They include showroom-stock Jeep Wranglers and Subaru Foresters, highly modified Toyota trucks and even a $300,000 Mercedes-Benz G550 4x4 Squared. The vehicles, in fact, are as diverse as the people driving them. Trophies are awarded in a number of classes, including overall winners in the 4-by-4 and Crossover vehicle categories. The organizers pack up all the garbage to take away, leaving the base camps cleaner than before the crowds roared through. Competitors tread lightly and obey all speed regulations, and there are penalties if they don’t. Lewis said.īut Rebelle Rally has pushed to change that stigma, working closely with organizations like the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service to comply with all laws. “Off-road motorized recreation often comes with a stigma and preconceived idea that is not typically positive,” Mr. The organizers must make sure the route is responsibly maintained, said Jimmy Lewis, the rally’s course director. Benzie, a genetic immunologist in San Francisco, drove, and her mother, Christine Benzie, navigated.Īnd unexpected situations, like mechanical problems or safety issues, can arise. “Imagine summer camp for off-roading die-hards, where every day you drive an insane obstacle course and every night you camp around a fire hearing stories from the most hard-core women you envision - that’s Rebelle.” “It was an amazing experience that tested my skills under sleep deprivation and long, dusty hours,” Ms. Last year, Emily Benzie and her mother made up the Jeep Thrills team. They are the roughly 100 women who will compete in the annual Rebelle Rally starting next week, armed with analog navigation tools: a map, a compass and a road book, but no cellphones or GPS devices. On their hunt for just under 200 hidden checkpoints, they will rely on map and compass skills, as well as driving prowess, physical stamina and more. Over 10 days, they will drive across 1,600 grueling, off-road miles in the Nevada and California deserts, where the afternoons can reach 100 degrees and the nights can dip to 15.
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