Autobacs rally 2004 Thailand Laos

THE STAR
Saturday October 23, 2004
Mother of a rally

[also stolen and published on World News]

STORY AND PICTURES BY LIZ PRICE

FORTY-FOUR cars started the 9th Autobacs Asia Cross Country Rally in August from Bangkok to Laos and back, but the numbers dwindled and only 35 managed to cross the finishing line seven days later.

Inevitably, some succumbed to the rigours of the rough terrain. Several cars rolled; others got firmly stuck in mud whilst some had mechanical problems. The route had been designed to pit man and machine against the environment, and this it succeeded in doing.

It was a struggle against rocks, mud, rivers and jungle.

The event took place from August 7 to 13, a seven-day drive that included nine off-road special sections (SS) designed to test the drivers.

The 44 teams came from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. In addition, there were the support cars, service crews, marshals and media.

Altogether there were more than 100 cars carrying some 220 personnel.


Kicking up the dust at the 9th Autobacs Asia Cross Country Rally.

The route covered a demanding 2,700km, 900km of which was on nine SS’s. These negotiated mountains, rivers, agricultural land, and rough tracks with steep inclines and rocky descents. The conditions ranged from plenty of mud to dry and dusty, but all demanded technical driving. The weather before and during the rally was rather wet and, on one occasion, rising water meant the route had to be altered. Other SS’s had to be cut short due to adverse conditions. The 2004 rally was a tough one all right.

The cars all came under the T2 class, which meant they conformed to the standard set by the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA). Car manufacturers included Toyota, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Nissan and Suzuki. Some looked like regular cars you see on the street, others were obviously customised. All were fitted with anti-roll bars and other requisite safety features.

Looking inside the cars, I was surprised by the sparseness – all unnecessary features and luxury items had been removed. Drivers and co-drivers had to wear helmets. Team Malaysia consisted of six cars, although one was a joint Singapore-Malaysian car.

The Ho brothers from Kuala Lumpur were no strangers to the Autobacs rally. In 2002 they placed second in the T2 class. Last year they came in 19th overall, but this year they were unable to finish in their Toyota Hilux Tiger. The other five Malaysian teams were making their first appearance in the rally.

Day One saw the entire convoy assemble outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Luckily the city’s notorious traffic jams were not a problem that day. At 7pm, after a short ceremony, the first car stood on the podium and was flagged off amidst much fanfare.

The other cars followed and thus began the 480km drive to Phetchabun in North-east Thailand. It was a straightforward drive, mostly along highways, and the first cars reached the Kosit Hill Hotel around 11.30pm.

Day Two dawned very early. I didn’t realise rally drivers had such early starts. We were up most mornings before 6am, sometimes even before 5am.

It was quite an effort to force down a large breakfast at such unearthly hours. But I knew I had to fill up my stomach or risk going hungry later. I was in a media car and we spent our days dashing round trying to find strategic places on the SS’s to get good photo opportunities. This meant a lot of off-road driving. It was a good thing we were being driven around.

Our driver was Suthipan, a rally co-driver himself. He had no qualms about tackling really rough terrains. In fact, he seemed to revel in the particularly muddy sections.

The first SS of this year’s rally covered mountainous terrain on narrow jungle tracks.

It was certainly the most difficult for the support and media cars to access as the route involved a very muddy section and some very rough tracks. SS2 in the afternoon was a faster route through agricultural land, as well as sections up and down mountainous areas with many creeks.

On Day Three we left Phetchabun and headed for Nong Khai on the Mekong River. The morning’s SS3 was a combination of mountain, river and muddy terrain. SS4 was set in the Switzerland of North-eastern Thailand, a scenic area with mountains in Loei province.

This was the day when the combination of mud and other obstacles proved too much for the rally cars, resulting in both SS’s of the day being cancelled. Many cars got stuck in the mud, a traffic jam right here in the backwaters!

Meanwhile the press people congregated in a small hamlet, along with the villagers, waiting in vain by a brown river. When a small herd of cows crossed the river, we all took photos to relieve the boredom.

Finally, after a long while, we heard the distinctive roar of a rally car approaching, and everyone ran to obtain a good viewpoint.

