Katt MinFor decades, whenever someone spoke of Moab, the images that sprang into my mind included vast desert landscapes, monumental rock formations and awe-inspiring campsites. As an off-road enthusiast, Moab sat at the #1 spot on my must-see list.
Thanks to the Solihull Society, I could check Moab off the list when I attended their National Rally last October. Land Rover enthusiasts from all over the globe shared camaraderie and inspiring wheeling. The drive from my Fremont, CA, home to Moab, UT, took 16 hours but was worth every minute.
Based on the success of previous National Rallies, I knew I would join enthusiasts from all over the world in exciting off-roading, spectacular scenery, camping and camaraderie. This rally would be different for me as I attended as a correspondent covering the event and, therefore, without my partner and his Land Rover. Time to search out a ride.
I lucked out when I rode with Kip Hunsinger, Crescent, IA, of Brit Bilt, in his wife’s ’22 Defender 110. Starting mid-morning, we joined 10 other Land Rovers on the famous Fins and Things trail. It’s not technically difficult but does feature steep ascents and descents, vast open vistas and sheer cliffs. (There’s little shade in the high altitude [4,300 – 6,200 ft.], so bring your sunscreen). For this rally, the Solihull Society confronted decisions by the Bureau of Land Management to close off popular trails due to erosion and off-road abuses.
On the second day, I jumped in with Jennifer Mobley, Griffin, GA and Stalding, CO, in “Wanda,” a highly customized Series III Lightweight [see Winter 2019 issue -ed.]. Jennifer had known of Wanda through its previous owner, Craig Jones. “I had been off-roading as a passenger in Wanda,” Jen said, “but this was my first time as a Land Rover owner. I had vowed not to buy a Land Rover until Wanda become available! It was perfect to have Kat along as a passenger as she had far more wheeling experience than I did.”
Jeff Corwin of JC’s British and 4×4, Denver, CO, led our group of 15 vehicles over Hell’s Revenge in his highly modified ’90 6-wheel Perentie 3.9 factory turbo diesel. Similar to Fins and Things, Hell’s Revenge has steep ascents and descents, only these extend over longer distances, feature sharp turns after each climb, and the sheer cliffs put a lump in your throat. This trail forces you to stay on the correct line or plummet to your death. The mental focus required tests you more than the actual technical challenges. Being on these trails felt like riding on a roller coaster – lots of ups, downs and sharp turns.
Russ Brown, a British Land Rover journalist and Western novelist, noted that this Moab trek (his third National Rally) “has ruined off-roading for me back home. Nothing compares to this in the UK. There’s a meme that pops up regularly on British 4×4 pages, a photo of a wet, muddy lane with the caption, ‘If this does not excite you, we can’t be friends.’ I generally reply with, ‘We can’t be friends then,’ accompanied by a snap from National Rally trails such as Cliffhanger, Pritchett Canyon or Imogene Pass with 20ft snow drifts.”
Russ applauded the Solihull Society for its partnership with the Bureau of Land Management: “I spent a day with club members helping BLM rangers improve signage on the scenic Jax Trax trail. It proved educational to me, as I learned about the ‘cryptobiotic’ soil – the delicate layers of biological crust – a living ecosystem that takes centuries to develop and only a few passes over it to destroy.”
Thanks to the wonderful organizational efforts of the Solihull Society, the event went off quite smoothly. The adrenaline rush provided by the National Rally demonstrates why the event should remain on every enthusiast’s bucket list.