Challenge 1 - We Were Promised Quad Bikes

Today was the best day of the challenge by a long way. Admittedly the guys have been guilty of saying that nearly every day this week (and quite rightly so).

Today being the last full day of the first ever Lucozade Challenge though, the team here had something very special indeed lined up. In fact, there's so much to get through I doubt very much I'm going to fit it all into one update!

We'll begin at the beginning and, if you've been reading any of these udpates from the start then you'll know how this starts...

That's right!

*A 06:30 call from Eric! :D*

We're up, showered, fed and dressed by 07:15 and by 7:30 we're on our way to the next part of the Challenge.



That's right. Today, at long last, we get to go on the Quad-bikes that Eric & Raymond have been promising us all week! WOOOO!

The aforementioned duo pack up the 4x4 and drive on ahead scouting for new dunes for us to hit later.. that's right, they've got the sandboards (from Swakopmund - flown in with us) packed up onboard too.



Clement gives us a 30mins training course on the quads, sign language is learnt (which gear for which slopes, speed up, slow down etc) and the next thing we know --- we're off.



The awesome thing about racing out into the dunes (especially out here in the middle of nowhere) there are no roads. Like, none. The only tracks are the ones you make and well, you can pretty much go anywhere...

Racing through fields at 60kph, wiping dust and sand from your goggles, searching the red light of the quad in front.. hearts pounding, thumbs squeezing on that acceleration trigger just *that little bit tighter* - we go go go through the desert..



I guess it might be boring if the journey passed without event so when we turned a corner to find Manzoor trying to find new ways to park his quad, we all stopped to laugh (and take many, many photos).



Finally we find the 4x4 and once again, we're hittin' the dunes, sandboard style...







We board for what seems like hours when Eric stops us and yells, "Time to head back, it's nearly lunchtime..."

"WHAT?"

"It's 12:30, the Sun's getting too high. We should head back soon. It's ok, we'll come out later. Lunch first, rest. Then back again later. Ok?"

It dawns on the group that getting up so early has its advantages after all.