The villagers cheered as the car appeared and splashed through the river. Only a few cars appeared, and it was at least half an hour before the next batch arrived. Then it seemed that all the remaining cars appeared together, lined up in single file down to the water’s edge. The villagers were certainly enthusiastic in their cheering as they urged the cars through the water.

Day Four saw the entire convoy cross the border into Laos via the Friendship Bridge near Vientiane. Whilst waiting for all the cars to enter, we went crazy taking photos of everything. There was a group of Laotian police, and they were willing though bemused to have their photos taken with us. They were game to let me straddle a police motorbike and take photos.

We then drove through Vientiane the capital and along a rough track following the mighty Mekong River westwards. Some of the drivers kept forgetting they had to drive on the right in Laos.

The SS proved a bit problematic as the car that checked the route couldn’t cross a swollen river. So plans had to be changed. This meant a long delay. And the resulting SS took place mostly on dusty, dirt tracks. But the villagers were enthusiastic and we had an enormous crowd watching.

Day Five saw the convoy returning to Thailand for the longest SS, which covered 188km through two provinces, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. A lot of the route was on village tracks and through agricultural land, with some fast sections.

This meant we had the earliest finish of any rally day, and reached the Sofitel Hotel in Khon Kaen by afternoon. Most of the rally cars went to the car wash for a well-deserved clean-up – although I couldn’t really see the point as they would soon get plastered in mud and dust the next day.

Meanwhile many of the personnel took advantage of the nearby shopping centre, Internet cafes, bars, etc. It was our only chance during the rally for such luxuries.

Day Six took the competitors through Chaiyaphum province and Nakon Ratchasima province. That night we stayed on the edge of Khao Noi National Park, Thailand’s oldest.

On Day Seven, the last day, we drove from the hotel through the National Park towards Chacheong, with our only spectators at that early hour being a few monkeys on the roadside. After the SS everyone headed for Bangkok and the podium finish in the National Stadium.

The results

First, second and third placings were won by teams from Thailand, with a Japanese car coming fourth. Positions five to 10 were also swept by the Thai teams.

The Ho brothers did not finish. The other Malaysian cars fared better, finishing 26th, 27th and 31st, while the Singapore-Malaysia car took 33rd spot. One other car did not finish, having not started the fifth day.

This year there was an all-ladies team again, a Mitsubishi Strada driven by Ray Itoh of Japan with co-driver Jia-Yeng Sheng from Taiwan. They started the rally in 12th place and finished 17th. Malaysia had one husband-and-wife team, Teh Chin Seen and Siew Sook Mei, and they did well in their Isuzu Trooper.

Autobacs rally 2005 Thailand - Star

THE STAR
Saturday October 1, 2005


Stirring up some excitement

Story & Pictures by Liz Price

There is something thrilling about waiting for a rally car to pass. Your ears strain to catch the distinctive throaty roar. Sometimes you make a mistake and are disappointed when a motorbike swings into view. Other times you see the rally car coming before you hear it – or rather you see an approaching swirl of dust, inside of which is a car.

This year’s Autobacs Asia Cross Country Rally, the 10th of the Asia XC series, took place in Thailand Aug 6-12.


Sanctioned by the FIA (Federation Internationale de Automobile) for the first time, the seven-day event, organised by Ortev of Japan, covered some 3,400km, 1,000km of which took place on 10 SS (selective section) where the cars were subjected to the rigours of the terrain.

A fleet of 44 cars representing Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Taiwan left the starting line in Bangkok. Including vehicles for the media, service crew, sweepers and officials, the entire contingent numbered more than 100 cars.

Each morning we got up at 5am, ate a large breakfast because we knew we wouldn’t have time for lunch, and hit the road an hour later. Our first destination was the historic city of Ayutthaya, then Mae Sot on the Myanmar border, climbing mountains and braving the rain. After Mae Sot, we drove past the largest refugee camp in Thailand.


The Malaysian and Korean teams.

At Mae Sariang, we took photos of a temple with Shan-styled chedis. The area here is populated by hill tribes, and we saw many of them in their bright clothes as we drove by at high speed. We were always in a hurry, trying to keep ahead of the rally cars.

