Mad adventures: Sahara Desert

My next goal is 3 world record attempts:

Check out our blog and pictures: http://web.me.com/stevegurney 1.   to cover 2500 km in kite buggies (current record is 1000km)
2.   be the first to cross the Sahara by wind power (sustainable)
3.   Break the record for furthest travel in a day by kite buggy, (current record 200km)

No-one is mad enough to attempt it in the Sahara, until now...



For the month of August, 2 kiwis will battle it out against 2 Aussies. We are also aiming to raise $100,000 for the  She-rescue home, a rehabilitation centre that rescues young girls (8 to 12 years old) who have been sold to the sex-trade in Asia. Pledges can be made on www.madwaysouth.com .
 
A Short Snippet - the Kiwi Boys
http://vmail.fotomedia.com.au/fotomadnz/

TVNZ news item
http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/gurney-sets-off-new-challenge-1-42-2706597/video

There is a lot that we dont know about the trip, and wont know until we get there, simply because no-one goes there like we are. We dont know if our balloon tyre buggies will cope with the rocky terrain. They float so we can do river crossings and some short coastal short-cuts. Neither do we know about bandit attacks.  With 4 of these large, brightly coloured kites, flying 30 metres above us, its not like we can surreptitiously and stealthily sneak through the dune blandness that is the Sahara. Pirates of the deserts are lurking! Accurate reports are hard to find, but there is the occasional report of bandit attacks still.

We would totally appreciate some help with sponsorship and some gear. Some sponsorship opportunities are still available, including naming rights, and we still have lots of TV and print exposure to come, including the 12 part documentary we are making. We also need some help to find the following:
   
1/  Wheel dynamo and light for night travel
2/  Solar panel charging for our batteries
3/  Water filter pump
4/  bladder storage 10 to 25 litre for water on our buggies

Technology
Google Earth is a great example of how modern technology is making adventure easier and arguably safer. We've been able to do 3D fly-bys using satellite photos and assess the general terrain and to view occasional tourist snap-shots that have been posted in the more populated areas were passing through. However, the resolution is not fine enough for us to assess the surfaces and whether its physically possible to buggy the route we've planned thereby connecting the dots for our 2500 km target. We dont know if our balloon-tyred buggies will cope with the rocky terrain. From our research, it seems that despite the visions most of us have of the sand-dunes, a huge percentage of our route is rocky terrain infested with thorny tire piercing scrub.  

These Big Foot buggies are the brain-child of our very own Ashburtonian Peter Lynn. He's world famous (but not in New Zealand as so often is the case) as a kite designer extraordinaire. Hes the craziest kite coot, an intelligent man but with wildly darting eyes and a keen sense of humour he is definitely a character. Mostly famous for his parafoil and carnival kites. Born and proudly bred a Cantabrian, with a Mechanical engineering degree, he has a busy factory in Ashburton churning out all things kiting. His team have equipped us with specially reinforced gear for our trip. Our tyres are so voluminous that the buggy will float with us in it so we can cross rivers where they intersect our path and there is even a 10 km ocean short-cut from a coastal peninsular that we are entertaining doing as a float!

Were also making the most of the latest technology with SPOT GPS beacons. These are not only emergency rescue beacons, but they also leave a bread-crumb trail that our supporters can view to keep track of our progress on the SPOT website. They are a fantastic new technology. You can buy the SPOT beacons from me, email steve@gurneygears.com.
 
What does Risk mean to you?
Are we crazy to adventure through northern Africa?

A few people reckon we are stark raving mad going to the Sahara as we are. Some have pulled me aside and tried to talk me out of it, siting Sir Peter Blake. Their reactions are simply a product of the cotton-wooling and scare-mongering of today's risk averse society.
 
Yes there is risk, and yes there is a chance we will strike trouble. But that is precisely why we like it. We like the notion of learning the skills, doing the research, making the plans and preparations and then finally having the awareness and intelligence to make assessments and decisions on the spot. It is personal responsibility and MacGuiver-ness. It is adventure.

Our world has gone crazy with risk aversion and litigation, morphing into a -blame someone else- mentality. I suspect it originated from the lawyers in the USA looking for a quick way to make a buck. But we have let the little brat grow into a monster that is changing the face of not only adventure but the way we live our lives.

I'm not advocating throwing ourselves into danger and ignorantly expecting to survive. That would evoke the law of Darwinsim, and clearly I have been able to stay clear of that particular pit thus far. Its more about being able to look at the other side of the coin, getting off the beaten track is about extending myself, about stepping out of my comfort zone and getting that personal growth. Its also about looking back on my life with out any regrets. I explored, I ventured.

My big old Colins Dictionary defines adventure thus:
a risky undertaking of unknown outcome
 
We will prepare as best we can for all of the possible hurdles we can think of, but then we will focus on the reasons it will work and the fun. Energy flows where attention goes...

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