Crossing the Simpson Desert on foot unsupported is NOW impossble

EN: Since last year failed expedition, I have reflected. I think it is now impossible to cross the Simpson Desert unsupported. No one has succeeded since me (and Michael Giacometti) in 2008.

Ian Devreese (in 2023) and I (in 2024) failed with only a backpack from Old Andado to Birdsville via the Geocenter. We both did well by going across NT to Poeppel Corner.

Why did I fail? I think it's a mix of reasons, in short: the planets were not aligned.

• Too hot. Firstly most of the expedition is in August. Better do it in June like Lucas did in 2006. Colder and more darkness. But my best bet is 2024 was a warmer year than 2008, that perhaps was a cooler year. I remember waking up shivering at 2 am because I was in my underwear sleeping on my air mattrass. In 2008 it was freezing. I used gloves once it was dark, I was always at 22h or so deep in my sleeping bag. Climate change to be the cause or just an abnormally warmer year?
• Being older. Do we resist the heat better? Do we rest/recuperate better while young?
• Knee (tendinitis) on day 2 (stable walking not using brute force for 26 days), sprained ankle on day 11.
• Cart too heavy. I had some food (like chocolate) for the return journey. I should have only the food supplies for 1 crossing at a time. Probably 90L of water was too much.
• Vegetation. It seems it was more dense, higher than before so harder to walk and more zigzags required.
• Valley's harder ground destroyed and made softer by the feet of the cattle. All those annoying holes where I'd expect harder, easier to ride on, ground.
• Myself. I started way later and ended way sooner than in 2008. I felt I had lost some mental drive. O was surely not as brave as before or as I thought I was.

For all those reasons and I didn't go far at all, I think no one will cross the full Simpson Desert unsupported ever again. The only way is to be in top shape, strong fearless and plan better with more "risks" to decrease. Again, all planets must be aligned.

The possible way to do it? Have the lightest cart possible, perhaps 20-25 kg in aluminium, so a cart that is on the verge to break and would "just" make it. Aim at 3-3,5 Liter per day for 17-18 days and equivalent food but do not compromise on enough food as it's energy. No filming or just a GoPro and 2 batteries. Aim at 120kg in total to haul (cart+supplies/equipment) because the idea is to be able to pass all dunes in 1 go as much as possible. Doing 3 times the distance between several dunes is time and energy consuming. Loading and unloading as well. And then be lucky. A lot. Go obviously in a W-E direction. Oh bu the way, west of Old Andado, there are still dunes so it's not a strictly full crossing of the Simpson Desert but hey, starting from Old Andado is a great start, it's already hard or nearly impossible already.

FR: Depuis l'échec de l'expédition de l'année dernière, j'ai réfléchi. Je pense qu'il est désormais impossible de traverser le désert de Simpson sans assistance. Personne n'y est parvenu depuis moi (et Michael Giacometti) en 2008.

Ian Devreese (en 2023) et moi-même (en 2024) avons échoué avec seulement un sac à dos, d'Old Andado à Birdsville via le Geocenter. Nous avons tous deux bien réussi en traversant le Territoire du Nord jusqu'à Poeppel Corner.

Pourquoi ai-je échoué ? Je pense que c'est un mélange de raisons, en bref : les planètes n'étaient pas alignées.

• Il faisait trop chaud. Tout d'abord, la majeure partie de l'expédition se déroule en août. Mieux vaut la faire en juin, comme l'a fait Lucas en 2006. Il fait plus froid et il fait nuit plus longtemps. Mais je pense surtout que 2024 a été une année plus chaude que 2008, qui était peut-être une année plus fraîche. Je me souviens m'être réveillé en grelottant à 2 heures du matin parce que je dormais en sous-vêtements sur mon matelas pneumatique. En 2008, il faisait un froid glacial. J'ai utilisé des gants une fois la nuit tombée, j'étais déjà à 22 h environ, enfoui dans mon sac de couchage. Le changement climatique en est-il la cause ou année anormalement chaude?
• Le fait d'être plus âgé. Résistons-nous mieux à la chaleur ? Nous reposons-nous/récupérons-nous mieux quand nous sommes jeunes ?
• Genou (tendinite) le deuxième jour (marche stable sans forcer pendant 26 jours), entorse de la cheville le onzième jour.
• Le chariot était trop lourd. J'avais emporté de la nourriture (comme du chocolat) pour le trajet retour. Je n'aurais dû emporter que la nourriture nécessaire pour une seule traversée. Les 90 litres d'eau étaient probablement trop.
• La végétation. Elle semblait plus dense, plus haute qu'avant, ce qui rendait la marche plus difficile et obligeait à faire davantage de zigzags.
• Le sol plus dur de la vallée a été détruit et rendu plus mou par les pattes du bétail. Tous ces trous ennuyeux là où je m'attendais à un sol plus dur et plus facile à parcourir.
• Moi-même. J'ai commencé beaucoup plus tard et j'ai terminé beaucoup plus tôt qu'en 2008. J'ai senti que j'avais perdu une partie de ma motivation mentale. Je n'étais certainement pas aussi courageux qu'avant ou que je le pensais.

Pour toutes ces raisons, et comme je ne suis pas allé très loin, je pense que personne ne traversera plus jamais le désert de Simpson sans assistance. La seule façon d'y parvenir est d'être en pleine forme, fort, intrépide et de mieux planifier en réduisant les « risques ». Encore une fois, toutes les planètes doivent être alignées.

Comment y parvenir ? Utilisez le chariot le plus léger possible, peut-être 20 à 25 kg en aluminium, c'est-à-dire un chariot qui est sur le point de se casser et qui « tiendrait » tout juste. Visez 3 à 3,5 litres par jour pendant 17 à 18 jours et une quantité équivalente de nourriture, mais ne faites pas de compromis sur la quantité de nourriture, car c'est une source d'énergie. Pas de caméra, ou juste une GoPro et 2 batteries. Visez un total de 120 kg à transporter (chariot + provisions+équipement), car l'idée est de pouvoir franchir toutes les dunes en une seule fois autant que possible. Parcourir trois fois la distance entre plusieurs dunes demande beaucoup de temps et d'énergie. Le chargement et le déchargement aussi. Et puis, il faut avoir de la chance. Beaucoup de chance. Partez évidemment dans une direction W-E. Oh, au fait, à l'ouest d'Old Andado, il y a encore des dunes, donc ce n'est pas une traversée complète du désert de Simpson, mais bon, partir d'Old Andado est un excellent début, c'est déjà difficile, voire presque impossible.

