Got a very quick but informative call this morning, they had left Layoun and headed into the Western Sahara travelling with two Australian bikers. They are stopped fairly regularly by military check points but all is well and they've had no problems with the locals! The car started rattling and they had got sand in the air inlet, so with a pair of tights securely in place they were off again and are now heading towards Dakhla only a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer. The weather has got hot and even at night they it's mild (not that they know as it seems the lure of hotels is winning over the camping plans!).
Steph

I think MK implied Marrakech Gav, but not to worry! Yesterday (Boxing Day) they successfully navigated the Atlas Mountains over the Tiz-n-Test pass with scenery "to die for" with the weather hotting up and on to Agadir.

Back in time to the lost days of Gav; the boys spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Marrakech sampling interesting foods and fighting off the market traders, but I am assured they have got some bargains. Dave marvelled at the number of donkeys and as it was The Festival of the Lamb, or some such, there were sheep/lambs everywhere, on mopeds, in the streets, in houses...

Generally both boys are in very high spirits and are really enjoying their adventure; jealousy is beginning to seep in - but can't really complain as I am now sitting in the South of France and for the first time in over a week I have seen the sun!

Steffi

A quick update from the chaps, we are missing a few posts since some chav nicked my phone the other day...true christmas spirit and all that....

So Chris informed me yesterday (might have been christmas day) that they had left MK, now then, i am assuming that this is some sort of typo for those in the know(and dave should know) MK means Milton Keynes and he left there 10 days ago! S lets make a massive leap here because geography isn't my strong point and its a 5m walk to the atlas and i'm in a rush, so....they left Meknes in morocco yesterday with the Atlas mountains looming in the distance and they do look 'bleedin' high. Well done there chris.

Glad to be back on the road and in a convoy of at least 8 cars they are now off to Sidiinfi to camp for the Night.

They both wish us a Merry Christmas as we do them!

Good luck guys.

The guys arrived safely in Madrid last night after a long drive through Spain and a night sleeping in the car.

A little game of football to relax in which Dave managed to hurt his shoulder. Fantastic scenary of which i'm sure senor Branfield will be taking lots of porper photos of which we will upload and publish on their return from Da Gambia, innit.

The Trooper is struggling on but is still stripping gearbox in 5th gear. Following a brief conversation I managed to contact the best breakers yard in Gibralter who claim to have a spare tropper gearbox which Chris and Dave will hopefully go and look at today. The budget is tight and if possible they will replace the whole gearbox, good job Chris knows his stuff, i wouldn't want to tackle that job on the road! If the entire replacemetn is not possible they may just replace the 5th gear...we'll keep you posted!

Enjoy your trip to the rock chaps!

Having gotten totally covered in gear oil, we have refilled the troopers g/box and are planning to leave Bergerac in about 30 mins (12.30pm) about 3 hours behind our schedule. AA european cover has been purchased and we are taking an easier route over the Pyranees (spelt wrong I know!!!)

Hopefully we'll be in tough tonight to say we made Spain!!

Chris

Our first update date from the boys in France!

Follwoing a drive all through the night, Chris and Dave rocked up in Bergerac at 8am, to stay with Chris's friend ian who happens to own a lovely barn, (available to hire) and get a well earned rest after driving 20 hours of the first 24 of the rally!


OK. Thanks Gav. What a 36 hours that was. We have arrived 'safely' in Bergerac and are staying with Annabelle and Ian at their lovely little pile and are slowly regaining our sanity! Sunday was a bit of a blur as we'd got up around 7am after a meal out to say goodbye to Steffi and Kate in Brighton. A little hungover and it was off up to London for the Start Line official in Hyde Park. In keeping with the general theme of disorganisation, the launch was hectic, great fun seeing everyone's pimped out cars and we managed to leave without everyone after getting confused about what was supposed to be happening! Massive thanks to everyone that showed up, it was wicked to see you all!

