#1: [10-Sep-03] (incomplete)

14-Oct-2015 -- This is the 4^th out of 6 reports, describing confluence visits in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The story continues from 18°S 26°E and starts from 16°S 28°E. More pictures of our trip can be found here.

This confluence point is located very remotely far away from civilisation. In order to get there from 18°S 26°E, we had to drive 120 km on an unpaved road that was only suitable for 4x4 cars. At a remaining distance of 18 km (as the crows fly), we turned into a side track that would bring us up to a distance of 2 km. Unfortunately, this track hadn’t been used by cars for a long time. There were no signs of tyre tracks and several times we had to remove fallen branches in order to proceed. I wasn’t feeling good about such unused road, because thorns from bushes remain on the track or even grow on it. Secondly, the temperature was nearing 40° C.

When we were half way in, we heard a strange noise at our left rear wheel: we had a flat tyre! Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a problem, but we had to first learn where the spare tyre and the car jack were and how they can be used. The situation was critical, because there was no help that could be expected. Since the car was also stuck in deep sand, it was hard to position the car jack. The solution was to build a sand heap and top it with the car mat, our breakdown triangle, the Zambia and the Zimbabwe book. Luckily this worked well.

Once the tyre had been changed there was not even a thought of continuing towards the confluence point. We quickly back-tracked to the main road and were relieved not to have another flat tyre which would have caused a real problem. We also went to the nearest village Mlibizi, which is located right at the Lake Kariba.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to a road: 18 km
• Distance to a track: 1800 m
• Distance of car parking: 9300 m
• Time at the nearest point to the CP: 11:30 AM – 2:38 PM
• Measured height: 481 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 9300 m
• Position accuracy: 3 m
• Topography: slightly hilly
• Vegetation: dry scattered trees and bushes
• Weather: cloudless, 38° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Remote Flat Tyre Confluence

The story continues at 17°S 29°E.

The Zambezi River forming the borderline to Sambia is flowing about 3.6 km NNW of the Confluence.