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
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
Adventure lovers – pay attention! If you’re looking for the next big thing to get the adrenaline pumping while throwing in a heavy dash of travel on the way, then pay attention this post is for you! Also, if you’ve been on the fence about joining the Caucasian Challenge, we’re just about to make your life a little easier with this post. Here are the reasons why you should sign up for the Caucasian Challenge! Reclaim Adventure Have you ever thought that the world is getting far too safe and far too boring? Do you feel suffocated by all the health and safety regulations out there? Then we’ve got the perfect antidote. Get a car – any car, it could be a tank for all we care – get it to Istanbul and drive off into the unknown lands of the Caucasus for some good old-fashioned adventure! Go off the Beaten Track If you tell people you’re going to Georgia, they tend to assume you’re going to the US State. When you attempt to explain that there is a country called Georgia – they’re still confused. Georgia and Armenia, once part of the Soviet Union, are not exactly places that people can point on a map easily, which means you not only get to be special by going somewhere completely new, but you’ll also get away from all those pesky tourists and get the chance to literally drive off the beaten track. You Get to Visit a Country That Doesn't Exist If you thought that Georgia and Armenia were obscure enough, then think again. We’ll drive through the de facto state of Nagorno-Karabakh – officially a part of Azerbaijan, but controlled by Armenia. Sounds a little risky, doesn’t it? Well, no one has had any problems on the
Adventure lovers – pay attention! If you’re looking for the next big thing to get the adrenaline pumping while throwing in a heavy dash of travel on the way, then pay attention this post is for you! Also, if you’ve been on the fence about joining the Caucasian Challenge, we’re just about to make your