Mae Hong Son is a touristy place with lots of farang (foreigners). Here everyone was allowed an hour’s worth of sightseeing; and we all went to see a “long-necked village” outside Mae Hon Song. The women were quite obliging and had their photos taken beside the colourful cars.

From Pai, we drove five hours to Chiang Rai. As usual, we only arrived at the hotel late in the evening. Our next stop was Sukhothai, another historic city, and again, I was only able to catch a glimpse of a couple of chedis as we drove out at six am the following morning.


Going for a ‘swim’.

We had left the mountains behind by now and were entering farmlands. We drove through large plantations, where tapioca and pineapples were grown, and saw large farms where cows were reared. The last day took us through Thailand’s oldest National Park, Khao Yai. The main road ran through the park, and all vehicles had to observe the speed limit. The rally ended in the coastal city of Pattaya.

The 10 selective sections covered different types of terrain, and the weather played a role in how tough these turned out to be. In each SS, the driver had to concentrate for hours, guiding his car over the rough and tricky areas, with the co-driver navigating.

Japan had 13 cars in the race. One was driven by Ukyo Katayama, an ex F1 driver, who managed to finish 8th. There was just one ladies team, driven by Ray Itoh from Japan and a Taiwanese co-driver.

Representing Malaysia for the 5th year were the Ho brothers, with Francis as driver and Jacky as co-driver. This year they competed in a Land Rover Discovery and made sure and steady progress. Unfortunately they ended up wasting valuable time winching out other cars which got stuck in the mud.

The worst of the SS was when the cars had to negotiate a very slippery and hilly 90km. We waited for them to finish at a village, and it was a long wait. When we finally heard a rally car in the distance, we ran back to snap photos.



It was 35 minutes later before the next car arrived. An hour later, a third car approached, and then no more. The remaining cars had got stuck in mud at Km66. Once they were all extricated they turned back to the starting point, and the afternoon SS had to be postponed.

Another exciting SS involved a river crossing. The first few cars got through without any problems. However, they dug out the soft riverbed and made the water deeper for the next cars. Soon the first car got stuck and the co-driver had to climb out to look for a tree to attach the winch.

Alas, there were no trees, and they had to wait for someone who was willing to stop and help. Soon another car got stuck, then another. At one point there were three cars stuck at once. All had to be winched, with one getting a push from the locals.

Another SS was delayed when the cars encountered logging trucks on the track and there was no room to overtake. One SS required the drivers to negotiate padi fields, twisting and turning along the narrow raised tracks. We stood in tapioca fields, amongst pineapples and tall corn, watching. In many places, the friendly locals gave us corncobs to chew on whilst we waited.



Young spectators.

The rally ended in Pattaya. The overall winners were from Korea, who drove a Ssanyong Musso. Second and third placing went to Thai teams, who drove a Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max respectively. The winning team received 120,000 Baht (RM12,000) in prize money. Only 32 out of the initial 44 cars finished the rally. The two cars from Taiwan had their service crew run out on them on Day 3.

All in all, though, things ran smoothly, and there were no major accidents or injuries. W

Maxxis drive Bangkok to Tibet BT 2008

Extremes meet in long drive from Bangkok to Tibet

Liz Price
The Brunei Times
Sunday, January 13, 2008


IT WAS the longest drive of my life. Almost 6000km in 10 days, through three countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34 C to -6 C. I was on a 4WD adventure expedition, from Bangkok, through Myanmar and into China's Yunnan province and up to Shangri La, close to the Tibet border. Many of my friends thought I was mad to go on such a trip. But I loved every minute. Time flew, even though we were on the road for more than 12 hours most days. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of every changing scenery, different style architecture, varying costumes and faces of the local people.

Having lived in the Tropics for so long, I don't have any winter clothing. It was only a few days before departure that I realised that the temperatures would be around freezing up in the Himalayas, which came as rather a shock. Luckily I managed to borrow some warm clothes from a friend. It felt strange going to KL airport laden with jumpers and jackets, sun screen and scarf. The only items I lacked were gloves and a hat.

