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Pelton's World: No Road Required
By Robert Young Pelton Illustration by Asaf Hanuka
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DESERT FOX: For Robert Young Pelton, the expedition starts where the road ends. |
Mounting your own overland expedition can take you on the ride of your life.
 ate one night in the swamps of Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, we were trying to get some sleep after a day of winching our Land Rover across a series of swollen rivers. My teammates and I were on an expedition, competing in the now defunct Camel Trophy adventure race, and we had parked for the night in what looked like a clearing in the jungle. Even though it was pouring rain, the prospect of sleeping with four sweaty men in a small Rover pushed me to the roof where, somehow, I'd managed to nod off. Then just about dawn, the truck began to rock.
Dazed, I rolled over and found myself staring straight into the biggest eyeball I'd ever seen. Its owner was one of half a dozen elephants, all of which were a little miffed that we'd blocked their path to the watering hole. What did I do? What any seasoned adventurer would have done. I went back to sleep. Elephants, after all, can take care of themselves.
For years, I've mounted overland expeditions around the globe, creeping close enough to African lions to hear them cough and charging through the California desert in my old Land Rover Series I 109. I feel privileged to have reached places where I'd never have made it on foot. Much of the world—including the States—is laced with logging, mining, and fire roads, and with a little practice, a lot of planning, and the right crew, anyone can use them to put together an off-road expedition.
Buyer Beware
Before you start thinking about that month-long trans-Sahara rally, find out if you've got the off-road bug. A day trip motoring over Sedona red rock or through the woods of Vermont will give you an expedition taster (lots of jostling), but you'll have a bed, not a roof rack, at the end of the day.
If that whets your appetite, then set about getting the bush skills you'll need at an off-road driving school. Camel Trophy team member Bill Burke runs 4-Wheeling America (www.bb4wa.com), a school in western Colorado that will give you the confidence to keep your palms dry when careening along canyon rims and traversing sheer drops.
Find the Right Road
Once you're ready for your own expedition, you'll need one elemental piece of gear: a vehicle. For light excursions on U.S. back roads, just about any sturdy SUV or truck will do. For heavier duty trips, I love the old Landy's top-down look and the roar of 55 horses under the hood; or you can opt for a Toyota Land Cruiser or a light pickup with modified suspension for big ruts.
For international expeditions, my advice is to rent or buy in-country; the sturdy Toyota Hilux is a reliable Third World standard. With local tags, you'll avoid a lot of red tape, and you'll stand a better chance of finding parts. When I sheared a front strut off my Russian Lada on a frenzied escape from Grozny, I was able to walk back to a village and find a replacement—despite being in the middle of the Chechen war.
Assemble the Crew
Any well-rostered expedition needs three things: A mechanic, a medic, and a cook. On the Camel Trophy race, our American team had a mechanic (Bill Burke) and a medic (me, God help 'em), but we neglected to appoint a chef. "Team Freeze-Dried" should have been our moniker. Surprisingly, it was the Russians that took the culinary prize. For a 20-day expedition, they brought no food at all, only small bottles of vodka, which they bartered with other teams and locals for meals. They ate better than any of us.
Start Your Engine
To run a world-class expedition in the U.S., you can't top an overnight in California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, though the prairies along the Oregon Trail and the insanely vertical fire roads of Colorado are pretty nice, too. Abroad, consider teaming up with an overland company that'll handle the logistics, while you simply drive and camp. Africa has the greatest concentration of these, especially in Namibia and the Sahara, but there are plenty in Asia and South America as well. Choosing one can be a crap shoot, but a few questions about their vehicles (new versus beat-to-hell) and their style (quiet nights versus days dipping Skoal and mud-boggin') should give you an idea of what you're in for. One U.S. company that's clued in and runs trips internationally is Overland Experts (www.overlandexperts.com). Team up with them, or go it alone. Just get out there and see how far your wheels will take you.
Robert Young Pelton is the author of The World's Most Dangerous Places.
Follow Pelton's travel trips every month in the pages of Adventure magazine.
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