2009 Camp LA Sport: More to see, more to do

Like the 2008 event, Camp LA Sport took place at the Mabalingwe game reserve just outside of Bela Bela (Warmbaths), the venue for all Camp LA Sports for the foreseeable future. Mabalingwe makes sense, being not much more than an hour-and-a-half from Jo’burg, and maybe an hour from Pretoria.

Lionel Lewis, boss of LA Sport and the man behind the event, sees Camp LA Sport as a weekend for the family, where like-minded people can come together for a weekend of responsible 4×4 fun in a fantastic location.

The 2009 Camp LA Sport saw a number of improvements over the inaugural event, from lessons learnt and suggestions made after last year.

Perhaps the most important was the establishment of two new 4×4 routes, Kubu trail and Rocky Ridge. Rocky Ridge in particular fills the role of a more extreme trail that was lacking in the past.

Other than the two new trails, a beer garden (not for the drivers, obviously!) that also offered fantastic lunches was put in place, while the gymkhana event was refreshed and revitalised with a couple of new obstacles (including a fun one set up and run by Leisure Wheels Tours’ Kalbas Nel).

The 550 people turned up on the Friday evening to register, set up camp, listen to the drivers’ briefing, and “kuier” around their braais. The action took place throughout Saturday, making for a long but enjoyable day.

A nice treat for the crowd was that the Voetspore team of Johan Badenhorst, Francois Marais and Gary Swemmer (also of LA Sport Menlyn) were on hand to give an account of their recent trip from Casablanca to Cape Town.

Camp LA Sport 2009 was such a success that the future of the event seems assured. Keep an eye on the LA Sport website (www.lasport.co.za) in months to come for news of the 2010 event.

Some facts:
Entry fee: R500 (per vehicle) which included the following:
– All admin and entry fees
– Access to the Mabalingwe Mountain Route
– Access to the EXCLUSIVE LA Sport Rocky Ridge and Kubu routes.
– Gymkhana 4×4 Track
– Access to the Mabalingwe Game Viewing routes
– 1 x Goody bag and 2 x T-Shirts (per entry)

Accommodation had to be booked and paid directly at Mabalingwe – R180 per night (x1 stand, 6 people) camping. Other accommodation wasalso available – lodge, chalets and private houses.