Ring, ring. "What are you doing on Monday and Tuesday?" "Nothing special" "Good come with us to help recover a pick-up that ran down a hill into the Pungwe River in Nyanga" "OK – we are in". Some 7 kms after the Falls Trevor Gilbert of Autoparts turned off the rough track and set off downhill towards the river, followed by us, Pat & Michael in the LWB Patrol and Richard MacDonald and Mac Bailey in the SWB Patrol. Trevor was bumping and sliding down to a nearly level bit in his 2wd Mazda pickup. Due to the low cloud and very wet grass, stopping was not too easy.

We were asked to go along to help as the Autoparts Wrecker could not negotiate the 4x4 tracks we had to drive.

A Nissan Patrol Pickup, only 5000 kms on the clock, had been left where we parked, and then ran down the ever steepening slope till it rolled over and landed back on its wheels in shallow water. One problem was the very large rock at the front wheels and a river bank at the back. Everything was still there; the engine started and ran but every panel was damaged and the windscreen, though still in was very broken.

We spent Monday planning the extraction and laid out chains and cables for Tuesday morning. The weather was kinder on Tuesday and as the clouds lifted we were able to enjoy the stunning beauty of this untouched area. The Pungwe runs down a series of small rapids at this point and although Mac spent a long time in thigh deep water inspecting the front end and securing cables, etc. he said it was not too cold.

The truck had been there for 3 weeks untouched, so we left all our chains, etc. and went back to the cottage for the night. This saved a lot of time on Tuesday. In fact we had the truck out about one hour after arriving, Mac having helped by driving it, covered in broken glass, while we pulled with two 9000 lb winches which were on their limits. It was up, on its wheels and towable after we partly straightened the steering rod. Then the towing started, including pulling the 2wd Mazda up two of the steep bits before we rejoined the main track.

We also stopped on the top of the ridge to look down on the Pungwe Gorge nearly a 1000 m below after it has plunged over the falls. An amazing sight which would have had a large fence and warning signs if it was anywhere else in the world. Unmarked and unseen by us on Monday in the thick cloud.

Mac chose to be towed by us in the Patrol Wagon and with no power brakes or steering he had a hard job for the 40 kms back to Montclair Hotel where we left it in the car park. The roads in this area are steep and very winding, logging roads with no maintenance. We passed one 30 tonner that had been at the bottom of a hill for 4 days while they repaved the road with broken rock. The Nyanga mud is very slippery.

Trevor's wrecker came from Harare the next day to recover the Pick Up. It was very heartwarming and informative to see two very experience recovery men at work. Trevor and Mac have had many years of experience recovering wrecks but not ones with only 5000 kms on the clock.

And that is that, job well done by the GRT. (Geriatric Recovery Team)