Ice cold in Matlock

The second Jeep is finished! Well, almost. Matt ran out of paint with a couple of rear panels to go, but as it was 10.30 pm anyway decided to call it a day (night), last Friday. We are still waiting for the seats to arrive. They have been ordered from American Canvas, in Ludlow, on Jeeparts recommendation. The tyres are not here yet either, but the ‘fat boy beach buggy’ ones it came on from California will be fine for now.

A few phone calls on Saturday rounded up enough likely suspects to take both Jeeps for a spin in the woods and see how well the Willys runs. It was a weird experience having two identical Jeeps. I bit like dating a twin I guess. I would go to the tool box on one and realise the wheel brace was actually in the other! Not a big deal, life changing, moment - just odd.

Tom Queally and I picked the coldest day so far this year to make the 50 mile journey north to Matt’s place. Minus 10º all day, but under a crystal clear sky. No roof, no heater! We made a short movie that will air on the excellent Overland Expo web site as a ‘60-Second Overlander movie’. I’ll post it on this Blog straight after the U.S. Premier

See the LRDG Expedition web site.

Lunch anyone?

Desert catering relies on a fair amount of improvisation and resourcefulness. Whilst out there, away from all shops and supplies for 12 days, our expedition will be well fed by SAIG Travel. On a previous trip in Libya, we took one freshly butchered sheep and a second live one, for slaughter half way through the Expedition. This process works very well ensuring fresh meat most days, supplemented by bread made on an open fire, various vegetables and water drawn from wells scattered across the desert. It is a way of life that has changed little in a thousand years and the one thing that separates the tourists, with their cans of convenience food, from the overland traveller, intent on living the life of the locals on their level. However, it is still wise to pack a few Muesli Bars - just in case!

Further details of the 2011 Long Range Desert Group revisited trip here.

Skidmarks in the Workshop!

The Willys was a runner when bought back in the Summer and we had a tentative run up and down the track back then - slightly hampered by a total lack of brakes and not much in the way of steering. But things are different now. The rebuild is almost complete and the time had come to take it for a test drive. Young Teddy took the first drive. A keen campaigner in the local Autograss Championship, the Jeep would be more of a handful than his Mini, but he drove like a Pro. Next Matt wound it up on the Test Track, before I had a go and brought it back to base, leaving Matt to finish with a flourish! The engine runs beautifully and, fortunately, all the transmission components sound fine. They all have new oil seals and both diffs have been inspected. There are few small issues to attend to, then it will be painted, I’ll get the new seats, tyres and wheels and it will be finished.

For full details of this jeeps intended use go here!

Siwa Days

Our Expedition driving 1200 miles into The Sahara will end, as many LRDG trips did, in Siwa. This Oasis town has grown in isolation to the rest of Egypt and Libya - for it is very close to the current border. Virtually inaccessible for most of its history, Siwa has a unique character and the Siwan people, predominantly Berbers, have features unseen in the rest of Egypt. Rounder faces and a high proportion of Albino’s for some reason. The old mud brick town still has some inhabited buildings, whist most residents have migrated to the younger buildings spreading out into the desert landscape. Siwa is the location of The Oracle. The real one! Where Alexander the Great was confirmed as Divine and a Pharaoh of Egypt. We shall bath in the hot spring and wash 12 days of grime away, then enjoy the comfort of an Hotel for the night.

The photos show an existing Egyptian Army base still operating in Siwa, Chris Scott bouncing around in a donkey drawn cart - a popular means of transport there, and the view of the eroded hill looking across the ancient mud brick town.

Link of the day. British Pathe News has some remarkable old B&W film of the LRDG departing Siwa and towards the end of the clip the landmark of the eroded hill is clearly visible.

How to spend Easter. No eggs!

The web site is up!

For two weeks we shall re-enact many of the daring escapades of the legendary Long Range Desert Group in a pair of original 1943, World War Two, Jeeps. Our expedition, limited to just eight people, will drive through the stunning dunes of the Great Sand Sea.  Explore the Gilf el Kebir, a plateau the size of Switzerland. Camp under the stars a million miles from the nearest town.  Stand in the Cave of the Swimmers, immortalised in the film, The English Patient.   Live for that Ice Cold in Alex moment as we celebrate in exactly the same bar as they did 70 years ago. This is no cruise along the Mediterranean coast, but the real thing, sweat, steam and fatique, but with a fully equipped logistics team on hand to cook, wash up and guide us through some of the most beautiful desert scenery on the planet.

Departing from Cairo, we shall cover in the region of 1200 desert miles between Monday 18th April 2011 and Monday 2nd May 2011.

Back room boys.

There are two businesses, without whose help none of this ambitious project would be possible. Jeeparts UK, in Shrewsbury, run by Graham and Amanda, and my son’s business, Matt Savage, up in Matlock.

Any phone call to Jeeparts is greeted with a knowledgeable reply borne out of a lifetime of Jeepery and the answer you want - “yes, we have that in stock”. Likewise, any call to Matt gets the response - “Yes, we’ve done that”. This level of service is rare these days, and I speak as someone who has had a few ‘Main Dealer’ confrontations over the years.

Today was the penultimate visit to Jeeparts for bits. All those little bits that you don’t know you need until you (Matt!) come to join one bit to another. Light units, Speedo, dials and cables. Meanwhile, up at The Matt Savage Overland Preparation Barn, there was a bulging box of wiring components to fabricate a new loom and much progress since my last visit a week ago. The aim is to have it running by the end of next week.

With such professional chaps on the job that should happen.

A Classic Love Story.

It has been suggested by Chris Scott, that perhaps we could screen a DVD of The English Patient whilst actually in the cave, in Wadi Soura, that the memorable scene is based. Kristin Scott Thomas, laid out on the rocks whilst her failing torch batteries act as a metaphor for her tragic death. Ralph Fiennes gallantly walking out of the desert to find a plane and rescue her.

Wadi Soura is on the western edge of The Gilf el Kebir and we should, In-sh-Allah, be there on Tuesday 26th April. There are many red ochre paintings on the walls of the cave, depicting figures ‘swimming’. The high vertical cliff opposite would suggest that, far from swimming, they were in fact being hurled off the top in some ancient ritual. Still. No need to let a theory spoil a good story.

Chris has a new book out shortly Overlander’s Handbook. Indispensable to anyone with interests in this direction.