Bangkok was the starting point. The group assembled with people arriving various days before the official start. On Day One my wake up call was at 4.50am. This came as quite a shock as I hadn't been expecting such an early awakening. But it was to be the norm for the next 10 days, wake up calls always before 5am with the exception of one day when we had a lie in until 6am. We all assembled outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok for the official start. There were 15 4WD vehicles, all from Thailand except for two from Malaysia, one from Singapore and one from Taiwan.

After a photo session we began the drive to Chiang Rai in northern Thailand. We mostly drove as a convoy, and apart from a lunch break we had occasional toilet and petrol stops. It took 10 hours to reach Chiang Rai, where we checked in to our hotel.

Next morning we left at 7am and there was thick fog all the way to the border town of Mae Sai. One car had already dropped out due to mechanical problems. We cleared Thai immigration then crossed to no man's land and waited on the bridge over the Sai River which separates Thailand from Myanmar. Our cameras were clicking the whole time as we snapped the locals walking across the borders. Once we had clearance, we set off through the town of Tachilek. We drove as a convoy the whole way, which made it easier for the SE Asian drivers to remember to now drive on the right side of the road.

There is now a new sealed highway all the way to the Chinese border, built by a Chinese company. We had an official escort, and fortunately our group was exempt from paying the tolls. It was a very scenic road, initially following a river, then going up and over some small mountains.

We stopped for lunch at Kengtung, which is the sleepy but historical capital of the Shan State's Khun culture. The town is built around a small lake and has crumbling British colonial architecture and aging Buddhist temples. It is probably the most interesting town in Myanmar's entire Shan State, and in fact was the only town we went through. Later that afternoon we reached the border town of Mongla and soon crossed through into China. Phew! Three countries in one day.

Normally right hand drive vehicles are not allowed in China but we had special permission. We had to have our vehicles inspected and have temporary Chinese number plates affixed. Throughout our entire trip in China we had a police escort leading the way. This was actually a great help as we were able to cross red lights in the towns, and on the narrow mountain roads the police would stop oncoming vehicles, thereby enabling our convoy to keep together.

The other big advantage of having a police escort is we were able to beat the queues for fuel. Diesel is scarce in Yunnan province, and is only sold from 9am to 5pm. Consequently trucks would start queuing in the evening, resulting in huge lines. The truck drivers were probably not happy when our police escort would allow us to jump the queues. Fuel is expensive, a litre of petrol being more than RM2 ($0.90).

At the Chinese border, 10 expedition cars forming the team from China met us. Leaving Jinghong behind, we drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which is tropical rainforest, and then went past the famous tea plantations of Pu'er. A new highway is being built and it was amazing to see the construction of the new road through valleys and along the mountainsides, over huge bridges and through numerous tunnels. We stopped for a late lunch in Simao, then went on to Kunming. This stretch of highway was already completed and was a superb road with great views. Again we were exempt from paying tolls. We had a photo stop at the highest bridge in the world, 169m; a few months later a bridge in France took over this record.

We reached Kunming at night and it was a major to shock to feel the seven degrees Celsius temperature. At lunchtime it had been 27 C. We got to the hotel at midnight, and our wake up call was 4.15am. I wondered if instead of a holiday I had come on some form of endurance test! It was time to get out the cold weather clothes. Many of the Thai drivers had never used their car heaters before and later that day we stopped to put antifreeze in the radiators. We stopped at Dali for lunch, and that night stayed at Lijiang. I enjoyed warming my hands by the coal fire. Already, I was noticing the effects of the higher altitude.

From Lijiang it was a beautiful drive and we saw our first snow-capped mountains of the trip. We climbed up into the mountains, and followed the mighty Yangxi River for a while. Throughout the entire 10 days we had less than half a dozen stops for photos, but this was one of them, a stunning scene of mountains and river, snow and blue sky. This is the place where you can enter the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. The highest mountain here is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, an impressive 5500m.

The road went up and up onto the plateau of Shangri La. We stopped at a pagoda and had a welcoming ceremony by singers and dancers in Tibetan dress. We had made it to Shangri La.

The town is actually named Zhongdian. It is the last major stop in Yunnan before Tibet. It lies at an altitude of 3500m, which was a problem for many of us, as we suffered from altitude sickness. As we drove through the streets there was fresh snow on the pavements. The temperate was -6 C when we got up the next morning, so I don't know what it went down to during the night. Quite a contrast to the tropical climes of KL and Bangkok!