Decoding Dingoes - Australia's most feared predators

EN: Just a great radio show about the dingoes. I've seen a few in the Simpson Desert, the West MacDonnels National Park and Fraser Island.

FR: Il s'agit d'une excellente émission de radio sur les dingos. J'en ai vu quelques-uns dans le désert de Simpson, dans le parc national de West MacDonnels et sur l'île Fraser.

Rescue due to floods in the Simpson Desert

 I've followed this story since last week. Happy to see it all went well and again the rescue of Australia did a great job. 

Article in Mens Journal

Article of ABC, featuring my pal ranger Don Rowlands.

More about the flooding in Queensland and an article about Lake Eyre.

Rescue Broken Cart in the Simpson

 

 

EN: Last weekend, with 3 cars and 3 drivers from the 4WD Outback Club of Alice Springs, we went North of the Simpson Desert to retrieve a broken desert cart from a 2023 expedition. The mission was a total success and the cart is now back in Alice Springs and can be even sold (to cover the fuel expenses) if someone wants to buy it; I can give the contact details of the person who has it and will repair it.

FR: Le week-end dernier, avec 3 voitures et 3 chauffeurs du 4WD Outback Club d'Alice Springs, nous sommes allés au nord du désert de Simpson pour récupérer un chariot de désert cassé lors d'une expédition en 2023. La mission a été un succès total et le chariot est maintenant de retour à Alice Springs et peut même être vendu (pour couvrir les frais de carburant) si quelqu'un veut l'acheter ; je peux donner les coordonnées de la personne qui l'a et qui le réparera.

Debrief Simpson Desert Trek 3

All posts were done by John McLaine (based in Tasmania) on behalf of Louis-Philippe who sent Garmin Inreach texts to him. Many Thanks John.

D0 - 30/07/2024: LPL: Ian is driving me to Old Andado Station. It was superhard to start the pump to get water from the bore. We filled in the jerricnas there to avoid carrying all that water from Alice Springs. I ate, got my cart and equipment ready. Spoke with a couple of Tasmanians who were camping. Started to fly my drone and even chased a dingo with it. I will start in morning to have a full expedition day.

D01 - 31/07/2024 - Start 8.30 fast on flat. 90liter water. 22kg food total haul. Hard with 170kg. Dingo stalking me since 4pm. Temperature ok, shoulder strap harness torn, will repair tomorrow with zip ties, mood happy.

D02 - 01/08/2024 - Repaired harness. Low dunes all close together. Flies on my face all day. Net is too warm. At night saw two eyes glowing, it was a wild cat.

D03 - 02/08/2024 - Terrain is like a giant potato field. Soft sand too. I go up dune with backpack while scouting passage for cart. Still short days to train body and avoid injury.

D04 - 03/08/2024 - Terrain has so much vegetation. Cloudy day and night. No stars so too hard to navigate. Any error is lost time, energy and water. To bed. First eat and science.

D05 - 04/08/2024 - Haul cart to dunes without 30kg backpack. Then walk following cart track in sand back to backpack. Go back to cart. Cows. Cloudy. Drizzle. Stopped at 5pm because of rain. Ggrrr

D06 - 05/08/2024 - Left after mist. Now will camp here, but first solve big mistake. Find my camera that fell from cart. I forgot to attach it.

D07 - 06/08/2024 - Already one week. I observe insects mating. Cart load better. Around 77 litres of water left. Finally took photo of a lizard. Left knee small pain, so sleep. New moon here. Good.

D08 - 07/08/2024 - Many doubts today. Thinking too much, hauling too little. Went for a random walk to take photos. First big dune I had to go back down because it was too steep.

D09 - 08/08/2024 - John: At around 4pm I messaged Louphi to ask for his state of mind today, and to let him know that he has received a lot of support comments on his Facebook page. His encouraging response was as follows: “Cart rolls better as valleys are becoming wider and this means hard dry crust of sand. Still too heavy to not break crust but in a few days it will roll. Higher dunes. Mood ok. Thanks.”

LPL: Thanks for the support. John told me. I haven’t called with iridium. No need. Thirsty hungry now. At 6pm I trek shirtless till camp. Travel with stars hard. Too many.

D10 - 09/08/2024 - Routine starts but must progress more hours. No breeze this morning, so hot. It came at 2pm. Even enjoyed some dune crossings. Headlight low: recharge. 64 litres of water.

D11 - 10/08/2024 - I finally started earlier and shorter breaks. Good breeze all day helped. Pain left tendon knee stable. Slight twisted ankle as cart makes me stumble on bumpy spinifex.

D12 - 11/08/2024 - Third of a moon. I see my shadow but not clear enough to walk. Saw a sand tornado 2m wide by 7m high. Fly entered eye at 4pm. Discomfort. Took it out. Made flaps for sunnies.

D13 - 12/08/2024 - Did some filming. Forgot tripod and went to get it. Then in the afternoon less breeze. Drank  1 litre in 2 hours. Evaluated risk. Poeppel possible, but not Birdsville. Quit. Walk to Alice now. Safer. 

John: LouPhi called to add additional explanation;  daily progress eastbound remains insufficient to achieve the original goal. He has spoken with his Alice Springs logistics advisor Ian, and his parents at home in Belgium about his decision. The new bearing NNW is near parallel to the dunes and should therefore allow greater progress for a controlled self-extraction. A rough 4WD track in that direction might give some relief from fighting the vegetation with the cart. The revised intermediate goal of Low Dunes West is still a long distance away.

