outdoor adventure « From the Desk of Lianne
Afrikaans verskyn onder die Engels
Dune surfing, 4×4 drifting, extreme driving …I had no idea what I let myself in for when my brother Danie offered me an Atlantis Dune trip as part of my “turning-50 to do list”.
I am not an adrenaline junkie, I fear heights and (I forgot that) I get carsick very quickly. Yet I said “yes”. This might just turn out to be the “outrageous experience” I have on my to-do list.
After deflating tyres, Danie decided to take me on a joyride while we waited for the rest of the group. He explained how difficult it can be to see dune slopes in the reflection off the sand, the lurking dangers when your approach angle to a dune is wrong, how easily it is to get stuck when you misjudge the breakover angle of a dune and lots of other technical stuff I knew nothing about, but found very interesting.
Then he stopped, just in time. We have reached a steep drop. I braked much harder than he did! Danie got out for some sightseeing and mentioned how much the dunes have changed since he was last here. I sighed a HUGE sigh of relief “thank heavens he saw this drop; imagine he didn’t!” Back in the vehicle, my heart still pounded fast and then the total unexpected happened!!! Danie did not reverse, he went forward ….and my heart almost stopped. But alas, almost to my disappointment, nothing happened. We went down slowly, almost gracefully and reached the bottom safely!
A day of extreme driving followed and I was “treated” to excellent technical driving skills, powerful engines, dune bashing, 4 x 4 drifting – and just as I thought there is no higher dune to race out, much higher and much steeper ones appeared. At times I was warned that “this was going to feel awkward” and then it really was; at times I was told “this is nothing” and then it was terrible, yet I never felt unsafe. The drivers knew exactly what they were doing and what their vehicles were capable of.
I also realised that some things look far worse than what they feel. I was very sceptical about the dune surfing or 4×4 drifting, but actually enjoyed it despite the waves of sand that hit me through my open window. The last, very high dune scared me somewhat. I envisaged vehicles doing back flips when they reach the complete vertical slope at the summit of the dune. “No, I’d rather sit this one out” I confidently said to expert O’Brian, who was especially invited along to ‘entertain’ me with his powerful vehicle and excellent driving skills. “After all, I have already proved my adrenaline-screaming-resistance, so I can sit this one out” I thought to myself. But then O’Brian responded with “this outing was just for you; there is no way you are going to cop out now”. I took a deep breath, told myself I can do this and climbed back in the vehicle. The 17 year old son of O’Brian, also very skilled, was my chosen driver for this dune challenge. With one try Juan took me over the summit and I heard myself say “that was so easy!” It was not at all as bad as I thought it would be.
I have to admit, although dune bashing and extreme driving is not my idea of fun, and although I had to at times ask for a few seconds of fresh air to combat my carsick feelings, I had an amazing day. It was indeed a day I will never ever forget!
What have I learned: I have learned a lot about technical driving skills, abilities of vehicles in the sand, engine power, angles at which slopes and cliffs are approached, but what touched my heart the most was the sacrifice to make this event possible. The men involved cared enough about my to do list to sacrifice work (O’brian interrupted a job) and family time and they created a truly memorable and enjoyable experience for me!
Ps: And I just have to add that I gained new respect for the Isuzu Frontier. The ability of these vehicles is amazing!
I plan to post a video or two to my Facebook page.
“DRIFTING” EN “SURFING”….. (en daar is regtig nie Afrikaanse woorde wat hierdie Engelse woorde kan vervang nie!)
“Dune surfing”, “4×4 drifting”, “extreme driving”… ek het geen idee gehad waarvoor ek myself inlaat toe my broer Danie, ‘n rit in Atlantis duine voorstel as deel van my 50-word-doenlys nie.
Ek is nie ‘n adrenalien “junkie” nie, ek het hoogtevrees en ek raak vinnig karsiek (waarvan ek vergeet het). Nietemin se ek ‘ja’. Hierdie mag dalk net die waaghalsige ervaring op my lys raak.
Nadat bande afgeblaas is, besluit Danie om my solank op ‘n plesierrit te neem terwyl ons vir die res van die groep wag. Hy verduidelik hoe moeilik dit kan wees om duinhellings te sien in die refleksie van die son op die sand, die gevare as jy ‘n duin teen die verkeerde hoek nader, hoe maklik ‘n mens kan vasval as jy jou misgis met die die kruin van ‘n duin (breakover angle) en vele ander tegniese inligting waarvan ek niks weet nie, maar wat ek baie interessant vind.
