5 Year Trip in a Grenadier Across the World towing a Patriot X3 Which We Live In.

[Tom D]

No way I'd have got my wife up that road. Well done.
Good luck with the rest of the journey, and the repairs. Your videos deserve much more interest than they get, fantastic cinematography, I'm sure the scenery helps but even so...
Keep 'em coming!

 

[Matt P]

No way I'd have got my wife up that road. Well done.
Good luck with the rest of the journey, and the repairs. Your videos deserve much more interest than they get, fantastic cinematography, I'm sure the scenery helps but even so...
Keep 'em coming!

It wasn’t easy getting Leah up there either, especially after the fire.. (understandable).

Thanks for the kind words regarding the videos, we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. Things are slowly ticking upwards, it could obviously always be doing better but we’re a family on the road with two very young kids, living in the wild, just doing the best we can. If INEOS got on board I’ve no doubt that would really help but you can only lead an horse to water…

Cinematography wise, for sure the scenery helps, we’re getting a little better with each video and learning what you can do with the tools we have. I’d love to have more time to do things properly at the right time of day, best weather etc and push things further from an adventure perspective but we just don’t have that luxury on this trip. Leah’s got her limits about what she’s willing to drive too, which I get, and don’t want to push for obvious reasons. We just roll with run and gun, do the best we can and hope everyone enjoys them.

 

[Zimm]

Good thing you didn't listen to her about speeding over a cable bridge. You'll create a bow wave that REAAAAALY increases the tension on those cables.

I watch your videos, and when shezimm happens to be there, I practically have to gnaw my tongue off to avoid being accused of "mansplaining". You're always so so quiet. I can only imagine what ends up on the cutting room floor. Well, if that was "us", there would be a lot on the floor.

 

[AngusMacG]

I think once you finish this and have a proper rest it will be time to do another but maybe with a group of Grenny's and more support!

 

[Matt P]

Good thing you didn't listen to her about speeding over a cable bridge. You'll create a bow wave that REAAAAALY increases the tension on those cables.

I watch your videos, and when shezimm happens to be there, I practically have to gnaw my tongue off to avoid being accused of "mansplaining". You're always so so quiet. I can only imagine what ends up on the cutting room floor. Well, if that was "us", there would be a lot on the floor.

Very aware of what would have happened if we’d gunned it over those bridges.. Slowly slowly…

Your mansplaining made me laugh a lot! We’re together 24/7 for a long period of time and have two young kids, again 24/7 and so you learn to choose your battles and keep the peace unless absolutely necessary. I’m also just working on not being reactive and trying to be a bit more “monk-like.” It’s a work-in-progress but this trip is helping a lot. We both have to get better at not being reactive or it’ll all fall apart… that doesn’t mean you become a mute, you just choose your moments wisely.

 

[Zimm]

Very aware of what would have happened if we’d gunned it over those bridges.. Slowly slowly…

Your mansplaining made me laugh a lot! We’re together 24/7 for a long period of time and have two young kids, again 24/7 and so you learn to choose your battles and keep the peace unless absolutely necessary. I’m also just working on not being reactive and trying to be a bit more “monk-like.” It’s a work-in-progress but this trip is helping a lot. We both have to get better at not being reactive or it’ll all fall apart… that doesn’t mean you become a mute, you just choose your moments wisely.

It's all an art I apparently lack any natural skills for. I either make a suggestion, that is agreed to, then gets immediately ignored for a much better idea that doesn't work, I'm blamed because I wasn't clear enough as to the reasoning and outcome intent, or, I assume little knowlege of the case at hand, and start from the beginning as to why I suggest the task is completed in a certain manner, and I'm accused of mansplaining and treating her like a child. There's middle ground there, I'm sure, you seem to have found a sliver, but hell if I've ever set foot on it.

 

[Matt P]

I think once you finish this and have a proper rest it will be time to do another but maybe with a group of Grenny's and more support!

I’d love that! I don’t need too much rest either! A good sleep and I’m ready! Even before this trip began, this was very much part of my future plans, I truly love this vehicle and how capable it is. I’ve no doubt it’ll be a big part of my life for decades to come. Would be great to give the Trialmaster X as a test run too!

I’d love to do some really epic stuff where we can push the vehicles to the absolute limit. (Not with the family, obviously) I’ve got many ideas where we could do that around the world, and there have already been some concepts thrown about, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. (Nothing official and not with INEOS directly, just so we’re clear - just various people we’ve met through this trip so far) There may also be options with AdventureX (my adventure company) that's having a pause at the moment while we do the trip. I’ve got to build a life when this chapter ends, where I can have the flexibility to do these things because it’s what I love! It’s all going to be part of the decision-making process at the end of this chapter.

We're really looking forward to meeting up with owners from some of the clubs in the US who seem to have good numbers! Seeing the Moab event is insane! We love Moab and doing it with all those other Grenadiers would be epic! Our plans are changing as we speak and it’s looking like we’ll now come to do the Americas first and then Africa and so it won’t be too long until this happens!

As a side note but on the same topic, I began talking to INEOS in the very early days about potentially working with them through a partnership with The Explorers Club (Hong Kong Chapter) as I was the Director at the time. We had so many potential expedition ideas it would have been amazing. Covid hit not long after, and things changed, but the ideas and motivation are still there!

The original idea came about back in 2018 after conceiving and leading an expedition that used the same technology NASA used to explore Mars to search for Dinosaur fossils in the Gobi Desert. (See below) At the time, the opportunity was with Infiniti, and so we took it. We learned a lot, and this became a blueprint for the future.

After the Mongolia expedition, we knew we needed a more suitable vehicle and to secure a more long-term partnership for these expeditions to reach their potential and that’s when the search began. This is when I came across the Grenadier for the first time. I was trying to convince Infiniti to build the vehicle we were looking for from scratch, while we were on the expedition, but they said it would be crazy money and it’s not in their long-term plans. We started the conversation with IA when we got back from Mongolia and when the Grenadier was still in the conceptual stage. It was all very exciting but then everything changed. It would be great to pick up the conversation again, at some point now things have progressed. The opportunities and potential are unlimited…

 

[Matt P]

It's all an art I apparently lack any natural skills for. I either make a suggestion, that is agreed to, then gets immediately ignored for a much better idea that doesn't work, I'm blamed because I wasn't clear enough as to the reasoning and outcome intent, or, I assume little knowlege of the case at hand, and start from the beginning as to why I suggest the task is completed in a certain manner, and I'm accused of mansplaining and treating her like a child. There's middle ground there, I'm sure, you seem to have found a sliver, but hell if I've ever set foot on it.