You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Africa ;)

[Cptsideways]

Thought I'd post up some pics & stuff from a trip I did back in 2005/6 as part of the Plymouth-Dakar Rally, basicly buy a cheap crappy banger & drive to Banjul in the Gambia by any means possible. When you get there the cars are sold for charity. I also did the same in 2006/7 as a guide so some pics from that trip too.

This possibly goes down in my book as one of the most fun & entertaining holidays I have ever had, its an epic drive & we teamed up with a few likeminded beerheads along the way. We've pretty much all stayed freinds ever since & there are plans afoot to repeat the adventure in more suitable vehicles soon.

The fun part is getting there in wholly unsuitable vehicles, fixing stuff as we went along (lots & lots of bodging) taking the Atlantic route across the Sahara, mostly wild camping along the way.

For the inaugral trip I teamed up with a chap called Ed from Poole, and we set about sourcing a suitable banger Part of the rules were LHD vehicles only, which narrowed the choice down somewhat!

Spotted a potential candidate in the local paper a LHD Volvo 240 GL ex Belgium diplomats car for £400 oooh - turned out to be an absolute minter!! Bargained it down to £250 as we going to Charity eventually.

£250's worth of minty Volvo

So we set about making some basic modifications suitable for a 5000+ mile trans africa trip

Doubled up the rear coil springs, welded the diff up too and gave it a service & spanner check

Fitted a roof rack, some stickers & some sponsors along the way, myself & team mate Ed

 

[adrianr]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Proper travel. Well done!

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Now it turns out half of the lads we had teamed up with were all proper snowheads, eg skiiers & boarders, so a plan was hatched to make the most of the route!!

We set off just after Christmas & headed to Andorra where upon arrival we were meeted by the most epic snowfall I've seen for many years of ski trips.

We'd planned to stay 2 days, four days later..... we were still there

Eventually we headed off to Tarfia, a favourite windsurfing spot of mine!! (I know a great campsite/beach chalet place up by the dunes if your stopping off) and we met up with some others we'd be tagging along with.

Team Badger Racing - Pajero Petrol soft top with a caravan in tow that had been converted into a local pub, came in quite handy

A couple of lads in a Fiat 123P - rare car that one

Team revolver Father & Son team in another Volvo

Another father & young son team in a Seat Ibiza, which had blown the headgasket in Spain twice on the way down, it was not looking hopefull, they'd also been robbed in Spain...

And finally another tag along, Alex & the Ford Bronco, bought for £200 on ebay the night before they left, bought unseen. It had averaged 4mpg to get to Tarifa as the choke was stuck on & Alex was already suffering Pharoes revenge

So as you can see it was going to be an interesting trip with this lot in tow

 

[Ecoman]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

I would love to do a similar trip. I have been looking at the London to Tashkent Rally but so far i haven't found a [strike:1a5ihm7o]sucker[/strike:1a5ihm7o] team mate to join me

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

So we'd arrived in Cueta & headed straight for the coast & a cup of tea on the beach. We nearly got really stuck getting off of here as we drove down the coast a bit

First night we found an abandoned campsite from what must have been the 70's & tried out the camping arrangements for the first time

Somewhere over the Atlas mountains we came across an auto electrician

Carried on down south for a few more days & got to see the locals

And some more locals

After stopping off at the local market we spotted this

And some Landcruisers

Making use of the pub on the way down

Found a nice old place with palm trees & made some tea whilst waiting for the others to catch up

2800 miles & about 10 days in we stopped off in Dahkla for some R&R also a top windsurfing spot these days in the lagoon area

Team Badgers caravan looking resplendid in the sunshine

 

[Chas]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Sounds like a great time was had, I like the idea of taking your own pub

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Somewhere near Nouadibou we decided to test the off road capabilities of the old Volvo bus before we headed into the desert proper. Surprisingly capable.

Its staring to get hot, after several days of -20 the week before in Andorra this was looking hopeful,
Beer supplies currently down at -20% & another 3-4 weeks to go.

From here on its gets interesting, we head for the Banc d'Arguin National Park & the Sahara proper. Loaded up with extra fuel, food & supplies. We'd planned on taking the scenic route & were in no hurry to get this bit done in any hurry, we'd planned 4-5 days to cross the Desert though it could be done in 2-3 days. Though not in our Japalopy's....

Rag tag bunch first day in the desert

Now considering we've still 3k to go you'd thought people might be sympathetic to their vehicles...

Oh no Day one in the desert & a Renault 21 of another team had a mishap, they've smashed their sump to pieces on a rock. So we arrive & help fix it, the guys spent at least half an hour searching the sand for bits of the sump. With our supplies from Sponsors Travis Perkins Wonder weld & no more nails we bodged it back together - it held for the entire trip

Oh yes in the desert when you need to fix the underside there's an easy way

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Now, team Badger Racing with the pub in tow started to have a few overheating issues, they'd considered abandoning the Caravan but did'nt have room for the stash of beer inside it. There was quite a lot of it

The Volvo managing the sand no bother at all with no issues of any sort so far...

So the trusty Volvo offered to take up the duties of tagging the pub along with us and saved the day

Volvo towing a caravan & a caravan of camels

Setting up the "pub" after an epic days drive

 

[Ecoman]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Excellent photos

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Carried on enjoying the sights heading deeper into the desert

Disastar strikes - well sort of we got a puncture, Followed by another on the pub still all fixed in a few hours (there was quite a lot of tea making involved)

Then it all changed later that afternoon



We were making way to an area near the coast, when we came across a large flat expanse of soft sand, which in 2wd vehicles meant you had to keep going. Trouble is a couple of the cars were getting hot...

