We embarked on our first extended holiday with the Defender. Until this time, we have only spent one night in the car before driving back home to enjoy the comforts of a warm shower, a regular toilet, and a proper kitchen. We dropped off our cat Octavia at my aunt's place and then attended a Land Rover meeting organized by the Land Rovers of Switzerland Club in Wildegg. We teamed up with "Baba," a friend and fellow Defender driver. After some fun activities and a presentation about travelling to the Sahara 40 years ago, we slept in the rooftop tent for the first time. It took some time to set up the tent, adjust the straps, and unzip and secure the windows with metal hooks, but after 20 minutes, we were all ready to sleep.
The next morning, we set off on the highway towards Bern to buy a shower tent for Flower. Then, we continued to Geneva, crossed the border into France, and took the scenic route through la Clusaz over the Col des Aravis. I couldn't help but reminisce about driving a British sports car on these beautiful roads in the past. After Beaufort, we had to take a detour to Lac de Roselends because the road was blocked. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we explored some lakes in a hidden valley but couldn't find a suitable camp spot. Eventually, we ended up camping on the east side of Lac de Roselends, only to discover we had no mobile reception. To top it off, we learned that our friend Patrick will join us the next day.
After a delightful dinner and refreshing shower, we headed to the northside parking area, where we heard Patrick making his grand entrance in the early hours. Breakfast? Oh, it turned into a comedy show when Baba exploded Patrick's Bialetti coffee machine due to a missing gasket, leaving us looking like we just lost a battle with a coffee ground. With our clothes and cars in disarray, we conquered two thrilling off-road passages to Bourg de Saint Maurice for some diesel, only to realise at the summit that I had forgotten the tank cap. But no worries—Baba was pumped to test his new pedal box and race back down while we settled in near Bonnvalle-sur-Arc! What a day!
The next morning, we set off over the Col de Mont Cenis, hoping to tackle our walkie-talkie issues, but to no avail. After deflating the tyres, we ventured down our first off-road path, which, surprise surprise, led us straight to a dead end. An Arabian couple in a Toyota joined us in on the fun, and after soaking up the sunshine, we made our way back to the other side of the lake and headed to Susa for some shopping. Later, we followed the valley and camped at the 4x4 Bivouac on the Col de Sommelier, where Flower washed clothes in the icy river whilst I attempted to shower using the engine's heat exchanger—only to find the river was so cold that it cooled down the engine instead!
We embarked on our culinary journey with a three-leg setup and a Dutch oven, whipping up a goulash that was deemed 'too much' for our group, only to find ourselves wanting more later! For dessert, we attempted an 'African-style' bread that was more of a culinary mystery than a masterpiece. Meanwhile, Baba took on the challenge of cleaning the Dutch oven, unleashing a flurry of colourful expressions.
The next morning, we tackled the summit, navigating through heavy, narrow serpentines until we reached the snow-covered path. Despite our inadequate gear, we persevered to the passage summit and slid down the summer snow. We camped near Névache, where Baba and Patrick struggled to start a fire, but with some teamwork, we finally grilled delicious entrecôtes French style while enjoying a stunning sunset. After a restful night, we climbed Mont Jafferau, confronting our fears of falling and the challenge of descending without a proper road, before retreating to the comforts of Huttopia in Val-des-Prés, complete with real showers and freshly baked baguettes.
We journeyed through Oulx and Susa, then ascended the Colle de Finestra to reach the renowned Assietta. Camping above Sestrière, we enjoyed Chicken Burritos for dinner. Although the menu wasn't to my usual taste, for our first Defender camping trip, it was an experience worth repeating. As the weather worsened, we traversed the Cols de l'Iozard and Vars to camp at the Lac de Serre-Ponçon. During the storm, we cooked dinner under the Shadow Awn and observed fellow campers. One Italian father provided lively entertainment, constantly expressing frustration about his wife, kids, and everything else. Despite not speaking fluent Italian, we were able to follow most of the conversation and even picked up some new curse words to enrich our vocabulary.
As we journeyed through Col d'Allos, we made a stop in Castellane before settling in at a camper parking for the night. The next day, we headed to Tende to explore the beautiful Rifugio Basso. While Baba headed north, we made our way to Nice for a delightful dinner. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a suitable camp spot, so we ended up spending the night near a butchery in St. Raphael, which resulted in early morning commotion and traffic.
Embarking our journey along the stunning Côte d'Azur, we enjoyed a refreshing shower with a breathtaking beach view before heading to Sète and later Banyuls-sur-Mer. A hidden track led us to a charming campsite nestled among the vineyards, where we relished a peaceful night with a sea view. After a bumpy night, we made our way to Spain, but due to lingering Covid restrictions, we quickly returned to France. We explored the majestic Château Queribus, savoured exquisite wines in Maury, and gathered fresh fruits for our campsite at Portiragnes Plage, though high prices soon had us turning north towards the Cevennes, where we found solace on a former train track by the Mimente River.
After renting a kayak in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, we paddled 5km down the river before driving towards Briançon, where we camped near some lively Techno-Freaks by the Aigues. Despite a restless night, we made our way to Switzerland enjoying a delicious dinner at "Baschi" steakhouse and sleeping by the Aare on the Grimsel passage. We climbed to the "central point of Switzerland" for breakfast before visiting my aunt for lunch and picking up Octavia. This trip was a great learning experience in our Defender—note to self: rooftop tent setup time is not a suggestion and wild camping spots should be scouted before the sun sets, not when we're too tired to care!
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