Below is a GPS log of Gata loops. The thick line are the loops which have been very accurately mapped in openstreetmap, and the thin red line is yours truly. the track goes from left to right
After taking the first minor shortcut, the target was the next major shortcut.
The second one.
If you see we climb up, go wrong way and then go back
Now the story.
I took the elephant up the shortcut, in 2nd low. rpm at 2500 and we were climbing up nicely, and then things started to get tough. From gravel it turned into sand, and I had to shift midway to 1st low.
With the engine howling, rpm at a sweet 25-2800, we gently trudged up and near the top a sight greeted us which made my knuckes go white, and palms sweaty. The road had been recently relayed, and the road surface was a good 3-4 inches higher than the shortcut. Not an issue really, but near the side of the road, the sand had piled up.
And near the end it was much much steeper. Kind of like OTR obstacles.
If we lose momemtum here, offroad tires or not, wheels will spin
So with a prayer it was time to continue on, and then there is a shrill blast of a loud horn. We are near the top, at the place where I need momentum, and an army 4x4 stallion is hurtling down.
So what to do?
Stop, on the sandy incline, few feet short of the road.
The truck passes by, and its time to see what happens.
Transmission locked in 1st gear 4L, I gently nurse her forward, and the wheels start spinning, but we are moving, then suddenly something slips somewhere, and the car starts sliding sideways.
This is panic time, any more and we will go cartwheeling sideways!
Time to stop, gently reverse, reaim and try again. This time I use what Samurai called the Gypsy technique. All revs gung ho.
And we are on the road, albeit facing the wrong way.
so time to go and reverse at a suitable spot.
But as you can make out from my track, we did not miss the other shortcuts, and the next one saw us bypassing quite a few of the loops!
View from the top

The Final loop

Can you spot the white elephant!

See those loops

Next up it was time to head to Nakeela.
As you can make out, after the loops the road all but vanished.
Nakeela, our 3rd pass of the journey was coming up.
CONT....