Outback Challenge: Morocco (Team USA)
- Thread starter Scott Brady
- Start date
flywgn
Explorer
Hanson,
I can't wait to meet you in person. We just may drive down to the southern part of the state just for that reason.
What a kick!
More to the subject. I tried to get on to the French site that's been carrying this adventure and it's not showing any updates for today either.
If what son-in-law tells me is true, those competitors may be trying to dig out of a sand trap. :archaeolo
Allen R
I can't wait to meet you in person. We just may drive down to the southern part of the state just for that reason.
What a kick!
More to the subject. I tried to get on to the French site that's been carrying this adventure and it's not showing any updates for today either.
If what son-in-law tells me is true, those competitors may be trying to dig out of a sand trap. :archaeolo
Allen R
It's still on.....
From Nathan via Scott's Blackberry:
Were finished with day 4 but it appears that there will be a day 5 after all. Today went well overall. We took it easy in order to preserve the vehicle and the strategy appears to be working well.
The first challenge was the cliff hanger event. It basically consists of getting your vehicle to the top of 9 foot tall sheer cliff. We employed a good strategy of using the ground anchor to pull the top down and build up the base of the cliff and decrease the approach. We came in first place.
Next was a navigation challenge. We came in second place overall, with the first place team beating us by about 2 minutes.
The third challenge was a very difficult closed course event. Because of the high potential of carnage we went very slow, finishing in about 20 minutes. Giving us a third place finish.
One of the competitors, a Defender 90 owner took the phrase "drive it like you stole it" to heart and blazed through the trail in only 3 minutes, securing the first place spot for his team by a wide margin.
The last event of the day was another nav challenge that was about 100 km in length. We did well in the challenge, blasting to within 5 km of the final checkpoint in a bit under 2 hours. However the sun set and the last stretch were sand dunes that were too large and dangerous to drive in the dark. We had to back out and find another route, and we arrived in camp in third place for the stage.
We still appear to have a commanding lead, so well go easy tomorrow too. The events are supposed to be a mid day navigation challenge on foot, a water crossing obstacle of some sort and then a night time closed course in mud. After that, its back to Tangiers to load on the ferry and it's back to France.
~nathan
From Nathan via Scott's Blackberry:
Were finished with day 4 but it appears that there will be a day 5 after all. Today went well overall. We took it easy in order to preserve the vehicle and the strategy appears to be working well.
The first challenge was the cliff hanger event. It basically consists of getting your vehicle to the top of 9 foot tall sheer cliff. We employed a good strategy of using the ground anchor to pull the top down and build up the base of the cliff and decrease the approach. We came in first place.
Next was a navigation challenge. We came in second place overall, with the first place team beating us by about 2 minutes.
The third challenge was a very difficult closed course event. Because of the high potential of carnage we went very slow, finishing in about 20 minutes. Giving us a third place finish.
One of the competitors, a Defender 90 owner took the phrase "drive it like you stole it" to heart and blazed through the trail in only 3 minutes, securing the first place spot for his team by a wide margin.
The last event of the day was another nav challenge that was about 100 km in length. We did well in the challenge, blasting to within 5 km of the final checkpoint in a bit under 2 hours. However the sun set and the last stretch were sand dunes that were too large and dangerous to drive in the dark. We had to back out and find another route, and we arrived in camp in third place for the stage.
We still appear to have a commanding lead, so well go easy tomorrow too. The events are supposed to be a mid day navigation challenge on foot, a water crossing obstacle of some sort and then a night time closed course in mud. After that, its back to Tangiers to load on the ferry and it's back to France.
~nathan
picklefisher
New member
flywgn said:
Flywgn,
What is the link to the French site? I'm Nathan's mother and have been trying to follow their escapades.
Outback Morocco Update-MAYBE last day?
From Nathan via Scott's Blackberry:
It's mid day on day 5 and the challenge may or may not be over. A huge sand storm blew in mid day that may postpone the last challenge. Visibility is 1/4 mile at best. Everything we own has sand chips picked out of it. No question, sand storms are destructive. We're all going to need new
goggles and sun glasses for all the sand chip destruction.
The day started off with a navigation challenge. We made good time until we were only 3.5 km from the final nav point. The luxembourg cruiser ruptured a coolant line and overheated. Rather than fix it in the field, we opted to tow it to the finish line. I don't know the exact results since it was a staggered start, bit I believe we still finished first.
At the finish line one team member from each vehicle had to run about 1 km to a nav point and get a road book containing nav points for the remainder of the day. Scott made the run while we 3 stayed back to fix the land cruiser. We were able to cut the bad section of hose out and carry on but it gave a 25 minute delay on the next nav point.
Despite that we found a fast priste and were able to make up about 15 of those minutes, we still came in last.
The next event was a closed course consisting of a 40 in deep water crossing (a lot shallower than we'd been told), a short mud bog, followed by a rock crawling section. The rock crawling section was very Moab-esque, giving Scott and I a big advantage. Scott powered through the course easily racking up the fastest time overall.
