Land Rover owners tackle Tsumeb’s old sandpit to show what a Landie, and some other cars, can do
The Land Rover Owners of Namibia, a club dedicated to offroad adventures, is making such an impact on offroad enthusiasts that their latest gathering attracted a fair number of non-Land Rover competitors.
Over the previous weekend, the club members came together in Tsumeb for a special event where offroad skills were tested in steep, sandy conditions. Not surprisingly, around thirty different Landies of all models and years pitched up, but to everyone’s astonishment, six other 4x4s also arrived to see exactly who is the sand boss. These outsiders even consisted of a Land Cruiser or two, the Landie’s arch rival in Namibia for offroad capability.
Calling their event the Far North Regional Road Show, the Landie club members from across Namibia converged in Tsumeb early Saturday morning for a parade down the mining town’s main street, and then onward to an old abandoned sandpit outside the town.
It was here that every driver’s mettle was tested. Participants could challenge each other in three events of which two took place in the soft red sand in the bottom of the quarry. Stages 1 and 2 were a timed parcour (obstacle course) and stage 3 a timed uphill drag race between two competing vehicles.
For any serious offroader, taking hold of the steering wheel is usually a type of catharsis, turning that person into a completely different individual. But it is just as rewarding for spectators with many close calls, dig-ins and mishaps.
Cheers of encouragement and excitement could be heard throughout the day as spectators watched vehicles conquering some of the difficult parts in the terrain. Women were also encouraged to tackle the demanding stages, leading to a number of prizes taken by the ladies.
At the end of the day, the club members thanked the organisers, Erwin Tietz and his family, for a superb event, and the sponsors for their generous contributions. This enabled the club to give out a host of prizes.
