Ranger trail and true mettle
DECIDER: COMPETITORS FOR ODYSSEY CHOSEN ʂ Four-day boot camp covering all off-road aspects sifted hopefuls from the finalists to take part in gruelling competition.
Four action-packed days of boot camp training and evaluation held in the small Karoo town of Prince Albert from June 18-21 have led to the selection of 20 contestants for the 2015 Ford Ranger Odyssey in Namibia.
The group comprised 29 South Africans, four from Nigeria, two each from Mozambique and Ivory Coast and one from Angola.
The programme started on Thursday with in-depth instruction on the theoretical aspects of the Ford Ranger and 4x4 driving in general, along with the crucial elements of vehicle recovery techniques. The team then had to haul their luggage by foot to the overnight campsite about 2.5km away and set up tents for the chilly mid-winter nights.
On Friday, the contestants set off at 5am on a 9km trail to get the blood flowing. Then they had their first opportunity to take the Ford Ranger off-road. A series of challenging 4x4 obstacles were laid out in the dry bed of the Gamka River. For many in the group it was the first time they had driven the Ranger off-road.
From climbing soft river sand banks to negotiating challenging rocky ascents and descents, the tight, but technical, course had it all – and the contestants were amazed at how capable the Ranger proved.
Learning the ropes in terms of vehicle recovery is critical before embarking on any 4x4 expedition – and particularly for the difficult and remote Ranger Odyssey route in far north-western Namibia.
The Ford instructors took the contestants through the full regime of winching, operating a high-lift jack and using scissors lifts and recovery ropes to extricate a stranded vehicle.
Day three was all about safe convoy driving and the contestants took turns behind the wheel as the 17-vehicle fleet traversed the breathtaking Swartberg Pass, headed through Groenkloof to Calitzdorp and worked its way through the scenic Seweweekspoort Pass.
With tiredness and fatigue coming into play, day four started off at 4.30am with an in-depth instruction on GPS navigation. The final assessment was a nerve-wrecking interview with the judging panel – made up of the Ford instructors, media crew and a representative from Ford South Africa.
Ranger Odyssey boot camp revealed which of the semi-finalists are indeed tough enough and have the right level of endurance for the challenging 12-day adventure, which sets off on July 23.
Among the finalists are Deborah Almeida (Angola), Dino Ribeiro (Mozambique), Giftson Onuiri (Nigeria) and locals Monica Nkosna and Simon Siaga. –