We´ve been asked, by another nutter who will be running the junket in January, for anything we wished we had known in advance. These are the first 10 things I thought of... Avi and Moira please at more:
1. Take a helmet, it is a legal requirement (though most people don´t) and you will probably need to wear it a some point. One per team is good if the size works, as only the driver has to wear one.
2. Take riding gloves. You may want to consider a warm pair and a pair for hotter weather. Again one per team is good.
3. Take less luggage. However much luggage you think you need, take less! It will make your bike easier to pack in the mornings as well as saving weight. You don´t need many clothes... a couple of sets (one for the day and one a clean set to change into in the night) plus some warm layers for up in the mountains. Also waterproofs, especially in January as that´s the rainy season (I think)
4. Goggles for the driver. There´s a lot of dust and it´s hard to drive with sunglasses at night.
5. Consider whether you really need a tent a sleeping bag as these take a lot of space. If you do get stuck out on top of a mountasin you might be ok with warm clothes and the tarpaulin you use for your luggage at the back (which you can buy in Peru). The Kiwi team survived a couple of nights like this. We never got stuck on a mountain.
6. Tyre irons and puncture repair kit, both a hard to find in Peru. We mprovised the tyre irons with bits of metal and ended up buying more tubes rather than repairing them.
7. Think before you attempt to drive your mototaxi at full speed through 20m of thick mud, there may be a better option.
8. Don´t ride your clutch too hard on hill starts. Passengers may need to push on steep hills or loose surfaces.
9. Try not to hate your team mates, they will probably piss you off at some points. And remember you will probably piss them off too.
10. If you´re not a very confident driver it might be worth doing a CBT (Compulsory Bike Training) in the UK before you leave. This way you´ll be familiar with the controls on the bike which will accelerate your learning curve and confidence.
