Donna Collins
It’s that time of the year when the Namib Desert is beckoning all 4×4 enthusiasts to come and play in the sand, and if you belong to a 4×4 club so much the better.
Windhoek members of the Jeep Club Namibia wasted no time in taking the week-end off to head down to the coast for an early break before the big season holidays for a great get together.
Altogether a total of 22 Jeep Wranglers from the capital and the two coastal towns gathered at the foot of Dune 7 last Saturday, where they lined-up for photos, socialised and prepared for an exhilarating dune drive.
With tyre pressure let down a few bars, low range engaged, drivers and passengers strapped in, the 50 people who gathered were all set for a slow cruise across the thick sandy playground onto Long Beach for a well deserved sun downer.
The day’s event was organised by honorary member of the Jeep Club Werner Schaap, who organised day permits from NWR (Namibia Wildlife Resorts), got the guys in check and drove the lead vehicle which laid down the tracks.
“Driving the dunes can be dangerous if you don’t know how, to read the desert, so I set the pace in front,” said Schaap, adding that you can easily drive off a slip face and tumble. “We also have a ‘sweep’ vehicle at the back of the convoy, to assist with any drivers who get stuck or have problems.”
Schaap who has been driving the dunes for years, said that certain areas between Long Beach and Dune 7 are open to the public, and the trips are well controlled.
The ten Jeeps that drove down from Windhoek were brought together by ardent Jeep Wrangler driver and club leader Don Mumbone, who flies the flag high for the Jeep Club Namibia, attending almost every event on the annual calendar.
This was the fourth event organised for the year, which was down on last year’s turnout, but still well attended. The first Jeep Club Namibia getaway was held at Midgard earlier in the year, followed by two “Topless” outings held in Windhoek and Swakopmund respectively, as well as a 4×4 Training Day in the mountains.