The Camel Trophy continues to have a place in the memory of all those who love adventure and expeditions. Shall we take a look back?
The Camel Trophy started in 1980, when three German teams set out to cover 1600km of the Transamazon Highway in Brazil. Designed by the Brazilian military in 1970, this road extends for 4233 km, of which only 175 km are tarred.
And that's how, from these humble beginnings, the event grew over a decade and a half to become one of the most famous adventure events ever. A unique combination of adventure, off-road, expedition, navigation and competition between teams from different nations and nature.
The idea of the Camel Trophy was to overcome difficult natural obstacles, reconciling this with the discovery of remote places behind the wheel of a jeep. A 360º adventure.
In other words, the Camel Trophy was a kind of rally with expedition and adventure characteristics. The teams were not only required to be skilled at the wheel. It required knowledge of mechanics, courage, perseverance and resistance against the worst that nature has to offer. The various editions of the Camel Trophy were carried out in different areas of the globe, taking advantage of the characteristics of each location.
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The Camel Trophy's main purpose was to test human endurance and adaptability rather than the sheer hard competition of off-road competition.
All participants were amateurs (off-road or other sport) and anyone over 21 years old from a participating country could enroll - provided they did not have a competition license. or work for full-time military services – thus avoiding inequalities.
The important thing here was not to be the first, but to overcome the challenges imposed along the way, whether physical or psychological.
The fact that all candidates are amateurs, meant that the number of adventurers increased from year to year. Abandoning your everyday routine for 3 weeks of intense adventures is too strong an appeal to ignore.
Each participating country received applications from its competitors, and chose its four representatives, after carrying out the national selection tests, which could last from one day to a week. Each group of 4, representing their country, then participated in the final selection tests, during a very demanding week. From here, the 2 official participants from each country would leave for a week of intense physical and mental scrutiny.
Unfortunately, time does not turn back. It remains for us to leave this video to all mud lovers, with unique images of the years that gave meaning to the Land Rover's life:
Source: www.cameltrophyportugal.com