Syd Stelvio, Peking to Paris 25 - Day 1 – The Great Wall to Datong – 454km
A hundred or so eyes peered west this morning, straining for a glimpse of the horizon through the smog, as a new day dawned in Beijing. Somewhere in that direction, thousands of kilometers away was Paris, not yet awake, indeed almost barely asleep. But for a unique band of travellers, this morning signalled the start of a 15,000 km automotive adventure that will see them attempt to reach Paris, after a 37-day continent crossing, attempt the feat in classic and vintage cars, attempting to Drive the Impossible.
The Chinese love a proverb, and “shì shàng wú nán shì，zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén”, or “Nothing in the world is difficult to those who are determined enough” could well be an appropriate mantra for the 57 crews who are attempting this year’s Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. The truth though, is that this is difficult, and the odds are that not everyone will reach the final destination, no matter how determined they might be.
Unfortunately, one participant has had to fly home already. Bicester Motion Board Director Michael Power, driver of the no 2 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost has had to return to Bicester after the tragic events that have unfolded there this week. Some things are just bigger than rallying, and our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who have lost their lives and we pray for a speedy recovery for those that have suffered injuries.
In his absence, co-driver Nigel Parsons will continue solo, teaming up with fellow solo participant, Tomas de Vargas Machuca, in an alliance of solitude between the Bentley and Rolls Royce as they convoy along the route together, and an alliance of friendship and cooperation that illustrates perfectly what the P2P is all about.
Back to rallying matters and before a wheel could be turned there were the formalities of the ceremonial start, that, as tradition dictates, took place in the shadow of the Great Wall of China. There were performances from Geishas and duelling Dragons, in a stirring display that will have left the 93 novices that are taking part this year in awe, and under no illusions of the stature of the rally.
The Colossal American LaFrance Type 12 of Aussies Alan and Leigh Maden had the honour of being first out of the traps, a behemoth that would perhaps even strike fear into the fabled Chinese Dragon, and then in minute intervals the other cars followed, leaving the start in order of age, ever increasing until the departure of the youngest car on the event, the Toyota HiLux of Paul Maddicott and Lee Potter, competing in a brand new 4x4 category. The Toyota is barely 41 years old, a mere pup in comparison to the centurions that are also in the field.
The same route is planned for all of the machines of course, although for some their journey will stray away from the tulips and feature a little more off piste activity, depending on how their individual stories play out. This is part of the fun on a rally of this magnitude, and whilst some will be hell bent on winning, for others the only real prize is to be there in Paris on day 37.
Once out on the road there were 461 km to look forward to, giving the competitors their first experience of rural China, away from the bustle and pollution of Beijing. The first regularity took place 166km into the day, 30 clicks or so after a time control at Jimingyi, a walled town from the Ming Dynasty that at one time would have had a standing of great importance. Just before this historic Bastion came into view, there stood the newer image of this town, with the towering concrete shafts of hi-rise buildings that were perhaps not even finished, let alone inhabited, a pattern of town planning that the rally will see plenty of as it crosses China
Much of the morning was tarmac, but there were some dirt roads, a sign of things to come certainly. There was plenty more tarmac transit as well, but the reward for getting across this was a spin up into the mountains for the second regularity of the event. Traditionally day 1 eases the competitors in, but the run over the Wanjiawan Danxia landform (Chinese for Mountain, I think), that took the cars through and then high above the dried up Sangan Riverbed, was a tricky navigation to say the least. Most of the route was on largely unsealed roads, which were great fun, and the reward for enjoying these, sorry, enduring these, was tremendous views across the entire region, that seemed to be a little greener than it was this time last year when we last visited.
Not everyone would get to experience the climb, the number one LaFrance opting to avoid its rigours in favour of vehicle preservation. Whilst some were attempting to avoid mechanical strife, others had experienced some day one gremlins. Car 8, the 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom, crewed by Steve Kiss and Richard Jeffcoate had endured a wire loom melting behind the 95-year-old dashboard, prompting a side of the road re-wire. There was also Alternator issues for Austrians Friedrich Müller and Robert Huber, driving a ’72 Ford Escort 1300. Neither of these issues kept the cars away from the competition sections though, with respectable performances from each on the two regularities.
Suffering the indignity of “most lost on day 1” was car 3, David Hughes and Kevin Cochrane, befuddled by the gridded streets of Datong on the run to the hotel this evening. At 9pm their ETA was showing as some time next February, although they did eventually arrive in the 1924 Bentley, I daresay the car coping better with the mileage than I would at the same age! Getting lost is also part of the adventure, they won’t be the only ones, that’s for certain.
At the other end of the spectrum leading the way after day one are experienced Antipodean’s Tony Sutton and Andrew Lawson, chalking up just 1 second of penalty on the day in the Chevrolet Master Coupe, with another Chevy, this time crewed by Brian Scowcroft and Mark Gilmour, a further second behind in second and one more second behind them is Marc Schätzle and Sandro Tanner in a Ford Model A.
Of course, talk of positions is purely academic at the end of the first of 37 days, we aren’t even 500km in yet, with more than 14,500 to go. This is a rally where ambition is best taken a day at a time and the old adage of to finish first, first you must finish, takes on new meaning. After such a long day it’s now time to get some rest, before a shorter run tomorrow to the modern city of Hohnot. Until then, Wǎn'ān.
Syd