The hero

Cyrus told me to bring some food and water then led me to a Tacoma truck near two bro-ish Mexican guys in their late twenties/early thirties. We jumped in the back of their trick before I knew their names and we started off. 

The two guys were brothers. Leo, the driver, was the younger of the two and very intense with a passion for racing. His brother, Fernando, was laid back and happy.  Minutes after getting in the car I knew we either found the perfect couple of guys for this mission or we were taking a big risk . Little did I know it would be both. 

We tore out of the checkpoint and up highway 3 towards the 91 kilometer mark. Leo loved to race and was easily going 40 kph over the legal speed limit. While weaving around slower cars and oncoming traffic down the two lane highway, Leo said he had only been in two races but had come in third in his last one. 

Seeing the ease with which he raced along the highway while telling of his exploits, it was easy to see he was the real deal. His job is a project manager for a company that carves out paths for cars in the desert wilderness. This seems like an appropriate job for an off-road racer. He often gets asked why he spends his free time driving off-road when he drives off-road for a living. I think the answer is obvious: he was born to race off-road. 

Leo and Fernando had been driving all day and forgot to eat, so we stopped off and picked up hamburgers for everyone. Leo insisted on buying extra hotdogs and sodas for the guys we were rescuing, just "so we could see the look on their faces". 

After we resumed, Leo sped by a cop coming in the other direction at around 80 mph. The cop turned his lights on and made a u turn to come after us. Leo poured on the speed and we got to our turn off before the police caught up to us.  

Our plan was to take a dirt access road to the 91 mile marker of the race course, then drive 14 miles of the course to the stranded vehicle.  Leo had a GPS system witht the coordinates of the course already installed, so Cyrus and I monitored it to ensure we stayed on track. With Leo's fast off-roading, he was easily going 30-45 mph on sand and dirt on the narrow race course, it was hard to focus on anything. As we passed the 95 mile mark, the course got progressively more difficult and even Leo had to slow down to avoid breaking his truck. Rocks filled the narrow passageway between desert shrubs and cacti. It was difficult to imaging how the little buggy survived as far as it had when Leo's massive truck had such a hard time. 

It took us two hours to cover the 15 miles of race course to our companions. On the way we met a race car coming directly at us who had broken down. We asked if they had food and they said "yeah we are fine. We have crackers". Leo said "you guys want hot dogs?"  They said "are you serious?  ". We gave them two of the four hotdogs and they were really excited. 

When we reached the buggy, the guys were shining a light to signal to us. They had heard via radio that we were on our way. Leo had the idea that we should play a joke on them, so when we approached he kept riding past the buggy and around te corner. As we got further away the light gestures more frantically. After a moment we backed up to the buggy and got out. They were so cold that they were in shock. We invited them inside the warm truck and started harnessing the car to the truck with straps. 

The buggy was in the middle of a path that was 8 feet across with a rock wall on one side and a sheer cliff drop on the other.  There was just enough room for the truck to pass the buggy, and Rocks ranging in size from baseballs to bowling balls littered the path. The wind whipped wildly around the cliffs.  I was dressed in several layers of sweaters covered in a rain jacket which the cold air gusts pierced right through, and my jeans didnt offer any protection at all. 

 

Adam seemed not to mind the cold as much as Noah, as he ate his hot dog in the buggy while Noah jumped into the truck. We gave the guys time to eat and then had to decide on an exit path. Leo had raced this same route back in September, so he had a feel for the conditions ahead which we had not seen. The two options were to continue along the race course for three miles of rough terrain to the next access road, or head back the 15 miles back the way we came. Going forward would be easier, but the access road would take us hours away from where we wanted to be. The way back was far more treacherous but we would have a shorter drive afterwards. We ultimately decided to go back the way we came. 

Some deft maneuvering by Leo pulled the car to a point where the truck could tow the car and then get around him to tow in the other direction, like a K turn you might do on a driving test. 

We had the immobilized vehicle turned around and harnessed to continue back. The strap was a little long, being 20 feet, and with the sharp turns in the course it would be difficult to ensure that the direction the truck pulled coincided with the  direction the buggy should go. It's an obvious problem now, but with the dark desert cold weighing down on us and excitement of finding our friends, none of us were thinking clearly. 

As we rounded the first dipping turn, the problem became clear, the turning truck rounded the corner but pulled the buggy directly off the cliff. The buggy honked and radioed the truck only after it was too late, but luckily the buggy lodged 

Itself sideways between two rocks. At first we didn't know if the passengers should exit the vehicle or not, but Leo astutely determined we should tie a strap to the buggy to hold the vehicle from tumbling over while the drivers emerged. So Fernando, Cyrus and I held onto the strap while Noah and Adam climbed out. 

We kept holding on in an attempt to save the car. Noah and Adam moved the strap from the front to back and Leo towed the  buggy partially out. We had to fill the space under the buggy with rocks to support the wheel as the buggy was towed so that the body didn't get crushed against the cliff. Miraculously the buggy emerged, but the front left suspension was damaged and could no longer support the car weight. 

Cyrus and Adam surveyed the damage while Noah Leo and I sat in the truck. Cyrus was still determined to get the buggy back even though the wheel was barely attached. Leo mentioned "he's so optimistic" about Cyrus's determination. It was true, the three of us in the car were cold and despairing while Cyrus and Adam pursued a solution. That inspired the rest of us to rally and help out. Noah figured a way to jerry rig the suspension with straps and got the wheel back on, but the buggy could no longer turn. 

We spent six hours dragging the buggy at about one mile per hour when Leo got tired. He had been up since 8am the day before and needed to sleep before he could continue. Noah, Cyrus, and I crammed in the back of the truck but there was no room for Adam. He slept out in the buggy.  We all slept for about an hour or two before Leo woke up. I went outside to check on Adam, and after being exposed to the elements for six hours he was ready to switch with someone. 

Cyrus got in the buggy and we continued on. We soon cleared the rockiest part of the trail and now had just 30 miles of sandy trail to go. We were able to go about 10-20 mph now since the road was easier.  An hour or two later we arrived at the checkpoint where we met the chase vehicles as the sun rose over the desert mountains. 

Rescue!

We got a call on the satellite phone  when we were supposed to meet up with the car at mule 151. The race team got stuck on a hill. there was a problem with the engine and they couldn't get any power out of the car when they hit the accelerator. 

Dark had just arrived at around 6pm and the guys were in the most remote and most difficult part of the course. Every year this section of course disables many vehicles in every class, even the multimillion dollar trophy trucks. 

We set out to radio the various pits we have signed up with, including bfgoodrich and Baja pits, then went to the nearest checkpoint. There was no response from the pit on either radio or satellite phone, so Cyrus and I started asking around if anyone could help. Several teams were at the checkpoint either fixing cars or waiting around, so there were plenty of big trucks there who might be able to help. When we told people where they were, almost everybody told us that they were going to have to spend the night. Nobody wanted to go into that area, even locals who live on the mountain nearby the location of the car. One guy told us that they should "get comfortable" and when pressed on how to break the news to our friends, he said to tell them "they're fucked".  

Cy and I went to the nearby Baja pit stop to try and get help from them. We spoke to another class 11 team that was manned by teenagers who pointed is toward the man in charge. He was a short man with a backward baseball cap but he was busy with cars coming in. I noticed on his desk were a list of satellite phone numbers for Baja pits near the location of the car. I told Cyrus I would check those numbers while he looked for help. 

Sam was planning for a crew to return to the house and get a trailer for the car. That way we would have a vehicle to transport the car immediately when it was retrieved. I insisted we hold tight and try the phone numbers first and enlisted Sams help. 

Shortly after trying several the numbers in the area, Cyrus approached me and asked "are you ready for you Baja adventure?"

Caught off guard, i asked "what are you planning?" And he repeated "are you ready for your Baja adventure?"  

Knowing Cyrus, he was testing my resolve to venture into the unknown. He knew I was uneasy about going to Mexico to begin with and didn't want to pressure me into anything I was uncomfortable with.  I relented and said as enthusiastically as I could, "hells yeah". 

Breakdown

At race mile 105 the buggy broke down. We drove for 2 hours to get to the first checkpoint from the pit stop when we got a call on the satellite phone.  The race team couldn't get in touch with anyone via radio and were stranded halfway between our last location and our current one. 

