Final post of phase 1 (western part of the country):

• The first phase lasted more or less one month. We left Durbanville on 12 September and I returned on 13 October. And I am grateful to say that I have not had any serious mishap. The dental problem on day one was fixed so quickly and professionally that it is now just a distant memory.
• A few stats:
• I travelled 4800 kilometers, crossing the N7 a number of times, some of it with the XYL, the rest on my own.
• There were forty two mountain passes "in the way". Five of them would probably not qualify as conventional mountain passes. Rather rough routes through and over mountains. Four of them did not have names. Therefore I refer to them as PSN1, PSN2, etc. (Pas Sonder Naam). Although the expedition definition said "gravel mountain passes", I counted Spektakelpas and Pakhuispas too. Deep in their hearts they still want to be gravel passes.
• Twenty of the passes were new to me. And I am sure there twenty more along the way that we missed.
• I slept at eleven different camp sites. Three of them were bush camps. At six of the camp sites the XYL was with me. At the others I was on my own.
• During the month we had a hard roof over our heads for seven nights. During the whole period the weather was cool but decent. We had rain for two nights only (while in the tent of course).
• Between the two us we took about 1300 photos. Big job to convert them into something useful.
• We had friends with us for a few days on two occasions. Both of them in the Richtersveld.
• Amount of dust gathered: about twice the body weight of the Land Rover.
• During the month I had thirty five radio contacts on 40 meters with fourteen different hams. Most of the time I used a 10m vertical antenna inside a telescopic fibre glass mast (Klaus Mast). Easy and quick to erect. The longest contacts were with ZS6BNE (Kookrivier to Lichtenburg), 947 kilometer and ZS2LEN (Springbok to East London), 1020km. There were eleven contacts with ZS1TR in Bredasdorp/Agulhas and five with ZS1QO in the Cape peninsular. My Yaesu 857D seemed to have a problem with its audio. I received excellent signal reports consistently, but in a number of cases I could not return the compliment.
• Mountain passes are so different that it would be difficult to rank them. But the ones with the Big Views stand out.
• Helskloofpas - Richtersveld
• Spektakelpas - west of Springbok
• Wildeperdehoek/Klipmesselpad - south west of Springbok
• Gifbergpas - south of Van Rhynsdorp
• Hoek-se-Berg - east of Clanwilliam
• Gannagapas - Tanqua Karoo to Roggeveld
• Rammelkoppas - Sutherland to Merweville
• Oubergpas - Sutherland to Tanqua Karoo
• There were also the unexpected or unknown passes that made our day.
• Skurfhoogtepas - near Spoegrivier
• Syferhoogtepas - between Spoegrivier and the N7
• Langkloofpas - east of Garies
• Studerpas - east of Garies
• Equipment - not too much to comment on. However, I become more and more convinced that 80% of a trip's planning should be spent on how to reduce the amount of baggage/equipment. The stuff that really added value was the 60 watt solar panel and the home made LED floodlight that runs off the main battery, and of course the Klaus Mast. The home made one man roof top tent was not a big success. The 5 liter ice cream boxes inside the drawer system keep things in their place.
• Impressions.
• A very safe expedition provided you stay away from the N7.  We have some really suicidal drivers in this country.
• The western part of the country is still frontier country. I hope I am not going to be disappointed by the eastern Cape.
• I have discovered enough new, exciting and remote routes within a day of the Cape to keep me busy for a long time.
• The main surprise? I would never have guessed that I would have to jump start a road grader along the way.  They were a day's walk away from help, without any means of communication.
• The best meal: Venison with mieliepap cooked in a 1/4 size driebeenpot on the fire. Second best meal:  Venison with a large potato cooked in a 1/4 size driebeenpot on the fire. 
•  Now for some home maintenance and some sailing before the Land Rover's head turns east in January.

Thanks for the all interest. A few final photos (before January 2013).

Syferhoogtepas

Langkloofpas

Gifbergpas

Ganaggapas

Rammelkoppas

Studerpas

Botterkloofpas

Killianspas