The French explorer has just successfully crossed the Namibian desert in twenty days and in total autonomy, the first part of his “project 666” which will take him through six of the largest desert areas on the planet.
«I’m going to go for a little walk in nature to see the wildlife because I really need it“. On the phone from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Stéven Le Hyaric has only one desire: to find his bike and the Namibian desert that he has just crisscrossed in every nook and cranny for a little less than three weeks. With 4223 kilometers in the legs in twenty days in total autonomy, this former cyclist of very good level (Elite) reconverted adventurer on two wheels, managed to complete Sunday the first volume of his challenge baptized “project 666”. A “demonic” challenge consisting of crossing six of the most hostile deserts on the planet on six different continents, all with one idea behind their heads: showing the preciousness of these natural environments in danger by raising awareness about global warming.
The oppressive heat, Stéven Le Hyaric had to deal with during his long days in the saddle. In Namibia, temperatures have sometimes flirted with 50 ° C (48 ° C in the Namib Desert). Not ideal for swallowing the 250 km daily on the program in this territory of Southern Africa bordering the west coast of the continent. “I had prepared for it with temperature tests up to 60 degrees», He admits before evoking the pitfalls of the exceptional thermal amplitude. Because at night, the mercury drops to almost zero degrees. A big gap which sometimes put to the torment his organism already tired by the repeated efforts. “The end of the course was more difficult. One morning, I woke up with a mist and 5 ° C when I had to climb to 2200 meters of altitude starting from 70 m. In an hour and a half, the thermometer rose to 37 ° C. This thermal shock hurts and I was going a little crazy on my bike. In addition to that, I had no village to supply.»
“I couldn’t teach a lesson about climate change if I didn’t show myself capable of handling this extreme heat. “
Steven Le Hyaric
In a country with an extremely low density (3 inhabitants / km2), the question of water supply was paramount throughout his adventure. “I knew that I was able to hold between 100, 200 or even 300 km of track without having to refuel. I carried between 3 and 5 liters of water on me at all times“, Details the son of the director of the Humanity group with philosophy:”I couldn’t teach a lesson about climate change if I didn’t show myself capable of handling this extreme heat. In 20 days on my bike, I only took a shower.A cyclist in search of a water point, it has sometimes turned into a traveling fountain for thirsty locals. “Over the last 1,500 kilometers, I was regularly called for, broken down cars or people walking along the tracks. It’s surprising, we meet isolated walkers without knowing where they come from, or where they are going, more than 20 kilometers from any city.».
“I saw bright things on the ground. I wondered if they were gems… but they were spider eyes ”
Steven Le Hyaric
To adapt to this hostile environment, the one who was tempted by monastic life when he left for Nepal on a whim in 2016, the starting point of his new life as an adventurer, was inspired by the fauna surrounding. “We observe what the animals are doing here, like the oryxes. We drive less quickly and we rationalize our actions and refueling. We live frugally to avoid going crazy. I was setting short-term goals by telling myself “Come on, in an hour you’ll find some shade.” Except that there, shadow points are extremely rareJokes the adventurer who, on the other hand, has not crossed elephants on his way. A regret. “At this time of year, they go elsewhere to fetch waterHe continues. No pachyderm, but giraffes in a mess, oryx with whom he raced, leaping gazelles, curious jackals, warthogs running on legs, kudus or even baboons intrigued, even threatening at the sight of this mysterious intruder on two wheels. Some disturbing scorpions and arachnids. “I saw bright things on the ground. I wondered if they were gems… In fact they were spider eyes», Remembers Le Hyaric, athlete who finds real pleasure only in a total stripping when he is in the middle of adversity. A masochistic pleasure in short for this devourer of territories counting, in bulk, among his past exploits: a crossing of the Himalayas, a Paris-Dakar in 20 days, a crossing of Lake Baikal, a Lhassa-Kathmandu record, all in MTB obviously.
The emotional encounter with the Himba people
During his adventure interspersed with repairing his tires (30 punctures), Stéven Le Hyaric still took time to meet the local populations. With the exception of one mishap, when armed men, looking threatening on a vehicle equipped with a giant searchlight, came to verify that he was not a poacher, the exchanges were rich, especially with the Himba people. , in the north of the country to whom he tried to introduce the joys of two-wheelers. “I had been told that I would have no chance of convincing a woman to try a bicycle. It was all the more touching as these natives are denigrated and even persecuted there.», He says with emotion.
Guided by the will of “to convey emotions, to show these landscapes to make people want to preserve them», Stéven Le Hyaric will continue his challenge in the coming months by raising maximum awareness against the dangers of climate change. His next trip will probably take him to Australia, in the hostile Simpson Desert, then if the global health situation does not disrupt his program, will come the Atacama Desert (South America), that of Gobi (Mongolia and China) and finally Antarctica and the Arctic as frozen desserts to complete the loop.
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