D14 - 13/08/2024 - Self exit in process. After 1 hour I found dirt track and decided to follow, as going north. Track has hard or soft ground. On phone app mapy.cz found ireach (track? JMc) Madigan 50km

D15 - 14/08/2024 - I think I’ve got it now. Low dunes west close to each other = more soft sand. Heavy cart super slow. Track mostly sandy today. No fun. Boring. Probably Madigan Line west.

D16 - 15/08/2024 - Sun so strong, sky is pale blue. Ground radiant. Between 1 and 4pm I rest under cart. Madigan track can only be driven west to east. No pick up before 1 week. New plan: off track to Madigan Camp 1 - 29km.

D17 - 16/08/2024 - Good wind all day helped decrease heat and flies. But climbing dunes west is harder on muscle and tendon. Pain knee and ankle stable. 8-9 days supplies.

D18 - 17/08/2024 - Almost no wind today. Valleys are getting scrubby. Lots of plants, trees and beautiful carpets of flowers. Zigzag and ankle hurts more. Hope body will hold.

D19 - 18/08/2024 - Arrived on flat dirt road at Madigan camp 1A. Cart finally manageble but carefully. I must not tear ligament of ankle. Knee tendon pain stable. Six days of water left.

D20 - 19/08/2024 - Walking in a pulsed air oven. Fortunately Madigan Line is good surface. Did explore caves in hill. Fell asleep under cart to be awakened by 4wd. Gave me treats.

D21 - 20/08/2024 - Boring road. Visited Mac Clarke Reserve. Few cars passed. Now with cattle station people who invited me. Fire, first beer since March. Learning how they work.

Following days:

21/08/2024 - I spend the morning with the cattle station people filming their job. Their work was further towards Santa Teresa. Then early afternoon we loaded my cart on a truck that had a plateau. The guy worked for Allambi Station. I retrieved my spare/safety 7th jerrican at the border of the Aboriginal land. Then we drove towards Santa Teresa to a place where he dropped some cattle (24°14'42.5"S 134°21'27.3") and he dropped me finally close to the first turn off that brings to Santa Teresa. I walked in Santa Teresa. The locals (mostly aboriginal people, well it's the largest community owith around 1000 people) were curious of me and curious of big army planes that had just been passing above our heads. It was the conversation starter. I visited the church (no allowed to take photos inside), made a few calls (I had 4G in town) and people told me where I could pitch my tent for the night hopefully away from a gang of wild dog that were very brutal. A few wild horses stayed where I was and I was more scared of them.

22/08/2024 - I woke up, walked around Santa Teresa, visited a cultural art center, spend some money in the supermarket (a dog stole some of my food) and asked around if anybody was going to Alice Springs today. Around midday, I decided to walk to the main road and wait for a potential lift. A old couple from Melbourne picked me up. They had no place in their car for me and the cart but they had a trailer campervan, so we could dismantle the cart and put it there. Actually I saw their campervan the previous day it had a flat tyre and needed repairs. They drove to Alice Springs to get spares and drove back in the morning to repair it. So I got lucky because of their flat tyre. A few hours later they dropped me on a parking near the Todd River in Alice Springs. I mounted my cart, put my stuff on it and walked the 300m to the YHA backpackers. A long recovery started there to rest my tendinitis and sprained ankle.

I know that I will never go back on a solo expedition in the Simpson Desert. I'm not even sure it is still humanly possible to cross it. It was too warm, there were too many plants/vegetation. Perhaps in 2008 I was lucky that it was a "colder" year. I'll have to find out one day after searching for mean temperatures of all years.

Last Preparations in Alice Springs

EN FRANCAIS PLUS BAS

 

EN: On 23/24 july I got food to eat the coming days. Bought spare AA/AAA batteries for my old Garmin 60CSX and the voice recorder (for science tests+recording for a future book perhaps, AI can transcribe my voice to text, saving me time to sleep when I don't spend 20 min each night to write)

I also went to ABC HQ Alice Springs and update my site and wrote to a few media in Australia. I posted the Belgium RTL news interview on my YouTube Channel. I prepared the Excel to calculate all calories of the food I'll buy.

25 July: Planning more media, get the EPIRB and Iridium SatPhone SIM card + a local TelStra SIM card. Activated Garmin Inreach. Bought mirror, reading glasses, 2*10L water in goons, checkout out the jerricans to buy. Tested tent (broke and repaired elastic inside), sleeping bag, stove.

Checked pharmacie, tools, backcountry cuisine packs.

 

26 July: I called Lucas Trihey and found a way to email Michael Giacometti (via Paddy Pallin Launceston) to let them know of my double crossing and thus trying to become the second person to do a West-Est and East-West unsupported and off track crossing. I tested my SatPhone. My LIVE messages on the Garmin Inreach tracking page. I called DHL then the Australian Post to try to locate where my package (the frame of the cart) is located. I wrote and send press releases to the media. Ian and I had dinner together. I found someone to handle the blog updates here and on Facebook. I also called and email the APY lands as I cannot get a permit to climb Woodroffe (something I want to do in a few months after the expedition). No one is allowed to climb this mountain anymore so I try to know why and perhaps how to have tourists perhaps go again to this mountain perhaps 1 day per year.

27 July: I wrote to more media. A few blog posts. I visited Joseph (Joe) and we went to see DeadPool vs. Wolverine at the cinema. Joe has a signed copy of the book of Warren Bonython "Walking the Simpson Desert". How incredible is that. I bought all the food and calculated the weight, energy and proteins.

28 July: I've finally finished and updated my blogs, including my main website. I called the Birdsville Roadhouse to confirm about 26kg of food for the Birdsville-Alice Springs return trip. Tomorrow I'll call the Birdsville POST to check if my 40 dehydrated packs have arrived. I also cooked an excellent dish with good vegetables as I'm going to miss fresh vegetables a bit.

29 July: The cart arrived in the morning. Around lunch Ian and I went to Desert Dwellers to buy the jericans and extra straps...as the jerricans are a bit smaller compared to 2008. They enter too easily in the cart and might move a bit. We're leaving to Old Andado tomorrow at 9.30am.

