Video: Camel Trophy Sulawesi 1988 - all 6 parts

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The "Camel Trophy" Sulawesi 1988

[Part 1 start]

[First couple of minutes plus is just music.]

Risby, Yorkshire. England, Dec 1987

The sweltering tropical splendor of Sulawesi seems a long way away on a cold and wet morning in northern England. But this is the first step on the way for the eager British adventurers hoping to represent their country in the 8th Camel Trophy.

Brisbee and North Yorkshire is the venue for the finals of the British selection procedure. Here two dozen applicants will be whittled down to just four and those four will go on to the international finals of the contest. Already thousands of applications have been studied, sorted, and assessed but only two British adventurers will be going on to join the finest of the international brigade.

Driving ability in all types of conditions is just one of the skills which applicants are assessed on in their quest for a Camel Trophy place. Its essential too that contestants are at the peak of physical fitness so they are put through their paces on the army style assault course. It's tough, but nothing compared to the rigors which will lie ahead in Sulawesi.

Everyone who makes the final cut will have to be at the peak of fitness. A five mile run in the freezing cold will seem like a mere stroll once they've sampled some of the delights of the trophy proper. Teamwork, leadership qualities, and a candidate's approach to problem solving are what the assessors are looking for. They'll be plenty of occasions when a working knowledge of the winch comes in handy too.

Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, England, Feb 1988.

Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire is the testing and training ground for Land Rover and an ideal setting for the finals of the international selection procedure -- four hopefuls from each of the twelve nations vying for two places in each team.

Land Rovers have been chosen as the event's official vehicle in all but the first Camel Trophy. This year the contestants will use specially built and modified Land Rover 110 station wagons for their one thousand three-hundred twenty five mile journey of adventure.

The Eastnor Castle land provides some of the roughest of road terrain found anywhere - an ideal venue for finding out the strengths and weaknesses of those still in the hunt for those coveted Camel Trophy team berths.

Rough-road driving talent is of vital importance but there are other skills to be mastered too. The chain saw will prove to be an indispensable tool - and there are others.

Very simple. You will equipped with one of these. Very useful tool ah. Never stand on the same side as you're cutting - you're cutting this side -you hit a branch - it comes straight off into your leg. Always make a point to stand on the opposite side from where you're cutting - that makes sense doesn't it.

Instruction is detailed and thorough. and back through the loop. And the emphasis is on practical skills - get this Land Rover across this stream they said.

You have to - you have to work it out.

This will be the first of many bridges the lucky few will have to construct.

The acid test - intense concentration from the man giving the instructions is matched only by that of the fellow in the driving seat. Stream crossings will become routine during the trophy itself, but for now its easy does it.

This year is a new format for the Camel Trophy. Two days of special tasks will be followed by an 8 day adventure trail through 1325 miles of rough tough Sulawesi terrain and then two more days of special tasks. The versatility of the Land Rover 110 makes it the ideal Camel Trophy workhorse. The 85 brake horsepower turbo-charged diesel engine seems able to cope with anything the trophy organizers at Eastnor can dish out with ease - it's just as well - there's a lot worse to come in Sulawesi. This rigorous final selection procedure takes a total of two weeks with each nations' band of hopefuls undergoing 3 days of intensive training and assessment.

Camel Trophy Rule 1 - if in doubt, dig your way out. Rule 2 - if there's any water within a ten mile radius then the route will go right thru it at some point. Eventually the selectors make their final choice of the 24 men who will fly half way around the world to take part in one of the last great adventures - the 1988 Camel Trophy.

Mandado, Sulawesi. 24 March 1988.

Manado Airport, Sulawesi. The teams set foot on the Indonesian island for the first time -- the adventure is about to begin.

The fierce-looking but friendly natives are out in force to celebrate the arrival of the Camel Trophy on their soil with a traditional dance of welcome. But the festivities are short lived for the participants - there's no time to lose in loading up the vehicles for the journey ahead.

These boots are made for walking but they'll be doing their share of driving too over the next 12 days. The Land Rovers are in pristine condition now, but they'll have to soak up a lot of punishment in the days ahead - so everything is checked, double-checked, and then checked again. Survival equipment and provisions are carefully stashed and stowed away. Fresh drinking water is transferred into sterile jerry cans. Each contestant adds those little personal touches to the vehicle that will be his home for the best part of the next two weeks. And personal gear is stowed in waterproof bags as protection against the damp.

