"WheelEEZ Wheels were astounding"
“WheelEEZ wheels were astounding”, exclaimed Rosie Stancer upon returning from the Aralkum Desert after her gruelling expedition, “I cannot think of any other wheels that could take on such extreme and diverse conditions”.
Rosie and her colleague Pom Oliver, two British scientists and hardened explorers, have crossed the Aralkum Desert in Kazakhstan and returned home laden with images, videos and samples. The aim of this expedition: To document first-hand the damage that humans can have upon their environment, the efforts being made to rectify this damage, and the extent to which such an environment can affect the human body.
This desert was once a lake filled with life and able to support many communities. In just 60 years it has been reduced to almost nothing as a result of the two rivers that fed it being diverted by the former Soviet Union in an attempt to grow rice, melons, cereals and cotton.
In a time when human impact upon the environment is a hot topic, this expedition aimed to raise awareness for just how much damage can be done in such a short space of time. One of the reasons that this expedition was carried out on foot was to provide a real sense of how inhospitable the environment has become as a result of this desertification. As such, having a means of reliably transporting water and other vital equipment and supplies was essential. Fortunately, this is where the balloon wheels excel.
With the aid of custom-made carts nicknamed "ships of the desert", the pair made the first ever journey on foot across the breadth of this new desert. These carts were equipped with WheelEEZ balloon wheels, of which Ross Handling is the sole supplier. We were proud to be able to supply the wheels needed for these explorers to complete their mission.
“WheelEEZ wheels were astounding. We needed bald and bold tyres with a strong, simple wheel design… I cannot think of any other wheels that could take on such extreme and diverse conditions for such a prolonged period. They took on a diversity of terrains, from the loose sand to the salt pans and from the ascents to the desiccated seabed … and still ran smoothly in the extreme heat. They did not gather debris, as a commercial tyre with tread would. Neither did the wheels accumulate dirt or dust. We only needed to alter the pressure once. And it was extremely advantageous for us that they were so incredibly light, both for the purposes of transport to the destination as well as affording us the opportunity to carry spares.”
This expedition not only observed the impact that this new desert has had upon local communities and the environment, but also the positive steps being taken to rectify this damage. The Kok-aral dam, built by the Kazakhstan government, is going some way to mitigating the damage done by the creation of this desert and has allowed fishing to return to the area.
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To read more about the expedition, CLICK HERE