About that time the sand storm blew in, and they decided to postpone the remaining events. There may be one last event tomorrow, a closed course rock crawling event, but that depends on the weather.
Back in camp all of the contents of our tents are covered in about an inch of sand. For now we are all gathered in a tent out of the storm with a half a dozen bottles of wine and scotts new best friend, a liquor from the south of France called Pastis.
On a side note, we have fuel trucks that come out every day to gas us up. Yesterday as they set out for our camp they found a female tourist dead among the dunes. No affiliation with our tournament but still kinda scary stuff.
~nathan
From Nathan via Scott's Blackberry:
It's mid day on day 5 and the challenge may or may not be over. A huge sand storm blew in mid day that may postpone the last challenge. Visibility is 1/4 mile at best. Everything we own has sand chips picked out of it. No question, sand storms are destructive. We're all going to need new
goggles and sun glasses for all the sand chip destruction.
The day started off with a navigation challenge. We made good time until we were only 3.5 km from the final nav point. The luxembourg cruiser ruptured a coolant line and overheated. Rather than fix it in the field, we opted to tow it to the finish line. I don't know the exact results since it was a staggered start, bit I believe we still finished first.
At the finish line one team member from each vehicle had to run about 1 km to a nav point and get a road book containing nav points for the remainder of the day. Scott made the run while we 3 stayed back to fix the land cruiser. We were able to cut the bad section of hose out and carry on but it gave a 25 minute delay on the next nav point.
Despite that we found a fast priste and were able to make up about 15 of those minutes, we still came in last.
The next event was a closed course consisting of a 40 in deep water crossing (a lot shallower than we'd been told), a short mud bog, followed by a rock crawling section. The rock crawling section was very Moab-esque, giving Scott and I a big advantage. Scott powered through the course easily racking up the fastest time overall.
About that time the sand storm blew in, and they decided to postpone the remaining events. There may be one last event tomorrow, a closed course rock crawling event, but that depends on the weather.
Back in camp all of the contents of our tents are covered in about an inch of sand. For now we are all gathered in a tent out of the storm with a half a dozen bottles of wine and scotts new best friend, a liquor from the south of France called Pastis.
On a side note, we have fuel trucks that come out every day to gas us up. Yesterday as they set out for our camp they found a female tourist dead among the dunes. No affiliation with our tournament but still kinda scary stuff.
~nathan
Adventure Outback website address
Judy,
Here's the link for the Outback Challenge Morocco site. Not much help as they aren't updating it, but maybe they will tomorrow as they're heading back to civilization in Marakesh.
www.outback-challenge.com
~treighsee
picklefisher said:
Judy,
Here's the link for the Outback Challenge Morocco site. Not much help as they aren't updating it, but maybe they will tomorrow as they're heading back to civilization in Marakesh.
www.outback-challenge.com
~treighsee
picklefisher
New member
Web site
Thanks, Tracy. Hope they're getting de-sanded.:archaeolo
Judy
Thanks, Tracy. Hope they're getting de-sanded.:archaeolo
Judy
flywgn
Explorer
Picklefisher,
Sorry I hadn't seen your request.
Here's one site, but it hasn't been updating.
http://www.wanadoo.fr/
I then use <go.presse> and my password to get into the Gauloises site. I'm not sure that you'll be able to enter the site. My 'credentials' are holdover from Andy's Rally-Raid (Gauloises was his sponsor) in Tunisia last spring. I used my press credentials to obtain the permission from Gauloises in the first place and, so far, they have not rescinded them
David Casteu is sponsored by Gauloises also.
The 'updates' dried up a couple of days ago. I'm not sure what happened. I tried also to go on at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/ and
http://www.motorsport.com/news/ but managed nothing.
The reports back from Nathan and Scott have been superior.
Sorry.
Allen Russell
Sorry I hadn't seen your request.
Here's one site, but it hasn't been updating.
http://www.wanadoo.fr/
I then use <go.presse> and my password to get into the Gauloises site. I'm not sure that you'll be able to enter the site. My 'credentials' are holdover from Andy's Rally-Raid (Gauloises was his sponsor) in Tunisia last spring. I used my press credentials to obtain the permission from Gauloises in the first place and, so far, they have not rescinded them
David Casteu is sponsored by Gauloises also.
The 'updates' dried up a couple of days ago. I'm not sure what happened. I tried also to go on at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/ and
http://www.motorsport.com/news/ but managed nothing.
The reports back from Nathan and Scott have been superior.
Sorry.
Allen Russell
picklefisher
New member
Allen,
Thanks for the sites. I'll give them a try. Fortunately Nathan has kept us informed. Actually, communication links have been much better than usual on this expedition. On his past trips, parts of Mexico and Africa were agonizing.
Thanks for the sites. I'll give them a try. Fortunately Nathan has kept us informed. Actually, communication links have been much better than usual on this expedition. On his past trips, parts of Mexico and Africa were agonizing.