A step-by-step examination of a complex recovery operation to rescue a Jeep stuck deep in the sand dunes, illustrating some of the difficulties specific to this terrain and how to overcome them… [read]
Intensive 3-day training in driving techniques, map and compass navigation and sand recovery scenarios with expert instruction provided by Nena Barlow of Barlow Adventures at the Imperial Sand Dunes… [read]
Preparing for any scenario with the Overland Experts team. Good driving skills are just the beginning as we look at the complexities of “expedition management”: assessing vehicle capabilities and weaknesses, evaluating drivers, trail guiding, convoy management, and recovery…. [read]
Exploring old trails in search of history deep inside coal country offers some real-life practice in the kind of terrain assessments we will need to make during an expedition based on old maps into unfamiliar territory where conditions are unknown… [read]
A trip down the iconic Jeep trail builds confidence, boosts endurance and leaves a lasting impression.The four day there-and-back journey with the Barlow Adventures team would be the ultimate Jeep challenge… [read]
Five days solo scouting unfamiliar trails in the Ocala National Forest to learn about the challenges of terrain assessment is good preparation for an expedition where we will have maps that indicate routes, but no info on conditions, whether they will be passable, or if they even still exist… [read]
A scouting trip in the company of experienced Dakar racers offers a preview of the challenges we will face during the Gazelle Rally and beyond. “The Gateway to the Sahara,” Ouarzazate is a calm and modern Moroccan town on the edge of the desert.… [read]
Driving a Jeep off-road across the Sahara presents a different set of challenges than the recreational offroading we are familiar with, so we went to Barlow Jeep School in Sedona, AZ, to learn the ins and outs of desert driving from an expert… [read]
The stretch of California desert known as Anza Borrego has a lot of similarities with parts of the Sahara and as such is a perfect place to work on the terrain recognition skills that will help us navigate off-road without a GPS during the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles… [read]
We started preparing for the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles last year, as soon as we made the decision to participate in the grueling nine-day off-road race across the Sahara… [read]
I could read a road map without a problem, but a topographical map seemed more complicated, and the old black and white line drawn maps of Morocco that we would have to use for the Gazelle Rally seemed more like modern art than accurate indications of terrain… [read]
