Not only were we hunting checkpoints with map and compass, there were also Precision Roadbooks where we had to communicate efficiently to stay on time and on route.  

We started with Tech Inspection in beautiful Mammoth, CA where we had our required items checked, signed off on paperwork, declared our prohibited items to be sealed, and the Bronco inspected. Everything went smoothly and from there we drove a few hours to Basecamp 1 which was not far from Tonopah, NV.  

Prologue Day and Day 1 we settled in to the schedule and format of the rally. The On Time Enduros went well for us and had us seated in the middle/front of the pack for our start time. Our strategy for getting checkpoints as a new team was to go for everything that we were sure we could get points on, including the harder blue and black checkpoints. The only ones we skipped were the checkpoints that we might have a wide miss, which would incur a 10-point penalty.

This worked well for us. The first few days we received 77% to 86% of the available points! The course had mostly smooth, fast roads with intermittent silt pits that put our tires and suspension components to the test.

Our next challenge was our first marathon stage for day 2-3. First, we had a 10-hour day of hunting checkpoints then a self-camp location and the next morning our longest On Time Enduro yet. It was an hour long where we stayed exactly on time and navigated accurately through five Timing Controls earning us the full 30 points available!

The second stage of our marathon had us transit to the Death Valley/Dumont Dunes area and continuing to collect checkpoints on trails and then in the open sand dunes. We experienced our first wide miss, clicking at an incorrect blue checkpoint but corrected our error and moved on quickly.

Basecamp 2 was in Dumont Dunes and we had one full competition day in the area on Day 4. It started with a loop in the dunes, where we collected all the blue and green checkpoints. Unfortunately, the black checkpoints were in an area that we felt we could not navigate to effectively with the time remaining, forcing us to leave them on the table.

We continued our day leaving the dunes and starting on the longer 4x4 route of the day that traveled through Sperry Wash. This stage proved difficult as we only received 68% of the available points, but we kept to our strategy of playing it safe with no wide misses. 

I am incredibly proud to report that we stayed in the top half or “A group” the entire rally (uncommon for new teams with a Rookie navigator), received only 3 wide miss penalties, and placed 20th overall! The Bronco performed flawlessly and had no mechanical issues and 0 flat tires.

With our first year as a team behind us, and only motivation to further improve, I am happy to inform you that we have registered for the 10th edition of the Rebelle Rally in 2025. We hope that you will consider joining us for another year!

Thank you again for your support!

Kristen Harbert, Driver
The Desert Belles