< more recent | 23-28 August 2016 | older >
28 August 2016: We finished up the training weekend with one last drive in the Artic Wildcats through the desert around Fallon NV back towards Reno. The practice course took us over some of the same trails that are part of the off-road racing circuit here, and I got to test my skills at driving fast and maintaining my pace over distance, which turned out to require a lot more concentration than I’d imagined. A fantastic end to a great weekend of learning and fun with the Rod Hall Drive team …
28 August 2016: Today the Rod Hall Drive team got me out on the dunes at Sand Mountain, to work on the finer points of driving in a sea of dunes. Working in a Jeep, similar to the one we will be driving in the Rebelle Rally, we focused on techniques for crossing a large dune field to get to a precise location on the other side …
27 August 2016: At the end of an intense driving day relaxed with the crew from Rod Hall Drive at Middlegate Station, a surreal settlement consisting primarily of a bar-restaurant, motel and campground in the middle of the desert. Surprisingly excellent food served in a place with a lot of history and a unique ambiance …
27 August 2016: Joined the crew from Rod Hall Drive for a weekend of intensive training in the Nevada desert. Was a great opportunity to learn some of the finer points of off-road rally race driving from Josh Hall in the same environment we will face during the Rebelle Rally. Driving the Artic Wildcat we were able to focus on maintaining optimal speed and control while covering a distance of 150 miles in a day …
THIS MONTH:
Advanced training in desert driving techniques with Rod Hall Drive at their location on the outskirts of Reno NV …
COMING UP SOON:
Navigation practice in the spectacular red rock landscapes of Sedona and the larger Verde Valley, to work on map reading skills and the intricacies of driving while navigating …
Team Engage heads back to the desert for more focused training on navigation and driving, and to practice rally skills in some of the same southwestern desert locations that the rally will be passing through in October …
Competing as Team #124 in the inaugural edition of the Rebelle Rally 13-22 October 2016 …
ABOUT SAND MOUNTAIN:
The Sand Mountain OHV area is Located in Churchill County, just north of U.S. Highway 50, “The Loneliest Road in America.” About 25 miles east of Fallon, Nevada, the sand dunes of the 4,795 acre recreation area provide a driving challenge and plenty of excitement. Managed by the BLM, the dunefield is centered around the highest dune, “Sand Mountain,” which is roughly 600 feet high …
ABOUT THE REBELLE RALLY:
The Rebelle Rally is an off-road navigation rally raid across 2000 km of desert in the southwestern United States. A new kind of competition, it blends the love of driving with the challenge of precision navigation…
TEAM ENGAGE
Team Engage is JoMarie Fecci of USnomads and Tracey Ristow driving “Sable,” a Barlow Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, across the American southwest in the inaugural edition of the Rebelle Rally, 13-22 October 2016. The team, hailing from opposite coasts of the USA, came together to compete in the Rebelle with a shared commitment to humanitarian ideals in addition to a love of overland exploration. During the rally Team Engage will be showing its support for the Blue Heart Campaign to raise awareness and help victims of human trafficking through the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking…
Nesconset | Pine Grove | Reno
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
15-22 August – Reno Rebelle Training
8-14 August – TFT8
1-7 August – Serbia overland
July – Serbia, Rally planning
June – Mongolia
16-31 May – Overland Expo, Mongolia
1-15 May – Paris
April – training desert prep
March – Long Island
February – California deserts
January – El Camino del Diablo
December – Long Island
November – New York
15-31 October – Moab
1-14 October – Vermont
September – Paris
Archive
SPECIAL REPORT
Detailed series on a solo scouting journey into some of the remotest backcountry around Moab. The six day 450-mile off-pavement trip into the Maze district of the Canyonlands National Park offers insight into the challenges of expedition planning… [read]
MORE INFO:
About Team 171 US Nomads
Team Training
Practical Matters
In Our Words
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SPECIAL REPORT
SCOUTING THE SAHARA IN MAURITANIA: WAYPOINT NOUAKCHOTT
The first in a series of reports from our scouting trip in Mauritania takes and indepth look at the capital city of Nouakchott, and its fishing port… [read]
FLASHBACK: GAZELLE RALLY
ON BECOMING A GAZELLE: THE DESERT’S FIRST CHALLENGE
Personal reflections on USnomads’ experience in the Rallye Aiche des Gazelles–Putting our skills to the test in Morocco on the first day out in the desert, known as the “Prologue,” there are a few surprises… [read]
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