Catherine intervenante et Jessyca avocate, complices dans la vie et sur les routes. Crédit photo ©️MlleH.
Saturday five o’clock, about 20 women in the back room of the Pub l’Île Noire on St-Denis Street are chatting and laughing like old girlfriends. For eight of them, it’s an opportunity to celebrate before the big departure. These four duos will fly to Argentina on April 21st to participate in the 6th edition of the Trophée Roses des Sables, an all-female rally at the foot of the Andes Cordillera.
SURPASSING ONESELF
It is at the wheel of a 4X4 pick-up truck that the teams will travel through the enchanting landscapes of this corner of South America. Neophytes or Roses with experience (that’s how we designate those with one or more participations to their credit), these women have in common this desire to surpass themselves. But more than that, the desire to take up a major challenge; more than 2000 km to cover, 10 days of driving in unknown terrain, 2 of which in total autonomy, equipped with only a map, a compass and total confidence in one’s partner.
You don’t need to be a car ace to embark on the adventure. The future Roses obviously know how to change a puncture but count on the mechanical assistance on the spot to manage the big bumps and bruises. To perfect their education, some like Rachel, go as far as watching mechanic 101 videos on the web.
OFF-ROAD DRIVING
As for off-road driving, of course our winters spent shoveling to get out a snow bank can be useful when it’s time to unsand a wheel, but beware, it could create a false sense of confidence, warns Valérie Julien, Quebec representative of the Trophée Roses des Andes and Rose des Sables. And to help them learn how to drive off-road while boosting their self-confidence, Mécaglisse near Quebec City, is offering these ladies an exclusive 2-days training session in a sand pit.
In the end, Valérie wants as many women as possible to participate. This rally is an opportunity to prove that women not only have the right but also excel in this automotive segment too often associated with men. Because as Catherine, a young mother of three young children in her thirties, sums it up so well, “a pickup truck is about looking for something inside you, a feeling of freedom, of control, it’s about looking for the kind of animal inside you.”
Meeting with participants of Trophée Roses des Sables 2019 edition, length: 1m09, credits ©️TheCarFashionista and www.rosesdesandes.com for the breathtaking videos!
