Simpson Desert crossing in May

Submitted: Monday, Nov 07, 2011 at 11:29

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Simpson Desert

The Simpson Desert can be crossed via the French Line, WAA line or Rig Road. This trek provides a route using a combination of all 3 routes.

Simpson Desert

Section: Treks

The Simpson Desert can be crossed via the French Line, WAA line or Rig Road. This trek provides a route using a combination of all 3 routes.

Simpson Desert Trip Planning Map

Section: Shop

This is the revised Simpson Desert Map designed for Trip Planning use. On one side is the map containing GPS points, whilst on the other is information about each point of interest,

Member - Vern

Hi all.

We had planned on doing the crossing of the Simpson desert from East to West in July 2011, unfortunately we need to change the dates. Can anyone advise if May would be a good time to do this crossing or would the preference be a different month all together. What we are looking for is soft sand to make the challenge a little harder as we crossed in June-July last year and it was great to do the crossing but the sand was realy firm.

Thanks in advance.

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Nov 07, 2011 at 14:27

Monday, Nov 07, 2011 at 14:27

Hi Vern

If you have ever followed what I have put up over the years about our Simpson Crossings (we have done the odd crossing or two...LOL) you will have seen that the earliest crossing that we have ever done was in very early May in 2006.

We have driven the Simpson countless times over the years and out preferred way is an east to west crossing, just more fun with the larger dune faces on the eastern sides. To be honest, I can not think why we chose so early in the season but this is what we encountered, but would be fairly similar any year providing that it is not wet.

Powder soft sand will be the order of the day with a good few boggings to be expected. There was one bigger dune on the French Lines and it was getting late in the day. Running 14psi I was not able to get over. I could have dropped the tyre pressures down to 10 psi, but being late like I said, we called it a day and set up camp. That very same dune in the cool of the morning next day and you would not have known it was the same dune and we were up and over first try with no problems what so ever. The main reason why the sand was so soft and fine was daytime temperatures were around the 44 C range and the coolest day time temperature down to 36 C Degrees, so you can see straight away, the vast temperature range compared to the cooler winter months when most people travel the Simpson. Many of the dunes were blown over and there were 2 times that you could not see the actual main track, even if it was only for around a few hundred metres, and you had to make your own way to where the track started again.

I know you did a trip across in 2010, and we also did a crossing then and to be honest, the dunes were that compacted due to all the rain, for me it was like driving on a concrete road (The muddy clay pans were a different story)
We were out in the Simpson again this year and it was back to normal, soft dunes the way the Simpson usually is.

It is up to you when you travel, but my preferred months are July or August, just my preference.

Have a good trip and your best friend in May will be a set of MaxTrax and of course a long handled shovel.

Cheers

Stephen