the Pyrenees (RB 5 & 14) - part 1/6

[@johnbunn7533]

Just what we have been waiting for the Sprinter doing what you built it to do , Thank you Waiting for the next episode.

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

Thanks, see you next friday for part 2 !

[@michaelmeier5619]

Dears, nice to see the two of you and the Sprinter in its natural habitat. What a great scenery in combination with some interesting driving challenges. Looking forward to the next episodes. Take care!

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

Hi, Michael, always nice to hear you. How are you doing, already meetings planned for next year ? For the moment Valloire is the only one that is fixed (again) in our agenda. In our humble opinion it's the most sympathetic meeting that combines a 4x4-show, nice atmosphere in the middle of the village with nice terraces and restaurants, 4x4 demonstrations, 4x4 trial terrain, 4x4 guided tours, 4x4 film reports, overlanders with all sorts of vehicules, and all that in the magnificent shadow of the Alps. Afterwards we always make a tour in the Alps along the French-Italian border. See you on the road (or maybe in Valloire or an other meeting?). JL

[@michaelmeier5619]

@@4x4overlandSprinter Dears, thanks all good here! Planning to head to the Swiss Alps (Saas Fee) for winter camping next week! No decision made yet about events next year, but have just downloaded the DZG agenda 2019 ... :-) Best, M

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

Hm, die Deutsche Zentrale für Globetrotter gibt den Globetrotter-JahresKalender an. Looks interesting and plenty of choice and that only for Germany! I have only experience with Bad-Kissingen and Enkirch in Germany. Last year I wanted to go to the Därrs reunion but it was canceled, I read they found a new sponsor and I see it's on the calender again. Also the belgian overlanders.be reunion was canceled this year because of serious illness of the organizor. I hope I can put them both on my calender for 2019. Do you have any experience with other events on the Globetrotter calender? Happy camping in Switserland. JL

[@michaelmeier5619]

@@4x4overlandSprinter Dears, we were in Hachenburg Sommertreffen 2017 (4x4camper.wordpress.com/category/veranstaltungen-events/dzg-globetrotter-sommertreffen-summer-event-2017-hachenburg/), the Hanomag Saarland Bostalsee event 2018 (4x4camper.wordpress.com/category/veranstaltungen-events/hanomag-saarland-2018/) and Enkirch 2017 (4x4camper.wordpress.com/category/veranstaltungen-events/fernreisemobiltreffen-2017-enkirch/) and 2018 (4x4camper.wordpress.com/category/veranstaltungen-events/willys-39-fernreisemobiltreffen-2018-enkirch/), all three meetings we liked a lot. This year I also became member of the DZG to support them. They issue an excellent quarterly printed magazine to their members as well. Take care, M.

[@dozukime]

Hi Jean-luc, You got me hooked to do some off road tracks, do you think i can do some Rb's with a 4x2 Movano?

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

Well, it would be short & easy to say no, but I understand your eagerness and remember how it started for me, also step by step. It really depends on which driver with which 2wd van, and which roadbook in which weather conditions. In general, raodbooks are not so difficult and most have for the difficulties alternatives for SUV's. And from time to time we see a 2wd car (mostly a small, light weight). We drove through Iceland with our first 2wd Mercedes 308D camper van. You can't be faint at hart, sometimes on steep slopes the wheels were spinning until it smelled of burnt rubber, or the old drumbrakes didn't work because they were filled with water after a rivercrossing. And I made the air intake higher and made a simple protection under the oilpan of the motor. So although I can not really recommend it, I can not tell you that you can not do it with a 2wd. If you chose not the most difficult RB and don't take the sandy beaches or dunes, I think you can do it if you chose a dry period. I would chose rather the end of the summer, instead of the end of spring because of the melt water = deeper watercrossings and eroding the dirt tracks. Avoid rainy periods. And I'll mention here some little items of my next book I'm writing (= what to think about when chosing an overland vehicle). The biggest difficulty when overlanding (or driving a roadbook) is to decide to avoid the difficulty you arrived in front of! So don't be reckless. When a certain part is too risky then be hard to yourself (and good for your car) and go around the difficulty or turn back. In my book I mention that the most important things of an overland vehicle is: 1) ground clearance, 2) good tires (grip, strength, as big as possible radius and no low profile tires), and only in 3th place comes 4WD. Maybe a Movano has not the biggest ground clearance. I think that in the Alpes there is the least chance for long stretches of mud and deep ruths. Hope my answer helped a little bit.

[@dozukime]

@@4x4overlandSprinter many thanks!

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

You asked a question about the map 574 of Catalunia. I think it was in a PM. Did you get my answer? PM's are hard to find in KZbin and they don't get an alert. This just to know if I've overlooked something.

[@dozukime]

@@4x4overlandSprinter Thanks for your reply. I have answered on "discussions" on your YT page.

[@MennoDonker]

In how many days did you do the RB 14 ?

[@4x4overlandSprinter]

Ik kan het me niet heel juist herinneren want we waren voor langer onderweg en ik heb het niet genoteerd, maar ik denk ongeveer 4 of 5 dagen. We hebben onderweg wel alle extra's gereden die in het RB14 genoteerd staan. We zijn wel pas aan vakje 22 (= 28km na nr 1) gestart, omdat de maker van het RB aangaf dat gedurende de eerste paar km enkele overhangende rotsen te laag konden zijn voor onze Sprinter (= 2m60 hoog). De aangegeven wandeling van Montrebei (vakje 63) hebben we dan niet gedaan. We deden ze wel vorig jaar en deze loont zeker de moeite! We deden ze vanaf de parking aan vakje 63 tot halverwege (= de hangende trappen aan de rotswand) en terug en deden er ongeveer 4,5 uur over (picknick in). Als je 2 auto's zou hebben is het best om 1 auto aan die parking te laten en dan naar Montfalco te rijden. Om van Montfalco naar de parking te wandelen doe je er ongeveer 5,5 uur over (enkel). De wandelingen van Alquézar en Rodellar die ik aangaf zijn zeker ook de moeite! Veel succes!