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36 | Travel: Trakka Dakar Trakka Dakar · Trakka Dakar Dirty deeds done but far from dirt cheap…...

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Trakka Dakar Dirty deeds done but far from dirt cheap… 36 | Travel: Trakka Dakar
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Page 1: 36 | Travel: Trakka Dakar Trakka Dakar · Trakka Dakar Dirty deeds done but far from dirt cheap… 36 | Travel: Trakka Dakar

TrakkaDakarDirty deeds done but far from dirt cheap…

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I n Issue 7, way back on August 4th 2012, we brought you a custom made Trakka Jabiru Xtra 4X4 destined for

the high plains and high life of the 2013 Dakar Rally in South America. Owner Mark Davidson didn't make the journey as planned, but did get to Dakar 2014 – along with his custom Jabiru as his trusty support vehicle.

The Dakar is the toughest race of its kind on earth and is open to motorcycles, quad bikes, cars and trucks. Mark was riding a specially built KTM motorcycle and the Trakka Dakar (as we christened it) served as team transport, sleeping accommodation and workshop.

TrakkaThe unique Mano del Desierto sculpture is 11 m tall and sits in the Atacama Desert. Custom Trakka (below) served as a mobile workshop and bike transport.

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Trakka’s service manager, Jeff Cripps, landed the enviable job of steering the Trakka Dakar in support of Mark and another rider, Troy, sharing the vehicle and its facilities. Mark had raced in the 2010 and 2011 Dakar rallies but failed to finish on both occasions, such is the physical effort, mechanical reliability and sheer luck required. Would 2014 be his breakthrough year? Read on to find out.

Photo Credit: Marc Van Der Aa/Shakedown Team, Etape 04 San Juan - Chilecito 8-Jan-2014

The Dakar is the toughest race of its kind Earth.

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After spending three weeks with the Dakar Rally in South America

I’m struggling a bit to put it into perspective: From New Years Eve, spent in the home of an extended Argentinian family (whose hospitality and generosity towards us, a bunch of strangers, was exceptional) to the lush, green of the Argentinian countryside and the friendly, excited enthusiasm of the Argentinian people; to the incomprehensibly vast wasteland west of the Andes that makes up the northern part of Chile and incorporates the Atacama Desert, where rain hasn't fallen for hundreds of years.

Laid over the top of this patchwork we spent almost a week in the Argentinian city of Rosario, preparing for the start, then two weeks sucked into the whirlwind that is the Dakar Rally. We drove relentlessly; north through Argentina, across the Andes and south through Chile to end in the coastal city of Valparaiso.

That was more than 6200 km for us in the support crew, comprising Max the mechanic, Riley the manager and me, the driver. Our riders, Mark and Troy, would have to cover over 8,700 km of road sections and selective sections to complete the rally. It's going to take

quite some time for the full extent of it all to fully sink in.

Our support vehicle, a Jabiru Xtra built on a Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 was able to transport the crew and all gear needed for our mobile 'service workshop' with comfort and ease. We crossed all manner of terrain and the 4x4 facility helped us get out of some sticky situations a lot easier than some of the heavier, more elaborate setups we were travelling with could manage.

Despite our extensive load of people and equipment and some re-fills from what could only be described as 'questionable' refuelling

Trakka’s service manager, Jeff Cripps, drove the custom Trakka Jabiru Xtra in the support role.

Jeff's Story

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stations, the Jabiru performed faultlessly. It also pulled through the 12 hour drive over the Andes crossing at 4860 metres (15,900 ft ) without missing a beat. Truly impressive!

The Dakar Rally is described in the documentary 'Madness in the Desert' as something that has become a “victim of it's own success.” With an international TV audience that's outnumbered only by the World Cup and the Olympics (which are only held once every four years) the annual Dakar Rally is extraordinary to behold and mind boggling to be a part of. It's no wonder that it's now referred to as "The Odyssey”...

The Adventure Revealed

Dakar rider and Takka Dakar owner Mark Richard writes, “I was looking forward to the adventure and was not

short changed.”

Day 3 starts at 5 am I’m running 103 rd after having a good previous day in first dune stage. Stage 3 was the first of the two marathon stages and the route was to take us to an unprecedented elevation of 4400 m. I was aware of my previous problems with altitude sickness, but thought I had conquered it with months of training at a synthetic 3000 m and taking medication for the previous 5 days.

The route had been altered due to some significant rainfall and was reduced from 350 km to 230 km. The feature and challenge of the stage were the three mountain climbs. The

Organised chaos at the port in Calama, Argentina, where all the vehicles had to be collected and scrutinised for compliance, including the support vehicles.

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road book (my map) showed we would climb from 1000 to 4400 m in just under 80 km, traversing the three summits. This altitude had been reached in previous years but not on a competitive stage and not in the extreme conditions that awaited us.

I reached the first mountain and cleared it well, but the second was a different matter. It was so long and so steep I couldn’t see the top because of the neck brace restriction. I hit it as fast and as hard as I could. The strength of the engine is well known but here even it started to falter due to the lack of oxygen. I got to about 300 m short of the summit and could feel the altitude hit both me and the bike – but the KTM fared best. I was slipping the clutch for the final 100 m and the head spin became serious. At the top of this climb I was feeling very weird. I had to rest, but the more I rested the worse I got.

Multi-tasking Jabiru: Transporter, shelter,

accommodation, workshop, communication base and

National symbol all in one.

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For those who have never experienced altitude sickness it’s a strange, un-nerving and potentially life threatening experience. For me, first comes dizziness, then a migraine-like headache followed by vomiting.

I cleared the second summit (I think) at about 4 pm. I then took a look at the final climb – 1,500 m in one go. F**k me, I thought.

