No. It costs well over a £ hundred grand £ and is probably powered by electrickery! It wouldn't get out of Anchorage hehe! ... When I were a lad in the '80s there was a MK-I Range Rover that drove around town - the 4000 cans of beer the expedition drank reminded me - and the owner had removed letter E & R and altered the R into a H so the huge 'RANGE ROVER' across the bonnet and boot / Hood & Trunk read HANG OVER .. Always amused me and does so even more after watching this brilliantly researched and narrated mini-epic!
Even if one gets one of the most capable new 4x4s today eg Toyota LC70, one wouldn't want to cross the Darrien Gap anymore. One has to bribe multiple gangs hiding in thr jungle transporting whatever can be transported, drugs, migrants, etc.
Rode a dirtbike from California to Chile, we initially wanted to tackle Darien with some guys we met up with that had rode across Africa. When we got to panama, we were told to go ahead, but we would certainly die. Even the guys from Africa scrapped the plan, and they would hunt pigs barefoot at night and were scared of nothing. Good video.
Sorry for the distortion on some parts of the video. My mic must be on the blink - I had to sit about an inch away from it for it to pick up any sound.... which lead to some distortion in the audio. I'll buy a new one !! PS - the general consensus in the comments is that the old Landy is a Series II not a Series I like I stated. My mistake.
" I'll buy a new one " Sounds fine, just get yourself a good popfilter and add a high-pass filter in the postproduction so you can remove anything below 30hz or so,that's where the pop lives and your voice doesn't go that low. Remember: proper voice-over requires a lot of practice and work so don't feel bad when you get things a bit wrong.
If possible, could you make a video on the 1945 Empire State B-25 Crash in which it occurred during the final months of the Second World War. Other than that another recommendation would be the covering of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911.
Personally, I was too busy rejoicing in your excellently researched and well balanced explanation of what the heck actually went on in the Darien Gap Expedition. Full marks. Time well spent!
A year after the event, I was a twelve year old seated in the RAE Farnborough lecture on the expedition, given by the team leader. Delightfully understated and modest, eventually he concluded with the admission that they owed pretty much everything to Blashford-Snell, his team...and that immensely brutalised Land Rover. He pointed out that in almost every carefully cropped image of a Range Rover winching itself forward with cables, those cables were connected to...THAT Land Rover 😎
The Darien Gap Range Rovers still survive today, one at the Gaydon Heritage Museum, & one in the Dunsfold Collection. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, even my working class father was able to purchase one of the early 2 doors by the mid 80's.
This should be made into a film, an epic adventure through one of the most inhospitable rainforests in the world, and the ingenuity of having to solve challenges, it's kind of like Apollo 13 in the jungle. I agree, it is sad to see the old range rover converted into a status symbol, it has lost the rugged edge that made it an awesome vehicle for off-roading.
Take one down, pass it around 2499 cans of beer in the Rover. 2499 cans of beer in the Rover, 2499 cans of beer. Take one down, pass it around 2498 cans of beer in the Rover...
I'm on my forth Range Rover (2 P38s & 2 Classics) and despite all the negativity they get they are still an almighty piece of equipment (IF you get a good one!) I've read about this Trans Americas Expedition in various forms and it was very pleasant to watch a video about it as I'm always looking for extra details previously missed. As someone else as mentioned, both of these Range Rovers are still around, one in the Dunsfold Collection, the worlds largest private collection of rare Land Rovers, and the other is in the Gaydon Heritage Museum (along with Hughie and a couple of others) and I was lucky enough to purchase my first Land Rover (S11A 109 ex RAF ambulance) from Dunfolds who converted it into a pick up truck for me as it was no longer required as a display vehicle at Gaydon. One teeny tiny niggle though: that support Land Rover looks more like a late Series IIA and not a Series 1. Well, it would''t be a Land Rover video without at least one of us anoraks piping up! ;-) Many thanks for such a great video and that line at the end totally sums up my, and many others, opinion on contemporary Land Rovers.
