Overland Rally & Workshop: Hollister Hills, 2011

Shortly after purchasing Toyotie, I had registered for the second annual Overland Rally & Workshop at Hollister Hills. I had wanted to go to the first one in 2010, but at the time my budget had cratered and the Jeep needed a lot of work, so I had to pass.

This time around I had fewer roadblocks. Still, I had already allocated my remaining vacation days through the end of the year, and had family obligations for Friday evening and Saturday morning. That meant I would miss Friday and the first training sessions on Saturday morning.

But I could get there, get settled and socialize over lunch and be ready for the afternoon Advanced Vehicle Recovery class. After that would be dinner and a string of presentations to wrap up Saturday. After camping overnight in my tent I’d hang out until things wrapped up sometime around noon on Sunday.

Saturday morning eventually arrived, so I finished loading up the Land Cruiser and off I went.

None of the organizers were around when I arrived, but I asked around and some random people showed me where to sign in and such. I located a place to park and set up my tent, and quickly spotted (or was spotted by) people that I knew online. It was great to meet up with these folks in person, and it was nice not being a total stranger among a crowd of people I’d never met in person before.

In fact, it was the people that I valued most from attending the event. It was nice to settle in among new friends and geek out on various subjects that everyone was enthusiastic about. We talked about travel, vehicles, gear, mishaps, all sorts of challenges, beer and food, technology, politics, whatever.

Before long I was able to attend Scott Brady’s Advanced Vehicle Recovery session. There was an overview of recovery equipment and techniques, with an appropriate emphasis on safety. I was generally familiar with this, but took notes and happily learned a few things, which is why I was there. A junked Jeep Cherokee was recovered from laying on its roof, and the class was concluded with some Q&A.

This was followed by more open/social time which I took full advantage of. I also finally set up my tent (having meant to at least twice before, but having been sidetracked both times) and then it was time for a nice BBQ dinner and of course more socializing. I stopped by Marcos’ camp and was treated to a nice glass of wine and some steak he’d grilled on his awesome new Snow Peak grill he’d just purchased.

After dinner the presentations began, adding more energy and inspiration to the event. It was an extremely positive experience. After Luis of Lost World Expedition wrapped up the final presentation, I made sure he got a beer in his hand, stat! There was still more socializing around the campfires, as people slowly trickled off to bed. I think I finally turned in around 11:30, after drinking a lot more of my beer provisions than I had anticipated!

I settled in for the night to the sound of crickets, and coyotes yipping on the nearby hills. I slept very well in my warm mummy bag…

I was up early the next morning to make my coffee and breakfast on the convenient tailgate of the Land Cruiser. While several vehicles lined up for the rally challenge, I broke camp, socialized some more and checked in with some of the vendors. I also took Luis’ diesel-converted Series 80 Land Cruiser for a spin.

By noon, things were winding down and people were trickling out. Eventually I managed to say my goodbyes too, and I went off to hit some of the trails and get my first real offroad experience with Toyotie. The 80 is certainly larger than my Jeep but things are too drastically different.

I chose a scenic route home, with a stop at El Toro Brewing in Morgan Hill for lunch and a pint. It was a good weekend!

If they hold the Overland Rally & Workshop at Hollister Hills again next year I’ll probably go again. The classes are extremely brief, but the presentations, socializing and networking, and the energy more than make up for it. And the cost is very reasonable.

Some people I spoke with made observed that attendance seemed down overall, with fewer vendors as well, but one person felt there were more vehicles actually out on the trails.

Hopefully a schedule and list of classes and seminars will be made available *much* earlier next year. This year, the list of classes was not made available until just five days prior to the event, something I know cost them signups.

I would say that the event surely isn’t for everyone, but if you’re interested or involved in the “overlanding” style of offroading & travel then attending should probably be a no-brainer for you.

Overland Rally & Workshop Gallery