FR: Les 23 et 24 juillet, j'ai acheté de la nourriture pour les jours à venir. J'ai acheté des piles AA/AAA de rechange pour mon vieux Garmin 60CSX et l'enregistreur vocal (pour les tests scientifiques + enregistrement pour un futur livre peut-être, l'IA peut transcrire ma voix en texte, ce qui me permet de gagner du temps pour dormir quand je ne passe pas 20 minutes chaque soir à écrire).

Je suis également allé au siège d'ABC à Alice Springs pour mettre à jour mon site et j'ai écrit à quelques médias en Australie. J'ai posté l'interview du JT RTLsur ma chaîne YouTube. J'ai préparé le fichier Excel pour calculer toutes les calories des aliments que j'achèterai.

25 juillet : Planification d'autres médias, obtention de la RLS et de la carte SIM Iridium SatPhone + une carte SIM locale TelStra. Activation de Garmin Inreach. Achat d'un miroir, de lunettes de lecture, de 2*10L d'eau dans les goons, vérification des jerricans à acheter. Testé la tente (élastique cassé et réparé à l'intérieur), le sac de couchage, le réchaud. 

Vérifié la pharmacie, les outils, les sacs de cuisine. (photos plus haut)

26 juillet : J'ai appelé Lucas Trihey et j'ai trouvé un moyen d'envoyer un courriel à Michael Giacometti (via Paddy Pallin Launceston) pour les informer de ma double traversée et ainsi tenter de devenir la deuxième personne à faire une traversée Ouest-Est et Est-Ouest sans support et hors piste. J'ai testé mon téléphone satellite. Mes messages LIVE sur la page de suivi Garmin Inreach. J'ai appelé DHL puis la poste australienne pour essayer de localiser mon colis (le cadre du chariot). J'ai rédigé et envoyé des communiqués de presse aux médias. Ian et moi avons dîné ensemble. J'ai trouvé quelqu'un pour s'occuper des mises à jour du blog ici et sur Facebook. J'ai également appelé et envoyé des courriels aux terres de l'APY car je ne peux pas obtenir de permis pour escalader Woodroffe (ce que je veux faire dans quelques mois après l'expédition). Plus personne n'est autorisé à escalader cette montagne, alors j'essaie de savoir pourquoi et peut-être comment faire pour que les touristes puissent à nouveau aller sur cette montagne, peut-être un jour par an. 

27 juillet : J'ai écrit à davantage de médias. Quelques articles de blog. J'ai rendu visite à Joseph (Joe) et nous sommes allés voir DeadPool vs. Wolverine au cinéma. Joe a un exemplaire signé du livre de Warren Bonython "Walking the Simpson Desert". C'est incroyable. J'ai acheté tous les aliments et j'ai calculé le poids, l'énergie et les protéines.

28 juillet : J'ai enfin terminé et mis à jour mes blogs dont mon site web principal. J'ai appelé le Roadhouse (station service/supermarché) de Birdsville afin de confirmer environ 26kg de nourriture pour le retour Birdsville-Alice Springs. Demain, j'appellerai la POSTE de Birdsville pour vérifier si mes 40 paquets déshydratés sont arrivés.J'ai aussi cuisiné un excellent plat avec de bons légumes car cela va me manquer un peu les légumes frais.

29 juillet : La charrette est arrivée dans la matinée. Vers midi, Ian et moi sommes allés chez Desert Dwellers pour acheter les jerricans et des sangles supplémentaires... car les jerricans sont un peu plus petits qu'en 2008. Ils entrent trop facilement dans le chariot et risquent de bouger un peu. Nous partons pour Old Andado demain à 9h30.

Warren Bonython pioneer on foot in the Simpson Desert

  

  

EN: Well, this is a coincidence. A few days ago I bumped into Joe (Joseph) who's walking from Perth to Sydney. His YouTube channel is "It ain't far"... yep, not far mate. The moon is far. It's all about perspective. He lives currently in Alice Springs before continuing his walk. I went to his home and he showed me he had a signed copy of Warren Bonython's book "Walking the Simpson Desert". Just a superb coincidence. I knew about this first (supported/not full) crossing of the Simpson Desert. I was amazed his route is very similar to my route of 2008. I started further North and ended further South. You can see their (he was with Charles McCubbin) SLOW daily progress. I haven't read the book. I hope one day. I suspect they walked on the crests of the dunes. Walking in the sand is slower than in between the dunes, in the valleys. But the valley are full of plants, bumps, thorns and spinifex.

Although I walked further and longer than anyone in 2008 in the Simpson, we all have relied on the experience of early explorers, adventurers before us. Their trek in 1973 must have been amazing (463 km / 32 days / 250kg at the start).

In 1982, Warren and Terry Kreig trekked 33 days anticlockwise around Lake Eyre.

FR: C'est une coïncidence. Il y a quelques jours, je suis tombé sur Joe (Joseph) qui marche de Perth à Sydney. Sa chaîne YouTube s'intitule "It ain't far"... oui, pas loin, mon gars. La lune est loin. Tout est question de perspective. Il vit actuellement à Alice Springs avant de poursuivre sa marche. Je suis allé chez lui et il m'a montré qu'il avait un exemplaire signé du livre de Warren Bonython "Walking the Simpson Desert". Une superbe coïncidence. Je connaissais l'existence de cette première traversée (assistée/non complète) du désert de Simpson. J'ai été étonné de constater que son itinéraire est très similaire à celui que j'ai suivi en 2008. J'ai commencé plus au nord et j'ai terminé plus au sud. On peut voir leur LENTE progression quotidienne (il était avec Charles McCubbin). Je n'ai pas lu le livre. J'espère un jour. Je pense qu'ils marchaient sur les crêtes des dunes. Marcher dans le sable est plus lent qu'entre les dunes, dans les vallées. Mais les vallées sont pleines de plantes, de bosses, d'épines et de spinifex.

Bien que j'aie marché plus loin et plus longtemps que quiconque en 2008 dans le Simpson, nous nous sommes tous appuyés sur l'expérience des premiers explorateurs, des aventuriers qui nous ont précédés. Leur trek de 1973 a dû être extraordinaire (463km / 32 jours / 250kg au départ).

