Charley Crossley had one of...
Charley Crossley had one of the best chances at scaling Nemesis 2, with his rear steering and stretched wheelbase. The slab on the right side of the photo (under this caption) makes a straight approach impossible without rear steer. The climb is 20 feet tall with loose rocks at the bottom. No one made it up unassisted at the Chile Challenge.
The Chile Challenge doesn't take place in some South American country, it's held every year in the rockcrawling mecca of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The event name comes from the famous chili peppers that are grown and roasted in southern New Mexico. The trails continue the theme, with names like Habanero Falls and Rocotillo Rapids. The hotter the chile the harder the trail. The Chile Challenge is not a Jeep-specific function per se, but like most major 4WD events it is dominated by Jeeps with sticky tires, locking differentials, and flexible suspensions. The event is hosted by the Las Cruces 4WD Club and doubles as the Winter Quarterly Meeting for the Southwest 4WD Association.
Las Cruces translates into English as "The Cross," which is fitting since Las Cruces, New Mexico, is located at the crossroads of Interstate 25 and Interstate 10. I-25 runs all the way from Casper, Wyoming, to El Paso, Texas, while I-10 spans from Los Angeles through San Antonio and Houston all the way to New Orleans. This makes it easy for rockcrawlers from all over the country to make their yearly pilgrimage to Las Cruces every February for the annual Chile Challenge. While much of the country is donning moon boots and snow shovels in February, Las Cruces enjoys sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s. Jp magazine has been covering this event for years now, and it is one of our favorites. The combination of challenging terrain, friendly people, delicious food, and well-built Jeeps is hard to beat. For more information go to chilechallenge.org.
This is not somewhere that...
This is not somewhere that you want to break parts. Rocotillo Rapids is typical of the trails in Las Cruces. It's a narrow canyon with only enough room for one vehicle in most spots.
The 1-ton drivetrain in Jason...
The 1-ton drivetrain in Jason Lafferty's '88 YJ allows him to spin the tires without worry of breakage. A 350 V-8 feeds power through a TH400 and NP205 to a front Dana 60 and rear Corporate 14-Bolt. The suspension features 4-inch lift springs on top of the axles and long-travel shocks, but sometimes the 39-inch IROKs still leave the ground. Detroit Lockers at each end allow Lafferty to continue forward progress, even while hanging a tire.
Even with coil springs, front...
Even with coil springs, front and rear four-links, and Fox long-travel shocks, there were still places on Rocotillo Rapids where Greg Walker lifted a tire on his Jeep. It sports a CJ front clip, but the CJ started life as a YJ. Sunray Engineering built the 9-inch axles with chromoly axleshafts, 5.40 gears, and Detroit Lockers to handle the 42-inch IROKs. The front axle uses huge 1550 U-joints and Dynatrac Dynaloc hubs.
Rob McLean's TJ has plenty...
Rob McLean's TJ has plenty of power thanks to the LS1 engine under the hood. Power is then routed through a 4L60E transmission and Atlas II transfer case to Spidertrax Spider-9 axles.
Ray Torres' flatfender looks...
Ray Torres' flatfender looks incredibly clean even though it sees regular use on the hardest trails Las Cruces has to offer. What is the secret? Ray runs Fairacres Auto Body. The custom coil suspension on the flatfender helps to keep the 39-inch IROKs in contact with the rocks at all times.
When the hood says "Hammer...
When the hood says "Hammer Wagon" on the side you know that there is going to be a show. The driver of this Wrangler did not disappoint.
Crawling is the name of the...
Crawling is the name of the game in Las Cruces. Kelly Leach's YJ uses an NP435, Klune-V underdrive, and NP205 transfer case for a total crawl ratio of 163:1 to allow the 38-inch Super Swamper TSLs to inch along the trail.
Ronnie Dickson was one of...
Ronnie Dickson was one of the many Jeepers who made the long trip to Las Cruces from Tyler, Texas. His '86 CJ runs 35-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers on the stock axles, but the rear Model 20 has been upgraded to one-piece axleshafts.
The lowest-fuel-consumption...
The lowest-fuel-consumption award at Chile Challenge goes to Steve Kornegay and his '95 YJ. After wheeling for four straight days, the 4BT Cummins engine in his Jeep only used three gallons of fuel.
With 1-ton axles, trimmed...
With 1-ton axles, trimmed sheetmetal, big tires, and a stretched wheelbase, John Griffin's '79 CJ-5 exemplifies the typical Jeep found in Las Cruces. The built AMC 360 has no problem spinning the 42-inch Super Swamper SXs when needed. Custom hybrid Ford 9-inch/Dana 60 axles from Sunray Engineering filled with 5.38 gears, Detroit Lockers, and chromoly axleshafts make sure the drivetrain parts don't scatter.
Buddy Simpson was our trail...
Buddy Simpson was our trail leader on Broad Canyon in his '85 CJ-7. All of the trail leaders at the Chile Challenge are members of the Las Cruces 4WD Club and know these trails like the back of their hands.
Craig Olson made the trip...
Craig Olson made the trip from nearby El Paso in his clean '95 YJ. Craig's Wrangler has the leaf springs placed over the swapped-in Dana 44 axles to clear 35-inch Pro Comp Xtreme MTs.
Susan Shields piloted her...
Susan Shields piloted her Jeep through Rocotillo Rapids without a problem. The '99 TJ tub sits on top of a '95 YJ frame and uses a custom suspension fabricated by Shields Auto and Off-Road Performance.