Road to Sentinel Car Park

Some feedback.

The road from Witsieshoek to Sentinel is in pretty poor state right now. It's not 4x4 territory, but a high riding vehicle is a definite requirement. We tried with a sedan (not the lowest but its still a sedan) and it became clear a couple of hundred meters into the road that we'll be facing some damage soon. Too many loose large rocks lying about.

The army currently has a heavy presence in this area. I am not sure where exactly they patrol, I hope they are patrolling eastwards from Sentinel as well as the main smuggling routes in this area are Namahadi and further east.

Speaking of them, whilst their presence is appreciated, their arrogance is not. It took us 70 minutes from the tollgate to Witsieshoek.....behind an army tanker truck who's driver simply refused to acknowledge my presence behind it and arrogantly drove in the middle of the road. The truck also broke down, right in the middle again, taking 40 minutes to fix. Please note I am not one of those who will lay in with a hooter to wake-up this dude, so he can't claim I was obnoxious or anything. He was just plain being obnoxious himself and it ruined our afternoon a bit. Last time I checked the army is supposed to serve the public.

Anyway, rant over, I'll be posting seperately about Witsieshoek where things are really starting to look up!

Hi all

This last weekend we went up to the sentinel car park, there are three bad sections on the road (if heading to the car park it is two sections that are uphill and then one downhill section that is bad), I would not like to drive that road in a sedan but we did see a sedan driving up on our way down so it is possible.

The heavier vehicles that are not 4x4 would probably take the most strain because of their weight, and if travelling behind anyone give them space to get up and through the uphill sections before you make your way through.

What happened to us was we came up behind two taxi's, most of their passengers were out and they were filling the holes in the road with rocks to try get through, it looked like they had been trying for a significant time. As the first taxi started to try get through, the driver of the second taxi got out the taxi, put two tiny rock under his wheel and started helping other guys push the first taxi, just as the first taxi got through the one behind it lost its handbrake and started rolling back at us with no space for us to pass and no one in the drivers seat to stop it. It was frighting as we were reversing down the road with the taxi rolling back at us.

Luckily the taxi at a point, probably from going over all the rocks, the front wheels turned and it careered into the side of the road and came to a standstill, and we had landed up just about next to the taxi at that stage. A truly frighting experience, and certainly not what we expected before we even got started hiking.

hey there...

what is the state of the roads there lately? can one drive up with a car?

PietPieke wrote: hey there...

what is the state of the roads there lately? can one drive up with a car?

Have you been there in the meantime?

I'm planning to go there with the cheapest type of rental car in january. Good idea? 
And how's the weather these days?

We have parked at Sentinel early November. You definitely need a vehicle with high clearance. A small sedan will not make it. One person in our group used the Witsieshoek shuttle to Sentinel, and the driver said that the road will be upgraded in January. Let's hold thumbs. 

Check the rental contract as they generally exclude driving on dirt roads and the cheaper models typically have small diameter tyres meaning low ground clearance and potential damage to the underside of car.

Hi All,

Has anyone recently driven this road? Ons of my friends is organising a large group and want to know the condition of the road.
Will VW Polo make it, yes/no?