4/5th October 2008 - Eric & Liam completed the Irish 4x4 Challenge 4 Charity. This year we decided to theme our team as "The Jeep Doctors". We are finally getting the hang of this navigation thing as we got lost on only a few occassions delaying us by no more than 5 minutes each time (it was a LOT worse last year!). We managed to bring home the trophy for 1st place on day 1, me thinks the Slag Brothers will have to take us a little more seriously next year!

so this is how it all happened

 

The calm before the storm - day 0

 

the Friday evening before the event some teams meet at a local library
(for some map studying!)

 

All systems go for Day 1 - the wet one

7.30am and Team BLRC overcome the first hurdle, the Discovery won't start but after locating a nearby phonebooth Liam & Eric transform into the superhero Jeep Doctors

22 teams meet near Galway at 8am on a saturday morning

 

 

 

Event Organiser Jonathan Crozier breaks the news that the restaurant is closed and we have to fight over 1 cup of tea and a bread roll!!

Our fellow clubmates "The Slag Brothers" are feeling a little confident

 

Only to find the dirty tricks campaign has started aleady

 

Glen plots his way to the DIY store for some white paint remover

 

it wasn't just Land Rovers that competed, The was David Feely Jnr & Snr who won the Night navigation section

some old hands at this game, this year the map is the right way up

 

Senior (!) Jeep Doctor Eric inspects the vehicles before departure

 

any excuse to stare at handsome andy :-)

 

final instructions are given before setting off

 

that's a V8 Range Rover with series body ahead and he gonna need ALL those jerry cans

Eric & Liam stop to pay respects to a dead land rover
(we stole nothing, honest!)

then we find a wee puddle, woohoo

 

but the puddles just get bigger and bigger

 

 

that was the wee ford wee had to cross, there were 3 more that day that got deeper and deeper after some flash flooding, there were more planned for day 2 but they had to be cancelled for safety reasons

some youtube links here to the videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JAbSbtHow0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1H0bWouXVE

 

animal needed the bath anyway

 

 

 

Team BLRC hot on the tail of the Slag Bothers

 

the end of day 1 (not many photos as it was pishing all day)
we relax in the bar at the campsite before the night navigation event

 

Margaret & Jonathan tally up the scores while we all eat pie & chips

 

well not quite the end, there was still the night navigation to come

 

 

Gerry "whizz" Brennan bends a wheel after finding a hidden rock on a grass verge

 

but The Jeep Doctors were on the scene in seconds and after stealing a hi-lift jack from a passing 110 we get Gerry on the racetrack again in minutes

 

back at the bar again for a little nightcap and David Feely is probably telling Dave Goodman about the massive bag of cable ties he has for later!

 

Day 2 - the sunny one

Sneaky Pete & Penfold (winners of Day 2) take of the flysheet to reveal a pink tent!
(must have got in in the sales)

 

but we were unable to make fun of them as they were the only ones with a frying pan going

 

 

 

after hearing the campsite doesn't do breakfast a linch mob gathers around the canteen

we line up for an earlyish start

 

rush hour in ireland on a sunday morning

 

 

 

another stop at a rendevous point to plot new co ordinates

 

Jonathan wonders how he even made it this far with that map upside down

 

a rest break to take in the magnificent scenery
(and to see if the slag brothers can get the cable ties off the gate we just sabotaged!)

 

here's that V8 again, trying to save fuel by getting towed uphill
(actually it had a broken diff so was down to 2 wheel drive only)

 

 

The Slags have fallen behind us again, they mustn't have slept well in the wet tent with the wet sleeping bag and no mattress

 

 

Ger & Laoise join us at the marshalling point at the mountain peak

 

 

 

 

Back at the hotel at end of day 2 for a well earned legs up

 

Laoise, Ger & Mike on the way to dinner

 

and what a fine dinner it was too

 

as is now customary, the winning drivers mount the Lions

 

The winner navigator is still looking for clues !

 

its about 3 am now and Andy keeps going by resting 1 eye at a time

 

some people couldn't make it back to the bedroom

 

Monday morning brings the customary removal of the cable ties from the propshaft thanks to Team Feely

 

and a little showing off of the trophies

 

 

The overall winners for 1st & 2nd place

 

the Team BLRC prize - 1st on day 1

 

 

 

 

a final word of thanks to our team sponsors

BLRC

Offroad Ireland

OEC International

Youthreach

King Of The Road Trailers

Oranhill Lodge B&B

see links page for contact details

 

 

 

 

also thanks to David Tothill for some of the pics