The commitment of Jannie du Plessis to Leeuwenboschfontein is legendary. In striving to make every single aspect of your experience of this route memorable, Jannie is truly exemplary. Jannie's attention to detail is amazing.

After you've done the trail, it is not only your body and spirit that get taken care of but also those of the vehicle. Jannie has a high-pressure water gun for cleaning, and a powerful air compressor that will re-inflate the tyres of every vehicle in the convoy in the time that it will take you to crack open a cold and well-deserved beer.

In the unlikely event of your vehicle having experienced problems before, during or after the trail, Jannie has a fully equipped workshop and is skilled enough to take care of everything from minor to major breakdowns.

Jannie is one of the first trail owners to have complied with all the necessary government legislation and requirements. Unfortunately, one of the interesting sections of the trail is temporarily closed, but in the meantime Jannie is investigating and laying out an alternate route to God's Window.

No, not the God's Window in Mpumalanga, but certainly a worthy namesake. This is the name given to the lunchtime stopover at the summit of the Swarteberg (1480 m), with its incredible 360º views: the Hex River Valley to the east and towering mountain scenery to the north and west.

You will want to spend the whole week there. (Frequent visitors will be happy to know that Jannie has recently installed a toilet up there that makes use of the latest wind-operated technology in environmental friendliness.)

The current alternate route makes for equally challenging and spectacular driving, especially with the two optional Grade 4 sections, but Jannie only makes these available to the more skilled and experienced drivers.

Leeuwenboschfontein is cradled within the confluence of three biomes - the central mountain renosterveld, the little succulent Karoo and the lowland succulent Karoo. This makes for a diverse mix of flora and fauna, but it also makes the endemic environment especially sensitive, so we are lucky that someone like Jannie is its knowledgeable and passionate custodian. The most difficult section of the trail is not named Lion's Balls for nothing! Careful navigation, a good line and tons of guts will see you through, but like playing with the proverbial lion's crown jewels, it needs to be tackled with finesse.

As with all the more difficult sections on Leeuwenboschfontein, there are escape routes to this section. There is also ample opportunity for less capable vehicles on the 4x2 section of the trail, and these will still provide a great experience.(Information supplied by DriveOut Magazine).

Best time to go is all year round, but the winters can be icy. (Aug-13).

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