Plymouth Banjul Challenge

Basically it is what it says on the tin, you drive from the UK to the Gambia in a banger !

We managed to buy a complete SHED of a left hand drive Shogun from e-bay for £96 ! Complete with a hole in the sump and broken rear springs (which we noticed 2 weeks before we left)

Everyday had it's own highlight and sometimes lowlight too..........

I loved the Pyranees, thought they were spectacular, would love to go back.

We crossed on the Ferry from Spain to Tanga and this is when it really began for us (alone, unaided or assisted)

We drove through the Rif mountains onto Volubilis - what an awesome reminder of the Roman Empire !

From there we drove for some R&R in Marrakech for a couple of days....


then Anti-Atlas , and had dinner above the cloud line

look at the descent on youtube ! This is the Tizi n Test Pass !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I think we went to Agadir next, then onto Daklar .

We then crossed the minefield border crossing into Mauratania and literally got lost with some "freedriving" through the desert, our PC power supply wouldnt work as it all was too hot !

We had no guide and decided to go it alone to drive through the Desert and national park of Banc d'Aguin.

We lost the piste on day 1 !!!

Managed to get back on with some blue tak and a very old Garmin, we found the piste markers which were a GODSEND !





We got out of the desert and filled up at the first filling station and quickly realised that we had 4 litres of diesel left ! Lucky or wot.

Stayed in Nouakchott - less said the better, and onto Senegal.

Now then, there is a road called the "Road to Diama" and it is really hard going... especially when you need to make up time.

I never got used to the border crossing system adopted by the African's..... "car-door" or caudeaux?? please give me a gift..... this was used by the country you left (immigration, police, military etc) and by the country you then entered (immigration, police, military etc) oh and including the car insurance office!!!!


so we then headed for St.Louis and stayed in the Zebrabar - what an Oasis ! Flushing toilets !! Wooo Hooo !

As I said, each day had it's own highlights and I could go on forever !

We skirted Dakar and then promtly got lost in deepest darkest Senegal, with no local money I traded a camping cooker for diesel at a filling station (I kid you not)

We managed to get to the Barra Ferry port, twinned with Mos Eisley (from Star Wars)

Cross the river the next day and BINGO - we made it to Banjul..


I will add random images

Hope you enjoy

I can be more specific about any part of the journey, just ask !!!!!!!!!!!

I remember the piste markers in Mauritania ... Mali ... or somewhere like that (all of a muchness), they were oil barrels located every couple of miles or so. That was it, that was the road!

You certainly had yourselves an adventure in your "shed". Bet the Mitso is still alive and running about Senegal as we speak. If nothing else, the locals are definitely adaptable when it comes to keeping long lost causes rolling.