10 Deserts Solo Cycle Epic

Details -
Distance: 1380km
Conditions: combined soft sand, sand dunes, hard pack and VERY corrugated 4WD tracks
Difficulty: 4/5
Est'd Time: 2 weeks

Laverton is the stepping stone for my west-east traverse of the Great Victorian desert (GVD), or Anne Beadell highway as it's better known. The Anne Beadell is another class 'A' desert, a well earned rating given the destruction these badly corrugated roads cause for so many 4WD'ers. This link from the Exploroz site is very helpful. The GVD is Australia's largest desert, covering approx. 425000 sq.km.

To the best of my knowledge this route has never been ridden, let alone unsupported. There are 4 known water stops spattered along this 1380km route, but the single longest stretch without water is 645km from the west side of the WA/SA border, all the way to Coober Pedy in SA. The dunes in this desert are not as challenging as the CSR, but the isolation will be surreal. Reports are that you may not see a single 4WD for several days if at all during this crossing. At the time I'll be traversing the GVD, temperatures will be quite timid during the day, and freezing at night. The desert is never 100% reliable though. Any change can be just around the corner, so best to be prepared for anything. Travelling the same terrain in summer would not be a smart move.

My bike trailer has been specially designed, specifically for the copious water load I'll need to carry for this crossing and also across the Simpson, but more on that here (link)

Details -
Distance: 990km
Conditions: hard-packed and corrugated dirt roads
Difficulty: 2/5
Est'd Time: 9 days

This lonely old stretch of dirt road traverses the moon and painted deserts east of Coober Pedy en-route to Oodnadatta and west of Lake Eyre. From Oodnadatta, it's south on the Oodnadatta track toward Lyndhurst. I'm very much looking forward to this strech of track, not so much for the challenges the trail will offer (it's been ridden plenty of times before), but for the unique desert terrain, and the multitude of bird and other wildlife I hope to see around Lake Eyre. Lake Eyre only floods once every 10 years on average. This years' wet season has produced unusually high rainfall. Mother nature will be in full swing. The floods bring their own short-lived ecosystem, but all will eventually return to the sand through evaporation. I hope I am not too late getting there to experience this rare wonder. I'm projecting to be there in mid-late June.

I'll be taking in some side trails from the map below. I'll also be hoping there is some good fishing to be had in Lake Eyre.

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