Book Review: Camel Trophy Argentina Paraguay Chile 1994

Excellent!  You must understand this is a showcase of the author's photography capturing the Camel Trophy event, and the book is short on words, but taken for what it was meant to the be, the book is excellent. 

My only complaint with it is that it is not longer.  At 94 pages, I would of liked to see something twice as long.  I think there was enough happening during the Camel Trophy run to have supported a book that long.

Bottom line, fans of adventure travel, off-roading, and events like the Camel Trophy will definitely be glad they bought this book.

From the back cover:

International photographer Chris Bennett travels through the jungles of Argentina, across the mighty Andes mountains to the searing dust bowl heat of Chile's Atacama Desert on the 1994 Camel Trophy expedition, capturing the drama and spirit of this legend in adventure.

About the author:

Chris Bennett has been photographing Land Rovers since 1991 when he produced a colour picture book dedicated to the subject. Since then the bug has bitten and the involvment increased, much of his material finding a home in Land Rover Owner International magazine. The opportunity to participate in Camel Trophy was one eagerly anticipated; for the action oriented photographer it's a perfect subject.

Camel Trophy 1994 – Argentina Paraguay Chile is the sixth book bearing Chris Bennett's name. Most recently he produced a book dedicated to the Benetton Formula One motor racing team, another on the Lamborghini Countach supercar and two further volumes featuring state-of-the-art jet fighter aircraft.

Introduction

The Camel Trophy began in 1980 when three West German teams spent twelve days driving 1600 kms along the Transamazonica highway through the mud and heat of the Amazon jungle. Over the years, the event has grown in size and complexity, with 1994 seeing eighteen national teams competing for the Trophy.

Using only Land Rover-builts vehicles, the teams and support crews penetrate deep into often hostile and almost always beautiful landscapes. With a special concern for the environment, the convoy uses only existing roads and tracks.

The competition for the Camel Trophy itself takes place in a series of special tasks which combine tests of driving skills and navigation with individual mental and physical tasks. These tests are held on specially designated sites while team members work together on the convoy sections to help one another through.

For me, the opportunity to participate in the 1994 Camel Trophy expedition to Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, was one that I longed for, but seldom believed would become a reality. Only two participating journalists from each competing nation can actually take part in the entire event, traveling in the convoy in their national vehicle, effectively becoming an integral part of the team. I was thrilled to be invited to join the British team of Mark Cullum and Damien Taft in their Discovery to represent Land Rover Owner International magazine.

Camel Trophy' 94 was to prove rather different from others in the event's 15 year history. We were to pass through three South American countries, each of which would present very varied conditions and, therefore, photographic opportunities. In particular, our passage through the Andes was an experience I shall never forget; it's just a pity that the true dramatic beauty of this region can never be fully reproduced on two-dimensional celluloid.

Within this book I have tried, both in pictures and words, to introduce Camel Trophy in a rather different and unique manner. Hopefully, for those enthusiasts not quite so fortunate or privileged as myself, the volume will offer a realistic, personal reflection and insight into this legend in adventure – Camel Trophy, Class of '94.

Now that my Camel Trophy is well and truly over, I can look back on it with fond memories, especially the wonderful camaraderie that prevailed and of new found friends and kindred spirits. It really has been an experience of a lifetime and one that I feel proud to have both successfully achieved and to have been associated with.

-- Chris Bennett