Video - https://youtu.be/XJunqXruXig
The sun is setting and the throng of people crossing the San Luis Arizona border post has thinned out for the day. I join the few pedestrians on the walkway in the orange hew of dusk, the click clack of my gear bag on the concrete setting a strange rhythm. 3 flights and one taxi ride later I was about to cross into Mexico on foot. On the other side there is a white pickup truck waiting for me in a side alley……..
In Feb of 2022, I had the privilege to be part of the Sonora Rally School organization, and this is the story of how it went down.
When you cross into Mexico, you technically need a “visitor card”. For up to 180 days there is a fee, but the 7 day visitor card is free. After a lengthy chat with the immigration official, mainly explaining what rally is, and what I was doing in Mexico, I emerged on the other side of the border, the white pickup in the side alley flashing its headlights, and a smiling Darren Skilton (Sonora Rally Director/Organizer) awaiting me.
The 2022 Sonora Rally School was held in San Luis Río Colorado and based out of the Araiza Hotel, making access to vast dunes of the Desierto de Altar fairly easy.
While the Araiza was the base of operations, there is no doubt that La Faisana was the base for all things culinary, something that certainly gives the Sonora Rally School an edge. The proprietor, Paco Durazo, is not only passionate about food and beer, he is genuinely passionate about welcoming guests into his establishment and sharing a culinary experience with them.
Our first “planning” meeting happened to also be an impromptu beer tasting with Paco, sampling some of the finest beers he had brewing. After making a plan of action for the days ahead at our first “planning meeting” we retired to bed, for the next day the roadbook checking started.
On Thursday morning, Rodo (Rodolfo Fernandez , Sonora Rally ops director) and myself left early in the morning via UTV to check the first stage for the school. Rodo driving and me navigating. The day started out fast and smooth, the dunes became gradually bigger and bigger as we headed deeper into the dune field. Eventually we burned a belt, something apparently common in UTV’s but a first for me.
On Friday morning, Rodo was busy making changes so Darren piloted and I navigated. Darren is an exceptional driver. The dunes were even bigger than the day before and we had an absolute blast as we tore through the stage.
After 2 days in the dunes, it was evident that the route was going to be very tough. What made the route so unique was the sheer size of the dunes, mixed with many, and very long off piste sections on cap headings, with several notes/tulips in between masked waypoints, making it an intense navigational challenge, enough to get any navigator excited.
Saturday morning was the official start of the school, and was kicked off with registration, Rally Comp set up, and a morning classroom session before everybody hit the dunes. The terrain in this area is just spectacular, and you will have to go a long way to train on dunes like that.
There was a great group of entrants, from all over the US and Canada. From pros and Dakar finishers, like Mason Klein to beginners that have never ridden a roadbook. It was refreshing to have 2 female teams at the school this year, both running the routes in their trucks.
With events like these, it is often the people that make the event worth it. In this case, it certainly was the case. The feeling of camaraderie and adventure that existed in the group was electric, and everybody had a great first day. Stage 1 was fairly uneventful, with no rescues needed. The only casualty of day 1 was David Pearson from American Rally Originals (who are aiming to be the first Americans to finish the Dakar malle moto in 2023), who ran into engine trouble about 30km into the first stage.
Saturday night saw the entire group back at the now familiar haunt, La Faisana, where everybody enjoyed an amazing meal. The food disappeared as soon as it was placed on the table. Pizza, steaks, salads, , tacos, fries……. just kept on coming. When we could eat no more, the shuttle service did several runs to get everybody back to the hotel, and for most it was an early night, so that they were fresh for stage 2.
On Sunday morning classroom time was dedicated to discussing the previous day and we did a deep dive into CAP headings. Everybody was chomping at the bit to get out into the dunes, with some more confident riders changing their class from beginner to pro. Day 2 however, would be much more eventful, and had a scheduled bail point for those who did not make it to a certain point at a specific time.