The car lost all power and lights. The engine was running but they couldn't drive in the pitch black desert night. 

The desert

It's really amazing to see how deserted everything is here. It's literally a desert like you'd see in the cartoon with the coyote and the roadrunner

The roads have huge breaks in them so we need to drive through giant canyons of dirt and rocks until we get to the other piece of road

Put 3

It's been a long wait. The buggy is taking longer than expected. Were out of radio contact for about an hour. The guys showed up and the fender was coming loose. Headlight popping out. 

We duct taped the headlight and tightened the fender but part of the fender was broken. Can't reattach it. Cyrus was totally stoked and he and Sam had plenty of stories to share. 

A Mexican semi nearly took out our van as it was backing up. We were helping direct it backwards but he didn't stop when we said stop. Got inches away from the van where knuckles was sleeping. He woke to quote a start as everyone yelled. 

On way to dan Felipe 

Pit 2

Pit 2 was in a sandy cool area 15 km down the road. There was a military checkpoint on the road nearby which was no trouble getting through.  

Again we had some issues. Our throttle was stuck at full speed and the drivers were using only clutch the slow down. We changed drivers and set out for the first checkpoint. 

Pit 1

Both chase vehicles were at the starting line since we were trying to deal with the oil issue, so we had to struggle to reach the first checkpoint. 

It was exciting to see all the spectators camped out watching the cars speed by. It took us several minutes to fix up the buggy, take out a tire that was rubbing against a battery, and get the second set of divers in. We had only driven 20 miles but in order to give every driver a chance we stopped frequently. 

The mountains were beautiful. And the roads were scary. 

Staring line

There was some drama on the starting line. Our car started leaking oil due to a busted tube connection. We scoured the Home Depot and auto zone in town trying to find the parts needed. We even bought some copper tube we jerry rigged to feed into the oil filter if needed. In the end we wrapped some electrical tape around it. 

We ran through the crowds near the staring line to catch the buggy as the green flag waved. Cy was so nervous he got some very shaky video. It was very intense to see the car actually speed off. Several of our competitors and comarades didn't get far past the staring line before breaking down. 

Rock and roll

One thing I found awesome about the street fair were the live bands that performed. There was a punk/ska/rock band that played a variety of Spanish language punk/ska and English covers of classic rock songs. Tecate promo girls were dancing on top of a truck and you could see them from a long way back. One almost hip checked the other off the truck at one point. 

It reminded me of a Mexican ska band I saw in New York. They played Spanish ska in a Bulgarian bar and the whole place was electric with dancing and moshing. I feel like Mexican rock and ska is way better than the kind we for in the states. 

Contingency

The inspection and contingency sponsorship parade and party was really cool. 

Several blocks in the resort area of Ensenada were shut down for a giant street fair. Beer was cheap, there were taco stands, and lots of merchandise. Monster promotion girls gave away tons of energy drink and were dressed in very tight outfits. Other sponsors had promotional girls and we got several pictures of them standing next to the buggy. 

Lots of people expressed particular interest in the buggy class. People kept stoping by, excitedly looking into the windows and commenting to their friends about our setup or asking questions. The little kids loved the buggy and several asked their parents to take a picture of them with the vehicle. One even tried to help is push the buggy down the parade. The whole experience was like being a minor celebrity. Lots of students got out of school early and came out to see us.  

It's funny how Volkswagen Beatles are very popular road vehicles here. In fact, the VW factory in Mexico City produced Classic Beatles until 2004 before switching to the new version. This vehicle class garners a lot of respect among racers and non racers alike. It's the hardest class to finish the race in. Most contestants in the our class of vehicle break down before reaching the finish. It's also the classic style of Baja racing and was how it started. 

Housing

We are staying south of Ensenada near a popular taco spot. Several other Baja teams are in this complex as well. 

To get here we had to drive sections of road that were incomplete, and several dirt roads. Signage was nearly nonexistent.  It's very remote. 

Border crossing

Crossing the border wasn't bad. It looked intimidating as anything. Watched someone's car get searched. Border customs didn't speak much English. Coming out into Mexico we saw the wall separating our countries. People were randomly walking and crossing the highway. It was kind of sketchy. 

