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13 October 2016: Things got official today, with the “Tech Inspection” day starting the inaugural edition of the Rebelle Rally in South Tahoe. Teams lined up the vehicles to get “stickered” and have tracking devices installed, then went through a series of stations to cover all the necessary administrative details before the competition could begin. There was a lot of excitement in the air as we were finally able to get this adventure underway. It had been almost a year since most of us first heard about the new rally, and anticipation had built up to a frenzied wait for the great reveal — the route. But we would still need to wait a little longer, as that is one thing that will not be given to us today. In fact, no maps were distributed yet, though we were given our vehicle numbers and vests in addition to the satellite phones, trackers and other official items. The day was long and full of the type of hurry up and wait familiar from military deployments. Still, it was a beginning, and despite the colder than expected weather, the sun was shining and a sense of hopefulness prevailed. Rumors of snow tomorrow, so glad to have packed some cold weather gear at the last minute…
13 October 2016: Rebelle Rally organizers have announced that there are 16 Jeeps competing in the event, the most of any single vehicle type represented during the inaugural event. Sable, Team Engage’s rally Jeep is one of five provided by Barlow Adventures and these late model Rubicons join a variety of Wranglers of all shapes and sizes. There is the one-of-a-kind Torq-Master Jeep built by Cora Jokinen which she actually had to “un-modify” from its race configuration in order to compete in the Rebelle. There is Julie Covert’s 82′ Scrambler representing JPFreek. And there is a rainbow of Jeep colors! The media crew decided to line up as many of the Jeeps as it could find for a big “family photo” at the end of the day …
13 October 2016: The Rebelle begins here on the southern shores of Lake Tahoe, California, in the Sierra Nevada. The town, which straddles the California-Nevada stateline, is a touristic location nestled into the rugged natural beauty of the high mountain region. Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and is familiar to some of us due to its proximity to the Rubicon Trail. It is an interesting choice of location to start a desert rally, since it is not terribly “desert”-like and the high elevation at night gets quite cold. The “Tech Inspection” location itself is on the grounds of the Valhalla Estate. “Valhalla,” the name of the great hall of the Viking after life, describes a mythical heavenly place, and the Heller family, who built the original estate here, considered it an apt description for this spot. They constructed a residence that featured a vaulted central living area surrounded by a horseshoe balcony, all of massive timber, with a forty foot stone fireplace in the 1920s. The property changed hands several times before coming under the administration of the US Forest Service in 1971. …
13 October 2016 Rebelle Rally official update: Today marked inspection day, set against the backdrop of stunning Lake Tahoe at the historic Valhalla Estate. The teams were greeted with a warm welcome to make them feel a part of the growing Rebelle Rally community. Two GPS tracking beacons were installed directly by the manufacturer Yellow Brick, who flew over from the UK to ensure these teams had the best, most-accurate tracking available. Additionally teams were instructed on how to use the satellite phones they were provided for emergency information, since cell phones are prohibited due to their navigation capability. The official rally decals were also installed, adding that rally-ready look for the teams. With the arduous, stressful conditions that the teams will encounter in the coming days, it’s important to ensure that the Rebelle Staff has their eyes out for the teams to ensure their vehicles are up-to-spec, and most importantly—safe. Both “indoor” and “outdoor” technical inspections were performed, ensuring teams had everything from the requisite insurance coverage, to proper safety gear, and common sense vehicle safety inspections (Photo: Rebelle Rally/Nicole Dreon)…
THIS WEEK:
Team Engage is competing as Team #124 in the inaugural edition of the Rebelle Rally 13-22 October 2016. The Rebelle launches on the shores of iconic Lake Tahoe with 76 women from 19 states and 4 countries becoming the first competitors to take part in the women’s 10-day off-road navigation rally raid. The Rebelle Rally is not a race for speed but an event based on traditional compass, map, and roadbook navigation. GPS devices and cell phones will be sealed and prohibited from team use until the event concludes as navigators and drivers traverse the stunning Nevada and California terrain in stock 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. The route covers primarily land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and takes place on legal dirt roads, trails, and OHV areas. The participants will also travel through two National Parks. The unique rally is a hybrid of sorts, combining traditional compass and map navigation with time, speed, and distance sections where the teams use roadbooks and must maintain average, safe speeds. However, the bulk of the challenge is finding hidden checkpoints in a difficulty rating system similar to ski or bike trails, with the highest score winning. Smart, careful driving coupled with the ability to plot latitude and longitude, triangulate using topographic maps and handheld compasses, and mastery of distance and heading are among the skills. A diverse field of vehicles will take to the start, including both new and older models of Land Rovers, Mercedes, Jeeps, and Toyotas in the 4×4 class, and an interesting mix of the new Honda Ridgeline, Porsche Cayenne, and Jaguar F-PACE in the Crossover Class. Jeeps will make a strong presence in the first time event with 15 total ranging from a 1982 Scrambler to a 2016 Rubicon, and a notable showing will also be from Land Rover (6) and Toyota (6). The goal of the rally is to showcase the capabilities of manufacturer vehicles in people’s driveways, as well as the tenacity, teamwork, and capabilities of women off-road. The competition portion will end in the desert near the California-Arizona border and wrap up on the shores of the Pacific Ocean with the final Awards Gala, where competitors will wash off the dirt and celebrate in style at the historic Del Mar Racetrack. For daily updates during the competition or to follow the event online, visit www.rebellerally.com. Viewers can also track the teams live beginning October 15th via: rebellerally.com/live.
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…
THE BLUE HEART CAMPAIGN
Team Engage supports the UN’s Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking and the Blue Heart Campaign as their platform to raise awareness about global human trafficking— an issue which disproportionately effects women. Human trafficking is modern day slavery and includes sex trafficking (forced prostitution and forced marriage), labor trafficking (domestic servitude, sweatshops and fraudulent bonded labor contracts), child soldiers and organ trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization, nearly 21 million people or 3 out of every 1,000 people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. The UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking was established in 2010 and provides direct humanitarian, legal and financial aid to human trafficking victims. They provide grants to small grassroot NGOs that directly assist victims with housing, food, legal aid, access to justice, psychosocial support, medical care and training. Click here to donate directly to the Fund…
WHERE WE ARE
The Rebelle Rally starts in south Lake Tahoe along the California/Nevada state line (click on the satellite image to view larger).
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
8-12 Oct – Reno
1-7 Oct – NY to Reno
26-30 Sep – Rally Prep
19-25 Sep – Long Island
12-18 Sep – Yuma and Glamis
5-11 Sep – Sedona
29 Aug – 4 Sep – Long Island
23-28 August – Rod Hall Drive Training
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
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