A Land Rover Defender, a Four-Wheel camper, an Australian driver. A French co-pilot, lost and bogged in the Sahara Desert Morocco, a head on collision in Portugal. Snapped axles in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, frozen river crossing disasters in Mongolia. Arrested on suspicion of being spies in Azerbaijan and tours of Afghanistan.
All that and much more in 5 years of full-time international overland adventure.
We are Steph and Leigh, and we are on a mission to drive our Defender camper around the world with no set time limit or plans. An open road and the entire world in our sights.
In 2016, we finished an 18-month rock climbing journey across Europe and Eastern Europe. We crossed into Asia through Turkey in our 2004 Land Rover Defender 90. This adventure left us craving more off-road experiences.
We concluded that a conventional life was not for us. For the next endeavor it was decided that a Defender 90 was too small. A little extra comfort was required if we were to commit to this long-term global overland and circumnavigation.
After months of research, we purchased a 2012 Land Rover Defender 130 in Germany. Along with a Four-Wheel Camper Grizzly model truck camper. Our decision on what rig to travel the world in had a few prerequisites. We needed to be able to fit inside a standard shipping container, be off road capable, have a comfortable interior living space, and allow us to separate our living area and our vehicle without towing. A FWC proved to be the perfect choice and a Land Rover Defender because, well it’s a Land Rover Defender.
For those familiar with the FWC truck campers the Grizzly model is most likely one you’ll not recognize. The Grizzly is built for the European market. It consists of the lower half being a Fleet and upper a Hawk model.
In Annonay, France we modified our Defender to the requirements we thought necessary to undertake this international overlanding adventure at a specialist Land Rover garage. Jobs were quit, possessions stored and sold. We kept only the essentials that could fit in our new full-time home on wheels.
Departing Paris in July of 2017 our route took us south through Spain. To the port city of Algeciras, where we boarded a ferry to Morocco. Arriving in the city of Tanger Med, we were on the road in Africa.
Making our way into the High Atlas Mountains. Traversing the incredible overland trails that make their way through this truly remarkable part of the world. The hospitality of the Moroccan people overwhelmed us daily. The constant invitations to join them for chai (tea) and offers of assistance were humbling.
We visited the remote Taghia Gorge for an alpine rock-climbing adventure. Which required us to leave the camper behind, and travel 6 hours by foot using local assistance and donkeys to reach this magnificent place.
From Taghia it was time to test our Land Rover and FWCs off road capabilities, what better way to accomplish this than crossing the Moroccan Sahara from West to East. Starting from Foum-Zguidwe embarked upon this daunting overland and offroad adventure following vaguely visible tracks and trails over 4 days and passing only a few other vehicles.
Day 3 of this journey saw us become in no uncertain terms, absolutely lost in the desert. Our free app we were using had taken us far from the track and into unforgiving muddy lowlands that very quickly had us bogged to the axles.
With what looked to be a massive storm brewing on the horizon and 37C heat we worked nervously to free ourselves and again find the trail.
Using a hand winch attached to a small scrubby tree that miraculously held along with several hours of digging we performed a self-recovery and beelined in the direction we had surmised the main track to be located. The rest of the crossing went without incident, and we could thoroughly enjoy the wild beauty of the Sahara Desert.
In 4 weeks of Moroccan exploration, we travelled all over the country. Traversing the northern reaches of the Sahara Desert, narrowly surviving a flash flood whilst rock climbing in the Todra Gorge, driving the High Atlas Mountains, eating fantastic food, exploring ancient history and meeting countless amazing people we experienced why many consider this beautiful country to be one of the best overland and adventure destinations in the world.
From Morocco we made the decision to take our Land Rover next to Portugal, unknowingly this choice would change our lives and the future of our journey in ways we could never have imagined.
Planning a week-long Colorado Overland Adventure trip through the Rocky Mountains is at once exciting and overwhelming. With thousands of miles of scenic offroad trails to explore, narrowing down the “to-do” list is almost as challenging as catching your breath at 10,000’, but we were up to the challenge.
We left Moab late Saturday morning. We’d reserved a campsite for two nights in Rocky Mountain National Park and our goal for day one was to camp as close to the park as possible. After several hours of driving, we turned down a random off road dirt road and were rewarded with a grassy site on a ridge overlooking Longs Peak.
