Meet Hungarian Team Wonderlust King, who've just completed the Caucasian Challenge 2016 in their rusty, old but still trustworthy Subaru Justy. It didn't only carry them all across the Caucasus, but it also served as a hotel room for the team on several occasions. Let's see what the winners of the sought-after Bonkers Award have to tell us! Hi there, Team Wonderlust King. You are András and Ádám, aren’t you? András: We are. Ok, ready to roll? What drove you to come and take part in this rally, and what expectations did you bring to it? András: Our expectations? Well I first saw Caucasian Challenge, the very first one, on TV, on RTL klub it was I think. I loved the idea, so told Adam all about it at school the next day, and that we had to go and do it. You were still at school then? András: Yeah, high school. But I kept saying that we should get a dodgy banger or something and just go. I’m a born adventurer at heart, and love driving too. As for our expectations...we expected ourselves to complete the challenge, that’s all. We tried to get a car as cheaply as possible, any old rustbucket would do basically. In the end we found one for 120.000 Fts ($450), and well, prayed that it would make it to the end. And how did reality compare to your expectations? Ádám: I hadn’t expected it to be quite this amazing to be honest, it was a great surprise that it turned out to be this fab. I thought it would be sleeping in tents and roughing it all the way. But no, it was, well organised and totally awesome. What was the scariest part? Did you encounter any bears? Ádám: No, no bears,
Meet Hungarian Team Wonderlust King, who’ve just completed the Caucasian Challenge 2016 in their rusty, old but still trustworthy Subaru Justy. It didn’t only carry them all across the Caucasus, but it also served as a hotel room for the team on several occasions. Let’s see what the winners of the sought-after Bonkers Award have
The Caucasian Challenge 2016 has ended a while ago and it's about time to ask our Caucasian Challenge 2016 World Champions Tony and Rob from Team Llanfair Railway a few questions about their time on the road. They are quite special pair and it's not that easy to have a serious conversation with them, but see yourself! Why did you decide to sign up for the Caucasian Challenge and what did you expect from it? Tony: I came last year and I missed a lot. My car was lousy and I had several breakdowns. So I wanted to come again, to make sure that I had the full experience. Why I came in general is first of all my experience with the Central Asia Rally, which was absolutely wonderful. I liked the whole concept of the Travel Scientists. Also, the Caucasian Challenge is coming to countries, Armenia and Georgia, which I had no experience of. And when I mentioned to Rob that I was going and if he’d be interested, he said yes. Rob: I am just as crazy as Tony, travelling a lot. He is a big inspiration, travelling all over the place. He spoke to me about it and I just fell in love with it straight away, thinking “Yap, all we have to do is convince his daughter” (Editor’s note: Rob is basically Tony’s son in law.) Tony: And my wife! What was your scariest experience on the road? Rob: Personally for me, it’s probably Tony’s underpants. Tony: Which ones? Rob: The ones that are hanging above my bed. Tony: This is very personal... Rob: No, there was nothing scary about it. It was just really enjoyable. Tony: Nothing. I like taking risks. I like adventure. But I wouldn’t do anything which is stupid. There is nothing in
The Caucasian Challenge 2016 has ended a while ago and it’s about time to ask our Caucasian Challenge 2016 World Champions Tony and Rob from Team Llanfair Railway a few questions about their time on the road. They are quite special pair and it’s not that easy to have a serious conversation with them, but see
After 10 short days already the last day of our 11 day adventure across the Caucasus had come. It started with high hopes for Belgian Team Care Bears, whose tank had started leaking the day before, but miraculously stopped doing so overnight. But the joy only lasted till someone pointed out that it was probably just empty by then. In the end it turned out, that the tank is only leaking, when there are more than 25 l inside. So no need to fix it, just to plan the gas station visits during the last day very well. Lucky Team Care Bears! The last cultural highlight of the Caucasian Challenge 2016, before heading to Yerevan for the Award Ceremony in the evening, was a visit in the 9th century monastery Tatev, sitting on a plateau high above the Vorotan River. The teams had the choice between driving up the steep, winding mountain road all the way or to take the “Wings of Tatev”, an almost 6 km long cable-way to the monastery, offering spectacular views over the valley. The last part of the road lead across two spectacular mountain passes, giving Armenia’s rugged landscapes a last chance to show off. Latest when passing by Mount Ararat in the distance, while the cloud cover just opened up over the majestic mountain, even the last participants could not help but give Armenia a special place in their memories. In the evening, the Award Ceremony and Finish Party with lots of wine, food, medals and fancy prizes took place in an open air space in Yerevan. The popular “Bonkers Award” went to Hungarian Team Wonderlust King for completing the challenge in their old and rusty Subaru Justy and sleeping in the same many of the nights. How about getting a shower now, guys! The award as