Despite the temperatures and altitude, we were elated to reach our destination of Shangri La, high in the Himalayas. We had got there in four days, a distance of some 2560 km. We wondered if this was a world record. As far as we know this is the first "Asia international touring event" to cover such a route. All that remained was the long drive back to Chiang Rai.

The Brunei Times

Maxxis, Shangri La & back - Star 2005

THE STAR
Saturday January 29, 2005

To Shangri-La and back
Story & pictures by Liz Price

It was the longest drive of my life. Almost 6,000km in 10 days, through three countries, from sea level to 3.500m, and from 34°C to –6°C. Many of my friends thought I was mad to go on such a trip. But I loved every minute of it.

Time flew, even though we were on the road for more than 12 hours most days. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of ever-changing scenery, different styles of architecture, varying costumes and faces.

It was November, and I was on a 4WD adventure expedition from Bangkok through Myanmar, into China’s Yunnan province and up to Shangri-La, close to the Tibetan border.


Women in tribal costumes sharing a giggle.

Having lived in the tropics for so long, I didn’t have any winter clothing. It was only a few days before departure that I realised the temperatures would be around freezing up in the Himalayas. Luckily, I managed to borrow some warm clothes from a friend (thanks, John).

Bangkok was the starting point. I had the option of joining a car from Johor, and driving up to Bangkok, but I elected to fly this section. The group assembled in Bangkok with people arriving various days before the official start.

On Day One, my wake-up call was at 4.50am. This came as quite a shock to the system as I hadn’t been expecting such an early, rude awakening. But it was to be the norm for the next 10 days. We all assembled outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok for the official start. There were 15 4WD vehicles, all from Thailand except for two from Malaysia, one from Singapore and one from Taiwan.

The Singaporeans, Ang Choon Kiat, 61 and his wife Sum Yoke Jeng had had the longest drive, in their new Landrover Defender. This turned out to be one of the most admired vehicles in the group. Other makes included Ford, Isuzu Rodeo, Mazda Ninja Fighter, Mitsubishi Strada and Pajero, Nissan Frontier, and a Toyota Landcruiser.
We mostly drove as a convoy, and it took 10 hours to reach Chiang Rai, where we checked into the Rimkok Resort Hotel.

Next morning, we left at 7am, and there was thick fog all the way to the border town of Mae Sai. One car had already dropped out, the sole Taiwanese entrant, due to mechanical problems. We cleared Thai immigration, then crossed to no-man’s land and waited on the bridge over the Sai River which separates Thailand from Myanmar. Our cameras were clicking the whole time as we snapped the locals walking across the borders. Once we had clearance, we set off through the town of Tachilek.

My car companion Jessie told me she did this route four years ago when it was just a dirt road and they got stuck in axle-deep mud several times. Now there is a new sealed highway all the way to the Chinese border. It was a very scenic road, initially following a river, then going up and over some small mountains.

We stopped for lunch at Kengtung, which is the sleepy, historical capital of the Shan state’s Khun culture. The town is built around a small lake and has crumbling British colonial architecture and ageing Buddhist temples. Later that afternoon we reached the border town of Mongla and crossed into China. Phew, three countries in one day.

Normally right-hand drive vehicles are not allowed in China but we had special permission. We had to have our vehicles inspected and had temporary Chinese number plates affixed. We even had a police escort leading the way throughout. This enabled us to cross red lights in the towns,. On the narrow mountain roads the police would stop oncoming vehicles so our convoy could keep together. We were also able to beat the queues for fuel. I can’t imagine the truck drivers were very happy when our police escort allowed us to jump the queues.

At the Chinese border, 10 expedition cars from China met us. This called for more photos. Leaving Jinghong we drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which is a tropical rainforest, and then went past the famous tea plantations of Pu’er.

A new highway was being built and it was amazing to see the construction of the new road through valleys and along the mountainsides, over huge bridges and through numerous tunnels. We stopped for a late lunch in Simao, then went on to Kunming.


Colourful shawls on display in Shangri-La.

