Fourteen two-man teams from around the globe accepted the challenge of the tenth and toughest Camel Trophy yet. As if 1,000 miles of Amazon rain forest tracks wasn’t enough, the organisers chose to take on the mighty Amazon during the rainy season, thus guaranteeing copious quantities of the most glutinous mud known to man.
The route from Alta Florestato Manaus on the River Negros proved to be positively demonic, and Brazilian chiefs even told manager Iain Chapman that there was no way that the twenty-six vehicle convoy of Land Rovers could complete the route in the planned two weeks. ‘More like two months’ they prophesised ominously. Chapman with modest understatement said ‘we enjoy a challenge - and what’s more we’ll make it!’
The adventure took the crews from the heart of the Amazon across the Cachimbo Hills and along a gold prospectors trail where isolated, in policed feudal townships are ruled by the gun and survival often depends on the mood of the inhabitants.
The Amazon is not known as the Green Hell for nothing and by the time exhausted teams had survived the indescribable trek they had to muster reserves of mental and physical stamina from near overdrawn resources to enable them to tackle the final tasks - with five countries that could win, it was that close. As the final camp was struck this was whittled down to three teams that could win - the UK, Turkey and host country Brazil.
Deltafilm camera crews suffered all the hardships the competitors went through to enable you to compete in this staggering endurance test from the comfort and security of your fireside armchair.
Superb in-car camera and breath taking scenery shots will enable you to experience the agony and the sheer excitement the competitors felt from start to finish.