After 10 short days already the last day of our 11 day adventure across the Caucasus had come. It started with high hopes for Belgian Team Care Bears, whose tank had started leaking the day before, but miraculously stopped doing so overnight. But the joy only lasted till someone pointed out that it was probably just
Day 9 led our teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016 into Nagorno-Karabah, a disputed territory, which is officially part of Azerbaijan, but basically independent with its own government and supported by Armenia. There is kind of a border check point, but the officers usually more busy with enjoying life (and a drink) than with bothering innocent tourists. After a couple of cars with foreign license plates and our Caucasian Challenge 2016 stickers had passed through, they remembered their job and stopped Team Deepzone – but probably more out of curiosity than sense of duty, since soon they were waved through, with some good wished on their way. The winding mountain roads of Nagorno-Karabakh had a unpleasant surprise for our teams: what has been a gravel road just a few years ago, is now a brand new asphalt road almost all the way through. But on the other side, like this, our teams had plenty of time to visit the 9th century monastery Dadivank and to relax at the hotel’s swimming pool in Vank. Oh, and how we would love to tell you about the next day’s special adventure, but we’ve promised our new friend of the local KGB to keep the secret. And since we want to offer next year’s teams the same opportunities, we need to keep this promise. Just that much: it involved a forbidden area, a military checkpoint and a lot of negotiation skills. What we can tell you, is that our trip led us deep into the no man’s land between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, heavily scarred by war and destruction. Till today the region is frequently a location of armed conflicts between both militaries. Driving through the mostly uninhabited ghost towns made our teams feel a bit like they had survived a zombie apocalypse and acting unsuspiciously passing by
Day 9 led our teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016 into Nagorno-Karabah, a disputed territory, which is officially part of Azerbaijan, but basically independent with its own government and supported by Armenia. There is kind of a border check point, but the officers usually more busy with enjoying life (and a drink) than with bothering
Another border was waiting for the teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016. After initial desperation and panic attacks remembering the long wait at the Turkish-Georgian border, it turns out that the Georgian-Armenian border is comparatively a real pleasure to cross – if there was not this darn bureaucracy for bringing a car into the country. Car tax, road tax, car insurance, all want to be signed and paid and of course this needs three different queues. Luckily queuing needs just one person, so the other team members could enjoy a drink or two in the border bar. Nevertheless, all teams could leave the border behind after about two hours. After a hearty group lunch under the burning Armenian sun, the temptation to set up a camp site right in front of the restaurant to have a little nap was great, but all teams headed towards Lake Sevan, one of the largest high altitude freshwater lakes in Eurasia, with an altitude of almost 2000m. The road offered great mountain views, but was relatively easy to drive, so soon the lake appeared through the windshield. This day should be a special adventure: wild camping was planned, with bonfire, good food, wine, great company and a million stars as blanket. After successfully navigating to the dedicated campsite and taking a couple of wrong turns before that, Team Deepzone and Team Wiredmango were determined to make the romantic fantasy reality - till the temperatures started dropping drastically and everybody chickened out, escaping to the luxury hotel just a couple of kilometers away. Only team Wonderlust King turned out to be real adventurers who can be scared neither by cold nor by a lack of toilets. We’ve been told that also the Care Bears did some wild camping in another place. But since we haven’t seen
Another border was waiting for the teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016. After initial desperation and panic attacks remembering the long wait at the Turkish-Georgian border, it turns out that the Georgian-Armenian border is comparatively a real pleasure to cross – if there was not this darn bureaucracy for bringing a car into the country.
