Cross Country events are the best reason for getting your 4×4 out of town and doing what it was designed for! This off-road discipline combines elements of rallying and trials, depending on the specific type of event.

How does Cross Country work?

Cross Country takes place on off-road courses of up to 10 miles in length. Each competitor completes the course several times and is given penalties for exceeding the bogey. As with rallying, the winner is the competitor with the smallest aggregate time penalty. Trials feature courses, called sections, marked out by a series of gates. The further you get through each section without stopping or hitting the gate, the lower the penalty.

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How do I start?

Join your local Cross Country club, which you can find using the Find a Club function. It is also advisable to go along to events and talk to organisers and competitors to find out more as they can share their experience and advice. The All Wheel Drive Club has information on Trials, Competitive Safaris, Team Recovery and Hill Rallies, while the Association of Land Rover Clubs is dedicated to such events for Land Rovers.

You will need a free Motorsport UK RS Clubman Competition Licence to take part Cross Country Events, such as Tyro, RTV and CCV/Modified Trials, Timed Trials and Competitive Safaris. It depends on the type of Cross Country event but generally it will need to be four-wheel-drive and able to cope with rough terrain.

What equipment do I need?

Whatever you do will involve a fair amount of walking around the course/sections so you’ll need a good pair of shoes or boots and some form of waterproof clothing close to hand.

While you don’t need fireproof overalls you should always ensure that your clothing is made from natural fibres rather than man-made and that your limbs are fully covered. Motorsport UK-compliant helmets are required for all timed events.

Technical regulations for Cross Country are found in section P of the Motorsport UK Yearbook. Specific event or Championship regulations are found in Supplementary Regulations (SRs) made available by the organiser. To begin in Cross Country events, all you will need is use of a standard production 4×4 vehicle without any additional safety items.