It was night when we reached Kunming, and it was a major shock to feel the 7°C temperature. It was time to put away the shorts and get out the warm clothes.
Next day, we stopped at Dali for lunch, and that night stayed at Lijiang. I enjoyed warming my hands by the coal fire, and already I was noticing the effects of the higher altitude.

From Lijiang it was a beautiful drive and we saw our first snow-capped mountains of the trip. We climbed up into the mountains, and followed the mighty Yangxi River for a while. Throughout the entire 10 days, we had less than half a dozen stops for photos, but this was one of them, a stunning scene of mountains and river, snow and blue sky. This is the place where you can enter the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. The highest mountain here is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, an impressive 5,500m.

The road went up and up onto the plateau of Shangri-La. We stopped at a pagoda and had a welcoming ceremony by singers and dancers in Tibetan dress. There were group photos of the entire convoy. We had made it to Shangri-La.

The town is actually named Zhongdian, but is now commonly known as Shangri-La. It is the last major stop in Yunnan before Tibet. At an altitude of 3,500m, the town was a problem for many of us, as we suffered from altitude sickness. As we drove through the streets, there was fresh snow on the pavements. The temperature was -6°C when we got up the next morning – quite a contrast to the tropical climes of Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

Despite the temperatures and altitude, we were elated to reach Shangri-La, high in the Himalayas. We had got there in 4½ days, a distance of some 2,560 km. We wondered if this was a world record. All that remained was the long drive back to Chiang Rai. On the way back, we stopped at the newly opened Maxis shop in Kunming.

It had been a wonderful tour, with excellent organisation and planning. It is quite a feat to arrange for 25 vehicles to cover such distances, especially across three international borders and back. W

Related Story:
Getting a feel of Tibetan life at Shangri-La

Maxxis rally Bangkok to Shangri La 2004

MAXXIS Adventure Xpedition 2004 Report



[From : ORTEV THAILAND]


The expedition - 25 cars covering almost 6000 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.



This 4WD adventure expedition was from Bangkok, through Myanmar and into China’s Yunnan province and up to Shangri La, close to the Tibet border in the Himalayas. It was organized by Ortev in Japan and sponsored by Maxxis International. It was the first ever Asian event of its kind, and took place from 13 – 22 November 2004.

A very successful expedition. It was well planned and well organized and everything went smoothly. 15 cars from 4 countries left Bangkok. There were cars from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Unfortunately the Taiwan car developed mechanical problems on the first day so did not continue. In China 10 cars joined the expedition, making a total of 24.

Day 1, the convoy drove from Bangkok’s Grand Palace to Chiang Rai. On day 2 they crossed into Myanmar at the Mae Sai – Tachilek border. A new road through Myanmar meant fast progress. Lunch at Kengtung, the capital of the Shan State. The Chinese border at Mongla was reached late afternoon. Again border formalities went very smoothly and the convoy entered its third country in one day. This is quite a feat, to get 14 cars across 3 international borders in one day.

10 cars from the China team joined the expedition at the border, and after a photo shoot, the convoy set off for Jinghong. Throughout the stay in China a police escort led the way. Day 3 in Jingong the cars had to go for a vehicle inspection and attach temporary Chinese registration plates. Then the expedition drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, past the Pu‘er tea plantations, and had a late lunch in Simao. A new highway to Kunming meant faster progress, it is a spectacular highway with many long and high bridges (including the highest bridge in the world) and dozens of tunnels.

The team reached the hotel in Kunming at midnight and had a wake up call at 4.15 am. Some people were getting tired from the constant travelling, and one car (Malaysian) decided not to continue with the expedition, electing to wait for the group to return to Kunming in a few days.

Day 4 dawned and it was 6°C. The SE Asian drivers had to learn how to use their car heaters! The highway from Kunming to Chuxiong is still being constructed and due to the rain this meant a very muddy journey. From Chuxiong to Dali the highway is completed. In Dali the cars all went for a well deserved wash, and most of the drivers put antifreeze in the radiators in preparation for the subzero temperatures of Shangri La.

