British Army Adventure Motorsport

Overview

Encompasses vehicle dependant expeditions, both on 2 and 4 wheels. Although not a recognised sport, the British Army Motorsports Association (BAMA) aims to support and generate interest in this growth area of vehicle dependant exploration and provide opportunities to those wishing to undertake expeditions.

Background

The discipline has recently been recognised by BAMA, but builds on the foundations of numerous past expeditions, some of which have gone down into the history books for their boldness and vision.

Stretching right back to the earliest pioneers of desert exploration, such as Bagnold, Newbold and Prendergast, the earliest expeditions set the foundations for desert travel, developing many of the desert driving techniques still in use today and which eventually led on to the development of the Long Range Desert Group. Skills such as desert navigations, recovery and driving on sand were all developed through these early expeditions.

Other notable expeditions include the British Trans-Americas Expedition (1971/2) which saw the accomplished explorer John Blashford-Snell lead a group of soldiers to traverse the Americas from Anchorage to Tierra del Fuego, crossing the infamous Darien Gap. This was followed by the Joint service West East Sahara Expedition (1975) led by Tom Sheppard still one of the UKs leading desert exploration experts.

Aims

The aims of the adventure club, be it on 2 or 4 wheels, is to generate, support and mentor those who wish to use powered vehicle to explore the furthest reaches of the world. No expedition is too bold.

BAMA encompasses both disciples recognising the potential benefits of running joint expeditions.

Getting Started

It couldn’t be easier. If you have your own 4x4 or suitable off road bike then getting started is easy. Through the experienced club members guidance can be sought on all matters from navigation to loading lists, vehicle preparations to logistics planning. The first step to adventure is to contact the discipline leads.