Let's get dirty!
Toyota has long been the best-selling car brand in South Africa, not purely because the vehicles are mechanically sound and overly capable but because there is a deep connection between ownership and the family unit. When you buy a Toyota 4x4 you aren't just buying a vehicle but the lifestyle that goes with it. Toyota is fully aware of this and has, for a number of years, partnered with a few local clubs to host family-oriented 4x4 challenge events in which competitors can bring their families to drive along while they take on a host of extreme obstacles and drives. Two of these big events are the Atlantis Dunes event and the Rust de Winter Jamboree.
Related: The flying Land Cruiser Prados of Atlantis
After a two-year gap, the 41st edition of the Jamboree kicked off with a bumper entry list of 135 vehicles. The Rust de Winter campsite reverberated with the sound of engines being revved and tuned, the occasional curse word as a tent was being erected, and the laughter of children running around between the different camps. Toyota SA played host to our small "dorpie" of caravans, with each family allocated a caravan along with a Toyota 4x4 vehicle. Our trusty steed for the event would be the rock-solid yet completely standard 2.8 GD6 Fortuner.
Slinging mud
Day one would see us competing in a 10-obstacle gymkhana that would not only test the driver's skill, but the navigator would play role as well, by taking on a host of physical and mental challenges that would all count towards an overall score for the day, Competitors would face everything from deep mud and flying dust to small technical challenges that require mental acuity and speed. Balance a bucket of water on your partner's lap while completing a set 4x4 obstacle with as little spillage as possible and within the time limit? Check! Navigate through a mud pit with your partner in a sled getting pelted with icky mud? Check! Take on a treacherously steep rocky incline while your partner balances a box of rubber balls that constantly move out of their locating holes? Check! Failure to complete a task en route results in a points deduction, contact with route markers gets you a points deduction, and not completing a task and route in the allotted time nets, you guessed it, a points deduction.
Doing all of this while your children hoot and holler from the backseat will put even the strongest relationship to the test but the joy of completing each stage is unbridled. The entire day is more than just a skills test but a family bonding experience par excellance. The kids run around, throw mud and play in the dirt while music plays and everyone gets along and has a good time, smiles abound. At the end of the day, points are calculated and carried over into day 2.
Nights are spent outside, under the stars around a campfire or at the lapa, getting drinks, recounting the day's activities, and chatting about how obstacles were completed and how it should have been done. The social aspect is a large part of what makes Rust de Winter so great but overindulgence is kept to a minimum because day 2 was an endurance event.
Climb that hill
Day 2 broke with us leaving at sunrise to be at the start of a 30km overlanding route that would see us climb many a hill on a challenging rock-strewn trail. This is not for the fainthearted and will put the mechanical capabilities of your vehicle as well as your own personal capacity to absorb hours of jolting to the test. Throw in the occasional stopping point where the driver and navigator's general knowledge is put to the test in a series of question and answer sessions, and you end up completely exhausted. There are no instructors to tell you when and where to use the vehicle equipment and there are only guide marshals at danger points to ensure no one gets hurt, outside that you are on your own to figure it out.
Knowing when and where to use low range, diff lock, and descent control are all part of this testing route which covers the gamut of sand and gravel to rocky riverbeds and rock climbs. The mental challenges were where points were gained or lost and covered everything from map reading to brand logo recognition. It must be noted that the trail is difficult but not impossible, as we proved that a stock standard Toyota Fortuner, can complete all of it.
Arriving back in camp that evening, everyone rushed to the showers to rinse off the day's dust and grime and settled in for a decent meal and an early night. Children have an immense energy store, but even they were tuckered out from the day's activity and soon all fell quiet. The next morning was a lazy one with everyone up and about just before prize giving.
Winner winner
With many of the event sponsors having goodies up for grabs the prize-giving event took some time to get through. Competitors walked away with offroading accessories, camping equipment, and vouchers with the overall winners getting an all-expenses paid invite to the Atlantis dunes event in Cape Town.
The husband and wife team, Philip and Alicia Volschenk walked away with the top honours and seem to be ready to show the "Kaapies" how it's done.
Toyota is now in its 29th successive year of sponsorship of the Rust de Winter event and is looking forward to next year to make it an even 30.
See you in Atlantis!
Photos courtesy of Toyota SA and Vanessa Minnie