After lunch there was a delay as the Malaysian service car had problems. As a result the itinerary was changed, and it was decided only to go as far as Lijiang that night, rather than all the way to Shangri La. This was actually a good decision, as it could be potentially dangerous to negotiate the narrow mountainous road from Lijiang at night, due to other vehicles on the road, and also the threat of ice. It was also a blessing for the photographers and passengers as they were able to see the stunning scenery in daylight.

This section of road was one of the most stunning of the trip. In Lijiang the team had their first view of snow capped mountains, and as they drove up the mountainous road, the impressive 5500m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was visible for much of the way. There were few official photo stops throughout the expedition, but today there were several. The first was at some stalls selling Tibetan items, with a view overlooking the Yangxi River. The cars then descended and followed the river for a few kilometres, again stopping for photos of the river with the backdrop of snowcapped mountains and entrance to the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The road then ascended through a smaller gorge and climbed up on to the plateau of Shangri La. There was an official welcome by singers and dancers in Tibetan costume at a large stupa. The team was elated to have arrived and unfurled the Maxxis banners for a photo shoot.

As they entered the town of Zhongdian there was fresh snow lying on the pavements. Zhongdian has been christened as Shangri La, taken from James Hilton’s 1933 classic “Lost Horizon”. After lunch, the expedition set off for an afternoon of sightseeing. First destination was the Napa Lake, which is actually a seasonal lake or wetlands. It is part of a nature reserve and is surrounded by a large grass meadow, important for bird watching. Several people went for a pony ride across the plateau, whilst others tried their hand at archery.

Then on to the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a 300-year-old Tibetan monastery with around 600 monks. It is the most important monastery in southwest China. That evening a lot of people began to feel the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), also known as altitude sickness. Shangri La lies at an altitude of 3500m and as the ascent from sea level had been made in just a few days, there was no time to acclimatize. AMS affects different people at different altitudes, generally starting at 2500m. That evening there was a cultural show, but several people didn’t go, due to AMS.

As the expedition was running a day behind schedule, visits to the other sites around Shangri La had to be abandoned. Consequently only one night was spent at Shangri La, but this was actually good for those suffering from AMS as they needed to return to lower altitudes. Day 6 it was -6°C at 9am and the cars were covered in ice. Departure was delayed due to problems with one car, also the fact that the mountain road was still covered with ice. The terrain was covered with frost as the cars drove across the plateau and back down to Lijian. After lunch there was another delay before setting off for Dali. Here members were able to visit the famous Three Pagodas, San Ta Si. The tallest pagoda is 70m and was originally erected in the 9th century. It is flanked by 2 pagodas 42m high.

Day 7 was a drive from Dali to Kunming, stopping for lunch in Chuxiong. The convoy reached Kunming in the Friday evening rush hour and had slow progress getting to the new Maxxis showrooms, then on a search for fuel. That evening a few participants enjoyed a free massage after dinner whilst watching a cultural show.

Next morning the participants paid a rushed visit to the world famous Stone Forest at Shilin. After lunch with a chance for shopping, the expedition headed back to Simao, stopping for photos at the world’s highest bridge. Day 9 saw the return to Jinghong for lunch, then onto the border at Mongla. Immigration and customs were cleared quite easily and the night was spent in the casino town of Mongla.

Day 10 and the final day, the cars returned through Myanmar to Tachilek. The expedition officially ended in Mae Sai and the cars went their separate ways.

- - - -

It was a very successful expedition, well organized and with very few problems.
The convoy had covered a distance of some 2560 km from Bangkok to Shangri La in 4 ½ days, which is possibly a world record. Total distance covered was about 5500 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.

The expedition was on the road for an average of 12 hours a day, but time flew. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of every changing scenery, different style architecture, varying costumes and faces of the local people. All in all a great success.


- Liz Price (29th Nov. 2004)

Autobacs 4WD rally 2005 Thailand

THE STAR
Lifeliving
Saturday October 1, 2005


Stirring up some excitement

Story & Pictures by Liz Price

There is something thrilling about waiting for a rally car to pass. Your ears strain to catch the distinctive throaty roar. Sometimes you make a mistake and are disappointed when a motorbike swings into view. Other times you see the rally car coming before you hear it – or rather you see an approaching swirl of dust, inside of which is a car.

