Strap in for one wild ride

In Discovery Channel's reality-television series Car Vs Wild, survival expert Gary Humphrey, 47, and car fanatic Bill Wu, 38, push their trusty four-wheel-drive Jeep, Ruby, to the limit in Mexico's harsh terrain, going up against natural hazards and extreme environments.

My Paper catches up with the duo on survival tactics and advice on the best off-road locations for adventurous travellers.

Could you share some tips on how to drive in harsh terrain?

Wu: (Different) terrain involves a different type of skill, so the best preparation would be to study...the terrain before you go.

For example, if you'll be driving on lava rock, you should do research about it and then take the proper equipment along.

Humphrey: And decent tyres...

Wu: Tyres. So you'd definitely need a puncture kit and maybe two spare tyres. Just be sensible; being prepared is the most important thing.

Had the average person driven Ruby, would she have withstood the trials that you put her through?

Humphrey: Probably not. You need a bit of skill behind the wheel, but that's only to take it to extremes. Everything we did was a first and extreme, so you need the skill.

Bill has got the skill in driving with very minimal kits. Ruby is a basic car and it makes me rather proud that, with teamwork, a bit of skill, thinking and dogged determination, you can do whatever.

What are some good routes for road trips?

Humphrey: I've got a great one in South America. Start in Bolivia, right at the start of the Amazon, and drive from the Amazon over the Andes, onto the high plateaus of the desert, and then drop down to the Pacific Ocean.

Wu: Moab, Utah. There are so many little trails there that you can spend weeks just doing these trails that loop around and come back.

I think Moab is one of the best places to go off-roading because there are obstacles that you can test yourself with, and there are bypasses. It's for every level, and it's situated in a really beautiful area.

If you could go anywhere, where would you want to explore next?

Humphrey: I would love to go to the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet, and end up really high in the mountains. That'd be superb.

Wu: I want to go somewhere tropical and beautiful, and explore some deserted islands. I'd drive around and map out the terrain for someone else to go in the future.

Humphrey: Or trans-Africa. Go from Namibia all the way through to Mozambique. Coast to coast, that would be superb.

The second season of Car Vs Wild premieres at 10pm on Monday on Discovery Channel (StarHub Ch 422).

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