View Full Version : Long Way Down
maverick moocher
29-10-2007, 07:21
Was nice to see Max and the Shadowhawk team involved in Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's Bike ride to South Africa.Last Night BBC2. Providing Survival/Awareness training for said trip, oh and there was some bloke called Ray on there as well.Its repeated tomorrow at 11.20pm,way passed my bed time.
By the way, I have no professional connection with Shadowhawk.
Well worth watching - enjoyed it a lot. Missed the first series - going to have to get it on DVD.
Burnt Ash
29-10-2007, 09:08
Was nice to see Max and the Shadowhawk team involved in Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's Bike ride to South Africa.Last Night BBC2. Providing Survival/Awareness training for said trip, oh and there was some bloke called Ray on there as well.Its repeated tomorrow at 11.20pm,way passed my bed time.
By the way, I have no professional connection with Shadowhawk.
Why did Max have to squash poor Ewan's shelter like that? It's not supposed to be for avalanche protection! And telling tall tales about people having their faces chewed off by hyenas. He does it so dead-pan, too. Naughty Max!
Burnt Ash
Very good start program. I guess he squashed it to prove a point or just to be a mean so and so :lmao:
Nice to see Exmed, at least they've got a very very good medic on board aswell.
Looking forward to the other episodes, should be good.
I missed it. Totally forgot about it, I blame Jodie for not giving me a reminder! :D
Was a good start.
Fancy mentioning the B word in an airport. :D
Would be interesting to know what actually happened, as Ewan said something about the lass in the departure lounge being rude or obnoxious. Glossed over....Still a naughty thing to do though.
Not sure if it's repeated.
When the book comes out, it will probablt go into more detail. Although I have no idea what happened as I missed it!
Spamel i just checked and it's repeated on Tuesday evening at 11:20pm.
Now you can watch it :D
Think the hardback is already available.
Some clips on http://www.longwaydown.com/
Yeah it was a good watch last night.
I'm interested to learn more about the Team medic, I appreciate the guy is probably a Doctor, but I'm fascinated by expedition medics and medicine.
Looking forward to next weeks episode!
Is it just mean though or do you get jealous watching these things!
P
Thats the guys here (http://www.ex-med.co.uk/)
From what i know, they're rather good at what they do.
Yeah it was a good watch last night.
I'm interested to learn more about the Team medic, I appreciate the guy is probably a Doctor, but I'm fascinated by expedition medics and medicine.
Looking forward to next weeks episode!
Is it just mean though or do you get jealous watching these things!
P
He's a paramedic, as opposed to a doctor I believe.
I'm interested to learn more about the Team medic, I appreciate the guy is probably a Doctor, but I'm fascinated by expedition medics and medicine.
Tell you what, you would rather have one of these guys looking after you than a doctor in a remote area.
The dude is Dai Jones, from Ex-Med where most of the firm are ex military medics, normally with experience of working with Special Forces and training them. Aswell as being military medic qualified they are Paramedic qualified.
They are VERY well respected and provide training and services for many private security companies and television companies.
http://www.ex-med.co.uk/pages.aspx?id=296
The other camera man, Jim Foster, he was also UK Special Forces.
Why did Max have to squash poor Ewan's shelter like that? It's not supposed to be for avalanche protection! And telling tall tales about people having their faces chewed off by hyenas. He does it so dead-pan, too. Naughty Max!
If it isn't going to stand up to Max gently climbing up it, then it would stand no chance against an equivelent sized animal clambering on it.
In the Army we used to have land rovers driven over our KIP shelters to make sure they would stand up to abuse..............some times with the builder inside. On the French commando course you have tanks drive over the top of you, whilst laying down and also whilst in a shelter.
Being a biker, especially off road, I like the notion and intent of the programme but Charley Boorman was acting like a professional spoiled brat.........again.
I missed it. Totally forgot about it, I blame Jodie for not giving me a reminder! :D
Tee hee :)
I will try and do better for tomorrow then. I thought the programme was great.
Chalk up another dream job then!
The MIRA course looks the bees knees, does anyone know whether they are just for Medical staff only, not that I've got £900 kicking about mind!
As with you I like the concept of the trips but the reality of it for the average joe is probably little more than a dream. With that in mind and the amount of free stuff and support they get I wonder whether it fosters an attitude of 'spoilt brat'.
Pib
Burnt Ash
29-10-2007, 15:51
If it isn't going to stand up to Max gently climbing up it, then it would stand no chance against an equivelent sized animal clambering on it.
