CHRONICLE OF THE BORMA EXTREM
I could summarize this trip in which we have been 5 days in the sand with deflated tires, but it would be oversimplifying the adventure we have lived in the Borma Extrem of Territori4x4.
The chronicle of this trip will try to do justice to those lost days in the Tunisian Sahara, but I think it will be best to accompany it with good photos. I think that among the 1800 that I have thrown, I will find one that is worth it.
DAY 1: MEET ON THE MOTORWAY, HEADING TO MARSEILLE.
On Friday we left for work with the car loaded. Emotions on the surface. While I was in the usual traffic jams when entering Barcelona I thought about how little was left to take my HDJ to its natural habitat: the dunes. I arrived at the parking lot and left it in a place that I could see from the office window. That morning was endless.
We had met at 3:30 p.m. on the highway with Miguel. It was 3 p.m. and I was still in Barceloneta to pick up Marc. Finally he got out and we headed for the highway. As soon as we arrived at the service area we saw my brother, Quim, refueling. After the euphoria, we wonder about Miguel. As soon as we uttered those words we saw how he and his machine entered the gas station! That 80 promised strong emotions!!
We set up the stations and took the road to Marseille, where we had a hotel booked. The trip was uneventful and we were able to break the ice through the radio commenting on the preparations of the cars and other experiences in the desert. However, the star theme was Miguel’s Australian automatic gearbox and its side exhaust… how Miguel’s 80 is a hit!!! When I listened to the explanations about its gearbox, the speed and efficiency with which it changes gears, etc. I started to notice the need to test drive that car…
We arrived at the hotel and there was already an interesting atmosphere! At that time we met Fran and the people from Madrid (from now on Comando Alimaña) who would accompany us on the trip. They had their cars parked and packed there. We exchanged a few shy greetings and got ready for dinner to go to sleep.
DAY 2: BOARDING
At 8.30 a.m. we were already at the port. The usual: whistles, queues, cars loaded to the brim… But the best part: gather all the cars on the trip, exchange opinions, see the preparations, greet old travel companions… The queue for boarding gives a lot of itself! There the group began to take shape: Quim (HDJ100), Marc/Isa (HDJ100), Miguel (HDJ80), David (KDJ120), Josep (Mitsubishi pajero 3p) and Jordi (LJ73), also known as the Comando Petaca.
The ship set sail and the conversations revolved around the cars and we speculated about what the difficulty of the trip would be. There began to be rough seas and we all ended up like soup in the cabins until the next day.
DAY 3: HEADING TO MATMATA
We arrived in Tunisia: usual chicken to cross the border, paperwork, a few laughs, etc. Once outside the port we set up the transmitters and GPS to go to sleep in Matmata.
We decided to stop for lunch at El’Jem to see the amphitheater and do some sightseeing. Jordi guided us to the amphitheatre and booked a meal at a restaurant at the foot of the monument. In the windows of the premises it was full of stickers of a lot of clubs and people who had passed by. While they were preparing the theme for us, we visited the ruins, which was very interesting. We ate the roast chicken and the “bric” (which is like a battered fried egg) and we wandered around with the cars. Highly recommended.
We arrived in Matmata at night. The shower and hot dinner were appreciated. We were eager to wake up and go straight to the arena. There were only a few hours left to deflate tires and spend 5 days driving in the dunes.
We had a few beers and went to bed early to wake up rested and ready. It was the last comfortable night.
DAY 4: FIRST CONTACT WITH THE SAND. ISA TESTING MIGUEL’S 80
We left Matmata very early. After breakfast, we all go out to the parking lot to warm up the cars, tighten the loads, check the tires, check the refrigerators, etc. We took an interesting road parallel to the Pipe Line where we were going straight into the desert. The first stop was Kasar’guillan.
The whole group arrived together, once we were gathered and having taken photos of the natural pool of sulphurous water and the magnificent palm grove we continued along the road to the first string of dunes through which to enter.
We stop in line to deflate tires. We had no idea what pressure to leave behind, since we hadn’t studied the sand… We decided 1.4. There is always time to deflate more. The good stuff was beginning! We enter the dunes. They were low dunes and without complications. Dunes, bushes and the occasional plain.
Things started to get cool: the dunes rose in height, the sand presented a certain complication… the wheels slipped, the turns were fun, the climbs required the trestle to be taken out… anyway, it was cool that you don’t see. We did a couple of hours of very fun ups and downs and stopped for lunch.
In the afternoon, we continue in a valley of small dunes. I was encouraged and decided to drive for a while. At first I took the steering wheel unsure… I began to remember that feeling: the contact of the tires with the sand, the noise of the engine in the first and second pitches, the turns giving it wax and butting… so I was immediately encouraged. The dunes there were very easy and I was already bored of being a co-pilot.