18:16 "..I mean honestly just look at this, can you for one moment imagine taking that through the Darien Gap?" That last line was hilarious, delivered with such dry British humour. Greetings from Australia.
My father (USMC) would always tell me stories of when he used to do patrols through the Darrian Gap. He would say that they would have to climb the top of trees to get their bearings or to get radio signals. He said black palm would cut their skin up and sometimes mistake snakes as vines… He mentioned that they knew it was the afternoon but the forest would be so thick it would be dark and occasionally they would come across remote indigenous tribes by accident.
When I hear all this bollox about making America great trotted out by fat little flag waving dicks I think about blokes like him who are now judged by the rest of us as the great men who were quiet about it. As a Brit I have always had more time for those who really put it on the line rather than your cargo pant wearing toy soldiers who prance about waving there guns at civilians.
@@ohioguy215 I’m not so sure that’s true. While stuffed with more technological uselessness they are still one of the top vehicles to take off road. The WRANGLER that is LOL.
@@brandonkelbe yes, the wranglers are still great but you have to spend 80,000+ to get a trail ready wrangler. So I stick to Toyota off road and their crawl control. I want a trail ready Wrangler though or one that’s been done by Sport Truck USA and their Fox Factory!
Yesterday after a heavy thunderstorm I towed a brand new £50000 Mercedes 4x4 out of a flooded road with my old Land Rover Discovery which cost me £600 ten years ago. The Merc is destined to the scrap yard because the engine and computers are full of water and beyond economical repair. The old Discovery if it could talk would say nothing, simply shrug it's shoulders and get ready for another days work.
There's a particularly disgusting trend among suburban soccer moms in North America and Jeeps. They throw pink mirrors and shit on, complete with "flip me over" and "it's a Jeep thing" stickers, and wave to each other on the highway in their spotless concrete rascal scooters, like they're in some club. Of course, they're on a perilous expedition to Applebee's.
@@Jimmy_Watt During the summer on Galveston Island, there is an unofficial 'Go Topless' Weekend, where all people too old for spring break meet with their various vehicles and chaos ensues.
A little known fact about John Blashford-Snell is that when he wasn't being a Boy's Own hero, he was a very talented photographer, specialising in transport studies. So, to recap - not only was he a very English hero, he was very English in his main hobby!
He was educated in Jersey in the Channel Island's. He was part of team that emptied out some old German tunnels following the death of 2 children. He tells in one of his books of a ghost story in the tunnel. l
Loved this, it was cool wandering around on Google Maps as you spoke and seeing the new roads/bridges that have since been added... and how impenetrable it still appears to this day where they end lol. The Trans-American highway is absolutely near the top of my bucket list, but I would feel zero shame skipping Darién!
I remember a mates dad who was a car salesman demonstrating a new Range Rover to us in 1972. It cost seventeen hundred pounds new then roughly. Iucky if you get a non runner for that now !
Even the Darien gap was no match for those explorers. The jungle's grip may had been too much for some of their equipment, but those people made it through without failures
I am very glad that 1. No one died, suffered life debilitating injuries, or PTSD 2. They actually succeeded in their endeavour 3. The car was a success nevertheless Overall, a happy ending to an absolute hell of a trip. Cheers to all involved who made it happen
Most people shook off their ptsd and didn’t let past experiences ruin their entire lives back then. Versus today you cling on to trauma and illness. It’s something that they think makes them unique so they fly it’s flag and never let anyone forget that something bad happened to them that one time.
@@Manhandle730 back then??? back then like the vietnam war?? people shook off their PTSD?? how about we go back further: the World Wars, ever heard of the thousand yard stare? what on earth are you talking about? PTSD is very much real and always has been, you act like it’s a placebo for the overly-sensitive. gross.
Col. John Blashford-Snell, straight out of the old "Boys Own" adventure stories. 2 Range Rovers but with a cast of thousands as support staff. Can't help but think if this were repeated the beer & cigarettes would not be part of the rations. Thanks for this video & a glimpse into this hideous adventure.
