Tag Archives: off-road 4×4 trip

27th Annual Rallye Aicha Des Gazelles Du Maroc, Women-Only Off-Road RallyeThru Moroccan Desert Starts Mar 17

Women from around the world are participating in the 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc, very possibly the only women-only off-road rallye in the world.

Women from 18 to 71 and 30 different countries distinguished by their sense of adventure are headed to the French city of Nice for the  27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc taking takes place between March 17 and April 1, 2017, for a woman-only off-road rallye through the Moroccan desert. Here are 5 reasons why you should add the rallye to your 2017 bucket list:

  1. AN UNMATCHED ADVENTURE

The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a one-of-a-kind adventure, very possibly, the only international off-road Rallye race for women only.  Since 1990, it has been bringing together women between the ages of 18 and 71, from more than 30 different countries, who embark on an adventure of a lifetime from the French city of Nice on March 18, 2017 and onward to the start of the Rallye in the Moroccan desert. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is developing a new vision of automobile competition: no speed and no GPS, just old-fashioned navigation, completely off-road.

  1. EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF AFRICA
Unmatched adventure awaits the women who take part in the 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is set amid the Moroccan desert.

Morocco is the host country of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles since its inception. Gazelles in search of nature and the great outdoors will be seduced by the magnificent and varied landscapes of Morocco, with its sand dunes, Rocky Mountains, green valleys, fertile plains, arid plateaus and lush oases. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc takes place under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who has authorized the use of the Royal Coat of Arms on the Gazelles’ vests. This is the only event that has ever been granted this honor. Many Moroccans come out to welcome and assist the competition at every step of the way, from the dunes of Merzouga to Essaouira.

  1. RACE FOR CHARITY

The Rallye respects its scenic host country and its people through the actions of the Rallye’s non-profit, Cœur de Gazelles. Attending the rallye supports the charity’s volunteers who work daily to provide the Moroccan people with sustainable aid through concrete actions. A registered non-profit organization since 2001, Coeur de Gazelles works on projects that meet the needs of Morocco’s remote populations: medical care, education, the environment and sustainable development, job training for women, improving living conditions. 

  1. AN EMPOWERING EXPERIENCE

All Rallye participants, known as “Gazelles”, leave this adventure marked forever by the experience: they push their limits, have to face themselves, far from their sometimes difficult daily lives as women; there is also a strong element of sharing and mutual aid with their teammate as well as with the other “Gazelles”. Free to choose their own route, they face a challenge every day: to study the map and the day’s geographical coordinates, analyze the risks and difficulties of the terrain and choose the shortest path. They have the choice of driving around a mountain or crossing over it, driving through the dunes or avoiding them.

  1. CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
The 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is set amid the Moroccan desert.

While the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a return to the roots of adventure, it is also, with its satellite system for tracking the teams, on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to safety. This duality is the strength of this unusual competition. With its unique concept, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is changing the way people view automobile use. The Rallye is also launching a new electric vehicle category in 2017, which will call its participants  “E-Gazelles”. This trailblazing Rallye already boasts an ISO 14001 Environment Management System (EMS) standard. During the recent Climate Conference, COP22 in Marrakech, it was announced that Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is the Rallye which will set the standard for future rallies around the world, based on its high environmental principles.

TO WIN THE COMPETITION

Every morning the Gazelles receive a Road Book. This document contains only the geographic coordinates or headings and distances of the day’s checkpoints and finish line. Forget about GPS, phones and other modern communication tools: using a compass, a navigational plotter and maps, they plot their route and plan their itinerary. 

The rankings are determined by calculating the extra kilometers driven (distance driven between check points minus crow flies distance) and penalty kilometers for any check points not reached. The winning team is the one that finds the greatest number of checkpoints while driving the least number of kilometers.

The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc may well be the only women-only off-road Rallye in the world.  Created in 1990, the event brings women between the ages of 18 and 71 from more than 30 different countries together in the Moroccan desert. Since its inception, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles has been creating a new vision of automobile competition: no speed and no GPS, just old fashioned navigation, completely off-road: a return to the roots of Adventure. The only requirement is determination. The women who take part in this Rallye—known as Gazelles—are of all ages, social backgrounds, nationalities and levels of off-road experience. Whether in a 4×4, Crossover, Quad, truck or motorbike, they all come to take part in a unique competition: whose competitors share the values of tolerance, solidarity and determination, that respects the host country and its people through the actions of the Rallye’s non-profit, Cœur de Gazelles, and that cares about the environment: the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is the only motor Rallye in the world with ISO 14001 certification.

