Land Rover G4 Challenge International Selection

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Turning the Screw

Rob Howard / 02.02.2006

It was a shorter than expected night for the G4 competitors camped out in the grounds of Eastnor Castle. They were woken abruptly at 4.30am, in pitch dark and freezing cold, to build rafts ready for one of the activities tomorrow. For the French competitor Emmanuelle Zanders it was a painful task as she caught her hand between two logs, sustaining an injury which may hamper her in the rest of the competition.

After breakfast and breaking camp the competitors did at least get the chance to warm up with an indoor medical briefing … a chance to think about all the things which could go wrong deep in the jungles of Laos or high up on the Salt Plains of the Bolivian Andes. And also reassurance that the G4 organisation has all medical contingencies covered. (They have vehicles specially equipped as ambulances and 4 doctors, with denistry, anaesthetic, and surgical skills.)

Scary briefing over it was time for those in the marquee to empty out into the parking areas full to the brim of orange and silver Land Rovers, which soon headed off in different directions in small convoys. One of the destinations was the ‘Physical’ test, an outdoor torture chamber built on nearby farm land, where competitors faced one of their toughest hours.

Their tasks included running on top of a giant ‘millwheel’ to try and turn it as many times as possible, rope hauling and operating a giant see-saw by running across it and tipping it one way then another with their body weight. There was also an obstacle course of pulleys, ropes and ladders to try and complete – though no one succeeded.

All these tests were built out of logs, constructed into frames or lashed together and the cumulative effect of attempting them all was strained muscles, pumping hearts, a few more bruises and some exhausted competitors. The two remaining South Africans, Martin Dreyer and Marijke Nel were cheered on by their injured team mate, Richard Kolbe, now with his shoulder in a sling, and both did exceptionally well. Nel looks to be one of the strongest female competitors and Dreyer recorded the best result for the ‘human see-saw’, flipping it 8 times, once more than anyone else. See All Event Posts