After an exhausting day five, a rather relaxed day was waiting for our teams. First, we headed to the city of Gori... Birthplace of Stalin In this center of his still-ongoing personal cult, we could visit his birth house, by now enclosed and protected by a shrine - like building. Also nearby is the Stalin Museum, where you'll hear less about the horrors of his regime, and rather more about his charisma and good intentions. (By the way, did you know that young Stalin was actually hot?) For some of us, the most entertaining part of the museum was the souvenir shop, where you could acquire little Stalin-shaped trinkets filled with – you got it - chacha. Well, as the saying goes: you can take a man out of Georgia… But anyway. For diehard fans of the man, who’d never be content with such Stalin-lite fripperies, there’s also an option of a long stroll down Stalin Avenue, with or without a bottle of his favorite wine – the blood-red Khvanchkara - in hand. Tbilisi Party Preparations - Team LR on Form Again! Team Wired Mango rushed ahead to our destination in Tbilisi, to do a quick reconnaissance of the lay of the land re possible party venues. Guess who was already expecting them in the hotel – yup, the rally’s unchallenged champions of efficiency and punctuality, Team Llanfair Railway – a.k.a. the “No-Faffing-Zone”, as they like to call themselves. We are quite sure that even in the event of an imminent apocalypse, these guys would find time to brew a cuppa on their gas stove and would still not be one minute late for the spectacle. Party with a Plot Twist... In the evening, teams and organizers, once again, had a great party, but this
After an exhausting day five, a rather relaxed day was waiting for our teams. First, we headed to the city of Gori… Birthplace of Stalin In this center of his still-ongoing personal cult, we could visit his birth house, by now enclosed and protected by a shrine – like building. Also nearby is the Stalin
Day Five should be one of the highlights of the Caucasian Challenge 2016: driving up the narrow and winding mountain roads to Ushguli, one of the highest-altitude continuously inhabited villages and, after that, crossing the 2600-meter high Zagor Pass. A Strange Crew on a Strange Brew: a Few Hiccups in Fluidity But first things first: a significant number of party-maniacs, especially members of Team Care Bears and Team Llanfair Railway, had to get over last night’s hangover. We are not sure if the advocates of a newly invented chacha-rum cocktail (50 % chacha, 50% rum. Don’t try this at home, except if you are a professional!) would still defend the genius of their idea as vehemently as they did the night before… As if to mirror the experimenters' inner weather, the asphalt road out of Mestia gradually gave way to potholed gravel roads, often interlaced with clear mountain streams and populated more by cows than by cars. The view of old houses and defense towers on both sides in lush meadows hinted at what more was to come. Ushguli: Majestic Mountains and a Spot of Folk Wisdom When the valley to Ushguli finally opened up, the teams were taken aback by the majesty of the ancient town, skirted by lush green mountains and snow covered glaciers. Having come to terms with the sheer beauty of it all, some stopped for a leisurely lunch, while one person decided to take their still-lingering hangover to the strategically placed magical pillows just a few steps away that came cleverly disguised as the stairs of the local grocery store. Then the shop owner came out. Luckily, not to shoo the poor soul away to kick his professional reputation back up the few notches the spectre of his drowsy doorstep-dweller had
Day Five should be one of the highlights of the Caucasian Challenge 2016: driving up the narrow and winding mountain roads to Ushguli, one of the highest-altitude continuously inhabited villages and, after that, crossing the 2600-meter high Zagor Pass. A Strange Crew on a Strange Brew: a Few Hiccups in Fluidity But first things
