Words by Dieter Pey | Images by Kyle Lendon
After three days of wrangling dunes in Lamberts Bay, tackling granite giants near Kamieskroon and somehow making it through the notorious Impossible Pass, you’d be forgiven for thinking the worst was behind us. But the “Impossible Challenge” wasn’t quite done testing us – not by a long shot.
We pick up on day four, camped on the banks of the Orange River at Oewerbosch, practically spitting distance from the Namibian border. A calm morning mist clung to the riverbank, briefly disturbed by diesel engines warming up and the unmistakable rattle of recovery gear being shoved back into bakkies. Morale was high, tyres were muddy, and we were only halfway through the madness.
Day 4: Gravel roads, fan blades and mountain views
From Oewerbosch, we headed to Klein Pella – a drive straight out of a Northern Cape travel brochure. Rust-coloured ridges framed endless gravel roads, and dry riverbeds wound through the rugged landscape like veins through cracked skin. It was one of those rare stretches where the driving was mild and the scenery did the heavy lifting.
But it wouldn’t be the Cape Route Rally if everything went to plan. Gerhard clipped a rock, shredding the sidewall of a tyre – the first proper puncture of the rally. With a quick wheel change and a couple of wisecracks, we were back on the road, Klein Pella-bound.
Things didn’t go as smoothly for me. Somewhere along a sandy track, I hit a washout too hard and took out the radiator fan. The power steering canister had unhooked and fallen straight into the blades. With no cell signal and the mercury flirting with the 30°C mark, we had a cooling crisis. Cue the bush mechanics – quick thinking saw the windscreen washer nozzles rerouted to the radiator, offering just enough cooling to limp to base camp. Once there, I parked the Hilux and hitched a ride with the others.
That evening, we climbed into the mountains behind Klein Pella for a sunset trail that was both breathtaking and mildly terrifying. Loose rocks, tight ledges and steep switchbacks meant white knuckles all round – but the view from the top was something else. As the sun sank behind the river, a patchwork of date palms and golden plains stretched below us, painting a scene that made every scrape and wheel lift worth it.
Day 5: Rocks, drama and the mighty Moon Rock
If day four was for the soul, then day five was for the off-road purists. Klein Pella hides a treasure chest of 4×4 trails. Our morning began with the H-Trail – a rock crawler’s dream (or nightmare). Damp sand from overnight condensation made things slippery, and low pressures and gentle throttle were the order of the day. Patrols and Cruisers took the gnarlier lines, while the Hilux crew opted for slightly safer routes, which quickly earned the moniker “Hilux lines”.
Then came Moon Rock. A steep, smooth slab with a gaping hole on the right, this obstacle required commitment, traction and a good dose of trust in your rig. Four vehicles gave it a go, each showcasing brilliant throttle control. JP’s V8 Patrol stood out, muscling up with plenty of grunt to spare.
Even with perfect conditions, it was nerve-wracking. Some lost traction halfway and slid down in slow motion before reattempting. One mistake and you’d be sideways in that hole. But teamwork, good spotting and nerves of steel won the day.
Triple X was up next – not a trail, but a rock formation with a big personality. It starts with a tight entry between a forked Y of boulders, drops into a bowl with a nasty side slope, and exits with a roof-grazing chunk of rock.
Willem, in a Hilux GR-S, found himself in a tight spot when a tyre de-beaded mid-slope. With the Hilux perched awkwardly on the rim, we broke out the winches and jacks. A few tense minutes later, the tyre was reseated and the Hilux was back in action.
After that, we headed for a sandy patch on the farm, the perfect playground to round off the day. Rigs bounced across dunes like springboks on energy drinks, sending rooster tails of sand flying.
But while most of us were zooming across the sand, Andries was dealing with a dead clutch. Despite a midnight fix, the pedal had given up entirely by morning. Suspecting a broken clip in the bellhousing, he and Uwe decided to drop the gearbox right there and get stuck in.
Meanwhile, the rest of us dusted ourselves off and pointed our rigs toward Nieuwoudtville, the final stop before home.
Day 5 (evening): Dusty arrivals and a comeback story
The gravel highway out of Klein Pella was oddly soothing – wide, flowing and peaceful. It was a welcome reprieve after a day of rock crawling and sand surfing. As dusk settled, we arrived at Die Blouhuis in Nieuwoudtville. Fires lit and drinks in hand, we traded war stories.
Then, just as we’d started to relax, headlights cut through the darkness. Against all odds, Andries and Uwe had done it. They’d dropped the Patrol’s gearbox, sorted the clutch, and navigated dusty backroads by starlight to rejoin the convoy. A proper rally miracle, and a testament to the grit and camaraderie this event inspires.
Day 6: Broken motors and bittersweet goodbyes
The final day was meant to be a relaxed cruise through the Tankwa Karoo, back into the Western Cape. But the rally had one last curveball.
Not long after leaving Nieuwoudtville, my Hilux – still tender from the earlier fan fiasco – lost power. A quick inspection revealed the ugly truth: a hole in piston number two. Game over.
Time to call in Rusty Recovery and the Kennedy Support Crew.
We strapped the Hilux to the Cummins Patrol with a length of rope and made for Clanwilliam. The descent down Vanrhyns Pass was nerve-wracking – the Hilux coasting downhill with no brakes, the Patrol acting as a rolling anchor behind it. Somehow, it worked.
At the bottom, we found our trailer, loaded up the wounded soldier and prepped for the long haul home.
A rally to remember
The Impossible Challenge was exactly that: impossible, but only just. We faced dunes, rocks, breakdowns and near-misses. We shared laughter, stress, cold beers and wild views. For some, the finish line was Nieuwoudtville. For others, it came with a trailer and a long drive home. But every participant left with a story to tell, a few new scratches, and memories that will outlast any mechanical gremlin.
You can find more photos and video coverage of the Cape Route Rally: The Impossible Challenge on YouTube and social media at @CapeRouteRally and @DieterPey.
