UP FOR A CHALLENGE The Van Zyll's Pass is named after a Bantu tribesman who made the Kaokoland area famous. However, the pass is better known for the fact that it is considered one of the most technically difficult and challenging 4x4 tracks in southern Africa. As we were coming to the end of our trip we figured our driving techniques should be up to scratch to attempt the pass. After all, this is what we had come to Africa with a fully equipped Land Rover for! The Van Zyll's Pass is only about twenty kilometres but with such bad conditions it takes up to four hours to get down to the bottom! As we approached the pass the road began deteriorate. Rather than a 'road' it became a jagged set of rocks likely to shred the toughest of tyres. As we bounced back and forth we were pleased to have the heavy duty coil springs attached to the Landy. Wim and Sophie in the Toyota also managed to do well although rather less comfortably on their leaf springs. At one point on the pass the track clung to the cliff with a steep descent on the left hand side...any mistake and we and the Landy would be history. The only way down the pass is to engage low range first gear and let the engine do most of the braking down the pass. This can be a little unnerving as you have to take your feet off all the pedals and trust the engine to take you down in one piece. The steering wheel kicked back suddenly as we encountered deep ruts and high boulders. Rich and Wim got out to walk the worst sections of the pass before attempting them. They agreed that the best way down was to attempt a kind of slalom. It was pretty trick but an exhilarating experience set in some of the most dramatic scenery we have seen on our trip so far. We were all relieved to get down to the bottom in one piece and the cars have fared very well. Sofie wisely walked down the hardest bits of the pass - the rocking motion of the car had brought back memories of their accident. We all felt we had deserved the beers we cracked open at the bottom and added a signed rock to the pile that other travellers had created. Tired from a full-on day, we bush camped near the bottom of the pass, at the mouth of the Marianfluss valley. It was a lovely evening, celebrating our descent with a bush shower, a good meal, homemade bread and plenty of wine. The day included the most demanding driving of our trip and ranks as one of our best days on the road to date!