The next two days passed quickly. Driving Trail Ridge Road across the park left us in awe of this majestic landscape. Views extended for miles, as deer, elk, moose, marmots, pikas, and squirrels entertained us through the windows. We arrived at our campsite with just enough time to eat dinner and organize gear for our upcoming hike before settling in for the evening.
The next day we arrived at Bear Lake before sunrise and after breakfast we marched with the other ants, er…tourists, past Bear Lake, to Nymph, Dream and finally Emerald Lake. Fortunately, the crowds thinned as we passed each lake. The shore of Emerald Lake proved to be the perfect spot for a break before backtracking to a cutoff that would deliver us to Lake Haiyaha. The trail climbed steadily and occasionally provided incredible views of Longs Peak. A massive landslide earlier in the year filled Haiyaha with glacial silt, turning the water milky blue. We ended the day with a hearty pasta meal at camp and had no trouble falling asleep.
Leaving the park, we followed a route to Breckenridge over Guanella Pass, ultimately overland camping at a site next to a small creek. The next day we’d ride the Peaks trail from Breckenridge to Frisco on a mostly downhill route through the forest, over janky roots and rocks, past panoramic views, and an alpine lake. At 10,000’ in elevation, the trail is heavy on fun and light on oxygen. A short initial climb gave way to a raucous descent that left us wearing huge smiles and covered in moon dust.
We left for Snowmass after lunch. A monsoon storm was forming as we made our way over Independence Pass. Late in the afternoon we found a sign indicating that several designated overland campsites were available on the Lincoln Creek Roadas it climbed toward Grizzly Reservoir. We were thrilled to find one of the last sites empty and parked between tall pine trees, stoked that it was perfectly flat! Small raindrops began to fall as we popped the top, but the deluge held off until we were comfortably inside for the night.
The next day we finished the drive to Snowmass and set up a shuttle of the Snowmass Rim trail. Two steep climbs – including a demoralizing one in the middle – lead to outstanding 360-degree views. At the top of the second climb, we took a short break to let our lungs recover, then began an epic downhill on the North Rim trail to Seven Star, whose small berms begged to be railed. The ride ended at the visitor center, where we’d left our rig at the start of the ride. That evening we enjoyed a free concert at the resort and then crashed in one of the parking lots.
Our next stop was the Evolution Bike Park at Crested Butte. After two days of alpine climbing, we were ready to let the lifts bring us to the top of the trails. On the first run I shoulder checked an aspen tree, and on the next run crashed at high speed when a sharp rock caused my front tire to explode in magnificent fashion. I was about ready to call it a day when Melissa suggested we eat lunch, and then try another lap. Once properly fueled, we banged out several more runs without further incident, ending the day with a top to bottom ride of the Avery trail whose rock gardens, root drops and large jumps made for a memorable finale.
Exhausted from the week’s Colorado overland adventure, we chose a scenic route home through the San Juan Mountains, camping near Owl Creek Pass and dropping down into Ridgway on our final day of the trip. The annual Arts Festival was setup at the town park, and we strolled through the booths appreciating the unique arts and crafts on display. We finished the drive to Moab where clothes, bodies and bikes would have the week’s grime washed away before settling in to dream about the trip that just was, and Overlanding trips yet to come.
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For more Overlanding Winter Gear from PDW CHECK GEAR
Overlanding Robber’s Roost: The Land Of Outlaws: I eased my foot into the water, bracing myself for the quicksand that was surely underneath. I strategically transferred my weight from one foot to the other as I took each step. Solid.
Where was it? Am I in the right place? These questions popped into my mind as I hiked in a clear, spring-fed creek, and scoped out the rocks and boulders along the bank. My daughter and wife joined in the search. We kept looking. The “signature” had to be around here, so I thought.
“Did you find it dad?” My daughter, Lilly, asked.
“No, not yet. Maybe we are in the wrong spot,” I replied.
“Wait, I think I’ve found it.” My wife, Louise, stated. Of course, she did, I thought.
Butch Cassidy Signature
We were overlanding in south-central Utah with friends and family in an area known as the Roost. Robber’s Roost is a land of endless canyons, mesas, and red rock splendor. It encompasses an area that is remote, desolate, and stunningly beautiful. A iconic offroad and overland playground. A land infamous by hideaway outlaws such as Butch Cassidy– the Sundance Kid, Matt Warner, and Blue John. They called it home while evading the sheriff and his posse. Today, horses are not needed to access this red rock paradise; but rather a capable offroad or overlanding vehicle.
