The Rugged Road

The remarkable story of two women, the first to drive the length of Africa, and the first to cross the Sahara on a motorcycle: all this in 1935 with no roads, no back-up, arguing with the French Foreign Legion, breakdowns and adventure all the way. A story of sheer guts and determination.

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The remarkable story of two women, the first in the world to drive the length of Africa, and the first to cross the Sahara on a motorcycle. London to Cape Town overland by motorcycle and sidecar, pulling a trailer. No roads, no back up - just straight across the Sahara through equatorial Africa, and South to the Cape - in 1934/35, without even a compass! Undeterred by nomads, sand drifts, heat, rain, rivers, breakdowns and politics, Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron completed a journey that might well defeat a modern motorcycle, and Florence even rode back as far as the Sahara! From oasis to oasis arguing with the French Foreign Legion for permission to continue, and winning; fashioning a tow hitch for the trailer when it broke in the desert; rebuilding the entire engine from scratch in Agadez: meeting gorillas, lions and snakes on the road, staying in African villages and meeting an amazing variety of friendly and helpful people. Not to mention having an accident in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) with the only car seen on the road.
This second edition contains rather more information on the life of Theresa Wallach and especially her travels in the USA after here amazing journey to Cape Town. It also contains a few additional photos and where new information has come to light this has also been included.