En 1982, Warren et Terry Kreig ont effectué un trekking de 33 jours dans le sens inverse des aiguilles d'une montre autour du lac Eyre.

Last Day in Sydney

  

EN: The cart arrived in Brisbane and I had to quickly pay the import duty (gosh it was so expensive, even if I plan of course to bring the cart back in Belgium one day, unless a museum wants it in Australia). Then I did a few emails, blogposts like this one and the it was time to visit the Australian Museum that has 2 great exhibitions like Thin Ice VR about Shackleton and my favorite seen 3-4 times in Sydney in the past: The 2023 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year. I fly to Alice Springs tomorrow.

FR : La charrette est arrivé à Brisbane et j'ai dû rapidement payer les droits d'importation (c'était tellement cher, même si je prévois bien sûr de ramener le chariot en Belgique un jour, à moins qu'un musée ne le veuille en Australie). Ensuite, j'ai fait quelques emails, des articles de blog comme celui-ci et puis il était temps de visiter le Musée Australien qui a 2 grandes expositions comme Thin Ice VR sur Shackleton et ma préférée vue 3-4 fois à Sydney dans le passé : L'Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2023. Je m'envole demain pour Alice Springs.

Preparations with the help of the Explorers Club

 

EN:  Early June I had received the aboriginal permit. The last 3 weeks have been intense, and during the last week I sometimes sleep 3 hours per night. So End of June I started to be full time on the expedition. I went to the mechanic's shop (same as in 2008) and we reinforced a bit the cart. Not much to do, mainly new screws as I didn't find them home. Then I ordered 4 new puncture proof tyres (*). I booked a plane ticket.

(*) Greentyre has stopped producing the yellow color and black was the fastest to ship from the UK.

Once they arrived I did a first local TV interview and last week before shipping the frame of the cart I did a national TV interview. The last week was to list everything I need, buy what I need in Belgium take a bus to Paris where I met Cécile Vallet, Professor in Paris (cognitive science program) who I collaborate with 4 times now since 2008. The next day I flew to Perth then Sydney...arriving with the major Microsoft/Crowdstrike internet outage that hit pretty hard on Australia.

This weekend I was with Todd Tai, chapter chair of the Explorers Club (Australia/New Zealand) and he drove me around to buy the remaining equipment like solar panels and batteries. We shared stories and he's taking care that I eat enough as well to keep my fat and energy... as it's winter here. I'm used to pass from summer in Belgium to winter in Australia in 36h. Well soon I'll complain about the heat of the day and cold of the night in the desert.

FR : Début juin, j'ai reçu le permis aborigène. Les trois dernières semaines ont été intenses, et au cours de la dernière semaine, il m'est arrivé de dormir trois heures par nuit. Fin juin, j'ai donc commencé à travailler à plein temps sur l'expédition. Je suis allé à l'atelier de mécanique (le même qu'en 2008) et nous avons renforcé un peu la charrette. Pas grand chose à faire, principalement de nouveaux boulons car je ne les avais pas trouvés chez moi. Ensuite, j'ai commandé 4 nouveaux pneus anti-crevaison (*). J'ai réservé un billet d'avion.

(*) Greentyre a cessé de produire la couleur jaune et la couleur noire a été la plus rapide à expédier depuis le Royaume-Uni.

Une fois qu'ils sont arrivés, j'ai fait une première interview à la télévision locale et la semaine dernière, avant d'expédier le châssis de la charrette, j'ai fait une interview à la télévision nationale. La dernière semaine, j'ai listé tout ce dont j'avais besoin, acheté ce dont j'avais besoin en Belgique et pris un bus pour Paris où j'ai retrouvé Cécile Vallet, professeur à Paris (programme de sciences cognitives) avec qui j'ai collaboré 4 fois depuis 2008. Le lendemain, j'ai pris l'avion pour Perth puis Sydney... arrivant avec la grande panne d'internet Microsoft/Crowdstrike qui a fortement impacté l'Australie.

Ce week-end, j'étais avec Todd Tai, président du chapitre de l'Explorers Club (Australie/Nouvelle-Zélande) et il m'a conduit pour acheter le reste de l'équipement comme les panneaux solaires et les batteries. Nous avons partagé des histoires et il veillé à ce que je mange suffisamment pour conserver ma graisse et mon énergie... car c'est l'hiver ici. J'ai l'habitude de passer de l'été en Belgique à l'hiver en Australie en 36h. Bientôt je me plaindrai de la chaleur du jour et du froid de la nuit dans le désert.

Camwheel Simpson Desert Cart inspection

 

EN: I was back home and decided to check my desert cart named Camwheel (Camel-on-Wheels). It's still very fine and solid. The tyres have of course suffered during the 2008 expedition but new tyres, and reinforcing some welded aluminum parts and it could go back for a ride.

FR: J'étais de retour à la maison et j'ai décidé de vérifier mon chariot du désert nommé Camwheel (Camel-on-Wheels). Elle est toujours aussi belle et solide. Les pneus ont bien sûr souffert lors de l'expédition de 2008, mais de nouveaux pneus, et le renforcement de certaines pièces en aluminium soudées et il pourrait repartir pour un tour.

 

Or Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idWJnswpmpQ

YouTube Short to Explain the tyres.

Old Andado - Australian Geographic

 

EN: Preparing my expedition in Tasmania, I searched the issues of Australian Geographic to know if someone crossed Tasmania in the winter unsupported. I found no related articles but I found this article.

FR: Préparant mon expédition en Tasmanie, je cherche à travers les éditions de Australian Geographic pour savoir si quelqu'un aurait déjà traversé la Tasmanie en hiver et sans assistance. Je n'ai rien trouvé par contre j'ai trouvé cet article suivant.

Simpson Desert Trek 2 epilogue

EN: Apparently I can't walk in a straight line, there must be a reason, perhaps a side of the pack heavier that made me go walk slightly towards my left side or because the sun mainly coming from the North on my left side was attracting me ? I don't know but here is the map with all my GPS points. I stopped in Poeppel Corner with 2,5 liter left and 4 CLIFBARs so enough for 1,5 days maximum walk depending on the temperature. For this reason I asked evacuation from Ranger Don Rowlands.

