By: Willem van de Putte
Purros, Abba Huab, Hoanib – names that if you didn’t know any better would have you believe they’re on a continent far, far away. Not so, they’re in fact just down the drag from us, technically.
Distance is all relative if you know Namibia, which is where the 12-day Ford Ranger 2015 Odyssey final took place.
They were names that as youngsters we only ever saw on maps well below where we were; the names we were more familiar with and “visited” were on either side of a red line between the then South West Africa and its neighbour, Angola.
But even then they conjured up images of stark beauty, beautiful African sunsets and a promise to come back under more civilised circumstances.
I’ve been there a few times since, mostly on vehicle launches but never really as I would travel normally.
Normal for me would be a dusty, kitted-out 4x4, sleeping in a tent, using Tracks for Africa on the GPS and doing it with family and friends.
The leg of the Ford Odyssey that I competed in came pretty close to that and I think it would be fair to say that the 20 contestants from South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria and Ivory Coast as well as the media contestants could be described as friends and, in a way, family.
We arrived from Windhoek in a charter plane on a dusty airstrip at Purros, which more or less set the tone for our time there. The sky was as blue as it can only get in that area; on one side there are rocks and mountains and on the other desert sand as far as the eye can see.
PRESSURE’S ON
When we arrived at camp, the contestants were on a static (read, wash, clothes and body) day having hiked 10km through a dust storm the day before and experiencing the dulling effect of an elimination round where two contestants were voted off in “survivor- style” the previous evening. Now the pressure was on and a further four would be voted off a few days later.
They had already put into practice many of the things they were taught during boot camp weeks earlier and by all accounts did well, particularly in the tyre-changing department, where one wrong move on a track would shred a sidewall with consummate ease.
Late in the afternoon we were all told to get into the Rangers, taken for a drive outside the camp with our chairs, and loaded off 200m from each other on a hillside and told to take in the surroundings and spend time alone for an hour or so.
Having just come from a fairly hellish week, it was vitamin to the soul and I can only imagine how it must have felt for the contestants who had been together and in the instructors’ company for days.
There were those who were slightly confused by the break in constant attention and workload and expected a surprise at any moment from left of field, which tells you something about how tough the competition was and out of their comfort zones some of them were. It is, however, highly recommended.
Darkness brought supper and a special mention to Peter and Jayne Shunn who under the harshest conditions produced consistently good, wholesome food and made sure there were enough snacks for the long periods spent driving.
Which is what sunrise brought the next day as we headed into the Hoanib River to overnight wherever we were when the sun started to set.
But not before the obligatory daily pre-driving inspection (PDI), where each vehicle is inspected from the front bumper through to the back and underneath, and believe me, you don’t want to spend 12 days in rugged, dusty conditions without cleaning an air filter or checking drivetrains.
But the beauty of this country made it a lot more comfortable from inside the Rangers which, considering the pounding they took, handled everything with aplomb. Only one vehicle got stuck just outside the camp in the river bed and that was probably as a result of driver Error – or as the saying goes, if you don’t get stuck you’re not trying hard enough.
It’s not just the classic Garden Route that is a beautiful kind of place. For me it’s the harsh, rocky, sandy and dusty terrain.
Driving in a dry river bed, heading into a ravine, where it surfaces again with greenery everywhere and seeing the perfect place to park off for a day or two, confirmed my commitment to return with my wife and explore the place at a leisurely pace.
ANYTHING BUT LEISURELY
Needless to say the Odyssey was anything but leisurely. It came with a constant bombardment about the history of the area, De Rust 4x4 instructors kept a sharp eye on driving skills, and following distances and radio etiquette in the convoy could be stressful.
What makes the Odyssey unique is that the participants are thrown together from all walks of life and the collective information you get to share and take in makes it worthwhile.
Welcome interludes were the chats over the radio about how the animals adapted to desert conditions and other interesting wildlife stats when elephant, springbok, giraffe and eland were spotted ambling along the way. Also welcome were the fireside talks.
Keeping with the boot camp tradition we had to stand guard every night, except this time there was a real threat of the odd wild animal taking a stroll through the campsite.
Time alone with contestants again confirmed my earlier view that South Africa would be in good hands, which I gave my fireside talk about that evening.
MENTALLY CHALLENGING TOO
Odyssey is not just about driving ability and physical prowess but mentally challenging too.
The previous night at Purros our mental agility was tested on the solar system and celestial navigation.
We were given maps of Africa and asked to name the 54 countries and their capitals. I challenge anyone to do the same and guarantee that almost everyone knows the broad detail and the obvious countries, but in reality little about our own continent.
There was a test on Africa waiting for us on our arrival at Palmwag the next day.
The contrasts in landscape continued to amaze. Most fascinating was the unique Namibian national plant, the welwitschia, which can live for 1 000 years or more.
Even stopping for a short break and wandering a few metres from the road to pick up a rock and rubbing it magically revealed it to be some sort of semi-precious stone.
I didn’t get to see much during the last few kilometres because we were given a map of Africa to study before we entered Palmwag and I defy anyone to read, never mind study, in the back seat of a bouncing double cab. Which is my excuse for the result… and I’m sticking to it.
The evening brought out the sombre reality that another four contestants would be going home.
We would also have a vote, which wasn’t made any easier by having to prepare the circle with the obligatory fire, flags and Rangers for television footage.
Somehow it feels like a betrayal having to vote against people you’ve become fond of, but abstaining wasn’t an option so we showed our choices to the cameras and waited in anticipation.
Each contestant was called forward and given a summary of their progress and told whether they could stay or go.
It was gut-wrenching to see them being given the news that they were on their way home the next day and even one or two instructors were seen to shed a tear.
As I said, the Odyssey was relentless, and despite the muted tones and shocks we still had to stand guard and be ready with our backpacks filled with a sleeping bag and water for a brief hike just after sunrise on our return to camp.
Like a psychological thriller, we were provided with another twist; one of the four kicked off had a chance to return and it was again in our hands. One of the Nigerians was given another chance and a nicer man you would struggle to meet.
Sadly my Odyssey finally came to an end – however, there was still the small matter of a PDI before the remaining contestants could head into Desolation Valley.
Sounds ominous? Absolutely. I’ll be back next year to find out.
Saturday Star