Image by Neil Rickards via Flickr

Despite having claimed the lives of 25 competitors, the challenge is open to (and accepted by) amateur as well as professional long-distance rally drivers from 50 nationalities. The romance of the Dakar Rally isn’t lost on the general public. The 33^rd running of the event this year will be watched by people in more than 190 countries – an audience of around one billion.

Route

Originally a race from Paris in France to Dakar in Senegal, shifting political sands have led to the race being held in South America since 2009.

The 2012 race begins in Mar del Plata, an Argentinian city located on the Atlantic coast. The first stage will end in Bahía Blanca, another Argentinian seaside city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires.

Competitors will then pass through the provinces of La Pampa; Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes; the arid mountains of San Juan and La Rioja; and through the potentially extreme weather of Catamarca; before crossing to Chile and finally ending in Peru. The Peruvian capital, Lima, will host the awards ceremony.

Image by danielpgauer via Flickr

Competitors

There are three main competitive groupings of drivers:

Moto class

The Moto class is divided into three sub-groups. The first is for nearly unmodified production motorcycles, the second for bikes that are more substantially modified, and the third for quad bikes.

Of the 188 entrants in the motorcycle category, all eyes will be on the battle between Chilean rider Francisco López, French rider Cyril Desprese, and Catalan rider Marc Coma. Bill Conger from the US is one of the race’s first-timers, hoping for nothing more than to complete the challenge in one piece – something other experience mad amateurs will no doubt understand.

Of the 32 quad riders, the main contenders are Argentinian riders Alejandro and Marcos Patronelli, Czech rider Josef Machacek, and Polish rider Lukasz Laskawiec.

Car class

Vehicles are categorised into several categories: T1 is made up of improved cross-country rally driving vehicles; T2 consists of cross-country series production vehicles; while the ‘Open’ class is for any weight-qualifying vehicle.

There are 173 entrants in the car class. Possible winners include the French team, headed by Stephane Peterhansel; the American team, headed by Robby Gordon; and the South African/German team, led by Giniel De Villiers.

Truck class

Also known as ‘Camions’, the truck class is divided into two groups. T4 trucks participate in the contest and are further divided into a production truck class and a modified truck class. T5 trucks are support vehicles, tasked with travelling from bivouac to bivouac in readiness for the arrival of competition vehicles.

Of the 76 entrants in the truck class, hopeful teams include the Russians, headed by Eduard Nikolaev; the Czechs, headed by Ale Loprais; the Germans, headed by Franz Echter; and the Dutch, headed by Hans Stacey.

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Here is the list of the most dangerous adventure activities that you can do: s

1. Bull riding, Bullfighting, Running with the Bull. Either ways anything to do with a bull is deemed dangerous. Spain has a certain fascination with this animal. They celebrate a east with the ‘running of the bulls’ as the main event; people get hurt and some died. In fact, the Spanish government has deemed it necessary to read the precautions in different language to ensure the safety of the guests that has travel half way across the globe to be part of the festival. Bull fighting is another energy level booster. The sight of the bull facing a man just raises the hair in my neck. These kinds of outdoor activities are left with the professional and for neophyte let us play basketball instead for a safer landing.
2. Base Jumping. Sports which challenges nature and gravity. Only a few now engages in such a sport and most of the followers of these sports are all young adults. Most do not see another sunrise for these kinds of sports are unpredictable. You will never know what happens next. Let me note though that this kind of sport is illegal and most followers are put in jail. But I wonder what courage most people have when they jump up high from the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge or the Empire State Building.

Two of the most dangerous adventure sports and the deadliest at that!