Great Divide

History

Journal

Tips

Video

Across the Great Divide



View the online documentary of the exciting and picturesque 1996 Land Rover Great Divide Expedition. Drawing on the superior capabilities of Range Rovers, Discoveries, and Defenders, each year the Great Divide Expedition makes its way from Denver to Telluride. The journey serves up a combination of challenging off-road driving, unparalleled natural beauty, and luxurious accommodations. Land Rover supplies the only vehicles to get you there.

The Great Divide Expedition is only one of a unique collection of off-road expeditions, sporting occasions, and country pursuits all arranged exclusively for owners and their guests.

The Great Divide Expedition

The Great Divide Expedition was born when Tom Collins, a member of the U.S. team that tied for first place in the 1987 Camel Trophy, had a dream to create an off-road expedition along the Great Divide in the Colorado Rockies. With a great deal of research, planning, and hard work, his dream was realized. In 1989, the inaugural Land Rover Great Divide Expedition was born. Featuring near-vertical climbs, dense stands of pine and fir trees, and barely passable boulder-filled trails the Expedition is the ideal setting in which to develop your off-road skills.

During your continuous north-south crossing, you'll be under personal instruction from some of the world's most accomplished experts, including Tom Collins, other Camel Trophy veterans, and off-road experts. Ascending ever higher, you'll reach elevations of nearly 13,000 feet and stand amidst the pristine grandeur of a landscape few tourists have seen.

In these remote and unforgiving passes, you'll come upon eerie ghost towns - relics of Colorado's gold and silver mining past. Along the way, you'll stay in fine hotels - including the luxurious Peaks Resort and Spa at Telluride, a picturesque mountain village that was once so inaccessible it was a favorite hide-out for desperadoes such as Butch Cassidy.


History link
As part of the research for the original expedition, Tom Collins wrote an informative essay on the history of the Great Divide area, including information on the route, geology, the first Americans to inhabit the area, as well as how the Spanish Period, fur traders, and railroads affected the area.


Journal link
Travel day to day with us. See Land Rovers in their element, and read about the history of the towns you pass through on the trip. CLick on any of the images to view a fullscreen version.


Tips link
Here you'll find an extensive off-road reference section including driving tips and techniques, off-road capability parameters, recovery strap usage, winching and more.


Video link
View Land Rovers in action. Quicktime movies from different sections on the journey.