Trek Across Simpson Desert Finished

If you’ll remember we reported a few months ago that Louis-Phillipe Loncke of Belgium was about to attempt crossing a barren stretch of the Australian outback called the Simpson Desert. His plan was to tow a cart with gear 800 km across this no-man’s land. Well he’s finished his journey and gave us a few insights on how it went.

Louis didn’t do the 800 km as the crow flies like he planned. Instead he did a 600 km version. He hasn’t completely mapped out his GPS route though and with the zigging and zagging he may hafe done 800 km or more.

“Was so hard at the start that i had to cut the weight into 2: go with half the weight to a point until sunset, walk back to morning point during the night with empty cart. Go next day with other half and so on.” Louis said of some of the changes he had to make to his trip. On what he learned about water consumption, “I did not wash for 33 days (found 1 foot deep water in Macumba creek). All water was used for drinking. I had 140liter at the start. Finished with 10 at the end. The average consumption of a west European is 150l per day, and 300 l for an American. I can’t ask people not to wash or not to consume water like i did, but I’m sure with proper education and effort, we can all be below 50 liters per day !”

On the terrain, “So the first 2 weeks were hell, even wanted to abandon one day as i had no fun at all. The end was paradise, great, fast, i erally enjoyed it especially the skateparks (well was very hard compact sand-ground in canyons shaped by water (thousand of years ago i guess). Going down with the cart was so fun with bumps and slopes to make every mountainbiker or sk8er jealous).”

You can read more detail at Loncke’s blog. Sounds like a crazy adventure. What’s your next adventure?

Add comment August 29th, 2008