The Pyrenees are a beautiful mountainous area with steep winding roads and spectacular vistas. Ideal biking territory. We have a KTM 690 Enduro R on the back of the truck. It sits on a platform along with the spare wheel. This is raised and lowered by a small electric winch. The KTM is a compromise but a pretty good one. Ideally, we would have a bigger bike for Diane to ride pillion. At the same time a smaller bike would be easier to handle off-road and for loading onto the platform. The KTM has a single cylinder engine. This makes the bike fairly light (125kg) and slim. But it still has enough poke that, even with a pillion, it can get down the road in a very handy fashion. As an alternative to Diane, I can also fit two panniers on the back for luggage. This is very useful for fetching and carrying things. When not in use the panniers also attach to the bike carrying platform.
Tail lift for the spare wheel, bike and panniers
Don’t mess with the goat
So, we spent a delightful day bobbing around little roads in the Pyrenees with no particular place to go. An assortment of goats and sheep added to the entertainment. Refreshment came from numerous drinking fountains dotted along the way. We followed a really tiny, winding road up to the border and then dropped down into Spain. Along some fast, flowing roads. Back up to the heights. Briefly down a dirt track and finally along a spectacular valley bottom back to Baloo.
Andorra is a tiny principality nestled between France and Spain. Is is also the gateway to the Pyrenees and a good place to buy cheap diesel. It is a strange tax-haven and duty free place with a population of just 77,000 people. It has the highest cigarette consumption in the world at 6,400 cigarettes per person each year. However, it may be that not all of these are for personal consumption as Andorra also has the highest life expectancy in the world at 81 years. Brexit fans will be pleased to know that Andorra is not part of the EU but will be disturbed that Andorra adopted the Euro as its official currency. Andorra declared war on Germany in WW1 but did not actually take part so was not included in the Treaty of Versailles. Technically, Andorra was still at war until 1958. 10 million annual visitors means over 1,000 tourists per resident each year. Andorra is unusual in that its airport is in another country (Spain) and so it its nearest train station (France).
Pas de la Casa
Andorra is very short on places to park for the night.
Everything is squished into two valleys giving a general sense of the country
and being very steep and crowded. We stopped on top of the hill above Pas de la
Casa just after entering Andorra so that the next day we could drive the rest
of the way through and escape to Spain before nightfall. It is not so far to
drive but the traffic and border queues can be massively time consuming. It all
worked out well. Fantastic sunset and the next day, fully stocked on diesel and
duty free, we emerged into Spain and started working our way west along the
Pyrenees.
France is a lovely country for travelling in a motorhome. Pleasant countryside. Easy parking. Quiet. We drifted across France without much effort as we settled back into living in Baloo.
Our normal routine is typically to drive a few hours a day. Mornings are for cleaning out the truck, fixing things, sorting out emails and occasionally baking bread. We also plan the route for the day. This is often a very superficial exercise and can sometimes be no more involved than choosing a direction.
Setting off in a clean, shiny truck
We don’t usually fit into a space in the supermarket car park
Fresh bread for breakfast
After a few hours driving, we arrive. Sometimes we just spot somewhere nice. Often we use Apps and guide books to try to identify a good parking spot. Sometimes we need to try a few places before the ideal pitch presents itself. Generally, we avoid campsites and commercial camper van stops. Baloo is remarkably self-sufficient: power, heating, water, cooking. We have a lovely bathroom with a shower and even if we use the washing machine, we still only need to take on water every few weeks. Our ideal site is quiet and possibly quite remote. Somewhere to walk the dog, enjoy the views and relax in the evening. My personal favourites have been on the top of mountains or cliffs.
Not far from Bordeaux we met up with Pete. I have known Pete since I was a teenager and we have had many adventures together on the cliffs, mountains and ski slopes of the world. He is pottering around France in his one-man camper van so we travelled together for a few days.
Pete suggested a visit to the Millau viaduct. Built in 2004
it is, at 336m, still one of the highest bridges in the world. A few years ago,
I watched a fascinating documentary about its construction and had been
interested in seeing it ever since. Diane and I hopped on the bike to have a
look around both ends of the bridge and then eventually we drove Baloo over the
main deck. Actually crossing the bridge is a bit of an anti-climax. The carriageways are well away from the edge
of the deck and there is a substantial fence. The view is limited and you do
not really get a sense of the height.
