Sahara Challenge 2024: A Preview
The last 12 months have featured a number of weeks in the desert for HERO-ERA. Not content with rallying through the deserts of the Middle East and the Gobi though, as HERO-ERA will end September with another sand-blasted excursion, and this one is hot. Too much heat is not a classic cars best friend though, neither are corrosive grains of sand, so the oppressive environment of the Sahara then is probably not the first place that springs to mind for most people considering locations to enjoy their prized machine. But for the rallyists in our midst it sounds like the perfect playground, and on Monday 23rd September, 29 crews will head into the world’s largest sandpit for two weeks of competition to determine the ‘Champion of the Desert’ on the second rebooted Sahara Challenge.
The inaugural revamped Sahara Challenge took place two years ago, when the world was still emerging from the pandemic. The social landscape has changed somewhat since those masked up days, but the Sahara itself is still the same foreboding place, the largest hot desert in the world is a land of extremes, capable of searing day time heat and freezing night-time cold. 4500 kms of tricky route await those seeking glory, but to achieve that they must conquer the challenging regularities and thrilling Sporting Time Control sections, that occur both on and off road.
Speaking of the entrants, it is a field of diverse machinery, including those brave enough to attempt the challenge in open top pre-war machines, with precious little protection from the elements and the worry of keeping their large power plants suitably cooled. There are eight cars in the pre-war category, about half of which are the mighty Chevy Coupes, possibly the perfect machine for these sorts of adventures. At the other end of the spectrum there are almost double the numbers of Porsche powered machinery, and these drivers will also be concerned about the temperature of their air-cooled Stuttgart lumps, not to mention keeping the sand out of the power plants.
Of course, rallying through the sand is no new thing, the Dakar has been capturing the imagination of motorsport and non-motorsport fans for generations, as have the Safari rallies, as well as HERO’s own recent dalliances with the desert. The recent groundbreaking Badawï Trail to the Last Oasis, which traversed the Middle East, was the first time historic rally cars were allowed to cross Saudi Arabia.
Many of those in the field are experienced desert warriors, although the majority of those competing are new to this particular event. For the handful of people that were involved in the very well received 2022 reboot, they will find a familiar format, and similar cities as waypoints on the map, but on a route that is 90% brand new according to Clerk of the Course Guy Woodcock. It isn’t all grains of silica either, there are plenty of mountains to conquer on this adventure, as the route picks a path through the mighty Atlas ranges that separate the desert from the coast. The peak of Toubkal, at over 4000m will stand sentry as the cars pass below its lofty gaze, with the cars themselves pushing on to a height of 2500m above sea level. The drives through these ranges were a real highlight of the last event, and will no doubt prove to be so again, with day two of the competition in particular providing plenty of time at altitude.
Whilst the finish is the ultimate goal, seasoned adventurers will know to take and enjoy each day as it comes and savour the delights of the journey. This isn’t just about the roads of course, but also enjoying the culture, when possible, in places such as Fez, Rabat and Tafraoute and experiencing a night of camping under the unadulterated skies of Erg-Chebbi, when on a clear night gazing at the Milky Way can provide such enchantment that sleep, and fatigue will be forgotten.
There is also a rest day in the fabulous city of Marrakech to enjoy, just to ease the fatigue a little, but what is Clerk of the Course Guy Woodcock most looking forward to, on this return to the desert? ‘It’s the STC’s in the desert for me, they’re the real highlight.’ Says Guy, ‘they’re just so much fun and anyone who hasn’t experienced those before, who hasn’t chased the rooster tails of sand from their fellow competitors through the open desert, they’re in for a treat. The mountains too, are fabulous and John Spiller has put together a wonderful route through those sections, with some tremendous views and even better roads to get to them.’
John Spiller concocted the route for the previous version of this event as well, of course, and whilst he isn’t one for throwing traps into proceedings, he does always come up with a challenging event and has a knack for finding some of most incredible roads. If the last iteration is anything to go by, this will be a rally that is a perfect mix of exciting and challenging. No doubt the days will fly by, and we will be at the finish back on the Spanish mainland in no time at all, who will be the King or Queen of the desert when we get there though, is anyone’s guess.
