And Karl Trunk and Bob Ives were in India to help Top Gear along with the three British cars for 2011′s Christmas special. As well as driving the tracking cars, the two were responsible for vehicle maintenance and sorting the ‘off-raod’ modifications. Most of it went to plan!

This two day press event highlighted the early Land Rover vehicles to have had their initial testing done on them at the estate, right up to the current line up of vehicles.

Most of the Camel Trophy International Selections were carried out at Eastnor in the depths of winter with competitors being pushed to their limits and also receiving some amazing training in the Defenders and Discoverys using parts of the estate normally reserved for logging tractors!

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As Bob and Joe Ives also won the Segrave Trophy for their achievements on the Camel Trophy, it is quite fitting that the Land Rover is there with two of Sir Henry Segrave’s cars in the main hall, the 1000hp Sunbeam (1st car to pass 200mph) and The Golden Arrow (231mph).

After the Camel was restored by members of the Camel Club last year as part of the 20th Anniversary celebrations, it was good to have some of them there to help create the ’broken log bridge’ display for Beaulieu.

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/beaulieu/planyourvisit

After being flown into Erbil in Northern Iraq the crew drove around trying tgo keep up with the three sports cars as they looked for a way out. Eventually crossing into Turkey, then south again into Syria, where the main period of work was helping to convert the cars for desert travel! Having travelled in front of, behind and along side the cars filming them from the comfort of a V8 Landcruiser it was genuinely amazing where the presenters took the cars and managed to keep them going.

It was just a shame to whole show was just over an hour long as there were so many incredible sights . . . and sites that we travelled through and so many more breakdowns that had to be fixed than were seen during the episode.

From Syria we then drove via Jordan into Israel and around the Sea of Galilee through more amazing countryside with so little time to take it all in, especially at the end going through the huge concrete walls into Bethlehem.

All in all an incredible experience and quite moving at times.

The 4 cars (including the Astra back up car) are all now at Beaulieu as part of the Top Gear exhibition.

Its been a mixed bag of work this year and the usual feast or famine scenario which I am sure is common experience for all and the bane of the self employed. However in saying that what work there has been has been varied starting off with setting up a 4×4 self driving experience for a client in Oman.

Oman

This was old stomping grounds for the BATT team having set up driving events here before but unfortunately many of the old wadi routes that we had used in the past some which were rarely driven had been destroyed completely by the cyclone of 2007. In fact some areas were unrecognisable such was the damage done including one wadi which according to the GPS was about 5 metres higher than it was when we drove it before!!! This called for a complete re think of the routes to be used and finally after five days we hand built and cleared a route into an lunch area we had used before which was beside a cliff covered in ancient rock art. 80 clients in 25 vehicles enjoyed a days trip in the wilds of Oman driving a route never seen by tourists.

Dubai

From Oman it was off to Dubai for the Middle East press launch of the new Mercedes E Class. Duncan was on board as a technical consultant to look after the vehicle logistics and to recce and establish the on road ride and drive route for the launch. In Dubai this is no easy task being that most of the roads are straight lines with right angle corners and not the easiest of places to find a challenging tarmac test route.

Based from the Bab Al Shams Hotel south of Dubai itself a 300km route was established that went into Oman for a short period and provided the press with a dynamic driving route that went through a variety of terrains and offered some challenging driving. Also a challenge was the temperature which at one point during the filming of the vehicles was over 40C with a 25 mile an hour wind which was like standing in front of a fan assisted oven!!! It certainly tested the air conditioning systems of the Mercedes E Class

Wales

In contrast deepest Wales which was the location for the next job was a lot cooler and for once not wet!! This was a top secret one with confidentiality documents having to be signed as it was filming of a prototype Bentley prior to production and release in 2010.

Most of the tracking was taking place on small country roads which in in some locations in Wales are so rough they may as well be off road hence why BATT was called in. Utilising the  BATT Mk 1 off road tracking vehicle and RAM hydraulic crane system and in conjunction with a Libra3 Stabilised camera head a variety of locations were filmed at all over Northern Wales finishing up at The Great Orme Road at Llandudno. As you can imagine not easy keeping a large shiny new Bentley under wraps, mid summer during good weather and in peak tourist season in Wales!! The Bentley security boys had there hands full trying to keep the car out of sight of prying eyes and camera phones!!

Scotland

Scotland next for the UK Press launch of the new Skoda Yeti. A very capable ’soft roader’ with very good off road capabilities called for a unique location to let the UK journalists experience it prowess both on and off road. After a week of Duncan showing the client round various locations in Scotland the magnificent Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness near Inverness was selected. Here the beautiful views down the Great Glen coupled with the challenging terrain that the Aldourie estate offered was the venue for the launch.

All the vehicles used for the off road element of the launch were shod on road tyres and the very wet hilly terrain of Aldourie was no match for the Skoda Yeti surprising many of the journalist as to what they could achieve in this vehicle including a couple of major dips in the Loch to see if the Yeti could entice Nessie to the surface.