We waved goodbye to Pete and continued to trek south.
During the summer, we popped back to the UK to sort out a few things. However, before that, we took Baloo to the Arbentuer and Allrad Exhibition at Bad Kissingen. This is an annual show of expedition vehicles and equipment. A lot of exhibitors and visitors arrive to take over the town for one week a year. It is billed as the “World´s largest cross-country-expo” and it really is quite an event. Unicat are there every year and we were delighted to be invited to park Baloo on their stand. In preparation for the show we gave Baloo a good clean and some new livery.
Visiting the Unicat workshop
We really enjoyed the show. I particularly liked wandering
around looking at the massive range of vehicles and equipment on display. We
also had quite a few visitors and people we showed around Baloo. This was a bit
strange. Baloo is a terrific vehicle but it is also our home so it felt a bit
odd having strangers looking around inside. Fortunately, Diane was much better
at this than me so I tended to let her get on with it. That said, we met some
great people and had some fascinating chats. Elsewhere at the show there were
some really interesting travellers and great stories.
Tyres so big that it floats on water
Centre of Bad Kissingen
Drone shot in a tent
By the end of four days we were completely ready to get back
on the road again. This didn’t happen. Baloo went back to Unicat for some minor
improvements and changes. We went back to the UK to visit friends and family,
sort things out and deal with some of the mundane stuff of everyday life.
Now. At the end of September, we are properly back on the road
again and currently trekking across France.
Our last few days in Scandinavia and Norway continued to deliver. We’ve seen quite a lot of Norway now and the scenery everywhere is fabulous. Mountains, fjords, ferociously steep cliffs and gorgeous views. The roads are generally quiet, the people friendly and the travelling easy.
This sheep was giving us the eye – but generally Norway is a very friendly place
This is how we like to park up for the night. First, get off
the road. 2. Drive down a nice track. 3. Find a quiet and peaceful parking
place. 4. Feel smug. 5. Enjoy the view while cooking dinner.
Get off the road
Get right off the road
Find a nice parking place
Be happy
Contemplate the view
Eventually we ran out of Norway. We’d started at the very
top and had now reached the very bottom. It was a good trip and we’d like to
come back for another go someday. On the northward leg we had used the Øresund
Bridge. Described as an engineering marvel, it connects Copenhagen with Malmö
in Sweden and gives the northbound traveller excellent access to the central
Scandinavian hinterland. It is 8km long and starts in a tunnel. It is, without
doubt, very impressive. The toll fee is also impressive. Eye wateringly so.
For the return trip we took the ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals
in Denmark. There are two vessels that run this route. The HSC Fjord Cat is one
of the fastest car carrying ferries in the world and does over 40 knots. We
took Colorline Superspeed, another big, fast, comfortable catamaran that is more
pedestrian and cheaper.
Industry and fjords
Back in Denmark we ended the trip where we had started, three months earlier, with the wonderful Lars and Inge. The sun was shining. We hopped in one of their many Land Rovers and went for a picnic. Perfect.
After Denmark came the mostly boring trek back to the Unicat workshop in Germany. We paused briefly at the Kiel Canal. Watching the ships go past was fun for a while but they keep going all night and it did get to be a bit noisy for sleeping.
I have been told that I should write a little more about
each blog entry.
Lysebotn is a small village at the end of the Lysefjorden.
It is particularly isolated and can only be reached by a small road or by boat.
The surrounding cliffs are steep and high making them popular for base jumping.
The local economy is based on work at two hydroelectric stations – both of
which are built entirely inside the mountains. In the summer, when the road is
open, there is some tourism. The road is epic. It crosses the mountains for
some 25km and then goes down a 900m cliff to the village. This involves 27
hairpin turns, one of which is inside a tunnel.
Baloo is not very good at steep hairpin bends. Partly this is because of the limited turning circle. We have to do shunts to get round tighter bends. The other problem is that when executing a shunt we have to drive the front wheels right to the edge of the road. In this position the cab is hanging out over the drop and this is a bit scary. So, in the interests of a quieter life, we hopped on the bike.