This means I succeeded my second desert trek of +-250km (this one:280km) after Death Valley. In 3 weeks I'm flying to Bolivia to attempt for the second time to cross both brothers Salars unsupported : Coipasa and Uyuni from Sabaya to Uyuni via Isla Pescado and Isla Incahuasi... a world first if succeeded.

MAP Simpson Desert Trek 2 (2016) with/avec 360 photos.

Now after thinking, I think it is possible to do Lucas Trihey's route (400km, East Bore - Geocenter - Birdsville) in 15 days the way I did it and replacing all weight of video equipement by more water and more food. This would be as follows: 47 liter water, 7,5kg of food and a total of 60-61kg on the back so that leaves 5,5kg for a small camera, tent, sleeping bag, airmattress, backpack itself, a spare underwear and socks, some first aid and of course a satphone, epirb and GPS.

FR: Apparemment je ne marche pas en ligne droite. Il doit y avoir une raison. Un côté du sac plus lourd? Attiré par le soleil venant du Nord ? Je ne sais pas mais voici la carte du parcours. Arrivée à Poeppel avec 2.5 litres d'eau et 4 CLIFBAR assez pour tenir 1.5 jours de marche au max en fonction de la température. J'ai donc appelé le ranger Don Rowlands pour m'évacuer. J'ai donc réussi le minimum que je voulais atteindre. Mon deuxième désert de plus de 250km (celui-ci 280km à vol d'oiseau) après la Vallée de la Mort. Dans 3 semaines je pars en Bolivie tenter pour la deuxième fois un autre désert de 250km. Les fameux déserts de sels Coipasa et Uyuni de Coipasa à Uyuni en passant la La Isla Pescado et Isla Incahuasi. Une 1ère mondiale si succès.

Daily news of the Simpson expedition 2016

Day 0 // 12 of august : I arrived in Old Andado Station. I sorted my food and filled the water bladders. Everything is ready for start. Departure would be at 8:00 am local time. 8.30 Sydney Time. I will always use Sydney - Birdsville  - Queensland - time during the expedition as it is easier to calculate +8 hours compared to Belgium (couldn't manage to change the time of the watch given by a friend) and it is better to speak the time of the end of the expedition that is near the potential evacuation or rescue.

Day 1 // 13 of august : S 25°.22 10' - E 135°.33 49'. I completed around 12 km today. I feel in good shape. I stopped around 10.00pm to get some rest and be prepared for tomorrow. It is a good start !

Day 2 // 14 of august : S 25°.20 42' - E 135°.42 28'. Better progression than yesterday. I would say "nothing to declare" for today. Water consumption is ok, backpack is heavy :-) No surprise. Everything normal :-)

Day 3 // 15 of august : S 25° 19 40' - E 135° 52.19'. My backpack is around 49 kg and I drink a little bit less than expected. On this side, everything is good. Saying of the day : "the (camel) dromedary can be dangerous for people walking in the desert, but the dromedary doesn't know that people are harmless for them so they are often scared". Indeed, I encountered a young one in the middle of my way. He literally was grazing where I had (wanted) to go. I waited 20 minutes then I went. Close to him I hid behind a tree the I showed myself and he ran away...Otherwise, there is more plants and spinifex than expected due to the recent rain a few weeks ago : it is very beautiful with many plants and wild flowers, gorgeous smells but means lots of deviations as I zigzag all day and sometimes I have to back track as it uses less energy than lifting high a foot with the heavy pack.  This expedition is all about using wisely my energies (food/water/time) and optimize on the go to cover the most distance possible with the least resources even if this means stopping for a few hours during the hot mid afternoon. This evening I am tired but not exhausted. So far, so good.

Day 4 // 16 of august :[due to bad communications we do not have the correct position for the moment]. I feel good but I cannot progress as fast as I would due to my heavy backpack and the impossibility I have to walk straight. Anyway, I progress, it is the most important. I'm not in the mood to film and took zero photos or film today. It takes so much time to put the pack down, get the tripod out, set the camera, walk in front, go back to it, put it all back well and check the pack remains balanced...then the hard part is sitting down, strap me to the pack, then try to fall forward on my stomac and do some sort of push up with the help of my sticks to lift 130 kg on my two thin legs.
NOTE: Other walkers (on tracks) in the Simpson mention it reached just above 40C for them on that day.

 

Day 5 // 17 of august : S 25° 20.13' - E 136° 12.28'. I have lost some useful time today due to some prickels stuck in my jumper as I did a long pause in the shade of a tree. I had to take care of my equipment (to preserve eg. my mattress from puncture, etc.). But for the rest, everything is ok. I saw a lone brown dingo / wild dog for 10 seconds as he ran away very fast when he saw me.

Day 6 //18 of august: [due to bad communications we do not have the correct position for the moment]. I start to be used to flies and other unpleasant small thing of the daily life in the desert. Without the net (to avoid flies going into my ears, mouth, nose and walking on my face all day) I receive more of the cold breeze coming usually around 11 am. So I don't use the net anymore. It's is incredible that since day 2 I can bear these little insects on me all day. The are more and more during the day as I progress so I have 200 flies on me and probably 40 or so on my face at the end of the day. I am more and more a part of this sublime environment.

Day 7 // 19 of august : S25° 20.00' - E136 41.20.  I am at 40 km of the desert geographical center. I aim to reach it in the next few hours. I feel much better than the past two days, I mean it was very hot and I suffered from the sun. There would have less dunes soon on my path to I will be able to progress faster. At the Geo center there is a log book, perhaps I can read what I wrote in it 8 years ago (I could!) and I'll be the only person in the world reaching this point walking unsupported by foot twice.