Four hard days in the Scottish wet weather and a very challenging and technical course was created which the journalist then experienced behind the wheel accompanied by Duncan, Karl and Gordon. Under their expert guidance the journalists got the full Yeti experience and drove the Yet in and around Loch Ness. Some journalists joined the Skoda Yeti programme straight off the Land Rover Discovery launch in the borders of Scotland and commented on the fact that the Yeti launch was more impressive than the Discovery one bearing in mind the difference in capability between the two vehicles and what they had just driven the Yeti through. A great complement to Duncan and his team as well as to Skoda.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/motoring/reviews/4642482.Skoda_Yeti_4x4/

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/SKODA/OTHER

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/stillatthewheel/archive/2009/09/10/yeti-v-nessie.aspx/skoda_yeti_car_review.html

China

Next stop was China for where Duncan was working as a consultant to Mercedes Benz China on their first ever SUV launch to the Chinese press. Using all four SUVs in their line up Duncan was responsible for designing 3 off road courses to put the vehicles and the press through their paces.

The region chosen for the event was in the Guilin prefecture of China famous for its limestone Karsts and the Comorants that the locals used to fish with. We were based at the HOMA Hotel which is a unique location that is a homage to Modern Art and very unusual one within China. However the area for the off road routes was to provide a huge challange being that it was either too flat being farmland, or too rocky and hilly but this is what had been chosen by the client and was what Duncan had to work with.

Working with local labour and machines the three routes were created. Two of these were for the GLK, GL and ML classes of vehicle and were to be driven by the local press whilst the third was for the awesome G55 Wagon which was a extreme demonstration route that the journalist were driven over. This route was the most challenging to build being that there was the small issue of a 10 metre cliff in the way, an old water buffalo cart track which was not wide enough for the G Wagon in places and a very rough and rocky trail over a pass to overcome. Ten days of working with a local team helped by the ritual sacrifice of a chicken and few hundred fire crackers let off obviously helped and just before the event started the trails were completed.

South America

So from China to South America supporting a Top Gear shoot from an expedition and off road perspective. The program due to air later in the year was supported by Barbour All Terrain Tracking Ltd who supplied an expedition consultancy service with regard to the off road element of the show that Top Gear wanted to shoot. Bob Ives from BATT Ltd accompanied Top Gear production on their location recce and advised them as to what was and wasn’t possible with the vehicles to be used by the presenters. The vehicles to be used due to their age required a lot of mechanical work  and parts to bring them  up to a safe standard before the presenters could use them which was done locally in a workshop prior to the shoot. The team of local mechanics who did this was led by Karl Trunk of BATT Ltd who was brought on board as expedition mechanic and to support Bob on the 4×4 front as well. Bob and Karl who have had many years of Off Road experience all around the globe including a host of Camel Trophy expeditions had their work cut out keeping the hero and support vehicles on the road in a variety of locations from jungle to altiplano to desert.

Working closely with Top Gear production and their suppliers Duncan and Bob assisted them on all the vehicle requirements for the shoot including routes, route timings, equipment, safety and off road driving techniques and ideas for some of the content based on their previous of road experiences. Look out for the show on the 27^th December BBC 2 at 1945 hrs.

Or for YouTube link:- Click Here

With considerable experience of more rugged of-road machinery, the task was to put together a route that fulfilled the Dubai-based Mercedes-Benz operations requirements and brief to tick a number of boxes so that regional journalists understood that although the new Mercedes GLK was a compact SUV, it performed like a sedan on road yet had more than enough capability off-road.

Mercedes-Benz had already chosen a location for the event, Salalah in Oman, and following a number of recce trips starting in May 2008, and 16 days of route finding, Duncan Barbour came up with a 285 kilometre route that more than satisfied the manufacturer’s expectations that it delight and excite the Middle East journalists whose experiences off-road ranged from zero to expert.

The brief was to create a route that was about 80 % on road and 20% off road with the off road section being made up of gravel tracks and a section of very technical off road trail. The route also had to provide elements of interest that would keep the journalists engaged during their days adventure behicnd the wheel of the new GLK.

Starting at sea level on the shore of the Indian Ocean, the route wound its way along a spectacular shoreline to the former summer palace of the Queen of Sheba, Khor Ruri, before riding some 1300 metres into the Dhofar Mountains and returning some eight hours later to the event hotel via a challenging eight-kilometre off-road section that set its own challenges for the drivers and the cars.

The route took in 1300 metre views off the cliffs above Mirbat and showcased some of the unique features of the Dhofar region. These included the Baobab forest above the Magic road to the varied terrain of the hills and Nahj, the stony plateau influenced once a year by the local monsoon called the Khareef. This results in what would normally be a very green lush environment in places but the Khareef this year was not as wet as usual so therefore not as green as previous years.

