Katharina Burkart from Styria took part in a women-only rally – an extreme experience. No contact with the outside world, short nights and broken roads: “I would do it again.”
Ten days without a mobile phone sounds almost unthinkable to modern people. Ten days without a mobile phone in cold mountain and hot desert areas in the US, orientation only with the help of analog maps and a ban on talking to locals – that sounds like an extreme adventure. And yet Katharina Burkart says: “I would do it again.” In fact, “I even feel like I have to do it again!”
The German-born, who has lived in Styria for 16 years and works at Magna Powertrain in Lannach, mastered this year’s Rebelle Rally in the United States. Only female teams are allowed to participate. Magna took two jeeps (equipped with homemade transfer cases) to the start, and Burkart got one of the tickets.
From the cool mountains to the hot desert
“A colleague said to me: You are perfect,” says the developer. The mother of three took up the challenge. In September she trained for a week in the US, where she also met her co-pilot Kerstin Brandt, a German who had emigrated to Canada.
The rally itself took place in October. It started in the mountains of Nevada (“I needed two sleeping bags on top of each other”) and ended in hot California. “We had everything with us: stones, dust, desert.” And also a ‘terrifying situation’ when Burkart got lost and suddenly ended up under a high-voltage pylon on a half-demolished road.
“Sometimes it felt like I was in prison.”
The goal was to reach 20 hidden checkpoints along the route. In the evening you had to be at the camp on time, where there was food and a campsite. Day watch: at 4:30 am Burkart: “Sometimes it felt like I was in prison. It was exhausting, but still a lot of fun.”
68 teams took part, including very few Europeans. Everyone was allowed to help each other. Ultimately, Burkart and Brandt ended up in midfield – not quite the result they had hoped for. And that is also an incentive to try again.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