We arrive at the center of the valley and stop to make a landing… I couldn’t take it anymore. I went straight to Miguel and asked him to let me test drive his car… We had commented on it on the radio station and I didn’t think he minded leaving it with me! He was indeed enthusiastic about the idea. I made a 180º angle with my legs to save the height of the car and be able to climb (hahahaha). I was careful not to hit my head with the roll bar. I sat on the backet. To my surprise it seemed very comfortable! Miguel sat as the co-pilot. He told me that I had to leave the change in the D and forget about the left foot. I had never driven an automatic, but with the 100 I don’t use my left foot either, as it recovers super well even if you stop giving gas in the dunes.
There I was. At Miguel’s 80th peazo, with Miguel next to him and a valley of dunes in front of him… I pressed the pedal… fuck!!! What was that?? I noticed how the side exhaust and the immediate response of the car to the pedal were hitting. I did a lap around the rest of the cars. The more I stepped on him, the more he asked of me. I didn’t even notice the unevenness of the smallest dunes… I braked and got out of the car hallucinated. Miguel (satisfied as much as he could) insisted on taking him for a while, but I didn’t want to take him just in case!! Now I regret it…
After that episode, we continue until we leave the valley and enter another one. In the center there was a plain perfect for camping, so we set up the first camp. It was freezing cold! We all had dinner early and started to take out snacks, some beer… the menu? Hot soup and my famous chicken roll.
DAY 5: SECOND DAY IN THE ARENA
It was a very cold night. We woke up with a tremendous cold that there was no way to get rid of. We were at 0ºC and therefore we had icy engines. We started the car while we cleared up camp and had something to eat.
The revelry began again. This time the dunes began to be much more technical, the sand was dangerous and the passes were difficult, with lateral movements and very well-trodden dunes. One of the steps was especially complicated because of the volume of cars we were. On the head they had broken down and were busy repairing wheels. An alternative passage was opened, but the Defender in front was well stranded in the sand. Marc miraculously dodged the tangle of threshed sand that was there and squeezed to the top of the pass. I was outside the car taking photos and then Miguel arrived. I didn’t cut myself: I took out everything that was in the passenger seat and climbed into the 80 to save the passage. Things were very ugly and Miguel found Marc’s eggplant. Nothing, he put the back block and managed to come out on top. He gave it wax avoiding the Defender, but the climb was too steep and he had to brake. The ass began to skate sideways towards the Defender… phew! We had to put on the handbrake and wait to undock the car. I went to the top of the dune to take pictures of the panorama and got on my 100. We advanced to the top of the cordon putting in a rod until we overcame it and saw the head of the group eating. We joined happily and waited for Miguel and my brother who arrived later.
We continue without problems through an incredible valley of dunes. The sunlight was beginning to fall and the scenery was spectacular. When we tried to cross another string of dunes we encountered many difficulties, the cars ran aground, they fell apart… there was barely an hour of light left and there were cars up to the sand gates… While they were taking them out, we made camp on the plain at the base of the dune range. I took advantage of the last rays of sunlight to wash my hair.
DAY 6: IN THE DESERT IT ALSO SNOWS
We were woken up by the dripping rain in the tent. That night she had slept dressed and with her hat on. How cold! We did not imagine that the cold would be so intense, to be honest. Next time I will bring mountaineering equipment.
The sky was black, threatening a storm that you don’t see. It was very curious to see the contrast of the dark sky with the dunes. Really curious.
We start the revelry again. The sand was as if muddy. When threshing the dunes the talcum powder appeared, but the first layer was like mud. Like wet beach sand. We started the ascent that the day before had been impossible. We were a lot of cars, so it promised to be a slow pace. Suddenly, a car falls into a pot. To remove it, two winches were necessary, so that step collapsed for a long time.
Our group advanced a few meters. In front was Josep, then Quim and then Miguel. I heard Josep on the radio station that he had been hooked. Miguel went ahead to take it out with the winch with the bad luck of getting hooked too! Fortunately there was space and Quim passed in front and gave it a pull. From there Josep’s rescue began. It was very cold, windy, raining and we were out of the car hooking Miguel’s winch to Josep’s car.
Miguel was at the top of a dune and Josep was below, the truth is that it was not the best position to stretch it but it was not advisable to get out of the ruts. It was a guaranteed trap. While I was watching all that scene, sleet began to fall. It was the last straw, with that scratch we prayed not to get caught and have to get out of the car! He began to stretch and the Mitsubishi lifted its nose towards the slope and was on two wheels. I thought the cable would blow at any moment. The 80 started to sink a little into the sand, but eventually got the Mitsu all the way up.
