Long winding road

“Rushing through sand dunes, dry riverbeds, and mountain canyons is dangerous, but it’s also thrilling. Only the toughest can handle it. And let me use a somewhat forgotten word—only the bravest. Because it’s a battle between man and nature, technology, and above all, oneself on that long, winding road. This has always been called ADVENTURE!”

A book of memories, amusing and thrilling stories, and at the same time a chronicle of the toughest rally race, the Dakar, by the famous navigator Josef Kalina, is now being released in a new, updated edition, including a tale of his final journey in 2023.

It describes Czech participation in detail, right from the difficult beginnings when racing went on all day, often without sleep or rest, continuing through the night for several days in a row. A time when repairs were “done on the go,” navigation was without GPS, and fuel was sourced from the strangest places. All this in immense heat and dust.
He analyses the events of individual years in detail and in a very engaging way: the first participation of Liaz and Tatra, gaining experience in the truck cabin and in the service of the T.S.O. organising body, successes with Milan Loprais, then in Martin Macík’s team and later Buggyra. He also describes the circumstances that led to the gradual relocation of the race towards the west coast of Africa, subsequently to South America, and finally to Saudi Arabia.