Journey of tribute: Zsolt Vadász and the Trabant Expedition’s African adventure

Zsolt Vadász, the leader of the Trabant Expedition, embarked on a journey to Africa in February, planning to stay for several months. The journey was driven by a noble purpose: to honour his late friend with a memorial which was set up in Africa.

The Trabant Expedition

The Friends of Geonauta is a group of friends with nearly 30 years of history dedicated to hiking mountains, exploring volcanoes and pilgrim routes all while actively preserving nature, constructing artificial nests and cleaning up litter.

The Millenium Falcon Team started as a side project in 2013 using a Trabant car as its inspiration. The team aimed to raise awareness about excessive consumerism and the environmental impact of modern technology. They showcased that low-power vehicles can reach any location in the world and illustrated this by driving the Trabant to iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Budapest-Bamako rally in Africa, the Arctic in Norway and more. Their journeys can be followed through various platforms, including YouTube, which is accessible HERE.

Throughout its journey, the Trabant Expedition has garnered a strong following of supporters who advocate both environmental conservation and the joy of travel. Noteworthy among these supporters are the Börzsöny Foundation, the Tiszaroff’s Local Government (Tiszaroff is where Zsolt Vadász, the leader of the expedition is from), the Africa Másként Foundation and the Járatlan Utakon Festival.

Trabant Expedition’s current quest

In an interview with Daily News Hungary, Zsolt shared that he met his friend Bendegúz in 2019 in a remote area known as the No Man’s Land. This area lies between Morocco and Mauritania marked by a United Nations monitored zone spanning 17 kilometers. Zsolt described the zone as desolate territory filled with mines, abandoned vehicles, wreckage and stranded individuals.

During an aid mission where Zsolt was escorting two vans in a Trabant, he met Bendegúz for the first time who was driving a Suzuki. Their enduring friendship began that day and continued until Bendegúz’s passing.