Lead photo by Nathan Hindman
In 2010, a group of explorers set out to complete an obscure route through western Belize, home to one of the densest jungles on the planet. Known as Camp Six Road, the track is a challenging, barely distinguishable off-road trail through the trees, swamps, and slopes of Belize’s Chiquibul Forest Reserve.
Built over ancient Mayan tracks connecting the ancient cities of Caracol and Tikal, the route was used by loggers to extract mahogany for export in the 1920s and by British archeologist J. Eric Thompson to link Mayan excavation sites. The route has been virtually unused since the 1930s, proving a phenomenal four-wheel challenge for the 2010 expedition. But after days of heavy rain and constant winching, the team and their Land Rover Defenders were forced to retreat.
Former Overland Journal gear editor and expedition leader Graham Jackson vowed to complete the trail. Thirteen years later, the planned construction of a new highway through the region means sections of Chiquibul may not be remote for much longer. Jackson returned to Camp Six Road equipped with a new team and a mission to collect scientific data for archeologists and climate scientists, tackling increasingly overgrown terrain and new challenges.
The expedition is interesting as it combines history, discovery, and navigating challenging terrain to measure ground-level carbon dioxide levels to augment traditional satellite and aircraft carbon dioxide data. It also serves as a valuable reminder that, as overlanders, there are many ways to make a trip, expedition, or weekend jaunt more meaningful.
This Video of the Week is the official trailer for Camp Six Road: A Journey Through the Heart of the Chiquibul. The film “documents the mission to return to complete unfinished business, as well as an attempt to leverage four-wheel mobility expertise to contribute to international research and help preserve the beautiful places we are privileged to pass through.”
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Read more: The Highest Road in the World :: Video of the Week
