Outdoors Magazine
Put Foot Rally Promises African Road Trip Adventure
Posted on the 28 March 2011 by Kungfujedi @KungfujediAre you still searching for a great adventure for 2011? Then perhaps the Put Foot Rally is just what you're looking for. The Put Foot is a road rally that will get underway in June and send teams off on a 17-day, 7000km (4350 mile) journey through seven different countries in Africa, promising plenty of excitement along the way.
The rally begins in South Africa, in either Cape Town or Johannesburg, on June 21st with "Registration Day," which is when all of the crews check-in and make their last minute preparations. There is also a pre-race party to get everyone in the mood. The next day, the rally truly gets underway with all of the teams hitting the road for the first checkpoint (and second party!), which is located in Etosha Park, Namibia. The rally will continue over the next week and a half, with checkpoints in Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, with the finish line located in Swaziland.
There are a couple of other factors that make the rally a unique event to say the least. For instance, you can drive the route in any vehicle you choose, from a 4x4 Land Cruiser to a tiny Fiat. What ever gets you and your crew from one checkpoint to the next is acceptable. There is also no set routes either, which means you'll be navigating your own course. That leads to all kinds of interesting possibilities, including taking wrong turns that will send you off into the African wilds or leave you stranded on a lonely back road with nothing but lions and elephants to keep you company. This is a true road trip adventure, where the rules are simply that you have to pass through all the checkpoints along the way.
The rally has designated the Bobs For Good Foundation as its official charity and the Put Foot organizers are working closely with that organization to help raise funds. Bobs For Good is a group that works tirelessly to provide shoes for underprivileged children in Africa who might not ever own a pair otherwise.
If the Put Foot Rally sounds like the kind of adventure you'd like to go on, you can register by clicking here. Only 50 teams will be accepted, with several already signed up. Be warned though, this is going to be quite a challenge, and travel through Africa is not easy. There are some real dangers there and this won't be for the faint of heart or the unprepared.
All that said, I would absolutely love to go on this rally. Anyone want to put together an Adventure Blog team with me and hit in the road in June? This looks like it is going to be great fun and I can't wait to hear more about it.