Off to the ferry for 3:30pm and we were feeling quite sorted at this point and following via michelin directions were steaming south. It all started to go wrong about 2am when the fog set in. May I just say that it was FOG not just whispy uk fog and we were in it for around the next six hours! The 15ft of visability meant that you had to stay 100% concentrated all the time which was increasingly hard the more tired you were. After a breif nap at 3am, things really started to go crazy at about 4am when the gearbox started to make a catching, intermittent whining sound in fifth gear. Bugger. This continued and coupled with our tiredness, started to make us go completely paranoid and we narrowed it down to main drive bearing or one of the gearbox bearings/cogs/synchromesh/dog clutch... Anyway, we pulled over and checked the transmition oil level. Fine. Went 100m and then checked the engine oil level - not much. We toppedup the engine oil, I stood in the oil and covered my shoes, then got in to drive and realised that I couldn'toperate the pedals as I was slipping off! Doh! Drove in sock for an hour whilst Chris wiped my shoe clean. By now complete exhaustion, the limoge effect (when limoge is signposted as 20km for what seems like three hours without getting any closer) and complete runaway paranoia about the gearbox meant we were gibbering wrecks, with one driving,the other pointing out useful facts like bends in the road and that you've got your wipers on full blast in dry air...

We arrived at 8am and let ourselves in and both couldn'twind down enough to sleep for half an hour...

Dave

Alarm woke the pair of us at 11 despite wishing we could sleep for about another day. Personally it took me about 2 hours and a shower before I was anywhere operating at full capacity. Lunch lunched we drove up to see a mechanic Ian knows, turned out he'd had mroe than his fair share of prepping 4x4s for the desert. Having arched his eyebrows at the wagon he offered to try and track down another gearbox tomorrow, loosen all the retaining bolts and show us how the box would come out should the need arise.

We dropped the gearbox oil and found the inevitable glimmer of bearing material followed by shards of wear debris left behind in the drop tray, in short. Either 5th gear or one of the main shaft bearings is wearing rapidly. We're hoping it's only fith and it's not that rapid!!! Tom we will see if we matey has found another box and will top up on relevant lube and bowser so I don't have to have another bath in the bloody stuff!

If this was going to happen on the rally this is probably the best place aside from spitting distance from the finish line, somewhat aggrieved it couldn't play silly buggers a month ago so could rectiywith the help of glorious leader and Gary but 'what can you do', beer calls.

Chris

As mike says.... CHILLAAAAX!

An early start for the friends and family of our intrepid Ibrakeforcake rally team as we gathered on an amazing Winters Morning in Hyde Park.

In typical Gav style i had a phone with no charge but had had the foresight before the previous evenings drinks to fourmulate some sort of plan! Off we trotted to Find both Monsieur Lawler and senor branfield looking suprisingly chirpy and excitable as you would be knowing or maybe not knowing what the next three weeks were all about!

In true bodge it style the roof rack was on and strapped down all the essentials our team needs for a challenging 3 week rally...yup a spare wheel and their surfboards! Fear not i did overhear a conversation in which chris reassured someone they were organised and had spares etc...i'm not saying anything, checked you passport this time chris?

So good luck to the chaps, we will be utilising all the latest technologies to keep you all updated of their progress. We wish them safe travels and a superb christmas. I am not quite sure how either of them will cope without the turkey, maybe they have a secret plan? Although looking at them in this photo i'm not convinced! Good Luck Dave and Chris spreading the IBFC name across the lands.

Pippa has taken delivery of the resources we will be taking out to Sinchu Baliya, listed below. We'll be stopping by on Saturday to get some pics of Ian and Pippa with the car and get any last minute advice for The Gambia.


best Dave fixes the roofrack on with more than cable ties then, eh Dave

The List

SENTIFIX
Sing & Play: Animals
Big Frog Literacy Pond
First Writing Mat Class Set
Alphabet Zigzag book set
Look, Write, Hear cards etc
Phonix Demo Cards
Sort & Sound word-making cards
Wordmat KS1 class set
Wordmat KS2 class set
Cursive alphabet line
Letter tracing stencils
Grammar through the Literacy Hour Y3
Grammar through the Literacy Hour Y4
Busy Bee workbooks, pack
packs 100 exercise books
3x100 large science practical books
80 metre rules
2x100 junior writing books
13 sets Round the class cards

Total spend was approx £550

Thanks again to Edison for their support of PAGEANT and to everyone who sponsored us so we can get the resources out there!

