Badawi Trail to the Last Oasis 2026, Syd Stelvio Day 8 – Duba to Tabuk – 450km
Today was a day of two halves, and about the best thing that can be said about the morning is that eventually it ended. You can’t have wildly exciting roads all the time on a rally like this, sometimes you just have to slog away at the miles until they’re behind you, and that is how the morning went, a long slog up the highway, hemmed in by the enormous and never-ending earthworks of the NEOM project.
Indeed, it wasn’t until we had completed 300 of the days 450 km that anything remotely interesting would register on the horizon, but my goodness, what a treat was in store, as upon leaving the road after passing through yet another huge construction project we headed into the Neom Bajdah Wildlife Reserve and the breathtaking Hisma Desert.
As the route climbed a sandy bank towards the start of the STC section, the merest hint of what was to come began to reveal itself, as the towering sandstone monuments of this 500-million-year-old landscape began to peep above the foothills. It was a privilege to even be allowed to drive through here, let alone run a competitive section between the wind sculpted mountains, in an area usually reserved for small and prescribed safari’s and perhaps a bit of camping and trekking.
The competition seemed a little irrelevant to be honest, as we were surrounded by such wonder. Even the fastest of our drivers had slowed down, taking it all in. This is reportedly where Hismatic script originated, a precursor to Arabic, not to mention its importance to local ecology, as it is the home of Ibex, Oryx and Gazelles and may soon even see Lynx and Cheetah introduced in a vast rewilding project.
There was little wildlife around today though, no doubt warned off by the sound of high-octane engines echoing off of the ancient sandstone cliffs, as our drivers went about the business of rallying. The geology may have been awe inspiring, but the tracks were pretty incredible as well, with plenty of technical driving needed to maintain progress. There were rocks to negotiate and an abundance of sandy tracks to choose from, and the second half of the section in particular featured plenty of challenges, and this was reflected in a number of penalties issued by the timekeeper, though none that would affect the positions within the top 7.
Had the section run on a little further, then this might have been different, as not far past the final control all kinds of chaos began as the tracks in all directions became the softer side of sandy, leading to several crews getting stuck. It seems to have started with William and Harry Medcalf, getting the Bentley wedged in a big drift. This led to good Samaritans Peter and Debbie Fitzcharles heading to help the stricken Bentley, with no regard for their own progress, as they too became stuck in the sand. After this, it’s not entirely clear what happened, but the end result was a number of machines trapped in the soft stuff, with all sorts of rescue operations happening as the smell of burning clutch hung in the air. There were sweeps, competitors and locals in 4x4’s all helping to tow people out, with some rescues even requiring a double header of vehicles to release cars from their sandy traps. The spirit of co-operation was incredible, and this spirit of camaraderie and overcoming adversity is part of the essence of adventure rallies such as this. It must be stated that William enjoyed it so much he went and got himself stuck several more times, or perhaps he had just promised young Harry a beach holiday – somebody get him a bucket and spade.
We are eight days into the rally now, and inevitably the cars are beginning to suffer under the strain. Today had its fair share of mechanical woes, including for the acrobatic Toyota Land Cruiser crewed by Alphonso de Orleans-Borbon and new crew mate Haikko Visser. They made it to the end of the competitive sections but finished the day on a flatbed after the engine mounts sheared, leaving the power plant of the big Toyota lying in the sand, and the car going nowhere fast. They are hopeful of repairing the machine this evening though and being back out in the morning.
Elsewhere there were alternator issues and a broken fan belt for Michael and Jakob Haentjes, who seem to be suffering daily with the Peugeot 504 at the moment, though both are loving the rally all the same, embodying the spirit of determination that is key to these events. Their issues over the past few days would be many people’s idea of hell, but perseverance is part of the adventurer’s toolkit, and indeed something that all of our competitors thrive on.
Perseverance and stamina are something all of our crews will need tomorrow, as they embark on a 760km drive east to Hail. All of us though are invigorated by our experiences this afternoon, an afternoon where everyone was at their best and displaying the traits that make rallies like this the fantastic experiences that they are. Platitudes maybe, but, well, ‘you don’t know man, you weren’t there!!’
Syd.