I am sure it was Blashford snell that came to my school in 1974 in Kenya to tell us about this trip. It's remained as a dream in my memory since then. So thank you so much for this video.
As a huge Land Rover enthusiast, this video is fantastic! An incredible story of true grit and determination. Though, slight correction at 11:41- That would be a Series 2A and not a Series 1. Late Model Series 2A trucks were the first truck Land Rover sold commercially that had it's headlamps on the wings of the truck, and not inbetween them and above the grille. The 2A on that expedition was probably only a few years old by the time it undertook that journey. (Though as a Series 2 nerd in particular, I have to agree with your assessment, the 2/2A trucks were far more capable offroad than the Range Rover at the time.)
This was a really interesting video, especially on something I had never heard about before. Your great research and narration always makes the vids just fly by! I was actually surprised there were no deaths or serious accidents!
18:03 So true; I live in a spoiled affluent region where trucks are most popular, and the bigger / more expensive one is, the freer of any dent, scratch, or ding it is - and because those who can afford them can also afford to pay those who own the more practical models to accomplish what purpose they’re meant to serve, you’ll NEVER see one hauling ANYTHING in their gigantic, pristine box. The only land roving a LandRover will ever see around here is the gravel of a highway construction patch.
Classic. My dad drove us in a brand new 1960 Corvair from Willingboro, New Jersey to Santa Monica when I was a year old to start a new life. Not exactly through jungles and swamps, but driving a Corvair across any country was a ballsy move. He traded it for a Ford Galaxie convertible a few years later, but that Corvair never broke down despite their overall mechanical history. Thanks for a great video and evoking some wonderful family memories.
I am so amazed that they made it thru. Even Grandpops did. Really amazing. What baffles me is that I never herard of this undertaking, why the Brits never mentioned it. But the Corvair Dude should be especially remembered for trying. I think he wanted Mr. Nader to just shut up. Even Volkswagen traveled the Panamericana with the new Golf (Rabbit) for marketing and they had their share of problems. Just the old, trusty aircooled Transporter as a service car simply ran and ran and ran... They made it and marketed heck out of it. So, Range Rovers made the Darien Gap- astonishing. Thanks for putting this up, I´ll make shure for this to be remembered!
Another great video for the books!!! I too fancy the older Range Rovers and still can see one on the move as a neighbour has one in tip top shape. These newer ones would come apart at the seams on the first mile of a moderately rough road, nevermind the Darian Gap!
Mad respect to anyone who crosses the gap. I’m more familiar with the Jeep group that completed the first all-land cross of the gap. Took them about 30 days just to get through it. I guess some Brazilians did it in the 1920s with some models Ts which is even more crazy.
Great video. This was a nice unexpected change of pace compared to your disaster videos. Those are great too, but it was nice to see this shuffle. Well done mate!
@@relaxingnature2617 I mean… I know what the g-wagons are used for …..but those are seriously off road capable vehicles with slight modifications… mainly wheels n tires.
This was probably one of the most tense I felt watching one of these videos. I actually had never heard of this till I watched this. I honestly thought they never made it out. But I feel relieved they did. And to answer that final question as someone who doesn't drive. Even if I did, I'd rather walk through then drive through in that monstrosity. 😆
Now that you mentioned it I'm a little surprised that a competitor hasn't used a side-by-side comparison with one of the newer "status symbol" models in their advertising.
Thanks for this! One of the Range Rovers is on display at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire along with a few photos and a description of the journey. It sounds unbearable.
Yep eccentric plucky Brits. Sadly it's a dying trait. Bit of the old school, lots of fags and beer and we would take on the world!!!And they did😅, fantastic stuff.
Never heard of this so it was a great watch. The range rover's of today wouldn't even get across a field, let alone the Darien gap. Nicely done as ever Mr Raven. Thank you.
