Offroad Driving Holiday in the French Pyrénées

Next Dates: May 2006

Grade: 2

Fly-Drive Option available.

Route

To be updated shortly.

Conditions

· Temperatures from 25°C to -5°C with sunshine, clouds and rain frequently
· Winds light to strong
· Mud, water and rock tracks
· Camps are very good. Hotels range from reasonable to excellent
· Possibility of snow after May

Training Day

The training day, as well as being fun, give you the chance to get to know us and your fellow travellers. During these very comprehensive training days, you will have the opportunity to have your vehicle looked over by the Impala team, who are experts in expedition vehicle preparation, and can give you all the advice you need.

The day include training in:

· Navigation
· Driving
· Maintenance

and will include advice on: camping and health.

There is one for each Impala trip that we run, contact us for dates.

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Special Equipment - Pyrénées

A full list of required equipment for all Safaris can be found in the Equipment section. In addition to this list you will require the following:

Vehicle Preparation

· Full service - with oil changes of engine, gear box and axle oils
· Guards for differentials, steering and fuel tanks
· NO tow bars, spoilers or running boards
· NO extra fuel
· Snorkel and waterproofing of electrics

Equipment/Parts

· 2 bridging/sand ladders
· 2 metre rope/strop and 2 "D" shackles

Maps

See www.stanfords.co.uk

A good road map is sufficient for this safari.

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Clothing

The Pyrénées is a mountainous region and therefore can be very cold. Therefore clothes bought should be able to withstand temperatures from -1ºC to 20ºC. It can also be fairly wet so make sure you bring good waterproofs. A suggested list is:

For a 7 day trip to the French Pyrénées:

· 5-6 cotton T-shirts
· 3-4 pairs of utility trousers (or similar)
· 1-2 fleeces
· 3 set of waterproofs (expect not to be able to dry clothes)
· 3-4 warm jumpers
· warm socks (for nightime)
· 1 hat (for warmth at night and protection from the sun)
· 1 pair of sunglasses
· walking boots/sturdy shoes
· nightwear (warm but comfortable)

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Food

You should have enough food with you for two weeks for every person in your party.

Good food to take is that which does not take a lot of preparation i.e. ready made meals to heat in a saucepan, tins of fruit, chilli, potatoes etc.

Try to buy items that have combustible packaging; i.e. paper, card or plastic. Please note that tin is not combustible and does not decompose easily.

Couscous is a good substitute for rice which takes a lot of boiling (therefore using up resources). Fresh vegetables, fruit and bread can be bought most days. Remember to avoid eating salads in restaurants and drinks like orange squash which use local water.

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Health Advice

We take a serious view on Health and Hygiene during our adventures and as long as a few basic rules are followed you will have an enjoyable, illness free time with Impala Adventures.

Water

1. Use only bottled water, making sure the top is secured. At Cafés and Restaurants water is often put on tables in what appears to be sealed bottles but in fact it is often tap water which has been put into water bottles.

2. Any opened bottles must not be used for drinking after 1 day. Use yesterday's opened water for washing.

3. Try to keep the water cool. This can be achieved by covering with a blanket low down in the vehicle.

4. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. YOU CAN VERY EASILY BECOME DEHYDRATED.

5. Take some water purification tablets to treat local water.

Suggested Vaccinations

Check polio and tetanus are all up to date.

Health care

Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. Likewise with hepatitis A and diphtheria. Freshwater fish from the Baltic Sea area could contain fish tapeworm, causing diphyllobothriasis.

The agreement with the UK allows free medical treatment (including hospital treatment) and some free dental treatment on presentation of an NHS card. UK citizens must, however, pay a call-out charge as well as 30% of the cost of prescribed medicines obtained at a public pharmacy.

All vaccinations can be obtained at your local surgery. You should check with your doctor up to 8 weeks before you leave as most courses are for 6 week period.

We suggest that you take Medical Insurance cover whilst you adventure with us and suggest you get an E111 (available from Post Offices) which will cover you in European countries.

In case of an emergency we will have a satellite phone with us at all times.

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Prices

Price for a vehicle and 2 passengers = tba

Look what we include:

Does not include: Medical and Vehicle Insurance.

Booking

Right click on one of the below links and select "Save Target As" to save a booking form to your computer:

Offroad Safari Booking Form (as Word Doc for PC)

Offroad Safari Booking Form (as pdf)

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