Queue Team Revolver pulling up as their car overheats & making the mistake of popping the bonnet of a seriously oveheating car,

boom the radiator exploded right in the face of the father.


We now a had a serious medical situation on hands, I was first on scene & thankfully knew what to do, water, water, water & lots of it. Keep the wounds (from knees to face) cool for as long as possible, hours & hours of it, this reduces the bodies reaction to burns & minimises blistering/secondary infection especially considering our enviroment.


It was serious & we were 360m from the nearest town let alone medical facility.

 

[Ben]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

 

[Gary Stockton]

Good going so far - so much simpler then

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Our patient was in shock, he'd suffered steam burns on almost the entire front of his body except his feet. We got him stabilised & realised we were in for a few change of plans. Some decisions had to to be made & quickly. The patient was in no condition to me moved at this time.

Another team who we knew were one day ahead of us & had planned on stopping at a campsite, & we knew (hoped still) had a doctor on board. They were about 40m south of us, however it was late the sun was setting. We worked out we had enough water to keep the patients wounds cool for at least a day & with enough spare for drinking to get us out.

We had a guide, he went with another team member to head to a local'ish Bedouin camp with a well to get water supplies & gave us directions to the campsite where hopefully our compatriot doctor was.

Myself, Ed then made the journey in the Volvo at night & yes we navigated by the stars, we just had to keep heading south & follow the coast but stay a few km inland. It was a journey in itself & we spotted a campfire & arrived at about 1am, found our Doctor & took another team & car back with us. We arrived back at the scene as the sun was rising.

Patient was being taken care of, we'd done the right thing.

Next task was to sort out the car issue. The radiator on their Volvo was plastic, it had literally exlpoded the entire top of the rad. Now team Badger racing had a spare rad, but it was for a pajero and brass (good ones!!) Upon investigation the Pajero one appeared to look like it might fit our volvo & our volvo one was similar to the other one but not the same, not enough to fit anyway.

So Ed & myself set about doing some fixing. Volvo's exploded rad pulled out, end caps removed they were the tabbed type. Our Volvo's rad removed, end caps pulled off & swapped with their Volvo's core. Our Volvo then had the Pajero one bodged in, we could'nt close the bonnet but a ratchet strap fixed it. With our lack of water & lots of beer available we let nature take its course & the rads were filled with,,,,, well there's no plants to water in the desert!


That was most of the day gone & we headed to the next campsite with the patient looking burnt but in jovial spirits, laying down in the back of the Volvo with moist blankets covering the wounds & an attendee keeping him moist.

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

We continued on our journey, though our patient was happier at a slower pace & he felt well enough that so long as he got to medical facilities in a few days he'd be fine. So we carried on.

The infamous Atlantic route & the beach journey, you have to wait for low tide to drive on the damp sand, the beach itself is too soft.

Teabreak at the dunes
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26175653/PDC/PCDV01%7E1.JPG

And we had skiis with us plus wakeboarding gear

We'd made it thus far

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Time for a break & our patient to take some medical attention, couple of days later


He's driving again, but had to keep the sun & heat off of himself & the Volvo is going like new again

So we head south towards Senegal & its getting hot, really hot it's 45deg in the cars

Where'ever we go the kids want to come & play & have a chat

Were heading to Diamma to cross into Senegal, the border man keeps us there for an entire day, so we set up a tea shop outside his office, were then moved on

More kids, they are everywhere

Anyway a few days in & we arrive in Senegal & head straight for the Zebra Bar for a few days of R&R

http://www.zebrabar.net/e-location.html

The ONLY place we got stuck for the whole trip was IN THE CAMPSITE

 

[Cptsideways]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Senegal is a beautiful country, loved all of it, the people, the scenery, St Louis too which is an old colonial style town.

However we were heading to Banjul in the Gambia which meant we had to cross the river, via Diamma a horrid hellhole, heat, unhelpful, thieves, bribery you name it. That's before you get on the Ex Isle of Wight Ferry, with one engine, 40 cars & 600 people on board!

In the compound at Diamma some of the locals were friendly

Otherwise you were hassled - it was also 40deg

Eventually we arrive in Banjul where the cars are gathered up, we get a break (we took a week out there) the cars are then auctioned off & funds go to local Charities.

So some of the people that made the trip

Alex (Bronco driver) & a local

Myself & Benja from Badger Racing

My mate Ed (who got the Volvo stuck) he's a LR man

And the Volvo, which made it all the way, the only thing that broke was the wiper stalk, its now a bush Taxi in the Gambia

 

[Dark Dude]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

So what eventually happened to the dude with 50% burns? Pray tell me that he is alright....

John

 

[adrianr]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Trust the burns man made a sound recovery?

Top write up. Shows how capable you are with some imagination and desire to do something - don't really need a fully specced out cruiser to get it done eh. Those old Volvos will run for a really rear long time.

 

[TonyP]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Thanks very much for sharing that, very interesting.

 

[vrecha]

Re: You don't always need a Landcruiser to get to West Afric

Tnx for sharing this unique experience.
Nice trip, good story!