SOUTH AFRICA: MOZAMBIQUE: Off To Southern Africa With KMG & TMS & PPS

[vinnymbogo]

The mountain trail reminds me a little of the Middle Kootenay Pass....maybe a little bit smoother. The snow must make you feel at home....like the Beavers Pies!

 

[spike.t]

I just got to experience “load shedding”
Sitting in a strange place all alone watching TV when out of the blue, or is it black, every light goes out.
Pitch dark, no street lights, nothing. It was as dark as the inside of a cow. (Like the Frankfurt shot I shared from last trip)

Zero notice, at least to me. If you know it is coming that is one thing, but zero notice. Yeesh.

You know that old Scout adage about being prepared. Well, thankfully, I was armed with my trusty iPhone and I started the search for the computer and the real light source.
You know the one you use to get out of the bush after dark when your PH keeps you out playing until well after the street lights should have come on and you were supposed to be home.

Eventually, find my trusty head lamp and read for the duration of the "load shedding" experience.
How bizarre.
Whoever thought this little "solution" up should be shot. (Just a suggestion)

It’s over now but quite unnerving when it arrives without any notice. Although I did kind of know about the concept. Being part of the fun is a little different though.

It reminded me of a comment one the folks shared yesterday. ESCOM has to be the most backward thinking companies in the world: "They are the only Company in the world that does not want you to use their service."

You have to be able to joke about it, or you would cry.

When you have one of these travel moments you have to be very thankful for the "first world" problems we experience and complain about.

wayne the area outside lusaka near the airport on the farm i stay at when in lusaka has load shedding from 6am to 2pm every day nearly, and the other day it was for 48hours........this is how it is in zambia at the moment. they say its because the water level in kariba is too low to run the turbines enough , but its more likely they are selling the electricity to neighbouring countries and who knows where the loot goes.......i believe SA buys as well so its only going to get worse. the mines are threatening to lay off over a thousand people because the power shortages are messing big time with the copper mining, and other businesses are having to run their own generators , i think one person mentioned he was using 1,500 litres a week running generators on his farm...........

apart from your blackout fright good to see your having a great time on your tour around.

here is a link read from page 4 about power shortages, and a small bit about sylvia masebo being arrested for abusing her powers in cancelling the tenders for the hunting areas when she was minister of tourism https://dub109.mail.live.com/mail/V...linbox&attindex=1&cp=-1&attdepth=1&n=31219590

 

[BRICKBURN]

Great way to run an economy that.

 

[CAustin]

Beautiful pictures from the top of South Africa!

 

[huntermn15]

Outstanding, taking the young man hunting! it looks like you are having a fantastic trip so far, I look forward to the rest of your journey.
Mike

 

[gillettehunter]

Wayne I'm not sure I believe you about the white knuckle driving. That just looks like a standard 2 track hunting road. I thought you had those, too. All kidding aside that is some beautiful country. Looks like a good place to hunt. Bruce

 

[BRICKBURN]

Started the day with this. Yeeha! My kind of hiking weather.

I am quite happy I did my own white knuckle ride as training yesterday.
The "road" I went up today has taken the cake as the most wild ride I have been on in a 4x4
This picture does not even begin to demonstrate the incline.
To get an idea: Sit in your lazy boy chair and put it in full recline. That was my seat in this Toyota on the way up.
Who needs an amusement park.
See if you can see the trail in this picture....

We were off trying to find the inhabitants.

No Ghillie yet. I have to find out if we can do it without first.

We did a little climbing

Finally an opportunity.

Crawled into the Krans and got within thirty yards, totally unseen to the quarry. I was on top of the Krans (to the right of the pictures) with the herd walking by below in single file.

Full draw waiting for the ram......
@#$%^&*(() managed to not be present.

Luck is a big part of this hunting thing.

The ladies and the new baby after we exposed ourselves to take some pictures.
They did not stick round long.

On to another opportunity. Wobbly legs and high cliffs. Fun stuff.

At this point I have had a herd of Donkeys pointed out to me as a shot opportunity.
In my Hypoxic state I saw some Swartwitpens (Sable) and thought about a shot... but held off.

Shortly after I got into another stalk on some Mtn Reedbuck.

Climbing through cliffs and on tops of these guys is tough work.
They have sharp eyes.
We are concealed fairly well crawling toward them and they still pick you up. You must freeze. This is at 72 yards.

Wind can be blowing like &*(() sometimes but has not been an issue on any shot opportunity so far.
Just have to plan for it.

Final stalk of the day came and got into a herd and was within thirty yards of a 7 inch ram and one of the ladies smelled us. That damn wind swirled. No bolting, just moved off around the corner and layed down again.
The second go at them left us with zero cover.
Another, 'if only that damn wind had not'. Never heard that on a hunting trip.

This is totally doable. It is going to require a lot of luck and determination. Still not deterred.
Four stalks in close and personal today. Three wind blow outs and one sneaky ram hiding and would not move.

8.5 inch ram is running around still. Monster Mtn Reedbuck.

Comment from the PH: "The Bakkie would be full of Bok if the rifle were out today"
This bow hunting stuff seems to be harder. It makes rifle hunting these guys look simple.

Got a flat on the way down the mountain. Not a place for a "puncture" Sidewall blown through.
First tire change at 7500 feet!

Back at the Inn I decided that AH had best join the long tradition of donated hats.
Name and date and pick your spot.

A portion of the collection in the bar.