Chasing Sunset in the Roost
The road sign signified the only west-east road/corridor to the Dirty Devil River. We turned off of Highway 95 and aired down our tires. With a little less air in the tires, traction and ride comfort greatly improved on this 65-mile off road route through Poison Springs and Hatch Canyons. The overland route traversed the southern boundary of Robber’s Roost and then circled back via Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Along the way, we traveled through and experienced some of the Best of Utah: red rock spires, towering mesas, wide-open canyons, hanging gardens, and very few people.
Airing Down Robbers Roost
“Look to your left, along the wall. See anything?” I wondered aloud. Each of us eyed the red rock canyon wall. I slowed my Land Cruiser 200to a crawl.
“There!” Lilly shouted as she pointed to the wall. I stopped the Cruiser, and we headed toward the wall on foot. The sandstone wall was covered in petroglyphs etched in the rock (note: pictographs are painted onto the rock). Etched by the Natives such as the Freemont Indians at least 1,000 years ago, these petroglyphs depicted animals, humans, and miscellaneous figurines. We stared at the art in amazement and bewilderment. Our minds drifted; in our spoken words, we tried to determine the meaning of the pictures.
Rock Art Robber’s Roost
The recent human history of the Robber’s Roost area is infamous. Outlaws roamed and hid in the canyons escaping the occasional lawman and posse in the pursuit of justice. Natural springs, deep in the canyon, provided hydration for the outlaws and their horses in the high-arid Utah desert. Towering high canyon walls furnished shelter and protection, a hide out indeed!
What made the Roost so popular for outlaws is that there are few entry/exit points in the canyons that horses could use. Generally speaking, navigating the canyons of the Roost require rope skills. But, the outlaws of yesteryear knew the routes in and out of the canyons so they chose to hide out and escape the grasp of the law. The red sandstone walls and enormous alcoves hid the outlaws in one of the most remote places in the lower 48 states. On this splendid fall day, we entered Poison Springs Canyon along the southern border of the Roost.
The canyon walls engulfed us as we drove further east and deeper into the “unknown.” Within miles, Cottonwoods started to appear, which meant that water was near. Sure enough, water appeared on the canyon floor and the “green” became more abundant. A slight breeze blew the Cottonwoods and the Zen of the desert was in full effect. We found a lovely campsite next to a towering red, sandstone wall. I began to unpack while Louise and Lilly scouted the area with our friends Barb, Heather, and Austin.
“Dad, what are those? Rock art?” Lilly asked as I locked the legs to our camp table. Sure enough, directly next to our overland campsite, petroglyphs of animals, humans, and other mysterious figures covered the rock face. Camp was set, and we relaxed with our friends. Firewood snapped, crackled, and popped as I turned my eyes into the night sky in an attempt to understand the stars and constellations.
Breakfast prep
The following day, we packed camp and sipped coffee in the autumn, morning sunshine. Afterward, we casually wandered into a side canyon. To the west, Louise spotted a large cave, so we decided to check it out. As we ascended, our shoes stuck to the slickrock. After a couple of handholds, we faced the dark, black abyss. Louise, Heather, Lilly, and Austin cautiously stepped into the darkness as their headlamps illuminated the path. Surprisingly, the cave kept going back further and further. Off to the right in the faint light from my headlamp, I spotted a shelter of some sort. I cautiously walked into it. My eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, and I realized that I was in the middle of a dwelling. The rock walls lined the “bunker” type dwelling. Immediately, I wondered about the story behind this cave and structure.
“Over here,” shouted Louise as her headlamp illuminated a faint image. I quickly walked over. Louise pointed to a stunning rock art panel on the back wall. The Natives had visited and possibly resided here. What was their life like? How did they live? Better yet, how did they survive? Were the paintings of significance? With no answers and more questions, we left the cave in wonderment and returned to our campsite.
After a late lunch, we continued driving down the canyon. The over land road was rough. But with decreased tire pressures, we rolled over the cobblestones and the flash flood ravaged canyon floor. My Land Cruiser 200 Series eased through the trouble spots as the ICON suspension soaked up the bumps. We saw water flowing—flowing “gold” in the desert. I previously heard about a nice spring to fill our water jugs. The lushness of the area and large Cottonwood trees grew, which made us slow to a crawl and savor the tranquility of it all.
Natural springs
“I think I see it.” Louise called out.
“Where?” I questioned.
“Right behind all the grass. Look along the sandstone wall,” explained Louise.