Just showed this to my Dad! He really enjoyed it (and said as much - which is no mean feat) and agrees with your assessment of the decline of the Range Rover. Cheers! X
wow... I got to the point with the 88" coming out of the C130; too many mistakes here in your story! I know it too well! I had the Dickhams 16mm movie at one point, My Dad was Product Development Enginer for Rover/BL (North America); I was 13 when the RR came south we went and met up with them! The Ladn Rover that saved the day, was NOT a "Series-1:, but a BRAND NEW 1971 they bought from a man in Coloumbia! Then REME took off the roof, door tops and set sail via Chopper air lift int the Jungle to save the day! The Diff issues with the Rnage Rover, Geoff Miller at Solihul was doing their upmost to find/fix the problem. The Diff was 3,54:1 ratiom unlike the old Land Rover was 4.7:1 stock! Jeep that! The other issue was constant spinning the wheels, which at this point was useless as they could not move forward due to the mud & jungle. Basiclly of this was DRIVER ERROR! There were Open diffs, 2 psinder, no lockers. The replacement axles flown into the jungle were 100% complete ... with casing/diff/hubs/brakes/track bars ete, Just bolt it it and go! Theses however had 4-pinion centers! in looking abck, Rover should have geared them 4.7:1 but their thought was axle issues then. PS< Range Rover's didnt have "Leatehr seats" then, and they were NEVER sold as a LUXURY VEHICLE, that s American BS! Its was called by those in teh know at Rover's a "Gentlemans 4WD", meaning woking all day, the off to the the pub of night out with the wife still could surpass 100mph! ANd was fitted with 12.6" of wheel travel, 4-wheel disc brakes with TRUE Dual brake system (i could & did out brake athen new 1972 Corvette 100-0). ANd full timer 4WD with a center diff lock up system... No one ever caught up the RR spec when was by 1983 put into all LAND ROVER's,,, when we introduced the 1_10 vehicles in 1983 and 1984 was the new "NINETY". The word "defender" came about in 89 due to the new Discovery. I was with teh prototype 1_10 's in Death Valley in July 1980. WestCoastBritish
Fabulous, I could have watched a documentary 3x as long on this. I used to do a faux Richard Burton (explorer, not the actor) routine in my local pub that would have everyone groaning: "There I was in the SUDAN, all my chaps down with the dengue, used to lie awake at night listening to the damn drums... knew the fuzzy wuzzies were massing for another dawn attack..." I just ordered Blashford-Snell's autobiography: "Something Lost Behind the Ranges." Great work!
Cool and rare video with No casualties. I've grown to truly Love this channel, the Narrators voice, and just the overall well crafted content. Please keep it coming. 🙂👍
Modern Range Rovers might not drive through South American jungles but the kind of person that drives them in London either uses or sells South America's most profitable export.
A beautifully researched and fascinating tale as always. Thank you. The Mt Kinabalu expedition in 1994 is another story that would be worthy of a Raven's Eye.
Sounds extremely rugged and even scary. Don’t think I could ever undertake such a long rigorous trek. Only the experienced , physically fit and brave at heart . But certainly interesting to watch . Thanks for the great almost always informative and fascinating uploads. Love your channel . Subscribed from 🇨🇦 I
An amazing story of endurance and sheer guts. One point that has no doubt been commented on many times before...the short wheel base Land Rover they used as a pathfinder, was a Series 3 and definitely not a Series 1.
A couple of pictures were series one but most were series three , regardless it did a mighty job and nothing but a series would have survived. Wish I kept my series one . Glad someone else noticed. Cheers
I had the privilege of being a team member of a Range Rover 25th anniversary expedition to circumnavigate the Sultanate of Oman in 1995 which also coincided with Sultan Qaboos' s Silver Jubilee. We covered 4000 km in ten days. Not quite as difficult as the Darien Gap but it certainly gave the very second hand old vehicles a good workout. The Empty Quarter was hard going, a mistake there could cost you all your lives. However you just push on to the next settlement where you might get water and petrol. A memorable experience for all the right reasons. I can only imagine what the Darien section must have like, a Green Hell indeed. If Blashers said it was tough it must have been bloody tough.