This year’s Autobacs Asia Cross Country Rally, the 10th of the Asia XC series, took place in Thailand Aug 6-12.


Sanctioned by the FIA (Federation Internationale de Automobile) for the first time, the seven-day event, organised by Ortev of Japan, covered some 3,400km, 1,000km of which took place on 10 SS (selective section) where the cars were subjected to the rigours of the terrain.

A fleet of 44 cars representing Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Taiwan left the starting line in Bangkok. Including vehicles for the media, service crew, sweepers and officials, the entire contingent numbered more than 100 cars.

Each morning we got up at 5am, ate a large breakfast because we knew we wouldn’t have time for lunch, and hit the road an hour later. Our first destination was the historic city of Ayutthaya, then Mae Sot on the Myanmar border, climbing mountains and braving the rain. After Mae Sot, we drove past the largest refugee camp in Thailand.


The Malaysian and Korean teams.
At Mae Sariang, we took photos of a temple with Shan-styled chedis. The area here is populated by hill tribes, and we saw many of them in their bright clothes as we drove by at high speed. We were always in a hurry, trying to keep ahead of the rally cars.

Mae Hong Son is a touristy place with lots of farang (foreigners). Here everyone was allowed an hour’s worth of sightseeing; and we all went to see a “long-necked village” outside Mae Hon Song. The women were quite obliging and had their photos taken beside the colourful cars.

From Pai, we drove five hours to Chiang Rai. As usual, we only arrived at the hotel late in the evening. Our next stop was Sukhothai, another historic city, and again, I was only able to catch a glimpse of a couple of chedis as we drove out at six am the following morning.


Going for a ‘swim’.
We had left the mountains behind by now and were entering farmlands. We drove through large plantations, where tapioca and pineapples were grown, and saw large farms where cows were reared. The last day took us through Thailand’s oldest National Park, Khao Yai. The main road ran through the park, and all vehicles had to observe the speed limit. The rally ended in the coastal city of Pattaya.

The 10 selective sections covered different types of terrain, and the weather played a role in how tough these turned out to be. In each SS, the driver had to concentrate for hours, guiding his car over the rough and tricky areas, with the co-driver navigating.

Japan had 13 cars in the race. One was driven by Ukyo Katayama, an ex F1 driver, who managed to finish 8th. There was just one ladies team, driven by Ray Itoh from Japan and a Taiwanese co-driver.

Representing Malaysia for the 5th year were the Ho brothers, with Francis as driver and Jacky as co-driver. This year they competed in a Land Rover Discovery and made sure and steady progress. Unfortunately they ended up wasting valuable time winching out other cars which got stuck in the mud.

The worst of the SS was when the cars had to negotiate a very slippery and hilly 90km. We waited for them to finish at a village, and it was a long wait. When we finally heard a rally car in the distance, we ran back to snap photos.


It was 35 minutes later before the next car arrived. An hour later, a third car approached, and then no more. The remaining cars had got stuck in mud at Km66. Once they were all extricated they turned back to the starting point, and the afternoon SS had to be postponed.

Another exciting SS involved a river crossing. The first few cars got through without any problems. However, they dug out the soft riverbed and made the water deeper for the next cars. Soon the first car got stuck and the co-driver had to climb out to look for a tree to attach the winch.

Alas, there were no trees, and they had to wait for someone who was willing to stop and help. Soon another car got stuck, then another. At one point there were three cars stuck at once. All had to be winched, with one getting a push from the locals.

Another SS was delayed when the cars encountered logging trucks on the track and there was no room to overtake. One SS required the drivers to negotiate padi fields, twisting and turning along the narrow raised tracks. We stood in tapioca fields, amongst pineapples and tall corn, watching. In many places, the friendly locals gave us corncobs to chew on whilst we waited.


Young spectators.
The rally ended in Pattaya. The overall winners were from Korea, who drove a Ssanyong Musso. Second and third placing went to Thai teams, who drove a Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max respectively. The winning team received 120,000 Baht (RM12,000) in prize money. Only 32 out of the initial 44 cars finished the rally. The two cars from Taiwan had their service crew run out on them on Day 3.

All in all, though, things ran smoothly, and there were no major accidents or injuries. W



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