Dakar
12 January 2012The Dakar: a rally of extremes.
Gorgeous beaches, magnificent dunes, rugged mountains, ice and snow: the Dakar has a bit of everything. Unfortunately the drivers don't get chance to take in the natural beauty along the route. We do though...
The Dakar is a rally of extremes. Not only are man and machine pushed to their very limits, but the scenery along the 8000-kilometre plus route is also phenomenal and contrasting on an almost daily basis.
The very first day of the Dakar took the competitors along gorgeous beaches on the Atlantic coast on the way to Santa Rosa de la Pampa. The following day the route became dustier and the ground more rugged, before the drivers also came across some water and muddy sections on the way to Chilecito.
On day five, the white dunes of Fiambalá followed a number of gravelly sections on red sand. Then came the Andes, and with them the snow, to which the sixth special stage fell victim. From there it was a case of sand, sand and more sand in the driest region in the world, the Atacama Desert, until the Dakar caravan eventually reached the Pacific in Iquique.
Enjoy the most beautiful scenic images of the 2012 Dakar here.
