A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
BACK in the 1920s it took a Model T Ford supported by 100 Himba tribes people to drive the most dangerous track in Namibia for the first time. Now, almost 100 years on, the latest Land Rover Defender can manage Van Zyl’s Pass virtually on its own.
Engage Rock Crawl and Hill Descent Control in the new configurable Terrain Response, raise ground clearance to 291 mm, then zoom in on the rock face below using a myriad of onboard cameras. The most advanced off-road vehicle in the world really only needs you for a gentle steer in the right direction.
If that makes this 1-in-3 descent sound too easy then a quick peep down the 600 ft ravine at the side reveals a different story. A crumpled Toyota pick-up and a Nissan are perhaps one reason why Land Rover decided this had to be the location for the media’s first-ever drive of the most important model in its history.
The drip-drip of Defender PR stops here, in this remote northwest corner of Namibia where heat, dust and an unforgiving environment are a constant. Kaokoland is one of the most inhospitable spots on Earth. Known as the place God made in anger, any other motoring