I'm a recent, subscriber in Somerset England and I love your no nonsense style. I've seen documentaries about the attempt to make the railway through the Darien Gap and it was a real sh*tshow and just one of the reasons why they eventually created the Panama canal. I heartily agree with you on the new Landrovers. It is so sad how Landrovers and Rangerovers have turned into Blandrovers. Cars and SUVs all look the same and oftentimes the only distinguishing feature is the badge telling you the make and model. Vehicles now are made for comfort and economy losing their distinctiveness and also the feeling. You could hear and feel what your vehicle was doing, know instantly when something was amiss. Now it is all electronic and with so much packed in, it just means there is far more to go wrong and you cannot work on it yourself. When I was a kid we had a Landrover Series IIA. It was an ex tow vehicle complete with a working winch. We used it to pull a double horsebox to shows which were oftentimes in the countryside and held in fields that were muddy/boggy and it was fantastic. Reliable, solid and built like a tank, my dad earned plenty of fivers for aiding other folks whose cars and horseboxes had become stuck in the mud. My husband bought a Series III. We called him Bouncer because he was very bouncy over the potholed roads where we live. You had to wear a hat in winter as water would dribble from the framework around the roofrim and it was not uncommon for you to go over a pothold and end up with a stunt spider swinging from a strand in front of you as it had become dislodged. It's heater was crap so winter was interesting and sadly the engine that had been put in him by the previous owner was rather reedy on petrol but he never failed and out of curiosity my husband discovered that he would start with the crank but it took some serious brute force from a luckily strong husband. I loved to drive him because he tackled the most treacherous roads and steep inclines, and apart from Second gear he was a doddle to drive. Loads of torque so he would pull off in second gear and once he got up to speed he would just keep going. He was also easy to park being essentially a cube on a chassis made of heavy box steel. Everything was basic so we could both carry out maintenance. You still see early Series Landy's and Defenders where I live as it is rural farm territory and they have high lift supension and snorkles because there is a healthy off-roading community round here. We never got round to doing that but we know those who have and they all have the same opinion... New vehicles just don't cut it. Happy times. Real Landrovers. Real workhorses, tough, rugged, reliable, organic, with a very distinct shape and sound. They were made to last unlike vehicles today that are made of flimsy tin and plastic with plenty of electronics to go wrong. For instance, our car suddenly started to light up like a Christmas tree on the dash and then it just wouldn't start at all. The cause of this???? 1 little piece of solder attached to the engine management. And now, like so many things these days, there is the built in obsolencence to ensure people buy a new one. Eco? Environmentally friendly? Bollocks! Making things that are strong, repariable and to last for as long as possible, with less plastic is far better. Sorry for the rant, but coming from the same era as you, the disposable culture of newness and style over content does my block in and I totally agree with your view. Keep up the excellent work mate 👍👍
I remember very well reading of this event as it happened, and followed the narrative closely. I have since 1998 owned my present 4.6 litre Range Rover which is almost as new after twenty five years, and close to 200k miles on the clock it has at least another 25 years years ahead of it, which makes it a great investment, and it looks like a Range Rover too.
As a youth, seeing these types of events on TV through news clips or even short documentaries, I always assumed these were the best equipped and planned activities led by the most experienced people. Much later I see they sort of wing it like today when trying something completely new or extremely rare.
As much as people doubt the modern Range Rovers, they're still mighty capable off roaders, even on thin road tyres. My father had an Evoque which we took off-roading and it coped remarkably well, especially considering it had normal compound/tread tyres on the largest diameter of the factory wheel
Tell me about the model with the fuel line BARE inside the rear wheel well. That can be crushed or broken open by rocks flicked up by the wheel. They're NOT designed properly for serious off roading.
