The Istria Challenge is hard...
The Istria Challenge is hard on suspension and steering components. This Land Rover owner can plan a visit to his neighborhood alignment shop in the near future.
The Istrian Peninsula in Croatia is loaded with history and legends. The earliest inhabitants, the Histri, were considered pirates and marauders by the Romans, and centuries later, well-known buccaneer Henry (Captain) Morgan was alleged to have used the area as a safe haven. The little village of Mrgany is thought to have been named after him, and fortune-hunters still regularly pop up in the area looking for buried treasure. For us, though, the treasure we were seeking in Istria was of the four-wheeling variety.
The Exide Istra Challenge, held each October since 2002, has attracted a growing number of international competitors over the years. Not surprising, because the event has been well organized, with a strong accent on safety. Good safety belts and a rollcage are musts, and a fire-extinguisher and a first-aid kit must be standard equipment of competitors' vehicles. Pilot and copilot have to wear helmets as well as gloves, both inside and outside the vehicles. The challenge itself takes place in steep canyons and dense forests near the Lim Fjord, with a great number of muddy notches, tight turns, and steep hillclimbs to navigate. Winching is frequent and rollovers happen regularly. Stages are run day and night over the course of two days. It's one of the more extreme four-wheeling competitions in the continent, and the photos here will give you a little taste of wheeling competition, Balkan-style.
 Belgian brothers Hendrik and...  Belgian brothers Hendrik and Andries Denijs came to a stop at the top of the hill obstacle. Their Daihatsu Rocky ended up standing straight up, but thankfully the winch cable prevented them from tumbling backwards. |  The German team of Mario Eckhard...  The German team of Mario Eckhard and Andras Fulsche run a fairly extreme rig by European standards, with a stretched wheelbase, Unimog portals, hydro assist, and an airbag suspension. They finished fifth overall at Istria 2007. |  This LR Disco has obviously...  This LR Disco has obviously seen its share of rock rash, and is a good example of the kind of rig you find at Euro-wheeling events: Mostly stock, with the addition of lights, a winch, a grilleguard, a cage, a snorkel, and aggressive Simex tires. |
 On this hillclimb, you can't...  On this hillclimb, you can't avoid unspooling your winch cable, but the Dutch team of Raimondo de Groot and Hans Donkers made an attempt without it... |  ...A bad decision, which resulted...  ...A bad decision, which resulted in their Jeep CJ-7 climbing straight up in the air and tumbling backwards-first on its roof and then on its side... |  ...Happily, the Jeep escaped...  ...Happily, the Jeep escaped serious damage, and Raimondo and Hans emerged unscathed and with grins on their faces. "Sometimes I make it," Raimondo explained. |
The winners of the Istria Challenge are known for driving through the most extreme terrain. They're the Hungarian team of Csaba Boros and his daughter Melinda, who also won the '07 Transilvania Trophy with their well-prepared Jeep Wrangler. Four weeks before Istra, Melinda lost the tip of a finger while winching at another event. Despite this, she was participating the next day, and while her hand hadn't healed completely at Istria Challenge, it didn't stop her from having fun. True wheeler spirit, we'd say.