Ça coule de source: Around the World with SCOTT Onroad Part 2
Ça coule de source: Around the World with SCOTT Onroad Part 2
Yvan and Jan from Switzerland continue their world trip by motorbike with our SCOTT Onroad gear. After exploring North- and South America they are now in Africa for new adventures ahead. The SCOTT Dualraid DP, the Concept Modular System and the Ergonomic Pro DP are with them during the full trip. Read about their experiences and stories in the following interview.
The last report about your trip was published in April when you were in Peru. By now you have crossed many more countries and we are sure you have a lot to tell. What happened since we brought the last report about you? Where did you travel in the meantime?
We are now in Namibia, Africa. When the last report of our trip was published we were half way through Peru. After we finished our visit there, we went straight to Bolivia. This was really interesting because we were in the mountains at a very high altitude all the time. Luckily, it was the dry season so we got almost no rain even though it was cold. The wilderness, the landscape and the Inca culture makes this part of the world incredibly fascinating. To end our Andes journey, we crossed the Atacama Desert from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama. It was a tough ride because of the constant high altitude and the really bad road conditions. We enjoyed it but were glad to see some paved roads again ;)
After crossing the last mountain chain we arrived in Argentina. From there we went down to Cordoba and Buenos Aires where we took our time to rest and visit.
At the end of June we flew to Cape Town and that is where our African adventure began. Our plan is to do a loop clockwise in the south part of the continent (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and back to South Africa).
Are you still traveling every day with our SCOTT Concept and Dualraid gear?
Yes we use the Concept and Dualraid gear every day.
As you travel through many different climate zones: How does the SCOTT gear work for you in different weather conditions?
It works very well. We have been facing all kind of weather conditions and the SCOTT gear is a reliable partner all the time. When the weather is good and warm, it is really nice to ride because of the numerous vents that you can open. It nicely makes the air circulate which is very refreshing and necessary for warm riding days.
Of course there are extreme situations where not even the best motorcycle gear can help you anymore. For example, we once did a really high mountain pass in Huascarán National Park, Peru. On that day we went from 1500m to 4600m and at the same time it was raining the first half and snowing the second half. Obviously we got really wet and cold.
Can you please try to describe the experience/the feeling when you are riding in the gear in three words?
Convenient, reliable and comfortable.
Were there particular moments where your SCOTT gear was absolutely helpful for you? If yes, which moments?
Yes, there are many moments where our SCOTT gear was helpful. Every time it is raining we put on the Ergonomic Pro DP to be well protected. In addition, we fell a few times with our motorbikes and the jacket, pants and also the SCOTT Softcon 2 jacket protector were really helpful in these situations to protect our bodies from injuries.
Do you think you give an impact to the Swiss market that more people want to do something similar like you are doing?
We can’t really tell if we have an impact on the Swiss market but we met a lot of people on our way that would like to do something similar like we are doing. Also many friends love our adventure and some of them decided now to travel and to discover more from the world.
Do you think that the SCOTT brand awareness in your country increased by people following your story?
Many colleagues, friends and family back home already asked us if the SCOTT products are good. Some of them didn’t know that SCOTT is selling Onroad gear. Like this, we think that we contribute to increase the brand awareness in our home country.
What are your upcoming travel plans?
We will leave Africa on 13th November and we just booked our flight ticket to Australia. We are also planning to take a break and try to work in a hostel but we don`t know yet where and when exactly. But before all of this we will visit the northern part of Namibia, Caprivi band, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Then Jan’s mom is coming to visit us in South Africa.
What is your favorite country until now and why?
We don’t really like this question because it’s always hard to answer. In every country we met different and nice people and the landscapes are so different. But we spend a really good time in the Andes in Peru. We like to be in the mountains and it’s also more interesting with the motorbikes. In the Andes you can also feel the culture of Peru. People are dressed in their traditional clothes and it’s really authentic.
Do you sometimes miss home and the normal life back in Switzerland?
Yes we miss home, our family and friends. Our travel style is not a “relaxing holiday at the beach” and sometimes we dream to just be at home and have our normal life and work. But we also think that it is THE road trip of our life and we have to live and enjoy the present moment to the maximum. But even if it’s not easy every day we are enjoying our adventure a lot and are really happy and proud.
My last question: Would you do this trip around the world again? And would you make things differently?
If we could do it again it would definitely not be the same approach. It would probably be shorter but more intense. We would also stay a few months in the same country to discover more. Also when you are travelling for 2 years like we do you have to take it easy, otherwise you get tired too fast. Maybe it is also easier to travel the world in another way but we are sure the bike would call us back. But why not going by sailing boat, a van, or on an adventure with kayaks? And who knows, maybe the next trip could be shared with our girlfriends. ;)