We stopped to walk toward the wall. Soon our feet were soaked as we walked in a small, flowing stream of water. I ducked my head through the willows and paused. I fixated on a small sound coming from the wall. Louise pulled back the steel door of a stone structure to reveal a crystal-clear pool of water. And, that sound? Above the pool, flowing water trickled through the sandstone rock. The stone structure captured the water and created a large pool of water. We filled our water jugs and paused to refresh ourselves. We envisioned Native Americans and cowboys taking water from that same spring years ago.
The numerous springs in the canyon as well as the rock art, signified that years ago, this canyon was home to Native Americans. I had heard about an infamous signature in the canyon from a gentleman whose family ran cattle in the area in the 1950’s. Cowboys and outlaws ran in the Roost in the late 1800’s. The Roost’s most famous outlaw was Robert LeRoy Parker, aka, Butch Cassidy.
Butch Cassidy was born in southern Utah but left his family at a young age to work through his teenage years as a ranch hand. In the summer of 1889, Butch strolled into the San Miguel Valley Bank in the town of Telluride, Colorado. Moments later, he rode away with roughly $21,000 or over $600,000 in today’s currency. His life of crime had begun. He and his accomplice, Matt Warner, rode west to the canyons of southern Utah to escape the law. The canyons provided them food, water, and shelter. The canyons were wild and remote, perfect!
We walked carefully and eyed every large sandstone boulder. The son of the former rancher, who informed me of the general location said it was up to me to find it. Frustration percolated. I knew we had to be close. “It’s right here,” Louise said as she pointed to the large sandstone boulder. Of course, she found it first. Butch Cassidy’s signature and mural pecked into the rock. I marveled at this piece of history. We snapped pictures and once again, paused to ponder Butch and the Wild Bunch camping in this very spot.
Golden Hour at the Roost
You can overland and adventure in many wonderful, awe-inspiring places in the US. The canyons of southern Utah not only offer unparalleled natural beauty, but lessons and experiences in history—in an outdoor museum. Whether you learn about Natives who wandered and lived in the land thousands of years ago or about outlaw cowboys escaping the law, keep your eyes open. Lessons abound! Find and savor them. I’ll see you out there.
Trip Tips for a Robber’s Roost adventure:
*Resupply in the towns of Green River or Hanksville. Robber’s Roost is remote.
*Carry an extra five gallons of fuel (at minimum).
*Prepare to be self-reliant with shovels, traction boards, tow straps, and tire repair kit (at minimum).
*Carry plenty of water. It is scarce!
*Prepare for minimal to no cell phone coverage.
*Call the Hanksville’s Bureau of Land Management office for up-to-date conditions: 435-542-3461
*Plan to stop at Stan’s Burger Shak in Hanksville for scrumptious shakes and greasy, good burgers.
For more Overland and Off Road Vehicle Supported Adventures, CLICK HERE
Fire To Fork: Some things are universal, and sitting around a campfire sharing good food, cold drinks and relaxed conversation is amongst the best of them. It’s what made former Aussie investment banker Harry Fisher give up his life of high finance to camp more and cook great food straight over hot coals. He started posting about it a bit on Instagram using the handle @firetofork, then filmed a few YouTube videos. Very quickly, it was obvious Harry was cooking better food than any other Aussie bush cooks. 4WDers, campers and overlanders from all over the world noticed, and now he has nearly 80,000 subscribers on YouTube, because we all want better food at camp, right?
As entertaining as Harry is on our screens, they’re not the thing we want to constantly look at in the wilderness (does YouTube even work at your favourite campsite?), so it made sense for him to release his first cookbook – Fire To Fork: Adventure Cooking. Working with independent Australian publisher Exploring Eden Media, Harry’s put together over 60 of his favourite and most popular recipes into a stunning 200-page cookbook launched in the USA after selling nearly 28,000 copies in Australia in its first 12 months.
Completely reissued for the States using local ingredient and measurement conventions, it’s got all the charm of an Aussie outback larrikin without the need for pesky metric conversions on the fly or wondering where the heck you get coriander from. The food is indulgently good, too. With a healthy disdain for convention, you can enjoy Not Crap Nachos, Kentucky Fried Parmi (Harry’s take on a classic Aussie pub meal) or slow-cooked beef ribs, all cooked over an open flame. There’s even a handful of campfire-inspired cocktails and heaps of information on how to get the best from fire when cooking.