Day 8 // 20th of august : S25° 22.08' - E 137° 01.11'. I did not reach the desert center today, but I will very soon (6,5 km left). I will have enough supplies to go to Poeppel Corner, but no more. I spent a long time to take care of my feet...because if they are hurt , it will be a serious problem. I remove my shoes 3-4 times per day to check my feet, put a bandage to avoid blisters. I remove also a lo tof sand in my socks and all the prickles that go through my socks and do hurt sometimes. Why am I not using gaiters ? Because it is heavier on the foot and increases calorie consumption. Also because it would mean less breathing of the shoe and so hot and more moisture so for sure blisters to come. I want to absolutely avoid a blister that would slow me down so much. Remember I have a massive pack pressing on my feet a lot thousands of times per day. For the moment everything ok.

Day 9 // 21 of august : Incredible...it is the word. It's raining in the Simpson. This happens very rarely and all the nature, plants and beasts are waiting for this moment. Me ? Not really. Indeed, it is beautiful. No doubt. Beautiful sky, scary lightening...but wet sand and very difficult to walk. So a long day is in front of me...During the night night it was storm and really pouring like in Belgium.

Day 10 // 22 th of august : I woke up and everything was grey and foggy. Am I in Scotland ? The entire day was walking with wet feet, socks and shoes completely soaked up with water. I have a K-way to have my upper body dry and protected from the wind but below the belly, all is wet. My target is Poeppel Corner now for sure, I too slow. My only objective and all my energy is focused on it. It will be tricky but I still can do it.

Day 11 // 23 of august : Still some rain today. I am close to Poeppel Corner. I'll make it but no more. I noticed walking at night that the battery of y GPS was low and showed a warning. I put in my spare batteries but they didn't work. So back to the very empty batteries and this means I have to be very careful for the potential last 2 days to turn on and off the GPS very quickly. With no GPS, I would have to use the maps and compass or go south-south-east to reach the French Line and go up on it until Poeppel corner. Not at all something I want to do. I want to remain 100% off track.

Day 12 // 24 of august :  S25° 55.50' - E 137° 55.57'. Beautiful day.

My knees are painful for two days and hopefully I will reach I will reach Poeppel in 10 km...End of game for this time. I do not have enough water to continue and my body has suffered of the last days walking in the wet sand, it like walking with sandpaper in the sock. Admiring the beautiful landscapes I realized that all my efforts have a justification for theses moments.This morning I broke a leg/pole of my tent. I repaired it with a stick and duck tape so it should last for the last night. So I can stop early. as I have time for the evacuation tomorrow planned around midday.

Day 13 // 25 of august : I arrived at Poeppel's corner at 12.15. I had to cross the muddy lake where my feet got up to 10cm deep in the mud... it's slow going but the crossing happened in a rather straight line. By 11 I crossed the French line and saw 1 car from far away then the tracks of two walkers walking the Simpson Desert on the dirt track followed by the 2 vehicles of the camera crew and equipment. A caravan in fact, completely opposite to my experience of loneliness and being off track all the time to feel the desert. Don Rowlands, the park ranger picked me up late at 4pm and we drove 6 hours to Birdsville reaching the town at 10pm. I had my first beer at 10.30pm. Mission accomplished even if it is a partial crossing, I proved it is possible to cross the Simpson desert from West to East in 14-15 days with a 60kg pack (45 liters, 10kg food and 5kg equipment)

Last night before the desert

Trekking equipment and food the the simpson desert walking.
Estimated 10 days of supplies that can perhaps last 12 or 13 days.

EN: Just back from getting my 2 last maps thanks to Mapworld and MapCentre Parramatta.
Christopher, Dians and Kim, you are amazing. Maps are important in days of GPS. If the GPS dies I need maps, I can burn them to make fire, I can write on it my findings as an explorer and there's just cool. My backpack and little front pack do weight 20kg. Add 40L + 1kg food and I'll be at 61kg. Thanks to CLIFBAR for the 7kg cereal bars to fuel me!

FR: De retour de récupérer mes 2 dernières cartes. Merci à  Mapworld et MapCentre Parramatta. Je ne pars pas sans carte car si le GPS foire je peux toujours me diriger et puis c'est pratique pour allumer un feu ou écrire dessus et noter les découvertes potentielles. Mon sac à dos et sac à ventre pèsent 20kg. Reste à ajouter 40 L d'eau et 1 kg de vivres et je serai à 61kg. Merci à CLIFBAR et mes 7 kg de barres céréales.

Simpson Desert Trek VRT Het Journaal

EN: For those who understand Dutch.

FR: Pour ceux qui comprennent le Néerlandais.

Expedition Puzzle in Sydney

EN: I arrived in Sydney this morning (Australia Time) and met my old friend Peter from EPIRBHire who (coincidence) was flying out when I arrived so I could get the EPIRB and InmarSat phone. I went to swim 1h in Bondi, slept a bit and started to charge all batteries and repack. Added salt to my MSR bladders and all I need is water, food and my ultimate luxury: half a roll of toilet paper.

FR: Je suis arrivé à Sydney ce matin (heure Australienne) et j'ai revu mon vieil ami Peter de la location de balises de détresse. Il partait lui (coïncidence) en vacances en avion et j'ai pu récupérer l'EPIRB (balise) et le Tel Satellite InmarSat. J'ai été nager 1 heure à Bondi, dormi un peu et commencé à charger les batteries et reconditionner mes sacs. J'ai ajouté du sel à mes poches d'eau MSR et il ne me reste plus que mettre de l'eau, acheter la nourriture et mon luxe ultime, un demi rouleau de papier toilette.

Birdsville my Gold Medal

Birdsville Hotel - source Wikipedia - Stuart Edwards

EN: If you look at the map, it is not clear what my end is, right? Well, I fly out from the tiny but very remote town Birdsville. The airport is close to the pub (nice) and I will fly with REX (Regional Express). To go home I will have 8 flights and 1 bus:

Birdsville hop-flying to Brisbane via Windorah, Quilpie, Charleville*, Brisbane West WellCamp (near Toowoomba) and finally Brisbane. Then a bus to Sydney then flying to Brussels via Dubai and London. (see my previous post why I compensate the carbon emissions)

What to do in Birdsville? I will not copy what you can find on the internet (Oh yeah Birdsville will have broadband internet near year in 2017 I read) but:

* Go there to experience the dunes of the Simpson Desert, the highest and most famous is called BIG RED (or Nappanerica)

* A very remote -by Aussie standards- music festival - Big Red Bash - on facebook

* A hard ultramarathon race - Big Red Run - on facebook

* Epic Horse Races - on facebook

So here are my Olympic Games Medals options
Bronze : Old Andado (FB) - GeoCenter (25°21'58"S 137°05'05"E) - Poeppel Corner
Silver : Bronze + Poeppel Corner - Big Red (after crossing also Munga-Thirri National Park)
Gold : Reaching Birdsville on foot!