In the Army we used to have land rovers driven over our KIP shelters to make sure they would stand up to abuse..............some times with the builder inside. On the French commando course you have tanks drive over the top of you, whilst laying down and also whilst in a shelter.
Being a biker, especially off road, I like the notion and intent of the programme but Charley Boorman was acting like a professional spoiled brat.........again.
Land Rovers and tanks, eh? Gosh! The things you military types get up to!
I've got a strange contraption called a tent. It gives great shelter against rain, snow and wind and (being an expedition rated tent) will stand up to some pretty fierce weather. It will, however, collapse if someone climbs over it. Horses for courses, I suppose.
If you think Boorman was behaving like a spoiled brat, I'm not sure the McGregors' great wheeze of having Mrs McG (with nil previous experience on a motorbike) come along for part of the ride was anything but stupid indulgence. If they wanted to do the husband and wife biking thing together, that's utterly splendid and wonderful, but another time, another place. Not on this project.
Burnt Ash
I realise that they did a trip before with just the two of them and the mad camera man, but I can't help but think that in their position with all of the sponsorship they can muster, it would have been nice if they could have done a nationwide competition and took a couple of people along with them. They could easily have got the bikes and kit for two extra people, the advertising for the companies would have made it worth it.
Chalk up another dream job then!
The MIRA course looks the bees knees, does anyone know whether they are just for Medical staff only, not that I've got £900 kicking about mind!
As with you I like the concept of the trips but the reality of it for the average joe is probably little more than a dream. With that in mind and the amount of free stuff and support they get I wonder whether it fosters an attitude of 'spoilt brat'.
Pib
Most of the stuff Ex Med do is available to whoever has a cheque book. I chatted with one of their guys recently and he assured me that their 5 day courses are similar in content to the SAS patrol medic course. I was also told that paying for the course does not guarantee passing the course..........it's not just 'course attended', you have to work at it to pass it.
If'n you are interested in getting qualled in summat why don't you do, in this order:
1. St Johns activity first aid, 2 days.........@ most St Johns Centres, around £50'ish
2. REC 4..........
3. REC 5..........
4. Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
no's 2, 3 & 4 you can do here: http://www.pawprintmedical.com/courses.html
There are also several US based schools that run the WEMT & WFR courses.
Hollywood star and the son of a Hollywood director, spoiled, surely not???
Its nice to get wadges of sponsorship but it is do-able cheaper. In 2010 want to get a Bedford MK and drive down thru europe, over to Morrocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal (xmas on the beach there), thru Mali to Timbuctou, down thru Burkina Faso, finishing in Ghana where the MK is given to a deserving charitable organisation and then fly back to UK. Should take 6 weeks and cost around £1.5K each for 10 people, for the experience of a lifetime - I am serious, honest.
Thanks for the intel Alex, cheers.
You are rather mad though :lmao:
Some good tips there thanks. I've actually done an expedition first aid course last year organised by BCUK and ran by Forest Knights. I've done a number of first aid courses in the past including one with the TA however, this one kinda gave me the bug! If you can get the bug for something like this.
It is probably a level four course as per the link but it had elements for level five in there as well!
It's good to here it's not a pay and pass course but it would suck if you fail at that kind of money!
Your trip sounds amazing, probably cheeper than the nightmare that is two weeks in Disneyland Florida!
Enjoy
Pib
In 2010 want to get a Bedford MK and drive down thru europe, over to Morrocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal (xmas on the beach there), thru Mali to Timbuctou, down thru Burkina Faso, finishing in Ghana where the MK is given to a deserving charitable organisation and then fly back to UK. Should take 6 weeks and cost around £1.5K each for 10 people, for the experience of a lifetime - I am serious, honest.
I know my way round a bedford!
;)
maverick moocher
30-10-2007, 18:49
Just a reminder, for those that missed it, Long Way Down is repeated this evening at 11.20pm on BBC2.