There have been some great camping and overlanding focussed cookbooks published over the years, but Fire To Fork is genuinely good camping food from a highly entertaining cook. If you don’t already subscribe to his YouTube channel, you’re missing out. If you want to eat better food at camp, nothing will help more than this book.
Search it out at your local camping store or overland outfitter, or order a copy for $29.95 from exploringedenbooks.co, who’ll plant a tree for each copy sold.
Do you even Snoverland (overlanding in snow) Bro? Being based in San Diego, we don’t get to see much snow, so it’s become something of a tradition here at TAP to briefly leave the temperate winter deserts of Southern California and head out on a Snoverland Adventure. This year was going to be a little different, as luckily, we’d been offered the chance to try out a Four-Wheel Camper Hawk Flatbed, combined with a Ram 3500. Having spent the last four years in a Jeep Wrangler and small Roof Top Tent, this was going to be different.
Heading north and after battling through the LA crazy town traffic, I eventually hit the i-395 or what I like to call “The Adventure Highway”. I coined this moniker many years back, as the road parallels the Eastern Sierra and every time, I’m on it, I seem to be heading out on some Vehicle Supported Adventure.
The plan is to spend the first day/night overlanding at Alabama Hills, to give me time to dial in the rig and camper. This area has unfortunately become somewhat overrun due to its proximity to the highway and its amazing views of Mount Whitney. Recently the BLM has closed the western side to overnight offroad camping and even though I’m camping mid-week, it still takes me time to find a dispersed camp spot. Without wanting to get on a soap box here, please remember to TreadLightly and leave the area better than you found it. Without this mindset, we’re going to see more and more closure!
After 24 hours of “Chilin’ like a villain” and despite the beauty of the area, it’s time to head up to the High Sierrafor some snoverland (overlanding) Vehicle Supported Adventure. To be honest, although excited, I am a little apprehensive about finding open off road trails, or even snow, as it’s been a really dry winter. I’m also slightly intimidated about driving such a big rig in the snow, as this will be a new experience. All should be good however, as my wingman in the white stuff, is Todd Rogers, owner of Four Points Adventures. Todd is an experienced trail guide, 4×4 trainer and former Search and Rescue (SAR).
Six hours in the saddle later, and after driving through many burn areas from last year’s fires, I eventually meet up with Todd in the Lost Sierra region. We head out to Diamonds Ranch where we’ll be camping up in the pines and as expected, snow levels are diminished. Dinner and a good whisky are the priority and with the coyote’s yip, yipping in the background, we chat around the campfire. This area is also home to bears and mountain lions, so if I survive the night, we’ll start our search for snow covered trails tomorrow.
First day overlanding conditions are a mixture of snow and mud, and we crisscross the area looking for off roading good trails. Despite getting the beast stuck once, which proved an easy extraction using Tred boards, the rig outperformed my expectations. 37” mud terrains and plenty of power from the Cummins, give me confidence to push myself and the rig. The size of the vehicle obviously limits your ability to truly explore with abandon, but after a day of trial and error, I quickly get used to it.
On the second day, the snow gods bless us and the heavens open, pounding us with snow. This is what we’ve come looking for and it truly allows the camper to come into its own. As Todd sleeps in his roof top tent, I bathe in the comfort of my setup. The ability to simply warm the camper with the propane heater, before getting out of bed to make coffee, is pure luxury! This coupled with enormous storage capacity and a self-contained living space, make snow camping a fairly easy endeavor.
That day on the trail, the big tires and powerful engine eat up the conditions. At no point do I feel that the beast can’t simply power through the offroad mess. Todd in his smaller FJ stays ahead scouting the route and I advance once I’ve received the radio call saying it’s all good. It’s a system we employ all day, and it keeps me out of trouble. To be fair, I’d be way more hesitant without an experienced trail buddy doing the recon.
Last year’s snoverland adventure, we drove as far as we could safely go, then snowshoed into the backcountry, eventually sleeping in tents on a heavy blanket of snow. It was 18 degrees over night!
This year snoverland trip was obviously a little different! The FWC camper’s comfort is obvious, and the rig performed solidly in the snow. For me, the takeaway is that adventure doesn’t always have to be a suffer fest and it’s okay to be warm and cozy sometimes!
For more Overland and Off Road Vehicle Supported Adventures, CLICK HERE
CHECK OUT our article on Overland Winter Camping Adventure Gear