The main objective is of course the Bronze with a well documented adventure.

FR: Si vous regardez la carte, le point d'arrivée n'est pas clair, n'est-ce pas? Eh bien, je décolle de la petite reculée ville de Birdsville. L'aéroport est proche du bar (chouette) et c'est REX (Regional Express) qui me fera voler en saut de puces vers Brisbane. Pour rentrer sur Bruxelles, j'ai donc 8 vols et 1 bus:

Birdsville - Brisbane via Windorah, Quilpie, Charleville, Brisbane West WellCamp (près de Toowoomba) en enfin Brisbane. Pour rejoindre Sydney, je crois prendre un bus de nuit et ensuite c'est Sydney - Bruxelles via Dubai et Londres.

Quelles attractions à Birdsville? Je ne vais pas tout copier d'internet (Oh oui, je lis que Birdsville aura enfin en 2017 un internet haut débit!) mais voici en bref:

* Voir les dunes rouges du désert de Simpson dont la plus haute dune et la pus célèbre: BIG RED (où Nappanerica)

* Un festival de musique très très reculé - Big Red Bash - sur facebook

* Une course pour ultra-marathoniens - Big Red Run - sur facebook

* Une course de chevaux incroyable - sur facebook

Mes options pour mes Médailles Olympiques.
Bronze : Old Andado (FB) - GeoCenter (25°21'58"S 137°05'05"E) - Poeppel Corner
Argent : Bronze + Poeppel Corner - Big Red (et la traversée du Munga-Thirri National Park)
Or : Atteindre Birdsville à pied!

L'objectif principale est évidemment le bronze avec une adventure bien documentée.

* I drove to Charleville when I drove around Australia on the leg from Mount Isa to Brisbane (Brissy or BrisVegas)

Pure Expedition - Simple

EN: Thanks to CO2 Logic, the expedition I will start next week is one of the most pure possible I could imagine. All carbon emissions will be compensated as in the 2008 expedition. Why?

Flying so far for just 3 weeks is a nonsense for me. To me it would be like polluting while going shopping for a weekend in New York.

Also I started doing unsupported expeditions because it would not involve heavy logistics and vehicles. No reconnaissance to check out the terrain, no vehicle to follow me, no food drops underway, no preplaced food caches. This is (1) costly and (2) easier in fact as if you could have such support and food dropped by an airplane, why would you not have 2, 3 or every day drops, meaning fuel and pollution but meaning certainly almost no challenge if it is easy. I do have a challenge here I am absolutely not sure to succeed and that's the beauty of it. Adventure is about risks, uncertainty and finding solution on the spot to the problems.

Being alone with just a backpack in the Simpson will allow me to feel the Simpson to its heart almost as pure as aboriginal people crossed it from well to well in the past. It is a high privilege. I will hear and see only me this time, no cart and its wheels. Pure. Simple. Free.

It would be hard to feel so free without compensating this CO2. But now it is as CO2 Logic compensates with supporting www.savingtrees.org

FR: Grâce à CO2 Logic, l'expédition qui commence la semaine prochaine est une des plus pure que j'ai pu imaginer. Toutes les émissions carbone seront compensées comme en 2008. Pourquoi?

Voler si loing pour 3 petites semaines est un non sens pour moi. C'est comme polluer en allant faire un weekend de shopping à New-York.

Aussi, j'ai commencé à faire des expéditions en autonomie complète parce qu'elles impliquent une logistique légère sans véhicules. Pas de reconnaissance du terrain, pas de véhicule de support pour me suivre, pas de dépôts de vivres en cours de route ni dépôts de vivres placés à l'avance. Cela est (1) trop coûteux et (2) plus facile en fait car si on a une aide extérieure ou de la nourriture larguée par avion par exemple, pourquoi ne pas avoir 2, 3 ou un larguage journalier? Et donc plus de fuel consommé, pollutions et surtout un challenge quasi nul si cela devient facile. Je choisis un challenge ici dont je ne suis vraiment pas certain de réussir et c'est ce qui est beau. L'aventure c'est prendre des risques, jouer avec l'incertitude, les surprises et trouver les solutions aux problèmes pendant l'expédition.

Etre seul avec seulement un sac à dos dans le Simpson me permettra de mieux le sentir, le vivre jusqu'à son coeur. Une pureté presque comme les aborigènes l'on traversé de puit en puit dans le passé.C'est un grand privilège. Je ne verrai et n'entendrai que moi cette fois-ci, pas de charrette et ses roues. Pureté et Simplicité. Liberté.

Et donc, je ne me sentirai pas si libre si ce carbone n'était pas compensé. Mais il l'est grâcé à CO2Logic qui compensera pour moi en supportant www.savingtrees.org

Aboriginal permit coming soon

EN: The preparation is going well. In about 3 weeks I'll be in Australia and the expedition should start a few days later. The Aboriginal people have said they will pray for me and bring good spirits.

FR: Les préparatifs avancent bien. Dans environ 3 semaines je serai en Australie et le trek commencera quelques jours plus tard. Les aborigènes m'ont dit qu'ils prieront pour moi et apporter l'aide des bons esprits.

Expedition delayed to August

EN: I have been starting the preparation a few weeks ago. The most complicated is always logistics. As I have a new job and a small injury I delayed the expedition to August. It's still winter and I can benefit from a full moon.

FR: J'ai commencé la préparation il y a quelques semaines. Le plus complexe est la logistique. Comme j'ai un nouveau job et une petite blessure, j'ai retardé l'expédition au mois d'Août.C'est toujours l'hiver et je peux profiter d'une pleine lune.