As for the hyena face biting problem, apparently this has been known to happen :eek: presumably in the more remote areas, and whilst not defending anyone, Max may have used this to emphasize the point that Ewan's shelter was too short? To keep hyenas out of camp RM suggests keeping a shovel handy as a deterrent!! oh and keep the fire going. I for one wouldnt be getting much sleep.....pass the pro plus :D
Steve
Scots_Charles_River
30-10-2007, 19:13
2 Googled bits
1)Hyenas are attracted to the smell of rotting meat between people’s teeth. Some people have woken up to hyenas biting off the front part of their face
2)http://en.allexperts.com/q/Interspecies-Conflict-3754/winner-1.htm
2 Googled bits
1)Hyenas are attracted to the smell of rotting meat between people’s teeth. Some people have woken up to hyenas biting off the front part of their face
2)http://en.allexperts.com/q/Interspecies-Conflict-3754/winner-1.htm
Heh, 1 sounds like a story told by parents to get kids to brush their teeth :D
"Brush your teeth or a Hyena is going to rip your face off!"
Also reminds me of Pieter Hugo's photos http://www.pieterhugo.com/nigeria/index.html
-- 10mins to the repeat on 2 ...
twisted firestarter
30-10-2007, 23:24
In 2010 want to get a Bedford MK and drive down thru europe, over to Morrocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal (xmas on the beach there), thru Mali to Timbuctou, down thru Burkina Faso, finishing in Ghana where the MK is given to a deserving charitable organisation and then fly back to UK. Should take 6 weeks and cost around £1.5K each for 10 people, for the experience of a lifetime - I am serious, honest.
You'll need 10 people just to turn the steering wheel on an MK ;)
Also reminds me of Pieter Hugo's photos http://www.pieterhugo.com/nigeria/index.html
Fascinating pictures and story, thank's for that
Cheers,
Tom
I know my way round a bedford!
;)
I've already got a 'Leave Pass' in principle from SWMBO for this :)........can you get one???? The sweetner was promising xmas on the beach in Senegal as a family holiday half way thru the trek - I think that would keep most other halfs happy ;).
The story behind it quickly. I was going to follow the Dakar on a bike, but my back is a tad kaput so I thought of buying an ex-army Lanny and taking a couple of bod's with me. So, I went and had a look at Witham SV and whilst lusting over Lanny's found out that MK's are half the price - a few more bodies and more kit for more fun. Alternatively a TM, they cost more, but the upside is they have twice the poke.
The idea is to get 8 car seats bolt them on the bed, add a 600 litre water container, genny, either 2 quads or 2 dirt bikes, larger fuel tank, big box of spares and 10 personal kit bins..........and Spamels tool box ;)
As the end result will be donating the whole kit and kaboodle to a charity in Ghana I was also going to annoy some companies for sponsorship and donations. I have a mate who is a Belgian Para (he wants to come along) his job is disaster relief he is going to see what he can officially scrounge from the Belgian military as a donation. I have acouple of mates who are fire brigade para medics in Germany one ex Legion (2 REP) medic and the other an ex German paratrooper medic who are interested in coming along and doing their humanitarian bit.
You'll need 10 people just to turn the steering wheel on an MK ;)
I'd agree its a pig of a job :) , but I did it with a 27.5KVA towed behind a box body for a couple of years.......I'm surprised I'm still alive.
This trip sounds the bizz Tourist.
My brother in law did something similar about 12 years ago now. He and some Uni mates bought three ex army lannys and drove to Nepal. To pay for the trip they gained sponsors using the trip to carryout maintenance on some hospital generators and replacing two.
One deal they put together was with one of the Landrover magazines where they agreed to write a multiple page article about the trip.
I think he still has the itch!
alpha_centaur
31-10-2007, 19:08
For anybody who like me also managed to miss the repeat last night.
Its available on the bbc iplayer (legally) .
I'd say you probably don't want to disregard the advice of someone who's lived most of their life in Africa tracking animals and hunting down poachers even if he is talking from the "comfort" of Devon.
Likewise a shelter that can't stand up to a bit of weight (and I bet Max didn't jump on it) probably won't stand up to a the strong African wind. Lesson learnt.. build a shelter strong enough to withstand the elements...now move on and stop bleating.
I like Ewan Mcgregor and respect his travel lust but sometimes a little immaturity shows through. That's fair enough if your life and that of your travelling companion doesn't depend on disregarding advice given by the experts.
Pablo.
Grooveski
31-10-2007, 19:43
Didn't see it but no doubt will. Read some book excerpts in the MCN, good stuff.
In just over a week my dad's off on a two week South African bike safari.
He's been gearing up for it all year and learning to ride a dirt bike, has ridden on the road all his life but wasn't sure if he could keep up on dirt so went to a couple of schools around the country on day courses.
I joined him for the "Fun in the mud" motocross day. I have ridden on dirt a fair bit and even to me mx school was a shock(What-you don't use the clutch at all?:eek: ).
