Were back!
3380km
about 7 days
lots of fun, a bit wet on occasion.....but.......
here we go with a not very glam trip report!
Left home Tuesday last week
(bags on mirrors are to stop stupid black bird fighting itself and crapping all over the door handles....)
and camped at a grotty campsite, 20m from a main road who charged the earth for the privelage, just north of Madrid. We had planned to spend 2 nights there, and drive some local tracks, but were so dissapointed we drove to our 2nd campsite just outside Tabernas.
We were the only ones there apart from the care taker in her own caravan at the other end of the site. 10€ a night, for 2 of us, 3 dogs, leccy hook up, hot showers and clean loos!
Local dogs were a bit vocal at times but we got used to them.
night set up
day set up
As you may know, a lot of films and all the Spaghetti westerns were filmed in the area - a bit too touristy for us, but the tracks were great - did a couple of the easy ones before we got drowned out on Sunday and Monday
Cavalry and injuns round every bend!
Hardly met anyone else on the trails done - A Strange Rover and a couple of hunters but thats all.
The journey home was interesting. We had planned to trundle up towards the Pyrenees for a couple of days, and stop off 2 nights on the way. However, around 3pm towards our first stop yesterday, the skies went black, as black as night (nearly) so pedal to the metal and we found another campsite a couple of hours away going North on google maps.........except it wasnt on a road but a track - it took nearly till 5.30 to find it and it was abandoned! Not a sole - this explains why he didnt answer his phone.....so, what do you do? turn round and back track to get to tarmac? Nope, Google maps said the track continued on to a main road ........ We followed it, it got smaller, overgrown and finally a bog! Stupid I know, but we were close. I went for it and got through, only to be confronted by a dead end.........nothing for it but to turn around - Axle deep thick gloopy mud....Low range, diff locks.....managed to clear it. By now it was getting dark, no other campsites around so sod it, we drove home - some 1500km yesterday. We went across the Pyrenees in the dark (shame, but fun, saw virtually no other traffic on the 'A' roads.
Things we have learned.#
1. a roof tent is a must, esp with 3 dogs, with wet and muddy feet! no realistic wild camping with a ground tent
2. Trailer - I need a trailer for all the extra stuff needed.
3. Spain is great....apart from the rubbish laying in ditches in the south.
3.1 Spain is cheaper on fuel, food and whisky!
4. Off road tracks are great, but harder more challenging ones can be done with one or two extra vehicles or a winch!
5. Never risk going through a bog on your own we could still be down there
6. Toyotas are the best
The only damage done on our first trip was a leaky transfer case seal (getting Simon on the case) and we reckon an average of 20 mpg which, considering what we had loaded up, is pretty good me thinks!
after yesterday mud fest
thats cos we aint been to Romania behind Chas 
she's starting to look tired even without Captain Chaos helping things along , your truck encourages me to go for a full respray and underbody seal has been delayed far too long . Romania isn't too far for you Steve how about it next year ?
