J_S_G and Psychobert's Death Rally to Africa

[J_S_G]

In less than four weeks, Psychobert and myself head out to somewhere in Africa. Hopefully somewhere near Timbuktu. That's Mali. Erm, ok, that's the right hand side of the jutty-out-to-the-left bit in the top half of Africa. We're driving across the Sahara, through a minefield, over the Pyrenees and the Atlas mountains, and camping in the desert. All in a £100, 20 year old truck with a top speed of about 40mph that doesn't even have a fan that works.

Why? CHARITY. And fun. but mostly CHARITY.

You can guess what's coming next, right?

DONATE HERE: http://www.justgiving.com/timbuktu08

GET THE LATEST UPDATES HERE: http://www.jsgreenwood.com/timbuktu/

It's nearly Christmas, so think of donating as buying a big present for the whole of Africa. Donate now and I'll not have to pester you all again.

Thanks all!

-JS

Planning on organising a few other wacky road/offroad adventures over the next few years if anybody else ever fancies it. Photos from last time: www.jsgreenwood.com/dakar

[Balmoral Green]

And why wasn't I asked if i'd like to come? Now I can understand you not asking that minimax chap, he'd just be a liability.

Oh well, your loss, best of luck, i've put a few quid in the pot.

[pies]

Expect Kinky to be along with a padlock soon

[J_S_G]

pies said:

Expect Kinky to be along with a padlock soon

Padlocks are fine. Just so long as everybody still goes and sponsors us. If someone were to accidentally click the "sticky" button, that would be better, though.

But, before it gets padlocked... I'd like to point out this should probably be kept here as it links to our site full of updates of the rally: www.jsgreenwood.com/timbuktu (as well as that linking to DONATING TO CHARITY FOR US). And as many of our good friends on here might like to know whether we die in the minefield or survive in our PARTICULARLY CAR RELATED ACTIVITIES, it is, technically on topic. Just so happens that there's a CHARITY ELEMENT TO IT.



Cheers,

-JS

[J_S_G]

Balmoral Green said:

And why wasn't I asked if i'd like to come? Now I can understand you not asking that minimax chap, he'd just be a liability.

Oh well, your loss, best of luck, i've put a few quid in the pot.

Cheers Warren - bl**dy good of you. I'll be planning a few more crazy things if you're genuinely up for some adventure-hooning over the next year or two.

Likely things I'm planning on:

• Doing US coast-to-coast roadtrip in a car bought in the US. A la Top Gear. Thinking a $1500 '87 mustang convertible.
• "The Hunt for Red Oktober" - driving a 1l or under car up to Siberia for next October's total eclipse. Going via Chernobyl and "death island"
• "Telford to Tashkent". The name says it all. Might head for Mongolia as a final destination, though.
• Motorbiking over the Andes

And, eventually... all the way across Africa. But that can wait a couple of years.

Now everybody's been told, in case they want an adventure.

Thanks again for the sponsorship.

[Balmoral Green]

I went to a lecture and slide show the other week, presented by the guy that did this...

http://80.193.83.57/

[tomTVR]

J_S_G said:

* Doing US coast-to-coast roadtrip in a car bought in the US. A la Top Gear. Thinking a $1500 '87 mustang convertible.

Edited by tomTVR on Sunday 2nd December 22:08

[Anna_S]

Done

Have a great time guys and look after each other!

[J_S_G]

Anna_S said:

Done

Have a great time guys and look after each other!

Cheers Anna!

We won't be "looking after each other" too closely... death sentence applies in Mauritania to men who prefer their women with beards!

[J_S_G]

Balmoral Green said:

I went to a lecture and slide show the other week, presented by the guy that did this...

http://80.193.83.57/

Ah, that would be fab fun. If only I had a 1920s vintage automobile. Or the money to buy one!

[speed8]

At least it should be decent weather in the Sahara at this time of year. Bit chilly at night though if I remember right.

I'll stick a few quid in the pot when I get to work in the morning.

J_S_G said:

"The Hunt for Red Oktober" - driving a 1l or under car up to Siberia for next October's total eclipse. Going via Chernobyl and "death island"

Interesting.... always fancied Siberia for some strange reason. Tried to get a transfer there before Saudi but we weren't too busy at the time.


Edit to change the stupid smiley at the top. Can't think why I would be crying about James and Simon going away together

Edited by speed8 on Saturday 8th December 16:47

[Psychobert]

J_S_G said:

In less than four weeks, Psychobert and myself head out to somewhere in Africa. Hopefully somewhere near Timbuktu. That's Mali. Erm, ok, that's the right hand side of the jutty-out-to-the-left bit in the top half of Africa. We're driving across the Sahara, through a minefield, over the Pyrenees and the Atlas mountains, and camping in the desert. All in a £100, 20 year old truck with a top speed of about 40mph that doesn't even have a fan that works.

True, but we have sufficient lighting at the front to divert planes on their approach to Manchester Airport. Sorry about that mate..

Just one question. Death Rally?

[Hairy Cornflake]

Hi Boys

If you make it as far east as Egypt, look me up in Cairo, for a warm welcome and plenty of cold beers. Keep the battered truck, it will keep you alive in the Cairo traffic.

H.C.

[J_S_G]

Hairy Cornflake said:

Hi Boys

If you make it as far east as Egypt, look me up in Cairo, for a warm welcome and plenty of cold beers. Keep the battered truck, it will keep you alive in the Cairo traffic.

H.C.

Cheers, bud. We're doing west coast of Africa, not east coast sadly. Try to get out to Egypt fairly often, though, so will give you a yell if I end up in Cairo anytime soon.

[J_S_G]

The day has arrived (just)...

12 hours from now I should be picking up Psychobert in a truck hewn from granite back in the last ice age. And 10 minutes later it will have broken down. At some point we may make it to Africa, too.

Thanks for all the support and sponsorship folks. As before, updates here: www.jsgreenwood.com/timbuktu

Have a fab New Year and see you all at the back end of January.

And Simon - I wasn't kidding about there being no space for you in the truck!

[Balmoral Green]

Looks to be going OK, maybe packing a replacement clutch and a spare ignition coil would have helped with hindsight.

Wish I was there too, same old same old here, 2008 ahead.

[Psychobert]

Balmoral Green said:

Looks to be going OK, maybe packing a replacement clutch and a spare ignition coil would have helped with hindsight.

Wish I was there too, same old same old here, 2008 ahead.

Made it to Bamako in one piece with the same group we entered Morocco. Much fun in the desert, along the beach and running through bandit country at night against all FCO advise. Have eaten every part of goats that the locals do, and probably several they don't. Hope weathers not too bad, about 80 degrees here now..

[burriana]

Don't go getting too much of a taste for gonads now!

[Psychobert]

Well, we made it back in one piece.. Incomplete list of things that fell off/were repaired en route include a couple of sets of plugs, most of a set of HT leads, 2 coils, (3rd one didn't seem to work so limped home on the 2nd), condenser, battery tray fell off so was reattached by ratchet straps - that took out most of the electrics when the inner wing collapsed, clutch slave cylinder rebuilt by Yoda in Marrakesh, no brakes due to fractured brake line of rear axle, no hand brake de to driving 300 kms with that as the only source of stopping the truck in a hurry, fuel filter removed and by-passed, fuel pump relocated to under the bonnet due to electrical failure when attached to the tank, swapped a tyre over at one point, but that was more of the nicety than anything else.

Engine now running sweet as a nut. The rest of the car is fubarred..

[Balmoral Green]

You've come back in it? I thought the idea was you left it there, sold off for charity?