before we could go we had to get some last minute finshes done on refurbishing our 1997 Defender 90 Tdi.
The rear cross member had some peeling paint and surface rust so that was tidied up and repainted. The rear door latch had been butchered to retrofit central locking. I tried fixing it but some bits were missing so I had to buy a new one.
Recently I had got some second-hand side steps off a TD5 that I had powder-coated and cleaned up the tread plates to be fitted.
I wanted to get it completely finished before taking it out but I still found some dodgy ball joints that needed fixing after having all the suspension bushes replaced.
So there is still a bit of work to be done to get this completely finished. But after getting the new lights fitted and putting a new Defender badge and front grill on we were ready to get this Landy out for some 4×4 action.
The Piesangkloof 4×4 trail is in Magaliesberg about 50km north west of Johannesburg. Piesangkloof is Afrikaans and translates to “Banana Gorge”, named after the wild bananas that grow in the kloof. The farm was established several hundred years ago as some of the Voortrekkers from The Great Trek settled in this area. The owners Mike and Maritza Els are 5th or 6th generation of the original family who settled. It’s a beautiful spot offering rustic natural campsites and some spectacular hiking trails.
Brian and I were joining Clint from the Land Rover Owners Club in his TDI 90 and Brian had brought along his Defender 130.
First Winching
The lush river lined bush clears quickly as you start to climb up the mountain. Being mid winter the route was bone dry and the bottom section was made up of lots of loose rock making traction tricky at times
It wasn’t long before we had our first nervous moment. Clint struggled on a tight little corner with some loose rock and started slipping to the one side. He ended up in a bit of a precarious spot. We decided the safest thing to do was a quick little winch out just to make sure we don’t have any problems.
The Magaliesberg is rich in history and geology
The area around the Magaliesberg range has seen extremely lengthy occupation of humans. Dating back to at least 2 million years to the earliest hominid species in and around the Sterkfointein caves in the Cradle of Humankind close to the town of Magaliesberg. The area saw some heavy fighting during the Anglo-Boer War. Control of the Magalieberg mountain range was of great importance to the British forces. Many of the battles such as the battle of Buffelspoort, Nooitgedaght and Olifantsnek were fought in the area.
After the war the farms were reoccupied and farming was resumed with tobacco and citrus being particularly successful. There’s still many Citrus farms in this area
The Magaliesberg is typical of the ranges found in this this area of South Africa. Its quartzite bears the mark of a turbulent past. Layers of sand were deposited on the edges of a large inland lake. The rocks of the Magaliesberg are amongst the oldest exposed volcanic rocks in the country
The Magaliesberg area is well known for agriculture and tourism and is very popular for visitors. The area to the north is also very rich in heavy metals, especially platinum with many platinum mines in this area as well.
Climbing to the top of the mountain
The closer we got to the top the steeper it became. It also became a lot more tricky and took us about two and a half hours to get to the top.
On top there were two options. One going down straight over the top which was the really steep and tricky. Brian decided to try, it’s not impossible but it is quite tricky and very steep going down with some very loose rock. The 130 was perfect for going down here with the longer body giving it a lot more stability and control. But even so he still lifted a back wheel. I imagine with the 90 it will be even more tricky.
Brian made it down safely and then headed around the side of the mountain. Clint and I decided to take the easier route around the side and over. It also gave me a chance to give Ewan a bit of a drive.It was still a little bit bumpy and tricky but quite manageable for him.
Lunchtime at the top
At the top and halfway through Piesangkloof 4×4 trail it was lunchtime and we stopped. Clint took out his little portable braai, we got a fire going, sat down and had a drink. Soon we had some meat on and we had a lekker braai at the top of this mountain range looking out towards the South.
Then we packed up and headed down but before we could go down we still had a couple of ups to go. We once again went over the ridges, up and down the ridges on our way down to the bottom.
Steep nervewrecking descents
About halfway down we started to reach some sections that were really steep going down with some more loose rock. Suddenly we took a tight turn and headed down a very steep step section.
It was difficult controlling your speed down just with engine braking in first gear low range. The vehicle kept on going a little bit faster and using your brake a little bit sometimes gave you a bit of a skid. That was a bit nerve-wracking, without traction control alot more manual intervention is required.
Winching up the mountain
We we’re supposed to be going down but there’s still a piece that goes up. Brian tried without diff locks on but couldn’t get up. The two 90s didnt have diff locks so we were a bit worried.
With both diff locks engaged and full traction on all the wheels Brian basically just drove up. It’s really impressive to see how well diff locks work and what a difference they make on a route like this.
Both Clint and I had to do it old style with a bit of speed and a bit of go. But we could only get so far and then to get over the last little section we had to use the winches.
It was lucky Brian had a winch otherwise we would have been sleeping there that night. Or we’d have to go all the way back that we came.
Soon we were back down at the river on flat land again. We said our goodbyes and headed off home. What a great day in our newly refurbished 90, hopefully the first of many more.
Check The Overland Legend on YouTube for the videos on this day out at Piesangkloof 4×4 trail.