Brilliant views coming over the mountains. Tight, winding road. Virtually no other traffic. Ideal really. Well, apart from the cloud and rain, that caught up with us just are we started the descent. By the time we reached the fjord at the bottom the rain was coming down by the bucket full. From the waterline the fjord was steep, high, dark, moody and ominous. We did a quick turnaround. Grabbed a couple of photos and then set off back up the hill. At the top of the hairpins is a fantastic wooden café which hangs out over the cliff. Great scenery despite the mist. The rain turned to snow making me a bit concerned for the trip back. The KTM 690 Enduro is a terrific bike but, like most bikes, it is rubbish in the snow.
Coffee and cake in the café to fuel the return journey then back over the mountains. The snow eased as we reached the highest point. Happy days. It had just started to settle on the road a little but then faded away and suddenly there were patches of blue skies in front of us. The rest of the trip back to Baloo and Cent was cold, uneventful and thoroughly enjoyable.
The Sognefjord is Norway’s longest and deepest fjord. Incredible views, big waterfalls, narrow roads, small but very capable ferries. We stumbled upon the steep road to Gaularfjellet. Baloo needed to do shunts on several hairpins. With the front wheels at the edge of the road, the cab is hanging out into space. I find this more than a little disconcerting at times.
At the far end of Nordfjord is the Briksdalen Valley. A classic U shaped glacial valley that still has a glacier at the end. This place can be very busy with visitors but luckily we got there a week or two before the main tourist and cruise ship season begins.
Tunnel seemed very small from inside Baloo
Briksdalsbreen is an arm of the great Jostedalsbreen Glacier
A few days ago, one of our German Shepherds, Mitsi, took her
last trip to the vet. We were sad to see her go. This is her story.
Mitsi came from a dog rescue centre. She had been re-homed
three times and each time came back to the centre because of intolerable
behaviour. So, despite being a lovely looking German Shepherd with a clear
pedigree, she was scheduled to be put down. Mitsi was a fundamentally nervous
dog. Her response to any situation that unsettled her was to be aggressive. If
she saw another dog, she would immediately go for it. She would also attack
people, in particular adult men, and this had already caused a lot of trouble. I have looked after dogs all my life. Of course
I could deal with a dog like Mitsi – all she needed was a stable environment
and a firm hand. I was completely wrong.
The first week that a dog is in a new environment is a
little honeymoon period. The dog will cautiously explore its surroundings and learn
about its social position. Typically, the dog is a bit withdrawn, shy, quiet
and generally unobtrusive. I did not know this. I thought everything was going
well and that Mitsi had found the safe environment that she could settle down
in.
A couple of weeks later she began to assert herself. She
started using the upstairs of the house as a toilet, chased my cats away, ate
part of the sofa and bit my good friend Pete. She also bit my Dad and dug holes
in the garden. Taking her for a walk was a nightmare. If she saw another dog,
she went ballistic. Straining on the end of her lead, barking furiously,
pulling for all she was worth and not taking a blind bit of notice of anything
I said or did. She also went for people, adults and children, so our walks
became a furtive and isolated nocturnal affair.
I needed help. I met with several people. We tried clickers, food treats, command words, gestures and even dropping keys on the floor. These tactics were about as effective as waving a stick at a runaway locomotive. Mitsi could go from zero to redline in the blink of an eye and there was nothing I could do about it. We looked at some training classes. But what Mitsi needed was not training but some sort of behaviour modification. I did not want to teach her tricks I just wanted to be able to take her for a walk and actually enjoy it. Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer – TV show in the USA) seemed to have a good approach. I read his books and watched the TV series but could not work out how this could translate this into something that would work with Mitsi. I read many other books. Learnt an awful lot about dogs, aggressive dogs, badly behaved dogs and much more but still could not find something I could really use.
Then a chance encounter led me to meet up with Keith (www.keithdickinson.co.uk). Keith is from Barnsley. He is 100% Yorkshire. Opinionated, stubborn, dour, intolerant, would rather deal with dogs than people, smokes roll-ups, drinks bitter and has a heart of gold. On our first meeting Mitsi set off as usual – barking furiously, pulling furiously, ignoring me completely – and Keith stopped her dead. He did something, waved his arms, said something and my manic dog lay down on the floor, quiet as you like. It was the sort of thing you see on television and do not really believe. I had no idea how he did it. In five seconds, he had done something that I had failed to achieve in months of trying. Brilliant, I thought. Show me how.
