Botswana SOLO Episode 7 ll CKGR 4 #botswana #solo #overlanding #africa #ckgr is a short series in which I travel some of the most remote places in Botswana, namely the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) & 3 Islands on the Makgadikgadi Pan.
Episode 7 sees me travelling from Piper Pan to Xade, Xaxa & Bape in the CKGR or Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
The next 24 hours would be the most elephants I had seen at waterholes, but also the most challenging driving of my solo trip in the CKGR!
The lions had been calling through the night and it felt like at 1am they were very close to our camp and moved away later. I was up before sunrise with Chris and the team, me hopeful of a Lion sighting and the team, to get a job done. We packed up and headed out to check the waterhole. Chris explained they can’t disturb any animals drinking at the waterhole in order to do work. Fortunately, the waterhole was quiet with the exception of loads of Lion footprints.
Today’s goal was Xaka via Xade.
When I reached Xade I first visited the waterhole as per Chris’s recommendation. The waterhole is a short drive outside the gates. It was filled with elephant. After spending time with these big giants I returned to Xade Camp to refuel from the three jerry cans (remember I had filled up the 2x90litre tanks and 3x20ltr jerrys). I then enjoyed a nice hot shower in the campsite ablutions before heading out to Xaka. The tough stuff was about to start!
The road to Xaka has deep soft sand and even in 2nd it felt like the engine was slowing down in places, but I couldn’t let that happen, for fear of being bogged down, so I pressed hard on the peddle. With “hard” came speed which meant lots of bouncing around and scratches from the trees. The track seemed no more than 3m wide in places.
Arriving at Xaka I had to drive up a dune to camp. I discovered the one & only camp site had just been destroyed by elephants & had very recently (like same day) been occupied by elephants. The camp was covered with elephant footprints and littered with fresh tree branches. The position of the camp was great as one could see the waterhole in the valley below, with the elephants still drinking at the waterhole. I was a bit concerned the elephants, still at the waterhole, could return to graze at the camp at night. Being one of CKGR’s more underutilized camps, it was possible these tracks could be now be a part of the elephant’s path to and from the waterhole.
The GPS had a bearing for an ‘old camp’ and I headed to see if it was an alternative. What I discovered was something out of an Apocalypse Now movie; it sat under a large dead tree with 6 white-back vultures sitting on the branches above. To make matters worse the elephants had dug big holes all around the waterhole and on the one road that passed it.
While at the water hole I spent some time enjoying the elephants drinking and taking a bath. There were many birds including some rough housing juvenile white-back vultures and a lone eagle.
There was only one option. Try to wild camp in a clearing in the long grass next to the water pump station on the other side of the waterhole. I proceeded to make my way via all the holes to the clearing. Progress was made a little slow by a male elephant deciding to charge me halfway through. Having made it through I set up the tent in the heat at about 16:00 and had a rest. The idea of solo camping with long grass only meters from the car started to unnerve me. Lion etc would not be visible even if I heard them and there was enough light. It seemed unwise to camp here... I made a tough call! I elected quite late in the afternoon having seen the camp, to move on to Bape.
What ensued was a late night of driving the worst road in CKGR till 8:30pm at night! I had a planned call with my family via sat-phone everyday since starting the trip at 7pm and I had to pull over halfway in the dark and let them know I would call again when I arrived. I did think of camping on the road, but felt this was no better and pushed on to Bape campsite. Thank goodness I had fitted new spot lights, they made a massive difference. With the exception of one stubborn jackal & two owls the drive went smoothly.
Around 8:15pm the two Bape camps eventually flashed up on the GPS one left, one right; I had made it! Exhausted, I swung left, and headed into the bush down a winding road in search of camp and not knowing what I would find (animals or even people camping). The camp was empty. I made a small fire for a feeling of safety and called my wife to say all was well. Having been a long day I had a sponge bath in the Troopy before getting into bed for a well earned rest.
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