Rocky mountains high

Off-road trails in nature reserves are often quite tame, so they don’t deter the average guy with his average off-road skills. Not so at the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve...

Kagga Kamma’s website mentions that certain campsites can only be reached with a 4x4 vehicle, and if you call to book one of these campsites, you’ll be told that the trails can be challenging. As soon as you report to reception, you’ll receive a printed map showing all the trails in the reserve. The map also shows numbered beacons, the distances between these beacons, the GPS coordinates of each campsite, and a few roadside attractions. The receptionist may indicate roads on the map that you’re not allowed to drive – some of these roads are badly damaged and management is still weighing up whether to repair them or not. Kagga Kamma does not encourage day visitors, and the best way to access the 4x4 trails is to book accommodation. You have several options, including a lodge, cave suites, selfcatering units, and a number of campsites. Two campsites, Swartrug and Klipspringer, are close to the main building, and have electricity and ablution facilities with hot water. The campsites Bobbejaankrans, Tierkloof, and Joubertswerf can only be reached with an off-road