 

[dory]

Started the day with this. Yeeha! My kind of hiking weather.
View attachment 46563

I am quite happy I did my own white knuckle ride as training yesterday.
The "road" I went up today has taken the cake as the most wild ride I have been on in a 4x4
This picture does not even begin to demonstrate the incline.
To get an idea: Sit in your lazy boy chair and put it in full recline. That was my seat in this Toyota on the way up.
Who needs an amusement park.
See if you can see the trail in this picture....
View attachment 46566


We were off trying to find the inhabitants.

View attachment 46564

No Ghillie yet. I have to find out if we can do it without first.
View attachment 46568

We did a little climbing
View attachment 46569


Finally an opportunity.

Crawled into the Krans and got within thirty yards, totally unseen to the quarry. I was on top of the Krans (to the right of the pictures) with the herd walking by below in single file.

View attachment 46570

Full draw waiting for the ram......
@#$%^&*(() managed to not be present.

Luck is a big part of this hunting thing.

The ladies and the new baby after we exposed ourselves to take some pictures.
They did not stick round long.
View attachment 46571


On to another opportunity. Wobbly legs and high cliffs. Fun stuff.
View attachment 46572



At this point I have had a herd of Donkeys pointed out to me as a shot opportunity.
In my Hypoxic state I saw some Swartwitpens (Sable) and thought about a shot... but held off.

View attachment 46573


Shortly after I got into another stalk on some Mtn Reedbuck.

Climbing through cliffs and on tops of these guys is tough work.
They have sharp eyes.
We are concealed fairly well crawling toward them and they still pick you up. You must freeze. This is at 72 yards.
View attachment 46574


Wind can be blowing like &*(() sometimes but has not been an issue on any shot opportunity so far.
Just have to plan for it.

Final stalk of the day came and got into a herd and was within thirty yards of a 7 inch ram and one of the ladies smelled us. That damn wind swirled. No bolting, just moved off around the corner and played down again.
The second go at them left us with zero cover.
Another, if only that damn wind had not. Never heard that on a hunting trip.

This is totally doable. It is going to require a lot of luck and determination. Still not deterred.
Four stalks in close and personal today. Three wind blow outs and one sneaky ram hiding and would not move.

8.5 inch ram is running around still. Monster Mtn Reedbuck.

Comment form the PH: "The Bakkie would be full of Bok if the rifle were out today"
This bow hunting stuff seems to be harder. It makes rifle hunting these guys look simple.

Got a flat on the way down the mountain. Not a place for a flat "puncture" Sidewall blown through.
First tire change at 7500 feet!

Back at the Inn I decided that AH had best join the long tradition of donated hats.
Name and date and pick your spot.

View attachment 46575

A portion of the collection in the bar.

View attachment 46576

Love the photo of the bar Brick . Which one of the fine gentleman in the photo is you ?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Love the photo of the bar Brick . Which one of the fine gentleman in the photo is you ?

I'm passed out on the floor sleeping.

 

[K-man]

I'm passed out on the floor sleeping.

Trying to keep the room from spinning? Don't ask me how I know that....

 

[siml]

MESSAGE TO CAMP: Lock up the booze cabinent and hide the key...

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Looks like the fella in the corner with the dark blue top, has been out in the sun all day. Wonder what's up with him?

 

[dory]

Looks like the fella in the corner with the dark blue top, has been out in the sun all day. Wonder what's up with him?

Im sure thats brick in disguise after to many .

 

[BRICKBURN]

Looks like the fella in the corner with the dark blue top, has been out in the sun all day. Wonder what's up with him?

Me thinks the blush on those two boys has much more to do with the amount of wine consumed before I ever showed up. I did not have a bottle count on them.

My two drinks and bed can not compete in this company.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Trying to keep the room from spinning? Don't ask me how I know that....

Funny enough spinning came into the mix on this mornings hunt.

Up at 0545 and heading up the mountain early.
Sunrise had us finding various herds of Vaalies. Several nice bucks.
One ram at 70 yards..... wrong side of the fence.

Went onto the escarpment and was doing a bunch of side hill gouging below the rim and was watching Vaalies peel away down the mountain like rock slides.

At one point between cliff bands I noticed that I was having some spinning sensation occurring. Not the place for this.
"Battled" it for a while but the sensation did not stop.
After another 600 meters more I "tapped out" and said I needed to head back. Vertigo, never happened at heights before, but this is not the place to have it happen.

Once away from the heights it stopped. This may be a deal killer for this hunting area. ^!@#$%^&

On the way back I numbed my hand from the cold wind. Took quite a while to warm it up in the Bakkie. Not enough cloths on for todays -8 and this wind I'm afraid.

"This country is not for Sissies!"

We'll see how I'm feeling later today and maybe be ready to go up again.

 

[spike.t]

dont worry i got that feeling just looking at the photos, yet alone actually being up there!!

 

[BRICKBURN]

dont worry i got that feeling just looking at the photos, yet alone actually being up there!!

This new place makes those photos look flat.
I'll post some when I get them in the computer.
Yeeesh.

 

[spike.t]

This new place makes those photos look flat.Yeeesh.

......think i will stick to nice dambos and genteel woodland thank you

 

[BRICKBURN]

Next stop Jakarta...

The great escape.

Note the frost still on their backs.

Another escape.

Again, this does not do it justice. One more cliff band below, just like the one above.
Never bothered me in the past....

 

[siml]

Great photo's..