
Camel Trophy is all about adventure, expedition and competition. It provides amateur enthusiasts with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine the art of survival with a unique chance to be part of one of the most grueling, amateur one-make four-wheel drive expeditions the world has to offer.
Throughout its eighteen-year history, Camel Trophy has grown in stature and refinement, but at the same time lost sight of none of its original goals. It is still an exceptional opportunity for man and machine to be tested against outstanding natural obstacles, extracting the best from both. It is international camaraderie, sportsmanship, and competition at its best, but above all, it is an event of perseverance, resilience and adventure.
From modest beginnings in 1980, when only three teams from West Germany entered, Camel Trophy has captured the enthusiasm of amateur adventurers from around the world, expanding to a field of twenty teams in 1995 and 1996. Confirmation of the event's success lies with the amateur adventurers who apply year after year in the hope of being chosen to represent their nation in what can be described as one of life's last great challenges.
Camel Trophy makes the proud boast that it is "The Legend in Adventure" -- and quite rightly so. There are very few opportunities in today's world for people to escape from the normal routine of everyday life, but on Camel Trophy they can and do. When the event lasts about 21 days and covers more than 1,500 miles of difficult terrain in unwelcoming climates, the participants are tested every inch of the way and in the process find out a great deal about themselves, their teammates and their fellow competitors.
So, the emphasis of Camel Trophy leans more towards testing human endurance and adaptability than pure competition. All participants are strictly amateur -- anyone from a participating nation who holds a current driver's license and is at least 21 years of age is entitled to enter Camel Trophy. The prerequisites are fitness, common sense and an adventurous spirit.
The event is held in a different location each year in the quest for new and even more exotic adventures. It is neither a race nor a rally, but an event demanding much more from competitors than just driving skills. Every decision is vital. A major navigational error can lead to wasted time and little sleep and competitors having to plumb the depths of personal stamina. However, a correct decision means the teams continuing on schedule, giving the participants a sense of personal elation at overcoming that particular challenge.
Because of the unpredictable nature of the event, the teams can only prepare themselves so much, and must rely on mental agility and physical endurance to solve the challenging problems and obstacles put in the way of the convoy by the terrain itself.
The Camel Trophy scoring system is based upon the results achieved in the "Competitions." Throughout the event, the teams stop at pre-determined sites where a series of Competitions take place. For 1997, the Competitions are designed to assess teams' skills in 4x4 Driving, Kayaking, Mountain Biking and Orienteering. Competitions are judged by an independent group of marshals and points are awarded to each team. Final placings are calculated after all Competitions have been completed and the team with the highest point will have their names permanently inscribed on the Camel Trophy award -- a sterling silver sculpture of three hands holding aloft a silver gilt globe and vehicle.
The expedition portion of the event takes place between the Competition sites, as participants navigate their Land Rover Discoverys through some of the most challenging terrain the world has to offer, but always on existing tracks and trails.
From Sumatra and Papua New Guinea to the Amazon and the magnificent barren setting of Eastern Siberia, Camel Trophy team members have witnessed and experienced some of the most breath-taking scenery on our planet. This section is a journey of initiative, navigation and endurance. It is this period that identifies participants' camaraderie, humor and team spirit -- and the judges of the Team Spirit award are the teams themselves.
Selection and Training
Potential Camel Trophy competitors brave a demanding selection and assessment process to determine whether they are suited to cope with the rigors of the event. Few combine the necessary attributes of determination, courage, stamina and above all, the innate sense of team spirit required by all Camel Trophy team members. However, every Camel Trophy participant must have these characteristics -- and more.
Few involved in the early West German Camel Trophy Adventure would have guessed that the event would quickly gain international recognition. Within two years, the words Camel Trophy were synonymous with adventure and challenge. By its third year, the event had attracted the interest of thousands of amateur adventurers from Italy, Holland, the U.S. and of course, West Germany.
Because the number of applicants was growing rapidly, the criteria for selecting participants had to be tightened. The ability to thrive in a tropical climate, survive in the jungle and cope with the stress, lack of sleep and physical strain associated with the event demanded a tough selection process. So test and trials were developed to assess the candidates' suitability.
National Selections have changed very little since those early years. The objective is to identify the two most suitable candidates from each participating country to take part in the event. The changes that have taken place are minor, aimed primarily at refining and streamlining the process of selection while increasing the awareness and interest in the event.
As the years progressed, it became necessary for some countries to hold regional as well as national selections in order to cope with the huge increase in numbers of people applying for the two places available to each country. While selections may vary from country to country, they follow the same basic format and guidelines and are devised to assess physical fitness, mental agility, personality and 4x4 driving skills.
At the conclusion of months of regional and national trials, each participating nation selects four finalists who are invited to attend the Camel Trophy International Selections where the two-person teams are chosen. Here, the international flavor of Camel Trophy becomes apparent to the candidates as they work together with finalists from the other competing countries. Team spirit and camaraderie are vital elements of Camel Trophy, and it is at this stage that national assessors and trainers not only verify candidates' physical and mental attributes, but also their ability to work with others as a team.
After several days of rigorous training and scrupulous assessment, the two selected participants from each nation return home to work on their own training programs before they embark on the three-week Camel Trophy expedition. The two unsuccessful candidates are nominated as reserves, with the satisfaction of having reached the final selections and the opportunity of re-applying for the next Camel Trophy.
What all the participants of Camel Trophy have in common is the desire to escape the monotony of everyday life, to push themselves to the limit and to work with teams from other nations to achieve a common goal. The fact that every year more than 1.5 million people apply goes to prove that the world's greatest adventure has only just begun.
Camel Trophy is sponsored by Worldwide Brands, Inc., marketer of Camel Trophy adventure gear and clothing by Land Rover, manufacturer of premium British-built four-wheel drive vehicles. Land Rover North America, Inc., imports vehicles manufactured by Land Rover in Solihull, England. Land Rover is a member of the Rover Group of Companies, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG.