X

We take on the ultra-challenging Gazelle Rally (Part 1)

Come along to Morocco as we tackle everything from rocks to silt to dunes in a 2007 Land Rover Defender 110.

Emme Hall Former editor for CNET Cars
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
See full bio
Emme Hall
Nicole Dreon
Watch this: Come along as we rally with the Gazelles in Morocco (Part 1)

In 2016 my navigator Sabrina Howells and I participated in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles, an all-female, nine-day, off-road event through Morocco with no GPS. Points are awarded for the shortest distance between checkpoints, not the fastest time. All navigation is done with a compass and a map.

This is a three part video series of our third attempt to take the win in one of the toughest motorsports events in the world.

This first episode finds Sabrina and I taking our 2007 Land Rover Defender 110 up and over a treacherous mountain of both large and loose rocks to get to a checkpoint. We also get our first day in the Merzouga dunes and we introduce you to team 180 along with their 2013 Toyota Tacoma, otherwise known as the Morocco Taco.