There's one new team to the Camel Trophy this year - preparing from Argentina. They and the Japanese crew are the only non-Europeans in the twelve team line-up.

They say there's two kind of climate in Sulawesi - hot and dry and hot and wet. At the moment, its the latter. For the first time the Camel Trophy is being split into two distinct elements. The adventure trail will begin in a couple of days but first there are two days of competitive special tasks. In a departure from previous Camel Trophies, the emphasis for the special tasks will be shifted from speed and vehicle recovery to navigation and teamwork.

The locals give the trophy teamsters a rousing sendoff. This year there are teams from Belgium, the Canary Isles, France and West Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey, as well as the United Kingdom and newcomer...[Part 1 end]

[Part 2 start]

Argentina. The winners will be decided over the four days of special tasks - two at the start of the event and two at the end. And the competitors will vote among themselves for the team spirit award which goes to the crew which best embodies the spirit of this unique event.

Just twenty kilometers from Manado, the Camel Trophy train pitches camp for the first night. The good news is that it's dry, the bad news is that no one expects the rain to hold off for long. Bivouacs are improvised and the competitors start to get used to the unfamiliar equipment. The Belgians have the cooking organized, they get two accompanying journalists to make the meal.

Dawn on day one of the Camel Trophy proper - the first day of competition - will see two special tasks - the first 13 kilometers long the second a grueling 38. This is where all the preparation and training will begin to pay off but it is still very much a giant step into the unknown. There's the last drivers' briefing from event manager Jim Slade and a last look at the map of the island which the convoy will traverse from north to south during the 12 days of the event. At last the order is given for the wagons to roll and the Camel Trophy convoy sets out on its 1300 mile trek into some of the most difficult territory attempted in the 8 year history of the event.

The Italians, three times winners of the Camel Trophy, are once again the favorites and the Argentinians, first timers this year, are hoping for a trouble-free Camel Trophy debut. The Dutch won the event five years ago in Zaire and they're flying the flag in the hope of a victory this time around.

One by one, the Land Rover 110s arrive at the embarkation point for the first special task. There's a last minute briefing for each and every one of the crews to make sure they know exactly what is expected of them over the 13 kilometer navigation test. An ideal time has been predetermined and the crew who finishes in the nearest time to that will gain maximum points. Lots are drawn for starting position and its the Spanish team of Francisco Pardo Brucart  and Jose Louis Esarte Goiena who set the ball rolling.

They start in the dry, but before long the heavens open. That's not the noise of gunfire, its the rain beating on the camera during the typically tropical downpour which beset the first day. The heavy rains of this region can turn the smallest stream into a raging torrent in a manner of minutes. But the Land Rovers weather the storm in fine style.

The French crew of Francois Leonard and Eric Spijkerman are the only ones to hit trouble with a persistent electrical fault. The Turkish team have never won the Camel Trophy but this year Galip Gurel and Ali Deveci have high hopes of changing all that. The Turks stamp their authority on the first special stage by taking just 19 seconds longer than the standard time to complete the course. The friendly Turkish team are not above checking the route with the wayside camera crew if necessary.

The Belgians, Marc Buels and Y. de Burbure de Wesembeek sum up the general attitude of the first day of competition - there's still a long, long way to go. During the tricky later stages of the task, the Germans became stuck four times and had to winch their way out on each occasion but they still managed to finish in 6th and 8th places on the two special stages.

Bucking like a galleon in a heavy sea, the British team of policeman Jim Benson and contractor Marc Day - they had trouble on the first test and took more than two minutes longer than the set time to finish eighth. It was the same story in the second task, where the duo collected their second 8th placing.

The Japanese, another team who have never managed to win the event, were also in trouble. They were 7th in the first task but slumped to 10th best in the second task. The Argentinian newcomers, Daniel Aguila and Juan Sanchez Catala lost time when they became stuck behing the French team who were stranded with their electrical fault. But the problems of the French weren't confined to lack of sparks - they also had to resort to using a winch after getting themselves stuck in a ditch. Their troubles put them firmly last - the only group without a single point after the first two tasks.

Canary Islanders Wourter Cheri and Jose Mario Villavicencio had the advantage of being the first car though the task but they soon in ?? on Stage 2 when they hit a rock and suffered a puncture. The rains came and went throughout the day turning the track into a muddy morass. The Italians, Silvano Dell'Anna and Edmondo Licursi sailed through the sea of mud with ease - they were just 10 seconds behind the winning Turks on Stage One.