Always finish on a high is one of BATT’s mottos and Duncan and Bob had organised some driving for the end of the day which is more commonly known as ‘Wadi Bashing’ in the Middle East. However Wadi it was but Bashing it wasn’t! The route created by Duncan and Bob was technically difficult in places and with only millimeters of clearance as the vehicles climbed over steep rock steps and twisted their way through gullies ‘Wadi Bashing’ was not the order of the day if the journalists were to keep their vehicles in one piece.

‘Drive as slow as possible and as fast as necessary’ were Duncans’ instructions. Expert spotting from Duncan and Bob and keeping the speed down meant all the journalists were able to make the most of the excellent off road abilities of the Mercedes GLK. The general consensus from all participants was that their driving experience in the GLK and in Oman exceeded their expectations. Some were extremely surprised to the capabilities of the vehicle and couldn’t believe how rugged the route was that they completed.

Above all Health and Safety was a key requirement and as usual BARBOUR ALL TERRAIN TRACKING LTD made sure the event was run to European Health and Safety standards with all the participants required to sign a form to say that they had read and understood the extensive Risk Assessment Report for the driving route. There was also a requirement to fill in a medical history form so that the doctor who accompanied each wave had instant first response information in case of an accident. The Safety element of the event was also further reinforced by a very comprehensive pre drive Safety briefing before the journalists even got the keys for their car for the day.

After many weeks of hard work, the event was a huge success with Mercedes-Benz highly satisfied with the feedback received on the car and event and BARBOUR ALL TERRAIN TRACKING LTD perfectly matching the original brief of� ‘Expect the Unexpected’ and confirming the tag line for the vehicle….. The New Mercedes GLK ‘The Unexpected.”

Other articles:

thenational.ae/article/20081129/MOTORING/731527713/1247/ WEEKENDER

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/mobile/displaya.asp?xfile=/mobile/datamob/citytimes/2008/November/citytimes_November89.xml&section=citytimes

Photos:

Jorge Ferrari… http://www.ferrari-photos.com/

As ever the weather in Wales threw down a challenge with the wind and the rai but the vehicle which we chose to run on on the standard manufacturer supplied tyre which was an on road tyre not a cross over tyre performed fantastically. Wet weather combined with the mud on site made for very slippery conditions but the traction control system of the vehicle made light work of this even on standard road tires.

The new Jeep Cherokee features a Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control system which second non and to prove this one of the press vehicles was attached to a caravan. Not satisfied with proving the above system with the vehicle on its own the caravan was towed on the off road course where the press had a chance to see how well the electronic traction control, hill descent and hill start assist systems worked with the extra weight in tow.

Over the period of a week the attending press of which there were over 100 left the site having driven through rivers, descended and ascended steep slopes and put the vehicle through events which had wheels waving in the air, proving the capability of the Jeep brand again.

PHOTOS COURTESY PETER ROBAIN

A location both Duncan and Bob have worked at before, the event is the first that Duncan has worked on with the new model Jeep Cherokee. Duncan is acting as a consultant for Jeep Japan in setting up the off road element of the press launch and training event. The latest model Jeep Cherokee is a completely new vehicle and as such has some unique selling points which Duncan is helping the Japanese market in highlighting to press and dealers. The weather in Japan on arrival was not conducive to setting up an off road route with torrential rain on the rocky and hilly off road area. This coupled with the slippery volcanic soil has made for some very challenging conditions which the new Jeep Cherokee has coped with very well despite all vehicles being presented on road tyres. Not ideal on this type of terrain. All aspects of the event progressing well and more stories and photos will follow shortly……..

28 May 2008…. The weather has dried up and so has the off road course, but to too much of a degree now. What was challenging and really made the Brake Traction Control systems on the Cherokee work for a living is now too easy really. The vehicle is still showing well on the off road route but it is always nice to have it a bit more challenging. However the first day of dealer training has finished and all participants left the day with big smiles on their faces…. Rain forecasted for tonight so we should be careful what we wish for. The location that is hosting the are the event is not named ‘Stuckland’ for nothing.

The venue was the Oak Ridge Estate in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and on hand were Duncan Barbour, Bob Ives, Karl Trunk and Jim West.

“Our role was to create the off-road element of the course. The route we devised was two-hours long and included a rock-crawling section and a number of water crossings,” explained Duncan. “The changing weather during our stay meant varying river levels, but it was nothing we couldn’t cope with. We assessed and modified the course each day as necessary to make it safe for the participants.”

But it wasn’t just off-roading; a more unusual task was to create a log display stand for a Wrangler, nose-down and at an angle of about 50 degrees!

The mile-wide river approaching the Falls splits Zambia and Zimbabwe, but the Wildtrackers’ team stayed towards the Zambian side. Having spent three hours wading the river to establish best routes fro crossing, the team took two vehicles across with the help of winch work, sand track and bridging ladders.

It sounds simple but the water and deep fissures in the riverbed made this a treacherous mission – just right for the Wildtrackers’ boys. In simple terms, it took nearly five hours to put the Jeep in place and about three and a half hours to get it back on shore.

Help from Mark Selby of Foley 4×4 in Livingston and Russel Young of the Maramba River Lodge was much appreciated by all at Wildtrackers.