The FREE London to Cape Town Land Rover challenge. December 27th 2010

thought ya bike was a bandit, unfaired for them miles, your neck must be the size of your landy

Ah started readin' the furst post then gave up after it said about escapin' the English weather.... Ah don't have that problem

lr110 said:

thought ya bike was a bandit, unfaired for them miles, your neck must be the size of your landy

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yes mine unfaired much more fun roll on roll off throttle on A road (motorway no fun) Ace Cafe Fun only thing I wouldn't mind is gel seat

RallyAid.com said:

Hi

Thanks for your feedback. (Sorry about the south coast error:doh

Anyone who enters in to this rally obviously does so entirely at their own risk. As we aren't charging an entrance fee who are we to judge how competent an entrant is, you would think they would do there own research and preparation All we are doing is facilitating the opportunity for like minded people to do something life changing.

I am aware this is very ambitious, but not unrealistic. The world record was set in 1952 in a Humber Super Snipe, it took them 13 days 8 hours. it wasn't beaten till 1963 when they only beat it by one hour in a Ford Cortina and this record is current!

Our route will follow loosely that of the 1952 attempt.
See this amazing video - YouTube- Destination Cape Town

To the Ambitious out there, why not?


Please, all feedback welcome. This thread was just a feeler while our website is being built, if you have anything to contribute please get in touch
Thanks


Lloyd
Rallyaid.com





if charity starts at home, why not stay at home? :blabla:

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To be perfectly honest, far more detail and preparation is needed to make this event safe for the entrants. I realise that you’re still in the planning stages, but if you’re serious about the event being successful and getting people on board, you will need to be far more transparent with details.

It’s one thing to say that people should do their own research beforehand, but there are so many issues which need to be properly addressed. It’s a given that entrants participate at their own risk, but the lack of details heightens the possibility of something unforseen happening, and would be enough to put anybody off.

Ensuring that entrants are suitably prepared in things such as 4x4 driving, recovery work, first aid, navigation, basic mechanics, etc is critical to the planning process. It is naive to think otherwise mate. Everybody feels they’re capable of certain things, but it’s often not until a situation arises that they can/cannot demonstrate this, and carries the potential of death or serious injury. As an organiser, you still have an obligation to make all reasonable steps to ensure peoples safety.

Not meaning to be disrespectful to my northern mates (hehe!), but the terrain which you will encounter will be completely new to you, and you will effectively be ‘thrown in the deep end’. We have the same varieties of terrain here in Australia which I’m very familiar with, and I can assure you that it is not going to be easy. Don’t have any illusions that you’ll be ripping along open flat plains to make up time...the vehicles will be heavily laden and piloted by people who have little to no experience with the challenges which this terrain will surprise you with. Expect to be up to your axles in mud, sand and dirt, be doing lots of recovery work, and have very frequent punctures. This is the main reason I suggest that your time-frame for this expedition is unrealistic.

On to the vehicles... There definitely needs to be a standard set for suitability and equipment fitted/carried. Things like fuel types and storage, spares, recovery equipment, tyre choices (having common types is highly recommended), communications, armour/protection, etc are extremely important. As you said, vehicles will be travelling in groups of 3-4, so it’s important that these can share equipment, load-outs, balance capabilities, fuel types. Obviously this would be discussed in more detail when you get sufficient numbers up, but a minimum standard NEEDS to be established.
By not having a centralised method of visas, ferry, etc, going across 13 countries will be a logistical nightmare for everyone and will substantially delay the schedule. Dealing with some African borders is difficult at the best of times, so smoothing this process out is a very important step, and will avoid entrants being frustrated. It will happen! There doesn’t appear to be much facilitating to be perfectly honest, just a “we go from here to here, and you can sort the important bits out...who’s in?”

The time-frame you’ve allocated simply isn’t sufficient to do this trip with a projected sizeable number of vehicles, because there are factors that haven’t been taken into consideration. Conditions of roads and terrain, weather, inability to travel at certain times because of wildlife in some areas, problems with getting across borders (due to no centralised system), having to wait for armed escorts in some areas, vehicle breakdowns/recoveries (these will happen), etc. You will need to allow for more time just to do the trip, let alone fulfil the charity work. Expect to be pinned down in areas because local officials will insist on wanting to meet the group, show you around and play ‘the good host’. In Africa, by obliging them is often the easiest and safest way of travel by way of their local influence...by not doing so can create a host of problems down the road. I have a lot of mates who were refugees from South Africa, Zimbabwe and the Congo, so this info comes reliably.
I’d be very keen to do something like this in a year or two’s time, but it would need to be far better organised and thought through than this is at the minute.

Please take all of this as constructive criticism to help you with making this expedition go ahead smoothly and safely. I have the ambition for something like this later, but not under these circumstances. I’m happy to discuss things more with you if you like.
Cheers

RallyAid.com said:

you would think they would do there own research and preparation

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There is your problem right there, you just have no idea how retarded some people are.