We drove along the coastline and saw some beautiful vistas of the sea in a place surrounded by poorly constructed concrete housing. The whole city looked really poor, and the surrounding nature was beautiful. 

Provisions

Just picked up supplies at target by the San Diego airport. Got a crapload of water. Like ten gallons. Cookies, bananas, jerky, bread and peanut butter. 

Our van is huge for four guys. Can seat twelve. 

Packing for Baja 1000

One word: Layers.  There is up to 5000 ft of elevation (around 45000 total elevation change) on the route in 2013.

I put together a map that shows elevation at various points in the 2013 course.

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2401859

Here's stuff I plan to bring or the other guys are bringing:

• Flashlight - there's a lot of night time racing.  Want to make sure I stay visible, so I'm packing a headlamp.  Keeps my hands free to do other stuff.
• Wool hat - I like wool because it's supposed to keep you warm when wet.  Turtle fur has awesome hats.
• Go Pro cameras - you'll want video of your escapades (my team is bringing mountable versions)
• base layers/fleece - warmness
• car phone/kindle charger - not gonna have outlets in the desert.  Won't have service either, but i'll still have angry birds and Dan Brown for my down time.
• hiking shoes
• gloves
• travel insurance card
• passport

Binational Emergency Medical Committee is a Scam!

Before I bought legitimate travel insurance, I first got scammed into buying something that I found in several Baja 1000 online forums and advice websites, called "Binational Emergency Medical Committee" (BEMC) or something similar.  Don't buy their stuff!  It's a scam!

What they sell is a $45 "membership" where you give over your Social security number and medical insurance policy number to total strangers who are not certified or backed by credible organizations in any way.  Would you trust strangers with this sensitive information, and pay them to take it from you?  You shouldn't.  So don't make the same mistake as me.

I will update here if I notice any fishy activity on my medical or credit records.

Health Insurance for Baja 1000

Since Baja 1000 is an event with inherent safety risks, what you really want is travel insurance (watch out for scams).  Found a good insurance plan for $13 from Medex.  It appears to cover a good amount, and has special coverage for dangerous sporting activities.

To illustrate what a nightmare health emergencies can be in foreign lands, here's a personal example.  My brother had an accident in mexico where he shattered his shinbone at the ankle.  He fell off a building.  The first doctor he saw wanted to amputate, but we got the state department involved and they got him to another hospital for diplomats.  It cost my family tens of thousands of dollars worth of credit card cash advances and hours of paperwork to pay the medical evacuation bills before they operated.  Hospitals in mexico don't take credit, and they don't have a legal obligation to stabilize you like they do here.  I have since learned that a far better way to handle this risk is to buy travel insurance.

The Medex website is crazy simple and easy to use.  I got coverage for up to $100,000 for $13.  It was recommended to me by my teammate, who was told about it from his university.  I highly recommend checking it out if you're doing adventure sports in foreign countries.

I'm not affiliated with any organizations discussed on my site or compensated by them in any way, so I tell it like it is.

Medical Emergencies in the Baja 1000

So the Baja 1000 can be a dangerous race.  Who knew?

I told my fiancee that i'm going on this trip several months ago.  I booked my flight on friday, and now she starts sending me articles about injuries and deaths that have occurred on the race.  Here are a few for good measure:

These forum posts discuss the shooting of Steve Martz when he and two buddies rode up to a fence in the dark.  He took a "small caliber" bullet to the chest.  Further googling implies that he lived.

trip advisor

Pirate4x4

Baja 1000 is one of the top ten most dangerous races (#7 according to this list)

Dangerous races

Booking a flight

I waited until the week before the Baja to book my flight.  Turns out that was a bad idea.

Tried searching for airports near Ensenada, but the closest major airports are in Tiajuana and San Diego.  

On Tuesday I could have had direct flights from NYC to SAn diego for about $600 or 1-stop for $300, it's now Friday and i'm looking at $1000 direct and $600 for 1-stop.  Bing says prices may come down if i wait longer, but i'm committed to this and need to start planning already.  Booked it.

Now my Baja adventure begins.