This is where it all becomes a little vague. I took the air filter off to help the bike breath but I don’t really remember the climb itself. I got stuck just short of the summit in what can only be described as a rock garden the likes of which wouldn’t be out of place in an extreme event. The only way through was to walk the 200 kg bike through – hard at the best of

times, but add the altitude and the tiredness it became almost an impossible task.

I’m not really sure how long it took but I managed to get through and rest at the top. If I dropped the bike once I dropped it 20 times and each time I picked it up it got heavier. I took stock of my situation: It was now late, about 7 pm, I had reached the top and only had 70 km to ride to the bivouac and dinner, bed and rest.

There were a myriad of tracks at the summit; some leading to another summit in the distance, some to the left and some to the right. I decided to take the one to the left that vaguely looked like the cap bearing on the road book. It led to very steep ravine – once

Photo credit: Gigi Soldano

Etape 11 Antofagasta El Salvador

16/01/2014

Race organisers operate a fleet of medical

rescue helicopters that performance genuinely

lifesaving services in some of the most remote and

difficult terrain in the world.

I reached the first mountain and cleared it well, but the second was a different matter.

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entered, there was no return. There where tracks in front of me, I passed a very smashed-up quad bike of last year’s winner, Marcos Patronelli. This was a good sign; if he had been here I must have the good track. I had dropped may be 300 to 400 m in the space of 1 or 2 km and it was like going down a black ski run, it was so steep and rocky.

As the ravine levelled out I came across another quad bike: Number 284. It had overturned in the big rocks and its pilot was trapped underneath. I stopped and managed to pull him free; his right arm was broken in several places and he complained of either broken ribs or some internal injuries – he had no English and I no Spanish. I called Paris on the Iritrac (a satellite tracking system) to report. This is where the real fun began.

By now it’s about 7:45 pm and starting to get dark in the ravine. Paris tells me, “You are in the wrong ravine and unless 284’s injuries are life threatening there will be no helicopter

tonight. It’s mayhem on the mountain and too dangerous to send a helicopter into a ravine with failing light – besides you will not be able to find your way out in the dark you have two rivers to cross and there are steep cliffs. Stay with 284 and we will have a chopper to you at first light.”

I looked at the quad, Ricky Rios it said was its pilot, was he going to die? I didn’t think so, but I’m no doctor. I told Paris this and also about my illness. “Very good monsieur, keep him warm, relax yourself and try not to sleep, it is best if you stay awake and drink lots of water – you do have your safety equipment, yes?”

Ricky and I spent a long night in that cold ravine; 4000 m up, no food, water from my bash plate and a space blanket each. At about 10 pm I gave him two morphine tablets that I had been carrying and poor old Ricky goes comatose on me. I think I’ve killed him. He won’t wake up and has a pulse but it’s only slight. Around 2 am he stirs, but with a raging

Credit: Gigi Soldano Etape 3

San Rafael - San Juan 07/01/2014 - Argentine

Support vehicles follow public roads and are

satellite tracked to ensure speed limit compliance.

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The annual Dakar Rally is extraordinary to behold and mind-boggling to be a part of.

Credit: Eric Vargiolu / DPPI Etape 11 - Antofagasta El Salvador - 16/01/2014 Chili - Ambiance course

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thirst and wants to consume all our water. He talks in his native tongue, me in mine and neither of us knowing what each other is saying. Did we care? No, at least we could both talk.

At dawn I hear the chopper approaching. I set off my safety flare to signal our location but wonder where it’s going to land, the only flat spot is about the size of a small kitchen. The chopper is one of those really small little bubble jobs – pilot and doctor and nothing else – looks like Ricky’s going home on the outside.

We wrap up old Ricky in a trick suction blanket thing that restricts all movement (I don’t tell the doctor about the morphine) and haul him aboard – doctor gives me some water and biscuits and tells me to call Paris and they will “walk” me out.  Hasta la Vista, Ricky.

I pack up, put the bash plate back on and pad up. Hit the starter – f**k, flat battery – all the calls to Paris all night.  I go searching for the battery

in the quad for a jump start – must be there somewhere you’d think, wouldn’t you? I can’t find it anywhere. I look where the little chopper just took off from. I’ve got, say, 30 m of down hill before big rocks. Bump start Sure. Choke on or choke off? Get one go at this – no choke – lets go – bang – nailed it! Better not stall!

I call Paris and tell ‘em I’m ready to roll. “Okay 121 you have about 50 km of off-piste to ride and it will be hard, it will take some time. This is what we will do. You press your green button now, that will give me your position, I will then give you cap and distance to follow, when you get to the distance press the green button again then call me back and we repeat the process. Roger that 121?”

That 50 km took me 5 hours. Sometimes old Pierre in Paris was on the money, other times he would send me to a vertical cliff face and I’d then back track to find a better way, and so it went for hours.

Credit: Gigi Soldano / DPPI Etape 5 - Chilecito - Tucumàn - 09/01/2014 - Argentine

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I rolled into the bivouac at about 11:30 am – I left the last bivouac the previous morning at 5 am – Id’e been going for some 29 hours.

And that’s where the TV picks up the story: 10 minutes to rest then go into the next stage – 340 km of hard rocky terrain, still at 3000 m.

What happened next? I rode as well as I could but crashed often, I was so exhausted. Sometime around 6 pm, at the 120km mark, I parked up and called Paris for the last time.

Old Pierre answered. “Nice to hear from you 121. The medics have been shadowing you for some time. Stay where you are they will be with you shortly, Bravo to you.”

That’s where my Dakar ended, on that lonely plain.

Credit: Francois Flamand/ DPPI Etape 5 - Chilecito - Tucumàn - 09/01/2014 - Argentina

Credit: Frederic Le Floch / DPPI Etape 13 - La Serena - Valparaiso 18-01-2014 - Chile

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