The Moab Jeep Safari is an annual event, where 4-wheelers come to challenge the rough terrain of the backcountry in the Moab, Utah

Moab, Utah

Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...

 area. Although its title does say it's a festival of jeeps, a few take on the trails in 4x4 trucks. The Easter Weekend safari lasts for nine days, going through Easter Sunday.

Expeditions

When going 4-wheeling, people can either go alone, or join up in a group. Groups usually meet up early in the day, at a certain location in the city. First waivers are signed and collected, then the drivers are given instruction and told to comply with any and all Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...

 regulations (i.e. stay on the trail, avoid walking on protected soil, etc.). Groups will then head out to the trails for the day. Once a group arrives at a trail, they will partially deflate ("air down") their tires to get better traction on sand or slick rock. Once the air down is completed they will begin through the trail and depending on the trail and the number of stops, it can take anywhere from a few hours to all day.

Many groups do radio introductions, over the CB radio, where a person (often the driver) will introduce his/her self and any passengers in the car. They may also tell if they have driven the trail before, or if it's their first time. When a group approaches a really difficult obstacle, a few will get out and act as a spotter

Spotter

A spotter is someone trained to look for something. The term has the following special meanings.*Weather spotter, an individual who observes the weather to inform other groups.*Storm spotter, a weather spotter who observes specific weather events....

 to ensure everyone makes it up or down safely.

Groups will usually stop around noon or 1:00 P.M. for a lunch break. Drivers and passengers usually chat, take pictures, or do some work on their cars. Once lunch is completed they will take off again.

Trails

Trails rank from easy to difficult (1 through 5). The classification system is the same used in skiing

Skiing

Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

: Circle is Easy, Square is Moderate, and Diamond is Hard. Many trails have several obstacles to get through. Some of the most famous are Kenny's Climb, and White Knuckle Hill

Danger

Some trails, specifically the higher difficulty ones can be dangerous for unexperienced drivers, especially if they go at it alone. Inexperienced groups are advised to bring a spotter along on the more difficult trails to avoid injuries and rollovers.