The place in Wales he went to he swore by, "the yamaha experience" or something like that, proper trail riding.
It's one of the Riders for Health rides. Sponsorship is buying the bike(some agricultural 200cc aircooled honda 4-stroke from the Austrailian market, looks handy, very late 80's) and handing it over at the end of the ride. Then they're passed on for medical use, most efficient way to get doctors to villages.
It's his 60th birthday present in a way, though he's worked all hours to make it happen. He spent time working in Africa and like so many always wanted to go back. This charity struck a nerve and from the moment he heard of it he was going(!), good on 'im, good luck to 'im and hope the awld eejit comes back in one piece.:)
maverick moocher
31-10-2007, 20:36
So have you got that then Ewan? What you need is a shelter strong enough to withstand the Elephants :D
What I'd like to know is how they get the time to write the book [on the road] and have it proof read, printed, published and in the shops a couple of weeks after the ride is finished.
Still, they made a couple of mill out of the last one.........so why not again.
.
.
.
.
.
Or am I just cynical.
How many hours do they ride a day? If they aren't doing over 10 or 12 hours, then they have quite a bit of time for maintenance and sleep, plus daily video logs and written logs. The book is therefore written on the way and then edited when they get back. Most of the work is done during the trip, then they can lounge around for another two years until they need to make more money!
Only joking! It would be nice to have the money they have and not have to worry about killing themselves and leaving their families in financial difficulties. I'm still not too sure about Ewans' wife tagging along. Why?
After watching the first episode I thought I'd re-watch the first of Long way Round and I think I found the answer in that for you Spamel.
Ewan says 'I asked Ev if she'd look after my wedding ring whilst I'm away. but she started to cry. So I said Ev, Ev but if I wear it I wouldn't get laid on the trip!' :D
I know SWMBO'd wouldn't let me have a sniff at a trip like this without her getting a look in. Whether I asked her to look after my wedding ring or not!
P
Burnt Ash
01-11-2007, 16:14
Likewise a shelter that can't stand up to a bit of weight (and I bet Max didn't jump on it) probably won't stand up to a the strong African wind. Lesson learnt.. build a shelter strong enough to withstand the elements...now move on and stop bleating.
Pablo.
You're an expert on Africa, huh?
Burnt Ash
John Fenna
01-11-2007, 16:51
The SA wind is a force to be reckoned with!
I had a brand new 4 man Goedesic Dome tent torn to shreds in a matter of minutes in a blow that only lasted about a half hour.
Ancient pine trees were blown down- with big root systems, the roots ending up about 18 foot high once the tree was flat
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u142/johnfenna/2005_0724newphotos0088.jpg
the bloke in the pickie is aprox 6foot 6 inches tall
Ewans shelter would probably have been shredded too!
The weather in Africa is ridiculous. If you haven't been out in the rain in Africa, then you don't know what real rain is! It is worse than any of the places I've visited, and I have been to a few places. We used to get torrential rain once or twice a year in Hameln, Germany that lasted maybe twenty minutes, and it was really bad. You would be soaked in seconds and it appeared so quickly you didn't have time to get waterproofs on, and just as quickly it was gone and the sun came out!
Africa has similar rain, but it lasts for days!
What I'd like to know is how they get the time to write the book [on the road] and have it proof read, printed, published and in the shops a couple of weeks after the ride is finished.
Still, they made a couple of mill out of the last one.........so why not again.
.
.
.
.
.
Or am I just cynical.
Well they finished the journey at the beginning of August, and presumably chapters were being written and proof read at various stages throughout the journey, so effectively only needed days? probably for the final chapter to be written.
twisted firestarter
01-11-2007, 17:14
Hey Tourist (and anyone else planning a trip down through Africa)
Keep a close eye out for civil unrest on your route, it can make travelling around difficult or
impossible as I once found when we couldn't get further south than Morocco even though
the original plan was S. Africa, all because of conflicts in Algeria and Mauritania where
both borders were closed.
Hey Tourist (and anyone else planning a trip down through Africa)
Keep a close eye out for civil unrest on your route, it can make travelling around difficult or
impossible as I once found when we couldn't get further south than Morocco even though
the original plan was S. Africa, all because of conflicts in Algeria and Mauritania where
both borders were closed.
Cheers Dude. Morrocco - Algeria has been closed for a while now.
Mauritania, apparently you have to remember that the border guards have birthdays, if you know what I mean.
