Sweden Offroad Tour July 3-18 1999 became a success! Lots of cars and people,
terrific terrain and weather, one week of heatwave. The tour offered a
record breaking 14 offroad days, 9 of them in a row!
Altogehter 300 different cars and 600 people from 8 countries took
part, nearly a dobule compared to last year! The participants came from
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland, England, Switzerland and Belgium.
If you count every offroad day as a separate offroad meeting, while
they are held on a new place a new date, altogether 700 cars took part!
But only 15 cars travelled all the 2500 kilometers from Sirmishamn to Kiruna.
25 different newspappers, magazines, radio and TV made features, which
reached about one million readers/listeners/wievers. Among them Svedish
National Television, TV5:s MotorJournal, British Land Rover World and Swedish
Wheels Magazine. Also readers reports will be pulished in German and Dutsch
offroad magazines.
Already you can read the daily reports on www.swedenoffroad.com and
a large picture feature will be published in August.
Sweden Offroad Tour is such a big and fun experience that it is hard
to get used to everyday life again. A great thanks to all participants,
co-operators, Jeep, Goodyear and Swedish Army! Se you at the 5:th Sweden
Offroad Tour in July 2000.
July 3:rd, Simrishamn:
Sweden Offroad Tour 1999 had a splendid start at the rifle range of Ravlunda!
In all there were 45 cars from seven different countries participating;
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and England! I was
specially pleasd to see a Hummer from Germany!
All the cars came together att the parking space at the nature reserve
of Haväng, just by the entrance of the rifle range. There we had an
early breakfast in the Youth Hostel, and we also got the opportunity of
having an exotic meal, for example paté of lamb with pepper jelly!
The terrain of Ravlunda is comfortable and beautiful with a semicircular
ravine in steep sandy hills, from where you have a spectacular wiev of
the sea! Some of us went down there for a refreshing swim. Sheep and horses
on the rifle ground made the wiev even more spectacular!
After the distribution of certificates and stuff from Goodyear disposed
of by lottery, some of us went to the Peter Haventons museum of mopeds
and toycars - really smashing!
The newspaper Ystads Allehanda made an interwiev.
Next stop Hässleholm!
July 4:th, Hässleholm:
A rainfall during the night made the trails at Hovdala south of Hässleholm
wonderfully slippery!
The cars slided like butter in a hot pan.
Because of its hilly trails, waterponds, mud and tricky stones Hovdala
is the most enjoyable offroad ground in Skåne, and made todays driving
much more challenging than yesterdays. The sticky trails through the beechcovered
ravine was like an offroader´s dream.
Today there were 50 cars participating, out of which ten came from
the offroad-section of the local club Hässleholms Motorklubbs offroadsektion.
This means totally 95 cars have taken part in Sweden Offroad Tour 1999,
a 30% increase compared to last year.
The sponsor Goodyear offers t-shirts, bags and watches disposed of
by lottery every day. Everyone that takes part also gets a Goodyear-cap,
decals, pens and so on. The atmosphere is pleasant and people are coming
together when it´s time for a grill-party in the evening.
The local newspaper Kristianstadsbladet and the local radio made
interwievs.
Next stop Karlshamn!
July 5:th, Karlshamn:
In Karlshamn we drove on a beautiful wooden hill in a typical leafy
surronding of the landscape Blekinge. Thanks to a perfect weather
which consisted in rain in the nighttime and sunshine during the day, Karlshamn
offered the best offroad-driving so far. The large amount of trails were
just as muddy as you could wish, and covered with small stones.
Representatives from four media-companies made interwievs; Blekinge
Läns Tidningar, Sydöstran, Blekinge Posten and the local
radio , which broadcasted live during 30 minutes.
35 cars from Karslhamn took part and so far 180 cars have participated
during three days.
Next stop Skillingaryd!
July 6:th, Skillingaryd:
The brilliant sunshine continued all day long!
Skillingaryd offers varied levels of difficulty and the rifle range
is beautifully situated at the river Lagan. In the north there are
billowing slopees of grass, in the middle there are sandy hills and in
the south tricky marshes.