Full speed ahead for the Germans, who need to make up time after crashing and damaging the front of the Land Rover.

At the end of day one, most competitors were glad to see their new base camp appear out of the gloom of the gathering dusk. Even the kamikaze dogs turned out to greet the travelers but the Swiss team of Peter Dulty & Loe Kalbermatten managed to avoid the canine spectator and an international incident into the bargain.

The Brits make it back as night begins to fall but they'll be little sleep for the Camel trophyists - they'll have to burn the midnight oil to make sure their battered machinery is in tip-top condition for the next day's specials. Check-in time for Mark Day and his teammate Jim Benson and they slot into their place in the overall order.

After two stages, Turkey leads with 27 points following a win and a second place so far. Italy holds second spot on 20 points with Holland third on sixteen, and Switzerland fourth one point behind.

A lone Land Rover picks its way carefully through the Sulawesi jungle on day two of the 1988 Camel Trophy adventure. For many the night merged into day without any hint of rest. The Japanese team of Koichi Kinoshita & Toru Sekiguchi were up all night changing a burned out clutch on their turbo diesel Land Rover. Italians Dell'Anna and Licursi lead a two-team Camel Trophy convoy. Behind them, the Canary Islanders who much to their own surprise aren't last in the competition.

The tracks and trails are deeply rutted but this is a main road around these parts.

The Turks have already shown they mean business by leading after day one, and they continue in fine form on the second set of tasks, winning special test 4 and maintaining their overall lead with determined driving like this. [Part 2 end]

[Part 3 start]The Dutch will lose time when they stop to help the Turkish team out of a spot of bother, but they still finish both tasks third best to go second equal overall. The Spaniards, last but one in the standings at the beginning of the day, have an eventful time but still manage to boost their overall position. They're forced to stop twice - first to mend a bent steering arm, and again to help the Japanese pair in danger of overturning. But despite their problems and the returning rain, they reckon they're enjoying their Camel Trophy so far.

Japan look a little worse for their small unscheduled excursion which left them in front of only the Germans at the end of special task of 42 kilometers. The cause of the problem was a map reading mistake which left them 20 minutes off-route.

The Turks once again are forging through. They have time to make up after a series of troubles caused them to slump to 5th on the first of the day's special tasks. A bridge collapsed underneath the Land Rover and the crew had to be pulled clear by the team from Holland. Then later a tree fell across their path.

Belgiums Marc Buels and Y. de Burbure de Wesembeek had a great day, 4th and 2nd places in the specials, but they're still a long way down overall thanks to a lackluster performance on Day 1.

Around here it sometime seems as if they have never gotten around to inventing the wheel - prepare for a close encounter between two cultures centuries apart in technological development - four-wheel drive meets four-hoof drive. There's no winner - each goes on their way quite content.

The Germans who find themselves in the deepest trouble on Day 2. Dirk Batterman and Norbert Skodock's Land Rover slipped into a ditch and landed on its roof. Neither man was hurt and the vehicle was undamaged but it took hours to winch the team clear and they finished last in both specials causing them to slide to 9th overall.

Turkey is still in front overall with Holland second and Italy third and the Turks prove that they're more than just good drivers and navigators. One of the team members is dentist Galip Gurel and he's called upon to improvise when a journalists breaks a tooth. Beware its not a pretty site but it is very effective.

The United Kingdom won Stage 3 but is that the objective? What's the object for you - for Camel Trophy - is it to win or is it to enjoy it? It's both - I want to win and I want to enjoy it. And a win would make the enjoyment even better but I'm gonna enjoy it anyway.

What do you think of Sulawesi? Sulawesi? Oh, I think it is a great country. I thought there would be a little bit more sun but its mostly not - its raining many times a day. Uh, a lot of clouds and very hot. But the people here- they are very friendly. We are now in a sector its called ?? They call it the [?]- so all the people - they give us food they give us everything - they sing Dutch songs for us and a well, we're really enjoying it.

What do you think of Sulawesi - what are your impressions of the island? Yeah, the island itself is very very nice - its very very green right now cuz we are in the rainy season. And the people are very very nice too - they are very friendly - all the villages we went through - they're always there are a lot of people waving hands and shouting - makes me feel very welcome.

Eric, what do you think of the other teams that have come on this year's Camel Trophy - is it a good spirit? Well for me it is difficult to compare to the other years because I never made a Camel Trophy. But it looks nice - I'm so glad to be here anyway - that whatever - even some team will be very competitive - is that the word? It's not my problem - out politic is to go through the island of Sulawesi for the Camel Trophy - that's the main point.