I live in a big city in the South West of England and seeing people driving round in the very modernised version of the Range Rover drives me up the wall! Unless you're auditioning for Emmerdale 😜, you don't need a 4x4 in a city. Particularly a city with hardly any parking! Rant over lol. Thanks, as ever, for the video
This was excellent! I have seen the documentary made about this expedition. John Blashford-Snell is now 86 and still going. I am currently reading his book,” From Utmost East to Utmost West”, in which he gives his abbreviated account of this trip, among many others. It would appear that given this much help, 3 army’s, US Air Force, and the full support of an automobile mfg, you could pull a block of concrete through that jungle. And to think the old series Land Rover was just left there!😱
I have never heard of this expedition before. This was a fascinating video. There were a couple of references when Top Gear visited Bolivia that I never understood until now! 😂
Got to trim that bumper up though. I own a 2014 Jeep JK and a 2018 Velar and the Range, while a beauty to drive, has too low a front bumper to be any good off-roading. It’s really just the departure angle that sucks
Ironically I want a Land Rover because of its reputation as the best off-road vehicle of all time, but when you go to buy one it's a luxury SUV now instead of something you could drive across a continent.
I agree with you about wanting a Land Rover for its reputation. I test drove a brand new Defender 110 about 3 weeks ago and hated it. It felt huge and the electronics are ridiculous. A year or so ago I test drove a new Discovery. The salesman talked about the electronics for almost a half hour. He explained how with blue tooth, he could change the temperature of the passenger seat with his phone from across the country! Do we really need that!?!?!?! When asked , he didn’t know if the engine was supercharged. I also got to drive a 1969 series 2A, about 2 months ago. That was a blast! A lot of work but totally fun! I have a 2018 Jeep ,that works for me.
I had a '73 that had been brought in gray mkt. It was a great vehicle though clearly not suited for interstate highway travel, it was perfect for country roads and backwoods exploring. As long as you kept enough vital fluids on hand, very reliable but it leaked everything from anywhere it could.
Outstanding! Always enjoy the variety of the subject matter you present. The narration is better than some lavishly produced minutia and the research shows a finely balanced and thorough attentiveness that lesser productions smother the viewer by being to finite or vague to accurately tell the story. Many thanks and best to all, from the Pacific Northwest! K. STULTZ
Question: Is there a RO/RO ferry to get around the gap? ...I expect there's a lot of rare species in the Darien gap that I'm actually happy to be left alone? So it's good those species are all North Sentinelese Islander towards humans.😁 We should stay out. Declare it an ecological preserve and run the highway down the coast.
17:26 The F-250 and Gladiator (J-Series) were Pick-ups and no competition to the RR. What was competition to the RR was the full size Wagoneer/Cherokee, Chevy Blazer, Ford Bronco, Dodge Ram Charger and international Scout. The North American Market was flooded with similar styled SUVs and there was no where for the RR to enter the market. The Jeeps were very definitely aimed at a little higher end market than the other 3. All were very capable vehicles The Jeeps, Chevys, Dodges all used Dana 44 axles from the beginning with Ford joining in 1978 when they moved the Bronco to a full sized chassis. All 5 have become highly collectable. I have been lucky enough to have owned 1 J-10 PU and (2) Cherokee Chiefs. I also have an original dealers brochure from the 60s for the Wagoneer. I Currently own a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee and while it is 4wd (not AWD) it is damn sure a pavement princess in its current form
Probably none because the electronics would have died. But the earlier Defender Td5 have only low key electronics, so you might have a small chance getting it running again soon. I believe nowadays the Russian UAZ Buchanka is the only 4WD you still can drown. That said, any vehicle and deep water don't mix well anyway.
Amazing story. Real happy this popped up in my recommended feed. That Major Blashford-Snell fellow is a real badass and looks to be quite fearless. The heat exhaustion sounds quite dreadful as does the trench foot, heat exhaustion is hard to recover from and leaves you extremely vulnerable to other things to make you rapidly more ill. Being in the US, I have not come across many Range Rovers but I did notice both front and rear differential center sections are offset and seating the bead of a tire on a Range Rover aluminum wheel was very difficult and dangerous.
