Remote area travel for the inexperienced.

Footloose,

I think that we can fall into a trap of over confidence. One good crossing of the Simpson Desert and you don't know what people are on about saying that it is hard.

If I am asked about a trip I will always talk about the challenging ones so that I don't give anyone the idea that a remote trip is easy every time.
Not to get them to join GDT on a trip but so they don't go with a false sense of security.

This is one of the things as a tag a long tour leader that I can't let myself get complacent with a trip even though I have done it many times before.

Some things that we do not have control over like the wind and the direction that it blows.
Normally that is not a big problem but in the desert if the wind blows the sand is soft, the track gets covered by sand and is hard to see and the shape of the dunes change making the crossing a lot harder. Fuel usage goes up and more strain it put onto the vehicle. More than 18 crossing later I have not had the same conditions twice, some have been "interesting" some "character building".

As for finding a trip boring, I never do.
My wife asked me once if I found doing the same trip over and over boring.
The country does change, look at the Vic High Country over the last 5 years with the fires that have gone through that area.

Taking a tag a long convey away is never boring, I will never get the same mob of characters twice, so every trip is different.

I go to these places not so much for the 4wd challenge but to look at the changing and diverse country.

Footloose, do the Hay River trip, I don't think that you will find It boring.



!MPG:23!

Wayne

Footy

Do the Hay River on your own. That should keep the adrenalin rushing!!!!..........LOL

If one is well prepared and you don't take silly risks then the chances are that you will have a good journey out there in the bush. And don't worry about "What if"

Remember that Reg Sprigg, Hans Tholstrup, Denis Bartell and others all crossed the deserts solo and unaided in some cases. Recently a young fella walked from the Colson Track to Birdsville via the Geo Centre.


Cheers

Footloose, as Willem said do the Hay River trip on your own, my wife & I did a couple of years back, it was great, saw no one for 5&1/2 days. Remote yes hard not really.

Regards

TDB

Yer OK, I should have put a space between the 5 and the &, or I could have typed five and a half days or I or I could ??

TDB

We travelled the Hay River twice, before tracks could be easily followed, but it's not a hard trip.
We then decided to do the Madigan Line and Hay River together as one trip.
On the Madigan Line we had no tracks to follow most of the way.
Some days we only covered 50km as the country was so rough, and it became a bit of an endurance effort,but overall not hard.
Being properly prepared and travelling with others for safety/support is the way to go.
Cheers
Joe

It is interesting how things and conditions change!!

In 2002 we did the Madigan Line and it took 11 days from Old Andado to Birdsville and there were basically no track except sometimes we would come across other vehicle tracks. I know of two vehicles in 2007 that went from Mt Dare to Birsdville via the Madigan Line and Peoppel's Cnr in 6 days!!!!

Ron

joe was on my trip across, and we went point to point, so real track making, not following wheel tracks, which really smooth out the spinifex.

We also went when there had been no rain that year, and the dunes were very very soft.

We caught a group who left 3 days before us, and had alot of trouble, splitting up trying to find ways over the dunes that were easier.

here is a pic of how soft many dunes can be, 6" lift, 37" tyres, 130 rw kw TD and very experienced sand driver.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff56/assassin_offroad/0780MadiganLine.jpg

You only have to do the desert ofter windy dry sand blowing around once, to realise how difficult the dunes can become.

He's doing a fine job bulldozing that dune!