The Adventurists

The explanation for the following photos is lower down the page.

Preparation at Camp Baobab

Map of the Salt Pans

3 Chairs for Africa; the centre one rigged for the flight

Early on in the inflation with helium

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We headed into Nata on Saturday morning to buy fuel and a few provisions. While in the carpark, a presentable young man accosted me, admiring our vehicle. He turned out to be Carlos from Majorca and asked for our contact to find out more about the Enterprise. On getting as far as 'dragonballoon' he exclaimed "Are you something to do with ballooning?" He explained that he and his team from the Institute for Adventure Research (www.theadventurists.com) are in Botswana to attempt to make a couple of cluster balloon flights from Kubu Island in the salt pans. What a coincidence we should meet.

Carlos and Charles from South Africa were in Nata provisioning for a recce to Kubu Island. The rest of the team, based in Bristol, were at Planet Baobab near Gweta preparing for the attempt. On hearing about their crazy idea to try and fly in a cluster balloon (simply a mass of balloons filled with helium tied to a camp chair) we decided to join them. Planet Baobab was a lovely lodge and we met Tom, Buddy and Kester trying out the rigging of their chairs, hanging from the roof of the camp shelter. Tom and Buddy would be the test pilots while Kes had his paramotor to fly around them. Rich was the photographer to record it all and over the following days we did many interviews to camera. When they learned that Chris also had some experience flying in a gas balloon they were very eager for us to join them.

Carlos and Charles got stuck in a wet salt pan on their way to Kubu Island so Sunday morning the other 4 went off early in their 2nd vehicle to the rescue while we loaded 2 huge bags of balloons, the paramotor engine and some chairs into the Enterprise and accompanied the local truck carrying many cylinders of helium. To get to Kubu Island requires 4WD and GPS navigation. Chris had been given the easiest route by a friendly South African at the camp. It took us 5.5 hours after leaving the tarmac at Zoroga to get there, much of it through close thorn trees which scraped the sides and sent thorns and sticks flying in through the windows, too hot to keep them closed. It was well worth it as the following couple of days have been very entertaining.

What a fun bunch of people. We were able to help in lots of ways by lending all sorts of equipment from the Enterprise and using it as a tether point once the full cluster was eventually constructed. The first day's early start inflating with helium went slowly due to measuring each balloon accurately under Chris's guidance, and recording it all for the camera. The 5 foot balloons were tied together in clusters of 3 and tethered to helium tanks to keep them apart and away from thorn bushes. Kubu Island is a rocky outcrop with baobab trees surrounded by an expanse of dry salt pans, ideal for a balloon launch. The calm wind soon picked up and had the bunches of balloons thrashing on their strings and it wasn't long before some started bursting. Eventually it was decided to pack it in and start all over on Tuesday. The original idea had been to make 2 clusters, but with so many burst balloons on Monday there was not enough helium left for both. Besides at the speed of inflation and the size of the team, time was also a factor.

On Tuesday the calmest time of day forecast was after noon. At 12.30 inflation began in earnest and a good routine was established so that by 5pm enough smaller clusters were inflated and losses replaced to give enough lift for Tom to take to the sky harnessed into his chair. However, fastening all the clusters together with a cleverly devised system of loops and carabiners took longer than expected and it was after sunset before all was ready. Or not quite! Tom was all up for flying off into the dusk but he did listen to Chris's advice. The amount of balast (bags of water) he was carrying was insufficient and the wind had increased again, making it unadvisable from a safety aspect. Abandoned again. As we sat drinking beer during the evening (water was in short supply!) the balloons kept bursting like cannon fire above us.  It was decided that with the unpredictability of the wind at Kubu Island another site should be tried. During the night the truck driver and his mate quietly loaded the helium tanks and set off back to Nata as instructed.

Yesterday morning, Wednesday, dawned calm so Chris decided to take Tom for a flight in Suzy Blue. As we had not prepared for this beforehand, I was roused from a deep sleep to build the basket! With so much help the balloon was ready to go in record time and they were off over the salt pans, closely followed by Kester in the paramotor. They landed close to a track in grassland clear of thorn trees with Kes circling above to guide us to their position.

We have returned to the Pelican Lodge campsite to recoup, clean the dust a little and ready ourselves for the next adventure. We have been adopted as new members of the Institute for Adventure Research. The latest we have heard from the Team is that they were headed to South Africa for another attempt, using a barn to inflate the balloons inside.