This post is of no technical, historical or narrative value and is simply me saying, 'good god we go this Sunday', fortuntely I have recieved some encouraging words from Ian, proprietor of the establishment at which we will be spending Monday night in France


me and Ed seeing the family before Christmas and handing the car over to Monsieur Branfield fo MK duties

Just been going through your itinerary. ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH! DO YOU KNOW WHERE BANJUL IS? IT'S NOT THE NAME OF SOME BAR IN SOUTHERN FRANCE. IT'S IN THE BLOODY DESERT! Listen. All's not lost. I've arranged everything. When you get to Gibraltar, speak to Manuel Olitharzibalihez in the customs office. You're booked on the 15.20 fast cat to Tenerife. Leave your kit at the Plaza, kick back for a few days, daub "Banjul welcomes you" on a scrap of paper, quick pickie, ditch the truck and hop it back on the BA flight to Gatwick. You'll be back in time for mince pies.

Ian

Time will tell if Ian knows something we don't.

.......Like seats that don't try and rattle the fillings out of your head every time a sparrow sneezes at 400yrds in the direction of the trooper or that require you to drive whilst performing a complex variation on the lotus position whilst temporarily dislocating the 5th an 6th vertebrae to accommodate the solid acute angled back support mid spine. In short the old seats were not exactly comfortable


Modified Isuzu seat rails

fortunately Dave salvaged the 'seats' (read armchairs) from the Cavalier which have been duly fitted, not sure if its the comfort level or the provenance in general but sitting in them provokes an instant craving for a pipe, slippers and the Sunday papers probably followed by a nice afternoon nap, which is fine just not on the N21 10hrs south of Calais!


Trial fitting of the new seats

Following a superior level of bodging by myself and Fraser on Friday afternoon (cheers Fraser and his mate with the lock up and power for the drill!!) I trial fitted the seats on Sunday afternoon whilst struggling somewhat through the cheese and port haze from Saturday


Original seat adjustment mechanism retained

A minor amount of tinkering required to retain the sliding mech as I have short legs.


Essential tools

Massive thank you to Kate's dad Chris for letting me use his garage as playing mechanic in the p*ssing rain and wind in the dark is not much fun. The garage floor is covered by carpet very much in keeping with the whole slippers and armchair theme all helped by a constant supply of tea and digestives, thank you Kate. However a little known property of this type of carpet is its unbelievably ability to instantly camouflage and disappear pretty much anything you put on it, I lost an entire seat for about half an hour.


New seat in innit. Can you spot Ed?!

Home from home, the armchair in situ. They are sooooooo comfortable, best mod to the car yet!!!

Chris

Me and Davros the 'no longer unready' finally got round to forming what could be passed as something approaching a plan at the weekend.


Press any key to continue. Doh, where's the 'Any Key'

We've sorted out our travels day by day until Agadir in Southern Morocco, after that we're governed by making the Mauritanian border in time to meet up with everyone and head off into the dessert. All of the following is completely subject to change depending how we get on and how badly we get distracted by cool stuff on route! having said that our itinary so far looks something like this.

Sunday 17th Brighton to Hyde Park to Calais to Bergerac !!!

Monday 18th Arrive Bergerac and recover!!

Tuesday 19th Leave Bergerac over the Pyrenees to somwhere in Northern Spain near Zaragoza, stopping when we've had enough

Wednesday 20th Zaragoza to Madrid and a night in an Ibis hotel and city shenningans

Thursday 21st Leave Madrid, arrive Gibraltar to claim our pre-booked accom and meet up with the rest of the teams

Friday 22nd Recover from Thursday and general R&R day


here, here and ....... how far!!!

Saturday 23rd Leave Gibraltar by ferry for Morocco, not expecting to get far by the time we've negotiated out first African border. Stopping around Fes when we've had enough or find somewhere intersting to stay.

Christmas eve 24th Arrive Marrakech for two days with few other teams

Christmas day 25th Day in Marrakech doing touristy stuff

Boxing day 26th Leave Marakech for Agadir via the Tiz n Test mountain pass stay in Agadir

Wednesday 27th Leave Agadir into the dessert, still on road, to Daklar

Thursday 28th Daklar to Nouadibou to re-group pre desert operation

Friday 29th Into the desert for real.

From this point on all bets are off and, although we pretty much are anyway, we'll be taking each day as it comes. We still need to make a certain amount of progress each day but it's such an unknown we're not bothering to plan on being anywhere at any given time in between the various towns and borders.

Will try and get some Google earth links to some of the desert way points or simliar.


Not filched and modified from a Paris Dakar website, honest.