Skielik stop hy, net betyds. Ons het ‘n skerp afgrond bereik. Ek het baie harder rem getrap as hy! Danie klim uit om die omgewing te bekyk en noem hoeveel die duine verander het sedert hy laas hier was. Ek sug ‘n GROOT sug van verligting ‘dankie tog hy het hierdie afgrond gesien, kan jy jou indink hy het nie!’ Terug in die voertuig klop my hart steeds in my keel en dan gebeur die totaal onverwagte!!! Danie ry nie agteruit nie, maar vorentoe …en my hart gaan amper staan! Maar helaas, amper tot teleurstelling, het niks gebeur nie. Ons het stadig, amper statig, afgery en die onderkant van die duin veilig bereik!
‘n Dag waar uiterste bestuursvernuf toegepas word volg en ek word ‘bederf’ met tegniese uitmuntendheid agter die stuurwiel, die uitjaag van duine, “4 x 4 drifting” – en net soos ek dink daar is nie ‘n hoër duin om uit te jaag nie, verskyn ‘n nog hoër en veel steiler een. Soms is ek gewaarsku dat ‘hierdie nie baie lekker gaan voel nie’ en dan was dit regtig so; ander kere is daar gesê ‘hierdie is niks’ en dan was dit aaklig, maar ek het nooit onveilig gevoel nie. Die bestuurders het presies geweet wat hulle doen en waartoe hulle voertuie in staat is.
Ek het ook besef dat dinge soms baie erger lyk as wat dit voel. Ek was maar baie skepties oor die “dune surfing” of “4 x 4 drifting”, maar het dit tog geniet ten spyte van die golwe sand wat my deur ‘n oop venster getref het. Die laaste, baie hoë duin het my effe afgeskrik. Ek het in my geestesoog gesien hoe tuimel voertuie agteroor wanneer hulle die totaal vertikale kruin van die duin bereik. “Nee, ek gaan hierdie een maar ‘n ‘skip’ gee” sê ek vir die ekspert O’Brian wat spesiaal genooi is om my te vermaak met sy kragtige voertuig en uitstekende bestuursvernuf. “Buitendien, ek het reeds bewys dat ek my adrenalien-gil kan beheer” dink ek by myself. Maar dan antwoord O’Brian my met “hierdie uitstappie is spesiaal vir jou; daar is geen manier wat jy hierdie duin gaan uitsit nie.” Ek haal toe maar diep asem, vertel myself ek kan dit doen en klim terug in die voertuig. Die 17 arige seun van O’Brian, self baie ervare, was die gekose bestuurder vir hierdie duin-uitdaging. Met een poging jaag Juan met my oor die kruin en ek hoor myself ewe kalm se “so maklik!” Dit was toe nou nie so erg as wat ek gedink het dit gaan wees nie.
Ek moet erken, alhoewel die uitjaag van duine en “extreme driving” nie my idee van pret is nie, en alhoewel ek hier en daar moes vra vir ‘n paar sekondes vars lug om te herstel van my karsiek, het ek ‘n ongelooflike dag gehad. ‘n Ervaring wat ek beslis nooit sal vergeet nie!
Wat het ek geleer: Ek het geweldig baie geleer oor tegniese bestuursvernuf, die vermoëns van voertuie in die sand, enjinkrag, hoeke waarteen hellings en afgronde genader word, maar wat my hart die meeste geraak het, was die opoffering wat hierdie ervaring moontlik gemaak het. Die betrokke mans het genoeg vir my 50-doenlys omgegee om werk (O’brian het sy werk onderbreek) en familietyd op te offer sodat ek ‘n heerlike, onvergeetlike dag kon geniet.
Ps: En ek moet net byvoeg dat ek nuwe respek vir die Isuzu Frontier het! Ongelooflik wat die vermoë van hierdie voertuie is! Ek beplan om ‘n video of twee op my Facebook blad te plaas.
1 Comment Posted in Blog, Lianne chatting, LIVE every moment Tagged 4x4, approach angles, Atlantis dunes, brother love, drifting, dune bashing, dune surfing, extreme driving, Isuzu Frontier, outdoor adventure, slopes, turning 50
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