 | Home > Expedition & Overland > planning a trip coast to coast Pyrenees September 2018 |
 
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971   
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I've recently done the Vibraction route and it's good. There's the coast to coast, plus some other ones that can be tacked on to the start or finish.
Scenery is stunning. You can do it with one vehicle. That bit I did with some friends leading, but when I'm navigating I put all of the waypoints that Vibraction provide in to my phone running Locus Maps, then have a look at each day's route then edit it a bit. If you have a look at the picture below, the top picture is an example of why I edit it. There are two waypoints with a track in between them, but if you're coming in from the left hand side it looks like you should take the straight on/right track when that's actually a dead end. By looking at the map and adding in the extra points, you get a route like the second image which actually directs you the correct way.  Click image to enlarge Locus is fairly cheap and works extremely well. It can even do turn by turn navigation if you set it up properly. You can either use the Locus maps which are based on Open Street Map data and very cheap (like 50p for a country or something, and you get a load of countries free when you buy the app) or they have the option of paying for the IGN data of the area. OS mapping is available for the UK, something like £40 for the whole country. Comparing the quality of the OSM maps with IGN, both miss random things out and get things wrong. I would say that the OSM stuff is usually slightly more reliable having tracks marked on, but if one misses it out then there's a good chance they'll both have missed it. Both frequently get the standard of the road wrong too, either marking is as a good surface when you're crawling along in 2nd low, or marking it as dirt when it's perfect tarmac. Amusingly, they often disagree with each other but can disagree yet both be wrong. I've now compared OSM with traditional maps in a lot of countries have to say that I'm at least as confident's in OSM's quality as anyone else. I've tried Viewranger and couldn't get on with it, particularly downloading maps. I previously used Backcountry Navigator and it's OK, but not a patch on Locus. If you are doing your evening before route checks and find that your mapping does miss something out, it's worth having a quick look at aerial images to see if you can get the tracks from there. If you don't want to worry about any of that and just want to follow a tour guide, then Yorkshire 4x4/Ardent Adventures do that route with hotels and stuff. Easy peasy. Edit: oh, and don't take too much stuff with you. No need to take the kitchen sink, your Defender will perform better without too much weight and unnecessary crap strapped to the roof. |
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8th Oct 2017 12:14pm |
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| SonicFields Member Since: 11 Jul 2017 Location: Somewhere Else Posts: 124 |
 Never has a truer word been spoken. |
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8th Oct 2017 5:37pm |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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still planning this route
date change for me, will now be September around the 6th until 22nd +/- having spoken to a few English peeps who live in Spain they advised me July's heat will kill us so planning for September. decision made no roof tent so B&B or Spanish equivalent for us along the route. just about to order the road book from Vibraction but which one RB5 RB3 RB2 I know its a personal choice just want some feed back, i like all three of these runs, but does RB5 let me do mountain passes etc.................................cheers Ivan 2016 Discovery 4 1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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27th Oct 2017 6:13am |
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| familymad Member Since: 13 Dec 2011 Location: Bucks Posts: 3481  
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We had a great time on the route.
Loved the GAIA app too. Well worth it. http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic24986-150.html 1951 80" S1 2.0 1995 110 300TDI 1995 90 300TDI |
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27th Oct 2017 11:32am |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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familymad
what route did you drive? Road book 5 is the longest but does it get you right into the mountain range? 2016 Discovery 4 1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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27th Oct 2017 12:20pm |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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familymad
what route did you drive? Road book 5 is the longest but does it get you right into the mountain range? 2016 Discovery 4 1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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27th Oct 2017 12:27pm |
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| xcentric Member Since: 17 Jan 2016 Location: Midlands Posts: 247 |
we used RB5 - excellent. If I'm honest, the latter (western) sections were a little less interesting and mountainous than the eastern ones, but if you go e-w then you'll be so familiar with route finding that you can just head off wherever the fancy takes you as you'll have the confidence to do it then. It's pretty straightforwards, really, with some common sense and a respect for the terrain.
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6th Nov 2017 6:13pm |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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excellent information and thanks to everyone and having already looked i was thinking of doing east to west
as i said i have been researching like crazy here at work, and buying kit ready for the drive, my landy will not be overloaded just essential kit we will need (mostly fuel as its a thirsty V8 lol ) also speaking to people that work with me and who live in Spain they recommend that i plan my trip for September as they said July in the mountains will be very very hot, so now i am planning for the 9th September 2018 once i get RB 5 i will be able to plan where and what hotels in which areas i can book, as previously stated my wife will not sleep in a tent or on the roof on my 90 2016 Discovery 4 1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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7th Nov 2017 1:09am |
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| SonicFields Member Since: 11 Jul 2017 Location: Somewhere Else Posts: 124 |
It may be sacrilege to say this on here, and you may have already made your mind up, but reading between the lines surely your D4 would better suit the trip planned for yourself and the better-half, especially given the long highway distances Involved. Just a thought; have a great time whatever you take.
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7th Nov 2017 6:53am |
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| xcentric Member Since: 17 Jan 2016 Location: Midlands Posts: 247 |
you do realise that RB5 is in French, is is almost entirely a road book with tulip diagrams, and not too much other info in, I presume. However, once you have that you can get the gpx track from them, and the planning of hotels is fine from that. Personally, I'd recommend camping at least some of it as it adds to the experience.
edit: there is an English translation available for parts of it. Last edited by xcentric on 7th Nov 2017 9:06am. Edited 1 time in total |
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7th Nov 2017 8:46am |
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| legin Member Since: 22 Jul 2017 Location: Chelmsford Essex Posts: 1004 
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I'm looking at this and thinking this is a bit of me but not one for planning such a trip ,so a Defender2 assault into the Pyrenees would be great.I have driven though the area but in a small lorry last year and just 65 miles from the port of Santander I turn off the main road the N620 and headed down the C6318 just for a look ,very green lots of water falls very Swiss ,lazy hairpin bends ,small towns and great views.The one thing that I did notice was that very village has a set of lights just before the start and if you drove at about 25 MPH they just went straight on to green ,lovely way to slow the traffic and to keep it flowing. |
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7th Nov 2017 9:01am |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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yes i am aware its all in French, and yes once i get the gpx tracks i will try to minor this with view ranger sat nav well that is the theory 2016 Discovery 4 1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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7th Nov 2017 12:09pm |
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| big ives Member Since: 24 Dec 2013 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 125
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change of date now planned leaving 9th September 2018, everyone i have spoken to says July would be very hot and as i don't have air con in the old girl it would be very warm 2016 Discovery 4
1989 90 CSW V8 (fully rebuilt and running like a dream) 1996 defender tray back fully rebuilt/loaded for challenge events |
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19th Nov 2017 5:15am |
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