Just as the last truck pulled away from the start, Clint Riviere pulled back into the parking lot with a collapsed mousse. This did not deter the determined Canadian, who popped in a tube with the help of Diespro Racing Logistics team member Johan Murillo, and then hit the road again. However, this would not be the last of Clint’s misfortunes.
The dunes on the Sunday were big, and very much sustained, and it showed on the tracking as big gaps opened up between the competitors. As they pulled into the finish after a long hot day in the sun, the stories of the day started trickling in. Sunday is traditionally a day where the locals of the area enjoy the dunes, and there was a healthy contingent of locals along the route, some spectating and cheering on the non suspecting rally riders, while enjoying some beers or a roadside barbeque.
The later it became, the more tired the riders were, and although their bodies and minds were weary, the smiles on their dust covered faces said it all. They had successfully completed the Sonora Rally School.
And this is no ordinary rally school, this is a school where you get thrown into the deep end. Over 2 days you have to assimilate not just the classroom knowledge, but you have to learn how to navigate in pretty difficult terrain over some massive sand dunes. Afterwards, several entrants admitted that they were woefully unprepared for the intensity of the event, they thought it was just going to be a relaxing ride in the dunes.
Every entrant had the choice between beginner and pro, the pro being world class difficulty. Upon asking Mason Klein how the dunes at the Sonora Rally School compared to Dakar this year, his answer was “ There was nothing as big or sustained in Dakar as we have had at the school this year”. That gives you an idea.
It also highlights and justifies the immense sense of achievement that first timers felt on finishing the event. The roadbooks were tough and technical, and the terrain, while spectacular, unrelenting. They were the creations of Scott Whitney, roadbook maker extraordinaire and one of the founding fathers of the Sonora Rally along with Darren.
As the shadows grew longer, some dots on the tracking stopped moving. One of these was Clint. The tube he had put in that morning in the parking lot had failed him, and to make matters worse, he was stopped at literally the furthest point he could be away from any help, the utmost outer edge of the course, deep in the dunes, making any rescue effort difficult and complicated. Realizing his predicament, he decided to light a signal fire to guide the local San Luis 4x4 club to his position where they eventually recovered him and brought him back to the bivouac.
Several other riders ran out of gas, the thick sand and big dunes sucking more juice than anticipated.
While most of them managed to beg, borrow and steal enough gas to make it back some had more involved journeys. One was Scott Thornton, who after being stationary on the tracking confirmed he was out of gas. Darren being out on the course was closest to him, and came to his rescue with gas, however, losing daylight fast, Darren re-routed Scott to take the most direct way to get back to the dune highway. This resulted in a mad off-piste dash through some fairly uncharted terrain. Scott met up with some locals out there, who were just partying and touring around. With light fading fast, a bad headlight and tinted goggles, Scott decided to follow the locals into the bivouac. We all waited with baited breath and some hot food. However, on the tracking, he kept on stopping and starting again, we became convinced that something must be wrong, probably mechanical issues with his bike. Eventually he pulled into the bivouac with a huge grin on his face. Ends up, the locals stopped every few miles to continue their party and to have a few drinks……
Another rider, who unknowingly and accidentally kicked up a rock passing one of the locals on the track, cracking his windshield, ran out of gas, and, well, lets just say, there was an intense few minutes of interaction between the rider and the vehicle owner, which resulted in rider staying in his gear, with his helmet on, ready to take one a group of burly, slightly inebriated men.
That's the thing about rally, each rider has his own story, his own adventure, and in the end it all comes together to make for a great memory. The Sonora Rally School was an absolute blast, it was also intense. The mix of great organization, spectacular world class routes, massive sand dunes, delectable authentic Mexican cuisine and a shared passion for rally and learning new things, makes this event an absolute “must do”. No matter if you are an old hand at rally or if you are just getting into the sport, it is definitely the premier training event for up and coming rally racers in North America.
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