"From Switzerlane - To Alaska and Patagonia"

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happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 21, 2011 - 05:02pm PT

Driving west on HWY 62 today I got behind a rig sporting a sign with those words. The vehicle was a green army-of-some-sort issue cargo truck at least 20 years old and pulling a trailer of the same vintage/color. It had several license plates on the side, the only one of which I recognized was from Canada.

But - Pretty damned cool! I don't think they turned left at the wrong Yucca and were lost. They were packed for the long haul, that's for sure. I would assume they were on some climbing expedition - what other sort of trip would go to both those locales in one run?

Wondering if a post on Supertopo can glean any information on these travelers...

ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber

San Francisco, Ca

Jan 21, 2011 - 05:06pm PT

Don't know about these particular folks but I've seen similar rigs. Mostly Europeans driving around the world. I stayed in a campground (of sorts) in Islamabad and there were some people who had driven there from France and were on their way to Australia. Others were heading across Asia.

Saw Swiss people doing the same thing in Bolivia.

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 21, 2011 - 05:08pm PT

I'm wondering if they picked up the rig in Canada, or if it is a Swiss mobile they shipped over.

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Jan 21, 2011 - 05:41pm PT

Driving from the Arctic Ocean to Tierra del Fuego isn't that unusual. Cycling, too. They start either at Tuktoyaktuk/Inuvik, where the MacKenzie River debouches into the ocean, or at the north end of the road going to Alaska's north slopes. There may be one or two gaps in the middle, in Panama or Columbia. The idea, of course, being to get to Punta Arenas. Europeans do like this sort of stuff, plus they can see lots of bears and Indians on the way. Too much Karl May, perhaps.

ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber

San Francisco, Ca

Jan 21, 2011 - 06:09pm PT

The people I talked to just shipped their rigs to the next continent. The French guys were traveling with an entire spare engine! Super cool rigs- heavy duty 4x4 camper mobiles.