In Sweden Offroad Tour you can find all sorts of participants, including
parents learning their 16-year olds how to drive and one 65 year old German
gentleman.
50 cars took part in Skillingaryd, and so far 160 vehicles in four
days have joined Swedens biggest offroad-adventure.
The newspaper Jönköpingsposten made an interwiev.
Next stop Skövde including îTunga Träffenî!
July 7:th, Skövde:
In Skövde there was a record number of cars, Skövde also had
the largest cross-country area, the hottest temperature and rewards for
îTunga Träffenî! 70 cars took part, out of which 21 heavy
cross-country trucks, and also some fourwheeldriven Unimoges and eightwheeldriven
Tatras. A russian SYL 8x8 rocket-trailer came from Germany!
The cross-country area in Skövde is the largest in the south
of Sweden , consisting of two squarekilometres and two hours driving.
At last summer is here!
The temperature was at least 25 degrees C in Skövde and many of
us took a swim in the nearby lake.
The newspapers Skövde Nyheter och Skaraborgs Läns Allehanda
interwieved, and Channel 5:s MotorJournalen and LNTV filmed îTunga
Träffenî. The magazines Wheels and Four Wheel Drive also interwieved.
So far 250 cars have participated in five days.
Next stop Kristinehamn!
July 8:th, Kristinehman:
Sweden Offroad Tour in Kristinehamn proved to be another splendid day!
In all 50 cars took part, which is twenty more than last year! That
means totally 300 cars have participated in six days. The ground
in Kristinehamn is very varied with sand, mud, hills,
stones and trails in the wood, anything you could expect! îRocky
Roadî at the top of the boulder ridge was particularly appreciated!
The newspapers Nya Wermlandstidningen, Nya Kristinehamnsposten and
Channel 2:s news-show Tvärsnytt interwieved.
Next stop Enköping!
July 9:th, Enköpng:
At last the height of summer has arrived!
Perhaps sun, bathe and boats was the reason why îonlyî
30 cars came. Despite the heat there was still water in the sour waterholes
on the practise-ground of F1. Enköping is also the best track
in Sweden for practising the offroad-technique, and the participants were
carefully educated.
Next stop Stockholm!
July 10:th, Stockholm:
Heat-wave!
The thermometer showed more than 30 degrees C, and despite this 50
cars came to the ground in Kungsängen! This means that 380 cars
have participated in Sweden Offroad Tour 1999, and the record of last year
is already broken!
The company AB Rindab showed up in a militarystyled Hummer driven
by two girls in shorts and bikinitop, and their redpainted nails nicely
contrasted to the military green!
Next stop Falun!
July 11:th, Falun:
The number of participants usually gets less crowded north of Stockholm,
so when Falun set the record with 80 cars it took me by surprise!
30 of the cars came from the local club Dalekarlia Offroaders. So far 460
cars have participated during nine days. In the middle of nowhere the club
also had arranged a buffet with offroadhamburgers where the starving participants
could dress their hamburgers. The frosty cokes were perfectly refreshing
in the hot weather!
The dutch club Kangeroe 4x4 showed up in eleven cars, and the dutchmen
were very satisfied with the stony and hilly trails on the rifle
range of I 13, as there is not a single stone in their own homecountry!
The newspaper Dala-Demokraten interwieved.
One day for travelling Falun-Sollefteå.
Next stop Söderhamn including Big Swede-show!
July 12:th, Falun-Sollefteâ:
At last there was one day for travelling only! As an extra bonus the participants
were invited to a Big Swede monster-show in Söderhamn. Arne Linding
demonstrated the first and biggest monstercar in Sweden , and the
show was very appreciated by the foreign spectators who had their photo
taken beside the monster.
The newspaper Ljusnan made an interwiev, and some participants had
their cars checked at the repair shop of Arne Linding.
Do I have to say the wheather is great..?
Next stop Sollefteå!
