Banjul or Bust! | | The 'Lada Louts' on their Sahara run |
Its been called the craziest rally in the world. Every year hundreds of people drive thousands of miles through the Sahara desert in clapped-out cars that have cost less than a hundred pounds. The Plymouth-Banjul challenge is a parody of the famous Paris-Dakar rally, which follows an almost identical route through West Africa. Inside Out West follows two students from Bristol, attempting to become the youngest ever team to complete the challenge. Lada challenge Tim Hendrikz and John Weeks are hoping a worn out Lada will get them through one of the most hostile environments in the world in one piece. The plan is to head across the channel, through Europe into Morocco - then down the West coast of Africa, through Mauritania and Senegal and eventually aiming to get to The Gambia. They have just three weeks to make it. But halfway down Morocco the trouble begins. Oil is pouring from the gearbox. A bodge on the gear box has become 'unbodged'. Eventually, with a bit of tweaking, they make it to the campsite where some of the other teams are on hand to help them with the repairs. Dune ordeal The next day, they leave the tarmac behind and venture out into the desert for three days. The challenge organiser warns everyone to stick together.  | | Car crisis - the Lada loses a vital part in the dunes |
By New Years Eve all the teams have fully adapted to life in the desert and, by a dune, with 200 miles of sand in every direction, it's party time! As the New Year dawns so does the day that will prove to be the most testing yet for all the teams. First the Golfs fuel line is torn off. Then the Morris Minor loses a wheel. The Pink Citroen van wont start. The Germans Sierra gets stuck in soft sand. But the biggest crisis hits the Lada. Still two days from the nearest road, one of the main engine pulleys has fallen off. Search party A search party is sent back to comb the desert for the missing part. Without it the trip is over. But, incredibly, an hour later they return - after finding it half buried in the sand.  | | From Bristol to Banjul - a Saharan adventure |
Another hour of strenuous work sees it fixed back on. But by the time the Lada gets stuck again in the sand the boys are feeling the strain. Over the next two days the route takes in more spectacular sights including the Mauritanian coastline and Senegal. Then the final stretch onto a procession through the Gambian capital, Banjul. All the cars which make it to the end are sold with the money raised going to charities in the Gambia. But for Tim and John it means saying goodbye to their trusty friend. "Its not sad. Its just the end of something thats occupied us for two years. "To come to the end of it, I feel like Ive run off the end of a cliff. Its kind of like finishing school. Well never ever see her again."
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Inside Out - West: Monday January 30, 2006
