HomeDestinationsSouth AfricaNamaqua Caracal Eco Route
Moderate
Off-Road
🇿🇦 South Africa
Recorded Trail

This track was recorded on the ground by an actual expedition vehicle.

ID: ZA-WC-02
SANParks route permit required
South African National Parks

Namaqua Caracal Eco Route

Added on 2 Oct 2026
Logged by @trailxon17 November 2017

Multi-day coastal 4x4 route through the Namaqualand coast to the Kamiesberg area.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Remote and sandy; carry recovery gear and spare water.

Weather check

At Start
19m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

-31.5160, 18.2914

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: -31.5160, 18.2914 @ 19m

Quick Stats

Distance
247.31 km
Type
Off-Road Trail
Elevation Range
2m - 493m
Max Elevation
493 m
Max Gradient
3.7%
3.4%

Highlights

  • Namaqua coast
  • Spring flowers

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Emergency Simplex
146.520MHz
Team Coordination
446.006MHz
Scout Primary
146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+1080 m

Total Descent

-606 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)
6.8

6.8

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)
2.1

2.1

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)99%
Moderate (3-8%)1%
Steep (>8%)0%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved29%
Unpaved71%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt
29%
Gravel
15%
Dirt Track
50%
Sand
6%
Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

7

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 34

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryModerate

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: -31.515999
MAX LAT: -30.353111
MIN LON: 17.394724
MAX LON: 18.301271

Point Spacing: 75.7 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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