I ended up spending several years training with Keith. Weekly classes and guided walk with twenty or more other dogs. A few months in it began to dawn on me that we were not really training the dog at all – it was me that was getting an education. Dogs live in the moment and actually behave in very predicable ways. Any dog, in a given set of circumstances, will react in a similar fashion. Keith had not stopped Mitsi with magic; he had simply talked to her in a way she understood. Similarly, there is no magic ending to this story; Mitsi remained a nervous dog all her life. German Shepherds have a predisposition to nervousness (which can make them good guard dogs) and she had probably been treated appallingly when a puppy. As Keith explained it – we cannot stop her feeling scared but we can change how she responds to this. The key to this is leadership. By being her pack leader, a Cesar Millan expression, she would look to me for guidance rather than reacting on her own. Dog training classes then are really about teaching people how to understand the way a dog sees the world and how to communicate with it. Much of this is quite counter-intuitive to most people, which is why the relationship with their dog is often not what they think it is at all.
20 badly behaved dogs
Introductions
I could fairly quickly get on top of some of the worst
behaviour. New people could be introduced to the house without risk of being
bitten. Toilet habits were addressed. She stopped damaging the furniture. It
took a while, but she eventually even made friends with the cats. Her immediate
reaction to seeing another dog always remained aggressive but I could limit
this and with a modicum of work overcome it. She made friends with many dogs
and got to run free with other dogs in the field. Of course, if I was not there
then she would revert to her previous form and this did give rise to several
incidents of people being bitten throughout her life (sorry Pete, Malcolm, Liz,
Graham, Franca, the Frenchman, the Swede and possibly others).
The other problem with Mitsi was eating. She did not like commercial dog food at all despite being very skinny when I got her. She also had a tendency to eat her own poos, coprophagia. Why would she eat a poo rather than kibble? This really made no sense to me. Keith had the answer to this as well. Commercial dog food is, despite all appearances, a by-product of the human food industry with the primary purpose of reducing waste. The contents of dog food is not based on what a dog wants or needs but actually much more to do with what the food industry has left over. So, for example, kibble contains a minimum of 30% carbohydrate and starch which dogs simply cannot chew properly or digest. Most dog food, tinned, dried or whatever, contains grains and other foodstuff which are completely indigestible to dog. To make the commercial dog food more appealing synthetic colouring and flavour enhancements are added. Much of the kibble passes straight through the dog leading to big, messy poos which are still flavoured with the chemicals.
Dogs are carnivores. Just look at their teeth. Sharp fangs
designed to cute and tear. They are seriously meant for killing and eating
animals. We are not quite sure when the first dogs were domesticated but
somewhere round 15,000 years ago there were no dogs at all, just wolves. This
is not so long in evolutionary terms and certainly their digestive system is
virtually identical to the modern wolf. Dogs have evolved to eat raw meat and
the odd bit of vegetable matter. I tried feeding her on raw chicken, bones and
everything, with a few raw vegetables. Uncooked chicken bones are quite soft
and easily digested by a dog. Cooked bones are hard, can splinter, are
indigestible and dangerous.
She loved it. She would eat as much as I gave her – for the
first time ever. She put on weight, her coat improved and she stopped eating
poos. She noticeably became more relaxed and content – as you might expect of a
dog that was finally feeling we fed. And she was healthy on a raw diet. Very
healthy. Her stomach will have become much more acidic than a kibble dog and
this gave her much greater immunity to many pathogens a scavenging dog can
encounter. Apart from immunisations, the only time Mitsi saw a vet was her last
time.
Training, diet, environment and leadership. She was never
going to be perfectly well behaved or good with other dogs but we could at
least live together and even enjoy the odd walk. Mostly I kept her muzzled when
we were out. Some people do not like muzzles but it meant I could let her off
the lead and let her meet other dogs without the danger of things getting
nasty.
Mitsi got involved in pretty much everything Diane and I
did. We bought a motorhome so that we could take her on holiday. We travelled
the country. We travelled abroad. She went skiing and loved it. I bought her a
pulling harness. She loved pulling, took to it immediately. In the summer, she
would pull me on my bike and in winter, I would take to skis. All good but I
could never quite trust her with other dogs and got to wondering if a companion
would help. Dogs are pack animals and generally like being with other dogs.