Western Sahara, should be ok as I would like to visit with the Sahrawi Arabs.
Mali, is meant to be awesome.
Ghana, is developing and needs help.......which is why the plan is to leave all the goodies with a charity or aid agency down there.
Africa is a huge place, I've seen some parts of it, Spamel is right the rain can hose down, tracks turn to slush, villages float away and even 4x4's have problems getting thru........it's not lush and green for no reason. Other parts, when you walk outdoors it feels like you have thrown sand in your eye's and then clamped a hair dryer onto your eyeball's.
You're an expert on Africa, huh?
Burnt Ash
No, I'm certainly not an expert although I have visited a part of Africa not far off Ewan's route namely West Sudan (Al Fashir.) There's a detachment of police officers stationed there assisting the African Union and I experienced first hand what conditions are like (as described by John Fenna.) In this case our expert advice was provided by the military. They said "It can get windy." :rolleyes:
Pablo.
It might be a good idea to take a surplus WCP (water carriage pack) and APE (ancillary purification equipment) with you in a 1 3/4 trailer.
The 1 3/4 trailer will carry two 680 litre WCP's which is alot of water (1360 litres).
PAM 9;)
Burnt Ash
05-11-2007, 16:02
The SA wind is a force to be reckoned with!
I had a brand new 4 man Goedesic Dome tent torn to shreds in a matter of minutes in a blow that only lasted about a half hour.
Ancient pine trees were blown down- with big root systems, the roots ending up about 18 foot high once the tree was flat
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u142/johnfenna/2005_0724newphotos0088.jpg
the bloke in the pickie is aprox 6foot 6 inches tall
Ewans shelter would probably have been shredded too!
I'm not quite sure what the point of all this is. You're telling me that African winds can sometimes be strong enough to blow down trees and damage tents? Well, thanks for the heads up! It happens in the UK too sometimes. Coastal Britain is a much blowier place, habitually, than I recall Africa being. Yes, I've experienced some extreme weather in Africa. The regular electric storms in early summer in the Transvaal are pretty exciting and we once had 10 inches of rain overnight. In 1984 or 1985 there was a storm that hit Johannesburg and surrounds that delivered hailstones the size of cricket balls (the pictures were on the front pages of the national newspapers) and did many millions of rands worth of damage to buildings and vehicles. So what?
As a norm, you'll experience stronger winds in coastal Britain than inland in Africa, but one can encounter extremes of weather and storm forces almost anywhere in the world on occasion. But we still go camping in tents and under bashas. It is not usually necessary to erect an Anderson shelter for a night outdoors in Africa. But, hey, if you really feel the need to bivouac under something that will withstand being driven over by Land Rovers and tanks ...or clambered over by Ian Maxwell, then fire ahead! I'd be the last person to want to stop you having fun.
Burnt Ash
Although the programme is orientated towards them going to Africa, the training they did will have been generic. Funnily enough, from what I can gather they did experience some really bad wind, but then that happens in most campsites with a bean only diet!
:D
John Fenna
05-11-2007, 16:27
Well Burnt Ash, I live on the West Coast of Britain and have yet to experience any storms at home like I have in West Africa and on the West Coast of South Africa...part of which is also known as "The Cape of Storms " I belive...but it is obvious from what you have written that you ARE an expert on Africa so I bow to your superior knowledge on this subject.
Wherever I camp, home or abroad, I prefer, not an Anderson shelter, but at least something that will not fall over if some drunken pillock trips over it....
Some folk pitch anti deadfall ropes, some build shelters that stand up to the weather/Mad Max attacks...some dont.
Scots_Charles_River
05-11-2007, 18:26
Top Gear had an episode last night, driving across Botswana, really cool, in a Lancia, Ford Anglia and old Merc. Cougar Island on the biggest salt pan in the world looked amazing.
Nick
Scots_Charles_River
05-11-2007, 18:30
Heh, 1 sounds like a story told by parents to get kids to brush their teeth :D
"Brush your teeth or a Hyena is going to rip your face off!"
Also reminds me of Pieter Hugo's photos http://www.pieterhugo.com/nigeria/index.html
-- 10mins to the repeat on 2 ...
Seeing them against Humans in your link makes them look huge and VERY mean.
Nick
Burnt Ash
05-11-2007, 19:24
...but it is obvious from what you have written that you ARE an expert on Africa so I bow to your superior knowledge on this subject.
Expert? No: just a native!
Burnt Ash