While the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles marks a return to the roots of adventure, it is also on the cutting edge of technology, with a satellite tracking system for optimal safety. A new vision of motor sport the pleasure lies in driving without excessive speed, and where the goal of driving the shortest possible distance is in line with our environmental commitment.

For more information, visit: http://www.Rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/

Facebook: Rallyeaichadesgazelles, Instagram: @usagazelles,  Twitter: @Rallye_Gazelles

Coeur de Gazelles, registered non-profit organization since 2001, is a group of volunteers working to provide sustainable aid to people in need through concrete actions. Coeur de Gazelles works on projects that meet the needs of Morocco’s remote populations: medical care, education, the environment and sustainable development, job training for women, improving living conditions and a desire to spread joy by distributing donations. Actions are set upon a “human scale”, working in partnership with the local population to address the source of the problem, enabling people to become agents of their own development. All donations are used for the direct benefit of the population, in collaboration with local authorities.

For more information, visit: http://www.coeurdegazelles.org/

Facebook: COEUR-DE-GAZELLES,  #CoeurDeGazelles

 

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New Tripology Trip Explores Off-Beaten-Track Greece in 4×4 Off-Road Vehicles

A new Tripology itinerary journeys by off-road 4x4 from the bustle of Athens into a myth-laden landscape along the Heraklion Ridge overlooking the Gulf of Corinth enroute to Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed by the god Zeus to have been the center of the world.
A new Tripology itinerary journeys by off-road 4×4 from the bustle of Athens into a myth-laden landscape along the Heraklion Ridge overlooking the Gulf of Corinth enroute to Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed by the god Zeus to have been the center of the world.

Beit Zayit, Israel – An innovative Israeli adventure travel company recently launched its website in English to share with North American travelers the fun of self-driving 4×4 off-road vehicles to obscure-but-culturally intense locales on the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa.

This includes a new Tripology itinerary that mesmerizes its guests on a journey from the bustle of Athens into a myth-laden landscape along the Heraklion Ridge overlooking the Gulf of Corinth enroute to Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed by the god Zeus to have been the center of the world.  Here in upper central Greece comes a tumult of high-altitude lakes, churches that appear to dangle over cliffs, isolated villages, swimming in the Krikloptomus River, flour mills and ancient taverns, and always the excitement of meeting people at home in their ancient and seldom-visited communities.

The tour price for the nine-day/eight-night self-drive itinerary April 26-May 4, 2015 to little-known regions of Greece (beginning and ending in Athens) is $2,315 per person double ($495 single supplement). The rates are based on two guests sharing a room, breakfasts, lunches and/or dinners (exclusive of beverages), off-road vehicles (at Suzuki Grand Vitara category) for every four travelers, gasoline for the entire trip, a Tripology Adventures guide in an accompanying, supervising vehicle for the entire off-road tour, two-way radio with approved frequencies, sightseeing fees, mineral water, destination maps and tips for service providers enroute.

“Our ‘deep’ touring programs reach exotic destinations where guests have rare opportunities to touch authenticity, to feel the magical genesis as if we were the first to ever arrive in this pristine place,” said Ofir Birenbaum, TripologyCEO.

Comfortable, fully equipped, off-road, four-passenger vehicles bring guests through seldom-visited locales while listening enroute via two-way radio to information about their journey. The vehicles are appointed with gourmet coffee and kitchen kits for picnic-style dining.

“We design our trips to be convenient and comfortable, with an itinerary, that leaves room to breathe, to visit preferred sites, villages, lakes, rivers, peaks, canyons – or to just be!” said Birenbaum. “We will reach incredibly beautiful and wild locations – places that tourists never know – in comfortable off-road vehicles, on spectacular 4X4 roads. We plan to cross rivers, attempt passes over 2000 meters high, and reach roads in which the scenery will cause us to stop for yet another incredible vista or maybe just to enjoy a deep, cleansing breath.”

For more information on From Athens to the Pindus trip see: http://www.tripologyadventures.com/GR-AP04/26/15.

Tripology Adventures, with a 20-year track record of successful adventure touring, conducts guided, caravan-style, off-road holidays including lodging, dining, sightseeing, trekking, river rafting and more for independent-minded guests who self-drive themselves through a destination on a proscribed itinerary.

On Tripology Adventures’ tours guests can, for example, cross the Pindos peaks in Greece, reach the Himba tribes in Namibia and cross the dunes in the Moroccan Sahara. Itineraries are available in Greece,MoroccoTurkeyItalyPyreneesIceland and Namibia.

For trip details, itineraries and booking information visit: http://www.tripologyadventures.com/; email: [email protected]; or call (US Office) 888-975-7080.

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