They also tend to be better behaved when in groups. Mitsi was definitely
improved. What Cesar calls “the power of the pack”. Anyhow, I quite fancied
having another dog.
Dog pulling power
Guarding the motorhome
Mitsi does the Alps
Keith introduced me to Vikkas kennels in Lincolnshire. They
mostly breed dogs for military, police and protection work. We went down there
one afternoon and came away with Cent. Cent is a big boy dog, almost twice the
size of Mitsi. He is a thoroughbred GSD with an impeccable pedigree. More
importantly, he is calm and well balanced. The introductions were a bit tricky.
Mitsi was quite resistant to losing her status as top dog. However, after Cent
had asserted himself a few times she started to get the message and eventually
they became great friends. For the most part Mitsi was calmed and reassured by
Cent’s presence. Occasionally it made things worse when Mitsi felt she
absolutely had to have a go at someone or something and Cent would dive in to
help her.
Dogs in caves
Wolves in the forest
In her later years Mitsi developed Canine Degenerative Myelopathy,
a genetic condition that caused progressive weakness in her back legs. This did
not stop her going everywhere with us. When we were finally ready to take to
the road in Baloo we set up a bed for her behind the driver’s seat. We also got
her a harness so we could help her in and out. She was very happy to take on
the world from up there. She was sat behind me. She could see everything out of
the windows. She could bark at passing dogs from the safety of her vantage
point. Like this, she happily travelled right across Europe.
Ready to take on Europe
We were sad to see Mitsi go. It was comforting to reflect on
the long journey we had made together. She got a life and I learned more about
dogs than I thought possible. Cent is the best dog I have ever known and I feel
that I understand dogs well enough now as to be worthy of him. In a sense, this
is all because of Mits. So we owe her a lot and we will all miss her.
Lofoten is a chain of islands. Very picturesque and, during the summer, popular with tourists. Fortunately for us it is still the winter for visitors so peace and quiet prevailed.
Anden Island is to the North of Langøya. It is one of the few places that Puffins breed. In Nyksund, we found a man with a boat who took us on a short trip around the island. The first few puffins were returning from the sea. We also saw Sea Eagles, Shags, Kittiwakes and Harbour Seals.
This is as far North as it is possible to drive in Europe. It is very popular. We waited six days for the roads to be cleared and drove up with the first convoy. Met some interesting people but after an hour or so we left as the first coaches of tourists from the Hurtigruten cruise ship arrived.
Into Norway, heading for Nordkapp, the most northerly point in Europe. Bad weather had closed the roads from Honningsvåg and we got pinned down for a few days.
Sweden made for a gentle introduction to Scandinavian driving. Over several days the clear roads became snowy as we made our way north to Åre for a few days skiing.
A tremendous rainbow marked our departure from the workshop and the start of a long trek North. In Denmark we met up with some old friends, the marvelous Lars and Inge, who thoroughly maintain the Danish reputation for being the happiest people in the world. We left Denmark via the Öresund Bridge – a magnificent feat of engineering and possibly the most expensive toll bridge in the world.
More fresh snow and some great skiing. Got a little bit crowded at times but by getting up early and skiing at lunchtime we could still find some quiet spaces.
Just down the road from very busy Lets Gets is the little village of Sommand. The ski area is smaller. It is also quiet, friendly and has great opportunities for skiing on fresh, untouched snow.
Spent a week at Lets Gets on the French border. We were there to meet up with an old friend and ski. It snowed quite a lot. The slopes were crowded. Many Brits on package tours.
This used to be a very popular location for motor homes. Close to a chair lift. The ‘Aire de Camping Cars’ costs €18 per day. For which you get – nothing. Well, not quite, there is a hole in one corner of the car park to empty your washing up water. However, that really is the full scope of the facilities. When the inspectors came round, they took our money and then told us we were not welcome. Too big. Do not come back. How big is too big? They got very vague on this and shuffled a bit. Oh well. Lets Gets just got a little less popular.
We headed into Austria, again, following reports of lots of snow. We got completely stuck because of weight restrictions, again. In fact there were extra restrictions in place because of the snow. After a couple of days we did manage to reach one ski resort but were told quite firmly that we could not camp there. So we left Austria disappointed, again, and headed for Germany, again.