A few thoughts from some of the intrepid adventurers as they begin the longest and most grueling part of their adventure trek. After being seen off from their base camp at Cora Cora by the local governor and police outriders, the 18-car convoy is on its own again as the Camel Trophy travelers head towards the mountains.

The drive is meant to be easy but several teams hit trouble. The British - a break of a differential casing and spend until 2am at the roadside. The Spaniards find the going tough too - slipping into a ditch. But its all in a day's toil as the Camel Trophy keeps on trekking.

A bridge too far for Belgium's Marc Buels and Y. de Burbure stuck fast as the rickety bridge collapses underneath their Land Rover. The makeshift river crossing finally cried enough after 10 years traffic passed over in the space of an hour. A near thing for Belgium but immediately the camaraderie of this unique event comes to the fore as the rival teams set to work to extricate the stricken vehicle from its precarious perch. [Part 3 end]

[Part 4 start]

The combined efforts of the British, German, Italian, and Canary Islands teams winched, man-handled, and coaxed the Belgiums safely to the shore. But the bridge is a little the worse for wear and is in the need of some serious repairs. With the aid of winched brute force, a lot of ingenuity, and some international but unmistakeable sign language, the crossing is repaired. And the rest of the Camel Trophy convoy makes it over the water leaving the bridge good for another 10 years use.

One of the most modern forms of transport meets one of the oldest and least sophisticated as the teams top up with fuel before they tackle the mountain pass that leads to the lost coast of Sulawesi. There are no petrol pumps out here so the barrels of diesel have to be brought in by bullet cart - the regions most common method of haulage.

There's time for a quick dip for Argentians Daniel Aguila and Juan Catala. You can see the mountains up behind us here- what are your thoughts on that? I think we have to work today and uh I think also we will see some very good natural life - maybe animals, maybe monkeys um I think it will be the best part of the travel.

With temperatures up around 100 degrees the cool waters provide a welcome refuge from the sweltering heat. There's time for a wash and brush-up, a self-powered shower, time to plan the route and quench that raging thirst in preparation for the assault on the mountains.

Are you looking forward to the big climb over the mountain? Yep, that's it - just getting ready. First thing to do - just get clean - because we don't know what we'll find over there.

Alone against the emerald green landscape of the Sulawesi jungle a single Land Rover powers its way up the mountain track. In the background, the sound of a chainsaw - a sound that would split the silence many times in the next few days as the Camel Trophy blazes along the trail from Temeni? to Tilabogan? - the first vehicles to attempt the trip in 6 months. The rains of the winter have caused mudslides and land slips that make the track impossible in some places but the biggest problem is fallen trees. All that training months ago and half a world away at Eastnor Castle will now pay off as the crews work together to reopen the route. If it's not the buzz of chainsaws it's the thud of hand axes which reverberates around the still mountains. Brute force and teamwork is the answer most of the time, and if in doubt, dig your way out.

Sawing, cutting, and digging, and winching eventually pay off and the Camel Trophy road gang forge a route through. It's only a matter of time though before they find the path blocked once again. With all the obstacles, progress is painfully slow. By the end of the day just 21 km is on the clock.

Sometimes the track is barely wide enough for a vehicle to pass, luckily there's little prospect of meeting someone coming the other way. In line astern - the Camel Trophy train - about as far as you can get from the desert.

Japan's Kinoshita and Sekiguchi well and truly stuck in a rut but the power of the Land Rover's trusty winch gets them on the road again. The Japanese experience makes the rest a little wary. Sometimes when a tree has fallen right across the trail there's nothing for it. You just have to chop out the middle, roll away the offending section, and drive through the gap.

The French pairing of Francois Leonard and Eric Spijkerman are the trailblazers this time. But sometimes the right route isn't as straightforward as it might seem. Occasionally you have to go backwards to advance.

The months of rain make the steep climbs a ultra-treacherous but the Turks seem to have driving technique off to a tee.

Nightfall brings relief from the swarms of mosquitoes which have plagued the adventurers throughout the heat of the daytime. The insects have proved to be a serious hazard. Dutchmen Leendert Ursem & Murk de Jong put their vehicle into a ditch when driver Leendert was attacked by a swarm which made him completely lose control of the Land Rover.

The UK team have been having further trouble with their transport losing time again and again with a recurrent differential problem. However, Land Rover specialist engineer on the event Colin Hill and mechanic Fred Wallicheck? will replace the entire diff at the next night halt.

