The Sand job 4×4. A name borrowed to make it sound like something similar you may have seen on tv. The one with 3 loons from England who go around with a big film crew making out they are unsupported. Well guess what, this one is and on a really low budget.
Leaving Saturday 25th January 2025 / Saturday 31st January 2026 The sand job is a tight 23 days from your front door to Nouakchott airport. Route is via the ever changingLandscape of France and Spain, through Morocco’s vibrant iconic cities into the urban outback of the Western Sahara and finally into Mauritania.Taking in nice smooth roads, broken roads, non existent roads, mountain passes, dust tracks, corrugated dust (you’ll know it once on it) then soft sand and finally sand dunes. All to be taken at a safe and sensible speed of course.
Once at the tricky Mauritanian border you will have assistance from Dahid the challenges trusted Desert guide. Challenge HQ and Dahid will have sent you paperwork in advance to help speed up this difficult crossing. Then it is into the desert for real. Dahid makes sure you won’t get lost but cannot guarantee you won’t get stuck. He also puts on an awesome BBQ too.
The sand job 4×4 challenge takes a much deeper route into the Mauritanian desert.To the eye of the Sahara. Driving up and over sand dunes and going through “that tunnel”. Visiting Terjit, the hot spring oasis, and Chinguetti Library is like being transported into another time. Also riding as a foot passenger on top of the Iron Ore train from Zouerat to Choum. (The huge train that delivered the cars). It’s dusty and pretty uncomfortable but definitely a bucket list tick. Bring snow Goggles and and a scarf. The whole Mauritanian experience is like being immersed into something you’re not going to find in any other place on the Planet. Watching the sunset and sunrise in the wilderness alongside or at times on top of a sand dune. Breathtaking and bonkers all rolled into one.
Due to the rough terrain this is a 4×4 event only. With finishing drop off points in Mauritania at Nouakchott Airport (And the Gambia) Entrants from all over the world are welcome. From the UK it is a distance of about 3500 miles so a rusty but fairly trusty 4×4 is required. Aircon is recommended as it will get very hot on a daily basis (as shown by Richard Hammond). Sand ladders are a must for where we are going there will be no roads.
With a bedouin charity lined up at the end for vehicle donation and indeed anything you leave in your vehicle. Exit formalities taken care of in advance. This is another have a lot of fun and make a bit of difference car challenge.
As always this is not a rally or a race. It is a bunch of like minded people all driving in the same direction, all looking out for each other making sure we all make it to the end.This is why it’s called a challenge! Minimum age 17. Open to all nationalities. Left hand drive cars helpful but not essential. Maximum 3 persons per car.Travel light. Leaving at least 1 spare seat for potential new passenger should another team have car issues. You will technically have no support or backup and mechanical knowledge is supplied via each other. However the advantage of going with a group is that help may be at hand if your car dies. The Roadbook will give you details of where to go and what visas and paperwork you will need. Some 4×4 mud / sand driving experience will aid you for this sandy adventure of a life time in your one step from the scrapyard 4×4.
If you have a bit more time and fancy a beach holiday at the end then push on down to The Gambia. via the Zebrabar in Senegal then onto Dakar like the loons did. Then a short hop over on the Barra ferry will deliver you the smiling Sunshine Coast of The Gambia. With end user charity and exit formalities taken care of too.
Limited to 15 Vehicles, see costs page for registration fees.
(Desert guide Dahid, Train and BBQ extra payable on arrival) Possible 3rd party car buying service available for those flying in (friend and ex participant of the challenges)
The original Banger Rally Challenge, that has spawned so many others. In December 2002, the first group of hopeful souls left the UK in a motley collection of vehicles, optimistically believing that Julian Nowill knew what he was doing, and had substance and experience behind his words. Despite later finding out to the contrary, this first event was a great success and most of the 42 Teams even made it to Banjul.
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