Once the three of us had unstuck and had made a pull on the Navara that was in front, we continued. We passed the dune ridge and descended a small valley. Quim was in front and we found David hooked up to the max (he had passed in front with the head of the group about an hour and a half ago).
My brother stayed to help him and the rest of us continued to overtake. It was still freezing cold. We arrived at a dune climb that was very steep. There was the mitsu trying to go up and there was no way.
We cheered on Josep and he continued to try the climb. He deflated a little and went up all at once. Marc arrived and squeezed up to the top… He almost had to brake and everything! Behind him came Miguel, Quim and David. We continued going up and things were complicated, we started to go up and down fairly high dunes, there were inclined turns, we were looking attentively over the hood, we reached the crest of a dune and we did not see in time that it turned to the right… we were left with sand until the door…
Josep and Miguel came with the shovel… but there you had to remove an entire dune of sand… We decided to go and get help. Quim was in the same situation as us and David was too. I started to think that we were sleeping right there when we saw how the Alimaña Command was already taking the climb and we were calmer to be able to ask for help. Opening another step and mercilessly overtaking the Vermin Command, came Manolo, better known as “Paleitor” because of his fondness for shoveling and making others shove… and we saw the light!! He gave us four instructions with the shovel and we left immediately… From then on, experience is a degree. Having done the same half an hour earlier we would have already unstuck the cars!
In the following dunes we get started twice in a row. Hands were bad behind came the Comando Alimaña (By the way, www.amigosxafrica.org) and more particularly Pepe’s Discovery, which got us out of there… twice in a row!! (I know there are pictures). Finally we got out of there giving it wax and we got to the other side of the cord. There was almost no light so we had to camp there. Result of the day: 9km from 7 am to 5 pm.
When we got down we realized that the car was without suspension. We got out of the car and saw that the wheel was almost starting to hide in the wheel arch… damn, we were terrible. We started to do tests and it didn’t even go up by gunshots. With all the bad vibes on top of us, we set up camp while the mechanic, Ripoll (or also known as “Ripolleitor”, for his miraculous mechanical skills) arrived. They were looking at the fuse, the steering pump, everything was in order. We did a few laps around the camp and the car went back up!! Maybe the sensors were dirty, maybe the liquid needed to be purged… We will have it reviewed.
It was windy and being out in the open was unbearable. We made hot soup again and at 8:00 p.m. we were inside the tent wrapping up as much as we could. That night I slept again with a hat.
DAY 7: SKIRTING THE HEIGHT
I woke up with the cold in my body. We made some hot tea while we cleared the camp. We warm up the cars so as not to start with the engine frozen.
Given the difficulties of the previous day, we decided to skirt the massif of dunes without heights, since the sand was not for firing rockets. Tearing ourselves off and hooking ourselves to the door was the simplest thing.
At the end of the day we started to climb again and the problems began. Two sliders and a broken differential lock. We opened a new route and camped before 5 o’clock. We were able to do about 40 km.
DAY 8: THE FROZEN SAND
That night was the coldest of all. When trying to leave the store, the zippers were frozen!
We continue to make very entertaining dunes with very cool descents and ascents. I dared to take the 100 again and had a great time. On a trite stretch I got hooked. Thanks to Miguel’s cable I got out without problems.
I continued following the lines, I had David in front of me. I heard on the radio station warning me of the stretch I was about to pass. I reached the top of a dune. The line turned to the left and went uphill. At that moment I thought “inertia but don’t dig or you stay”. I went down slowly so as not to break the front bumper and have to sleep on the sofa… I gave him gas to go up and I began to notice that he had done it wrong… I stopped giving gas so as not to sink. Marc got out of the car and started to tell me: put the lock, reverse, less gas, cuts… boom, boom and the caterpillar came out of the sand! I backed up at full speed to climb the dune and gain momentum. This time I got out of there! With all the rush I had to face another slope and with a step. That dune wasn’t going to bother me! I squeezed the first one, flew on the first step, ate the second, noticed how the car bounced, I earned a scolding from Marc but I climbed unscathed!!!!! Hahahaha.
We continue through lower and lower dunes until we swell to continue on fast tracks to Kasar’guillan again. From there we took a very nice track to Matmata to get to the hotel and take the best shower of my life!! After 5 days in the desert it is really appreciated.
The sand and the strong emotions were over, at least for this trip…
RETURN
The last days back passed between comments on the adventure, melancholy, the desire to see the photos… the kilometers to Tunis were passing as if in a dream… I was still in the sand.
Fortunately the sea was calm this time and we were able to rest on the boat. There were no mishaps until Barcelona.
It has been a great adventure and we have had a great time with our cars and with the company of all the people in our group and the rest of the groups. We all hope to return soon.
Isabel Doys