July 13:th, Sollefteâ:
For the first time an offroad-day was held in Sollefteå! Thanks to
the local offroad enthusiasts a nice and varied cross-countrydriving was
held at the varied and infinitely trails of I 21. The variation of
the trails reached from rocky ones overlooking the Ångermanälven
to watery and muddy downhilltrails for bandwagons.
To my surprise there were 55 cars participating in Sollefteå,
twice as many as expected!
So far 515 cars have participated during ten offroad days.
The newspaper Nya Norrland made an interwiev.
The sun goes on shining, even the mosquitos are too tired to
bother usÖ.
Next stop Umeå!
July 14:th, Umeâ:
Thanks to the massive resources of Ume Jklubb there was some great
cross-country turns on the gigantic rifle range outside UmeÂ.
The participants were divided into four different levels of difficulty.
The driving included overgrown old roads as well as offroad tracks and
swamps and mountainclimbing.
60 cars participated, this means 575 vehicles in all have taken part
in Sweden Offroad Tour during eleven days. A belgian car also turned up
and by that eight different countries takes part in Sweden Offroad Tour
1999.
The heatwave continues, the temperature now shows 33 degrees C! The
local newspapers interwieved.
Next Stop Arvidsjaur!
July 15:th, Arvidsjaur:
Together with Boden Arvidsjaur have the finest offroad grounds of Norrland.
Besides areas for free driving and massive cross-country trails the participants
according to tradition goes up the 800 metres high bare mountaion Vittjokk!
The driving on the steep hillsides is the finest offroad driving found
in Sweden!
At the top the participants had lunch and enjoyed the full panorama
outlooking the infinite wilderness. The military at K4 was generous enough
to let us go for a ride in the military bandwagons.
Luckily the heat-wave ended and the temperature now is more agreable.
The local newspapers PiteÂ-Tidningen interwieved.
40 cars took part, totally 615 vehicles now have taken part during
twelve days.
Next Stop Boden!
July 16:th, Boden:
All the participants once again agreed that Boden has the best and biggest
offroad ground in Sweden! As well as sandy deserts, swampy tracks, rocky
trails and granite blocks the participants succeeded in finding a small
river to cross. In order to enjoy it all the participants had twelve hours
of free driving!
Then we camped at the military field beside the beautiful Aldersjn,
and in the evening we had a common barbeque where we put our tables together
at a long row, and had our steaks together!
The local newspapers Vsterbottenskuriren and Norrlndska Socialdemokraten
interwieved.
Including 50 cars from Boden 665 vehicles have taken part so far.
Next Stop Boden - Kiruna!
July 17:th, Boden - Kiruna:
Todays¥travelling offered a 38 swedish miles long journey through Lappland.
The participants looked at four inevitable tourist attractions along the
way: 1, A stop at the sign marked polar circle is absolutely necessary.
2, The indispensable Same Museum at Attje. 3, The granite canyon at HarsprÂnget
gave us the most fascinating swim of the year! 4, A ride up the bare mountain
Dundret offered a splendid wiev!
Unfortunately the weather turned into hard raining, on the other hand
it makes the trails really muddy!
Next Stop Kiruna!
July 18:th, Kiruna:
Last day on Sweden Offroad Tour 1999! Kiruna offered real "Lapland summer":
13 degrees Celsius and rain. But the rain made the driving area perfect
slippery. The trail to the free driving area at Kalixfors shooting grounds
became a 3 kilometers long sludge! In the evening the participants ate
a farewell dinner and got their diplomas.
5 cars drove all the way and took part in all the 14 offroad days.
Another 10 cars drove all the way but skipped an offroad day or two for
some touristing.
Unfortunately the midnight sun was hidden behind heavy rain clouds.
But the participants drove in a caravan up to the top of the Loussavaara
mountain to enjoy the breathtaking wiev over "Europe's last wilderness".
35 cars drive in Kiruna. Altogether 700 cars (300 different cars) have
taken part in Sweden Offroad Tour this year.
It was with great melancholy the particpants took farewell of each
other. They hade become real good friends during the long journey. A big
picture feature will be published in August. See you on Sweden Offroad
Tour 2000 during the first two weeks of July next year!
SOT 1999 from an English view