Garmisch is really the only serious ski area in Germany but it is lovely. There was fresh snow, good runs, good views and good restaurants.
Its the start of the ski season and the start of a small tour of the Alps for Baloo. Alpe d’Huez, at 1800m, is perched high above the Romanche valley which is frequently filled with cloud (at least, it was while we were there). We had to share a motor home park with many other vehicles. Fantastic views and very convenient for the slopes.
Austria is a very pretty place. In the snow it looks really fabulous. We learned that Baloo is impeccably behaved in fresh snow – breezing over the Obertauern pass we were the only truck that did not need snow chains. But being truck sized in Austria appears to be a bit of a problem. For a start you need a ‘GoBox’ tracking unit to pay the rather expensive road tolls but the real kicker was all the weight restrictions. We found it really difficult to get anywhere without encountering a restricted road. Eventually we rolled into a town where, from the center, every exit had a weight restriction. Including the road we had come in on. At this point we gave up and took the most direct route out of Austria.
Trekking North through Bosnia we found some wonderful lakes, mountains forests and roads
We also came across minefields. I once had a close encounter with a land mine and have been a bit nervous of them ever since. Inevitably we wondered if the unmarked areas were really safe, so we tended not to linger anywhere or wander too far off the road.
No walking in these woods
Biggest bulldozer ever
Lovely valley but full of warnings about land mines
Then one morning we woke up in the snow. We had moved from summer to winter in just a few days.
Dedicated dog swimming place. This dog was not interested though.
Outdoor museum. The huts have a little water wheel used for spinning cotton.
First snow of the year caught a few people by surprise
In the East of Serbia we came across the Tara National Park and the magnificent Zaovine Lake. Also there were bears. Spent a couple of happy days driving around the lake but we didn’t see any bears.
Building a vehicle like Baloo takes a few years. Some of this is the physical construction but the greater part is the planning, preparation and discussion necessary to drive the project.
When I first met up with Thomas Ritter at the Unicat workshop, I had a few clear ideas about what I wanted but only a few. I also had many questions and a massive list of uncertainties. We spent a whole day looking at vehicles, talking about my plans and discussing possibilities. By the time I left my head was awash with ideas and dreams. It was all possible. The life that Diane and I had discussed many times might actually be possible. The vehicle would be based on a commercial 6×6 truck with a motorcycle mounted on the back.
Diane and I have a long history of camper vans and motorhomes. We had a good sense of issues that needed addressing so that we could travel, full time, in a vehicle. We were far less certain of how to resolve these issues. One of the fundamental problems is simply that of capacity. Fresh water, grey water (from the shower and sink) and black water (toilet) are heavy. A conventional camper is limited to a maximum weight of 3,500kg so that it can be driven on an ordinary (class B) car licence. Despite being made of lightweight materials the vehicle and its systems will take up most of the allowable weight. The final payload is typically just a few hundred kilograms so total water capacity will usually be well under 200kg. This translates to just a few days of water, especially if you want a shower each day. The toilet will be full in a few days. Not a problem if you stay on campsites but makes going further afield difficult.
Similar considerations apply to batteries. It is difficult to carry enough capacity for more than a day or two and difficult to keep them charged.
In the winter keeping a camper van warm can be hard work. LPG is the usual energy source for heating, cooking and water heating. LPG is compact but even so our experience was that we could easily burn 10kg a week in the Alps and that meant a weekly trip to buy gas.
Our previous camper was a beautiful tag-axled Dethleffs Esprit. With a curbside weight of 5,500kg (class C1) this gave us a bit more scope but even so, being more than just a few days away from a campsite services was tricky. Worse, as a vehicle it was horribly compromised. The immense rear overhang would ground out on the slightest inclination and the front wheels would lose traction on even slightly damp grass.
With a truck, the payload is measured in tonnes. A 6×6 can go anywhere. A motorcycle is the perfect complement to a somewhat ponderous truck.
There was clearly a great solution here. For me there were two immediate problems. I could not drive a truck and had never ridden a motorcycle.
The SH21 looks likes a good road on the map. Some of it is. To the top of the pass is a steep tarmac road with violently exposed hairpin bends. Down the other side is a dirt track with vertiginous unprotected drops even tighter corners and spectacular views. This was a job for the bike.