Some people would do all the necessary prep and would have a good chance of making it, and some people would do absolutely no prep, and you want to group these people together... Good luck with that...

Booger said:

There is your problem right there, you just have no idea how retarded some people are.

Some people would do all the necessary prep and would have a good chance of making it, and some people would do absolutely no prep, and you want to group these people together... Good luck with that...

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Touche Booger! I know I'd be royally ****ed off being in a group with some numpty who's ill-prepared, out of their depth, and a vehicle not up to the task...it only takes one and everybody suffers. This sort of trip isn't one of those occasions to be baby-sitting someone...hence my suggestions. :doh:

mbikeboy said:

Touche Booger! I know I'd be royally ****ed off being in a group with some numpty who's ill-prepared, out of their depth, and a vehicle not up to the task...it only takes one and everybody suffers. This sort of trip isn't one of those occasions to be baby-sitting someone...hence my suggestions. :doh:

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You mean like someone who leaves the group to go off on his own and gets stuck in the middle of the sahara and has to call everyone back or when on his own, blows up his gearbox and ends up in a drug lords den? :behindsofa:

The Mad Hat Man said:

You mean like someone who leaves the group to go off on his own and gets stuck in the middle of the sahara and has to call everyone back or when on his own, blows up his gearbox and ends up in a drug lords den? :behindsofa:

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PMSL! Perhaps even turn it into a working holiday writing emails for those pesky Nigerian princes and merchant bankers...I hear they have millions they need taken back to western nations and willing to give you a cut!

dearest friend it is with great sadness that monkey's uncle has sadly passed away, however leaving vast funds.
As a trusted and worthy friend I am seeking assistance moving 65000000 Dollars.



PS I won't rip you off

The Mad Hat Man said:

You mean like someone who leaves the group to go off on his own and gets stuck in the middle of the sahara and has to call everyone back or when on his own, blows up his gearbox and ends up in a drug lords den? :behindsofa:

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I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, because anyone who makes 38 000 posts obviously talks a lot of ****

mbikeboy said:

Touche Booger! I know I'd be royally ****ed off being in a group with some numpty who's ill-prepared, out of their depth, and a vehicle not up to the task...it only takes one and everybody suffers. This sort of trip isn't one of those occasions to be baby-sitting someone...hence my suggestions. :doh:

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Agree with your suggestions, and anyone who has actually done a tough expedition in a group would just know these things

I would seriously consider this trip if it was a race, for lone vehicles, with no support teams, and like a 50 000 pound prize fund If I'm going that fast I at least want a chance of breaking the record myself...

some guy left cornwall today to do the 50kmile trip....

I have a couple of thoughts for whoever is organising this;

Algeria, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, DR Congo.

That takes you by the orginal Humber Snipe route to the equator crossing.

Unfortunately the FCO advises against travel to all or parts of these countries. There is a very good reason why no one has taken this route in upwards of ten years. They are the most dangerous parts of Africa with the exception of probably Somalia.

The OP wants to "race" across them with people of little experience, led by OP who hasn't even done some basic research on the safety and political situation in these countries themselves?

No F-ing way would I follow the OP to the village stores let alone across Africa.

If this clusterf-k ever goes ahead I guarantee someone will get seriously hurt - most likely by driving too fast but a whole range of other possibilities from kidnap and murder to crashing into cattle or people.

Your best chance today to get close is plan your visas perfectly - particularly Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia, business visas will work best IMO (it's what Long Way Down used) and go East Coast route. Tar all the way if you want it apart from North Kenya where the 600km will take you 2 days.

Three days min crossing Lake Nasser will mean 15 -20 days is probably the best you can hope for and then what an absolute waste!

Worst idea ever.

Rhubarb, you've defo got your finger on the pulse! Couldn't agree with you more mate!

African trips are do-able, but planning is the key to success as you've rightly pointed out. This trip just smacks of epic-fail, and it concerns me deeply...something bad is guaranteed to happen for reasons we've both mentioned. The OP hasn't replied in here, so I hope that he takes all of our comments on board and has enough common-sense to alter his plans.

I don't like the lack of current research, lack of details, lack of participant requirements, lack of standard requirements for vehicles, lack of training, etc. It's a bloody recipe for disaster unless major changes are made to the plan!

I'm guessing that's a communal "NO" then?

mbikeboy said:

I highly doubt it's possible even if everything went smoothly. It takes roughly 5 days just to get from south to north of Australia using major sealed roads in ideal conditions, which is approx 3500 klm's. To ask approx 16000klm's over sub-standard roads/tracks in unpredictable weather and environments in 21 days simply isn't possible.

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No way on this earth will this be driven in 21 days.
Oh my god, some people have the most stupid ideas.
21 F***g days,
Unless this is 24 hours solid driving, no stops, no visa hold ups, no break downs, which land Rovers never do any way,

Perhaps the OP means this 21 x 24 = 504 hours
driving time = 6 hours a day = 84 days. (504 / 6 = 84 )
Now this is more like it.

I think this is a scam to get you to part with some money.

'vette