At last the weary and travel-stained Camel Trophy travelers make camp for the night, most too exhausted for anything but welcome sleep. And there's precious little sleep -everyone is up at first light to ready themselves for the 6:30 start. There's just time for a quick vehicle check, and a sip or two of refreshment, time to tie up a few loose ends and grab a bit of breakfast. Some are better at waking up than others. But eventually everyone is on the road again, if you can call it a road.

It is now the end of March, and this road hasn't been driven since the Camel Trophy reconaissance [Part 4 end]

[Part 5 start]

trip the previous September. The convoy meets obstacle after obstacle. Matters are made worse for the Belgians when their vehicle develops a gear-box fault which has to be fixed at the trackside.

The going is made so treacherous because there appears to be safe if dusty surface - in fact the dust covers a deadly layer of slippery mud. Every single climb has to be approached with the utmost caution - one mistake could spell disaster, but the Argentians are safely through this time.

Then the biggest obstacle so far - yet another land slip blocks progress. There's nothing for it but to bring out the metal roadway tracks and manhandle them into position. Eventually the makeshift road is ready for the ultimate test. The Land Rover has to be lined up inch perfect but the Brits make it over without any problem.

The teams are now more than 1500 meters above sea level on the pass between Mount Demini? and Vesago? and on the whole they're glad of the altitude, which brings cooler air and fewer mosquitoes.

The Japanese get a bit too close for comfort but there's no harm done this time.

Gently does it for Germany but there's a traffic jam up ahead as the convoy is halted by a massive tree root blocking the way. Pick axes, chainsaws, winches, axes, and muscle are the only answer if there's to be any further progress today. Inch by inch the gigantic root is levered and coaxed out of the way before the teams eventually heave it over the side and send it plunging down the ravine. But its still not easy for the trailblazers to get through - but they get by with a little help from their friends. The true spirit of the Camel Trophy wins thru again.

While the British and Swiss teams go on ahead to try and prepare the route the others set about repairing the ravages of the winter - there are more holes to fill in and more trees to fell before the show is back on the road at last. In 14 hours they have completed just 54 kilometers - on the way 31 trees have been cut and the winches have been in action 16 times - all the classic Camel Trophy elements within a single day.

Well in some parts it was very hard and in some other ones it wasn't that much but we have to stop for a long time because we are a long caravan and then we have to wait for the rest of the companions. So for one vehicle - 2, 3,4,5 vehicles we would be alright but for 18 vehicles it kind of slows down everything.

Which part do you think was the most difficult? Well, as far as work it was when that landslide that we have to dig all the way for the vehicles. Cutting trees that's not all that difficult - in some other parts it was kind of tricky - it wasn't that much work - but you have use your mind more than your hands, you know.

What sort of preparation have the Spanish team done for this sort of work? I think we have been more strictly prepared for this than for the special tasks we made a couple of days ago. We haven't been using so much the ?? calculators and ?? so much.

We feel like this is more adventure than the ? type of action, you know? So we've been training for this - for winching and shoveling, and digging, and everything. So Camel Trophy has lived up to your expectations? So far, yeah.

Headlamps splitting the dark of the night, the Camel Trophy train continues its relentless progress. Everything seems to be going smoothly but trouble always strikes when you least expect it. This time its the Turkish team, leaders in the competitive part of the event, who find themselves sidelined. Their Land Rover 110 had soaked up so much punishment that the front differential finally cried enough and had to be disconnected. Fortunately a replacement had been requested earlier when the British team thought theirs was on the way out. Everyone mucks in to lend their comrades a hand. A remarkable bond has been forged between the participants in the true spirit of comradship that is the aim of the Camel Trophy. After a long nights work supervised by Australian mechanic Fred Wallischeck? the show is back on the right track and ready for the painstaking descent from the mountains.

The event helicopter called in to action to fly in parts for the stricken Turks keeps an eye on the trekkers as they wind thru the hairpin turns of the muddy mountain track.

Now they are out of the mountains the temperatures soar again and water is a welcome site as they head towards the coast. At the lunchtime halt will be the chance of a bath and a change of clothes - the first for several days. The only problem in the convoy is a gear selection gremlin which halted the Japanese for a while - it took 2 hours to fix and then the Japanese team promptly drove into a ditch so eager were they to make up for lost time.

