 | Home > Events > BAMA 4x4 navigation events |
 
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2625   
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Hi
Yes, via the club I marshalled at these events (BAMFA) for ten years as originally they were part of the navigation training for the armed forces, police and prison officers. Some years the Dutch would come over as well. During my first time marshalling at the Cherstey driver training area we were late back to Deepcut barracks covered in mud as the place became a bog and we were constantly recovery vehicles. At the camp the 17/18 years old sqaddles in their white shirts and chinos were lined up for dinner and we rocked in looking like bog monsters…….the RSM in charge, thought we were squaddies too and went absolute bat  at me and a mate…. 
At the same event the officer in charge was tell the crews to stop stealing equipment off of other team Defenders whilst at the same time one of the clubs marshalls was removing the track rod off of a parked up all white rally Defender to repair a bent one on a Wolf. Another time at the camp in Norfolk the officers took us marshalls out to a pub in the evening, as we were leaving a Sainsbury’s van pulled in apparently full of booze….i think that they were protecting us. Then the cuts came and theses events were cancelled. A couple of years later the Army bought it back as BAMA (British Army Motoring Association) As the club with experience we continued to marshal, then the events were held under a MSA licence, which as a club member I had so that meant that I could compete. In the South these events were held at Longmoor camp and training area, Bramley ammunition dump, Larkhill camp and an overnighter on Salisbury Plain. As civvies we are not allowed on the dedicated driver training area so that day I marshalled instead. So to help you, you will need to be a member of BAMA and or hold a MSA licence ( best check for updates). You will not need a rally computer. And you can’t use the GPS on your phone either. You will need to adhere and show on the day all the safety equipment they list including an oil spill kit as well as showing that you vehicle works, lights, horn, wipers, recovery points. On the day you get a pack that includes maps, line and satellite, coordinates, line drawings and tulips. Max speed is 20mph and there are speed traps My best placing was 7th at Bramley. Where else can you drive over railway tracks, through warehouses, past railway sidings whilst seeing crashed Lynx’s armed soldiers wearing white bedsheets and a strange squad of heavily armed British soldiers carrying American machine guns……. 
The best part are the people you meet and the stories they tell, such as the off squaddie that drove an armoured vehicle into a German village and blasted out the windows with a blank because they wouldn’t serve him or the female officer on deck in Portsmouth that used a Harrier ramp to skate board into the Solent.
My own story when I blew the transfer box on a hill near the Black Cat pub on Salisbury plain in the dark with five other vehicles behind me and we all had to back down so that I could get back to the road. ?si=NrKn7IliGnBxsMCC Mines the green 90 with cage. Defiantly do it, you drive in places you would not otherwise be allowed, have that sense of humour and don’t let it go, nobody really takes it seriously. This is not a winch challenge event of old where certain teams are looking to be back on a trailer by lunchtime because they have trashed their vehicles. Hope that helps |
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25th Nov 2023 6:46pm |
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| Mdm Member Since: 11 Sep 2013 Location: Sunny Lancashire Posts: 1596 
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well we used to enter these for some years.
now moved onto the marshalling and recovery side of them. i find them great events with some real fun navigation challenges. add in access to some weird and wonderful places civvies dont get to go, spread around the uk. take 3 events this year, Leconfield training area.... access all areas and the ability to camp on site as well. Bovington = mixed terrain inc sand, water, forests and mud. tanks and working Mod gear to watch trundling around. nav thru a well known firing range near the beach, yep done that. Mudmaster. wee trundle from east to west and down to Hamilton racecourse to finish. forests with epic views and mud and trucks , big bings, small private sites,mod land. army catering for all was a nice touch as well. late night stages in the dark yep plenty of them... a couple of videos are around online of the more interesting bits of the courses. pm me for a more detailed run down of the events if you want  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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25th Nov 2023 10:30pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2081 
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Looks interesting.
I wonder when the 2024 events calendar will be published. |
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8th Dec 2023 7:24am |
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| mwestcrew Member Since: 09 Dec 2019 Location: South Warwickshire Posts: 247 
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They are a bit sporadic with news and timetables of events. They are a small team and it’s a huge amount of work to do. 2011 130 Utility Body
2005 110 Van |
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8th Dec 2023 7:54am |
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| MercianRover Member Since: 07 Apr 2022 Location: Culworth Posts: 141 
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Thank you for the replies, I'll definitely enter a few of those.