In addition to the 12 team vehicles, the Camel Trophy convoy also contains a further 6 support Land Rovers carrying supplies, first aid equipment, provisions, and other essential cargo. This time its one of these which finds itself on its side. By now it is a well-drilled team that springs into action with winches, pulleys, muscle-power and know-how to right the stricken automobile. A rescue that would of taken hours at the beginning of the event is now completed in half the time. And the Camel Trophy travelers continue on their way.

The United Kingdom's Jim Benson and Marc Day tackle one of the most treacherous climbs in the entire event. Despite the absence of rain in this area the steep track is still dangerous clinging to the mountainside. Further up the trail the edges are crumbling and there's barely room for a Land Rover 110 to pass. However by now the driving skills of the participants have been honed to perfection [Part 5 end]

[Part 6 start]

this time there are no mishaps. Little do the Brits know that there is drama in store further up the mountain.

The Belgian team, Marc Buels and Y. de Burbure, had hitched a tow from the French crew when their transmission failed. The long tow rope allowed the second vehicle to run wide on a bend and driver Y. found himself a helpless passenger as the Land Rover headed for a sheer 400 meter drop.

Luckily, German, Italian, and Canary Island teams were on hand to complete the trickiest rescue operation of the event so far. Inch by inch the Belgian vehicle is coaxed away from the precipice and the Belgians decide to mark the site of their lucky escape with the universal danger sign.

If there's towing to be done in the future ropes will be short and drivers more vigilant - it could so easily have ended in disaster.

For the Belgians with their smashed transmission the going would of been impossible but for the spirit of the Camel Trophy once again coming to the rescue. With the Italians in the front pulling and the French pushing from behind, the Belgians became part of a ten-wheel drive train and the Camel Trophy forged onwards to the event's climax - the four final special tasks.

Nangala and the first real respite of the entire event. The 36 hour break gives the teams time to make good their vehicles and do all those repairs there has been no time in the last few days. Navigational equipment comes in for particular attention as the contestants get themselves back into a competitive frame of mind for the final two days of special tasks.

Most of the field found the going easy as predicted - all except the Brits finished within 36 seconds of the Canary Islanders - the unfortunate Benson and Day were minutes adrift. The Belgians look as though they mean business as they send a wayward chicken scurrying for safety. Easy does it as the Dutch press on into the night on Special Number 6 - the most difficult of the tasks so far. Holland ends the day in 2nd place overall behind the Turks. Italy are 9th on the test after stopping to repair a couple of collapsed bridges which barred their progress. That drops them to 4th overall behind the Turks, Holland, and Switzerland.

Sometimes speed is the answer, sometimes it leads to disaster. The French get away with it this time, shaken but not stirred, perhaps they take it a bit easier next time. Extra speed is unlikely to do any good - the French are last overall.

Going into the final day of the event, the Turks are so far ahead they just need to cruise through the final two tasks to win. It's heavy going after days of torrential rain as Silvano Dell'Anna and Edmondo Licursi discover. They found themselves in trouble yards behind Argentianians Daniel Agulla and Juan Catala who are already stuck fast. Argentina lost 3/4 of an hour getting free but the Italians are more fortunate and are stuck for just 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the Belgian team are busy winning the stage with a perfect time. Turkey are just one second behind.

Switzerland's Peter Dulty and Loe Kalbermatten finish last after their Land Rover ended up on its side. The vehicle slipped out of control on the exit of a bamboo bridge and it stuck fast. While help arrived the Swiss team made sure they repaired the bridge using a spare tire and a sand ladder and they waved fellow competitors on so that no one would lose on their special task time, another example of the Camel Trophy spirit shining through. The Swiss will equal 6th overall at the end with Japan.

The success story of the competitive sections has undoubtedly been the Turkish team of Galip Gurel and Ali Deveci in the Land Rover they have nicknamed the flying carpet. They can afford to finish last but one on the final special task and still win handsomely.

To the cheers of their fellow contestants, the Turks are crowned the Camel Trophy Conquerers for 1988.

Belgium finished second, just two points clear of their very next neighbors Holland, with the Italians fourth.

The other major Camel Trophy award is the Team Spirit prize. The winners are chosen by a vote of all the competitors and the British team of Jim Benson and Marc Day top the poll as the best examples of the Camel Trophy camaraderie.

Hip Hip Hooray.

As the Turks indulge in a champagne spraying celebration to mark the end of their adventure of a lifetime, the organizers are already looking ahead to Camel Trophy 1989.
[part 6 end]