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8th Dec 2023 9:23am |
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| Mdm Member Since: 11 Sep 2013 Location: Sunny Lancashire Posts: 1596
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as above not many folk behind the scenes and a lot have busy lives and day jobs.
Mumaster is normally around the same time each year , the rest vary depending on site availability . as soon as we know ill post it up on here |
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8th Dec 2023 10:18am |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2081
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8th Dec 2023 3:21pm |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2625
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http://www.armymotorsports.co.uk/Disciplines/4x4-Navigation
Keep an eye open for next years dates |
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8th Dec 2023 3:41pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2081
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These events do look good fun. I liked the video so thanks for sharing.
I didn’t know they existed until reading this thread so thanks all. I particularly like the fact you are driving in places that civvies never see 👍 |
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9th Dec 2023 9:20am |
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| Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: UK Posts: 1356 
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Looks fun. Suitable for any 4x4 or is it only for those that they don't care about trashing? Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.
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9th Dec 2023 9:31am |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2625
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Moo
Scratches happen, especially during evening / night stages. The 'road speed' is 20mph though i clocked 40 at the Bramley Ammo dump.....and collected a few penalty points on my score card. Because of the nature of the navigation instructions the navigator is the most important person in the team and thus the driver should only drive as fast as the nav can read the course and record the details required. The routes (when we would set out and marshal for BAMFA / BAMA) are designed to be able to run up to 60 vehicles (on a good year) and thus have to be drivable to keep the convoy running to a set time. Basically its brains over brawn. Accidents do happen though. At Slab Common one of the Army crew in a hired civvy 90 300Tdi stuffed the wing. At Thetford army camp two 110's went over on their sides because the grass was icy, they turned and braked causing the 750's to roll under the rim, then they were on their sides. I had my 110 then and so towed them back to camp. At Longmoor camp at our marshal point late into the evening we only saw 5 trucks come through, then nothing so three hours later we went back to camp and found out that a vehicle had rolled near the exit and as the penalties are higher for lateness than missed checkpoints the competitors had turned around and stayed in camp. Sometimes you are sharing sites with other training exercises so not unusual to see a patrol group training, Ghurkhas in bedsheets back in the day or a squad of Warriors chose the same tea break stop as we did on Salisbury Plain Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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9th Dec 2023 6:21pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2081
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The more I see/read, the more I a) wonder how I’ve never heard of it and b) I want to take part!
It sounds like a great experience Mark 👍 |
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9th Dec 2023 6:30pm |
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| mwestcrew Member Since: 09 Dec 2019 Location: South Warwickshire Posts: 247
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It’s great.
Last week there was a 110 Wolf on it’s side before the start. They were busy pulling out the intercooler to empty the oil out of it. 2011 130 Utility Body 2005 110 Van |
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9th Dec 2023 11:09pm |
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| Jon w Member Since: 22 Dec 2015 Location: North East Wales Posts: 204 
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I have competed in these events for the last couple of years and they are the best events in the UK, a real good mix of skills and terrain and great fun competitive nature.
Really well organised and run by the Army and Land rover clubs involved. Well worth the effort of trekking to the south coast or scotland from mine in north wales. Although there was rumour of there being a welsh event for 2024 so fingers crossed. Saxon express is on bovington tank training ground and associated roads and lanes. Roadmaster (is not just roads) this had sites including the defence driver training school) Mudmaster is over 250 stage miles over 2 days across scotland. Magnum spirit is salisbury plain in the dark. (only one i haven't done as it a long way to go for about 6hours of in the seat driving time) A standard land rover is fine as squaddies are just in wolf 110s and they are doing it as a exercise so most the time cannot drive for toffee or navigate either 
Driven sensibly you can do it in a shiny vehicle without damage, maybe the odd light scratch from foliage. A freelander did very well at mudmaster this year which goes to show it is more about skill and navigation than mud plugging ability. Definately recommend having a go See you there |
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8th Jan 2024 12:51pm |
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