The 2016 Rally on the Rocks brought UTV enthusiasts back to Moab, Utah, for five days of guided rides across some of the country’s most famous slickrock trails. Held May 10–14 at the Old Spanish Trail Arena, the event offered more than 20 routes ranging from easy scenic tours to technical trails filled with steep climbs, ledges and intimidating descents.
UTVGuide.net brought two Polaris RZRs to Moab and invited our friend Brad Goodfellow to drive one of them. Over the course of the week, Jon Crowley and Brad explored Hell’s Revenge, Area BFE, Behind the Rocks, Moab Rim and Cliff Hanger. Brad’s firsthand observations have been incorporated into this consolidated trip report.
Our UTVs for Rally on the Rocks
Polaris RZR XP Turbo
Our Polaris RZR XP Turbo was built by TMW Offroad and had already been used in the dunes, rocks, desert and snow. For this trip, we ran 32-inch ITP UltraCross tires on pre-production ITP beadlock wheels.
Polaris RZR XP 1000 FOX Edition
Our Polaris RZR XP 1000 FOX Edition had been in the UTVGuide.net fleet for more than a year and had attended the 2015 Rally on the Rocks. It was equipped with an SDR Motorsports cage, doors and bumper, plus 32-inch MotoRace X-ROX tires mounted on 14-inch OMF billet-center beadlocks.
Tuesday: Hell’s Revenge
Brad began Tuesday morning with a Kawasaki Teryx LE photo shoot on Moab Rim. The early light, cool air and views over the Colorado River made a memorable start to the week. After the shoot, he headed to the Old Spanish Trail Arena, where vendors were already open and rows of UTVs were lining up for the day’s guided rides.
Hell’s Revenge is one of Moab’s best-known trails. Its broad sandstone fins include extremely steep climbs and descents that can look far more intimidating from the driver’s seat than they appear in photos. The principal optional obstacles include Hell’s Gate, the Hot Tubs, Escalator and Tip-Over Challenge.
Hell’s Gate follows a narrow V-shaped groove in the sandstone. The driver must place the tires on opposite walls and straddle the deeper center of the notch. Near the top, the right wall becomes nearly vertical, requiring a controlled transition to the left before turning back toward the final climb.
Brad made several trips up Hell’s Gate in the RZR XP 1000 FOX Edition. Its suspension, predictable power delivery and 32-inch X-ROX tires kept the machine stable and planted through the climb.
We also returned to Hell’s Revenge in a nearly stock 2016 Kawasaki Teryx fitted with 28-inch STI Chicane tires and aftermarket wheels. The larger tires provided some useful extra clearance. Although it could not match the sport-oriented RZR’s suspension and power, the Teryx impressed us with its positive clutch engagement, visibility and sure-footed climbing ability. Read more in our 2016 Kawasaki Teryx review.
Wednesday: Area BFE
Wednesday took us to Area BFE, a privately owned recreation area south of Moab. We ran Green Day and part of Strike Ravine before spending time on the natural rock obstacles near the staging area.
Green Day winds through a rocky drainage with large boulders and ledges, some approximately four feet tall. Strike Ravine provides a somewhat faster and more scenic loop, although it still contains several technical sections.
This was Brad’s first opportunity to drive the RZR XP Turbo. Its low-range clutching worked well with the engine’s substantial low-end torque, making it a more capable rock crawler than he expected. On the faster portions of Strike Ravine, high range allowed him to experience the Turbo’s strong top-end power. The 32-inch ITP UltraCross tires and beadlock wheels also worked well across the varied terrain.
Thursday: Behind the Rocks
Behind the Rocks is one of Moab’s more demanding routes. The trail mixes incredible scenery with obstacles carrying names such as Guardian Hill, High Dive, Upchuck and White Knuckle Hill. Some have bypasses, while others require every vehicle to tackle difficult terrain.
Guardian Hill appears early in the trail and provides an immediate indication of what lies ahead. The steep climb combines rough sandstone, loose sand and uneven ledges. Several machines in our group needed help from a tow strap, reinforcing why recovery equipment is important on technical Moab trails.
High Dive is a steep, uneven descent into a narrow canyon. Driving down it in the FOX Edition RZR meant stepping from rock to rock, frequently with only two or three tires carrying the machine’s weight.
Upchuck waits immediately below High Dive. It is a short but steep sandstone climb split by a deep crack. The preferred line straddles the crack, but wheelspin or an unexpected bounce can pull a UTV into it and cause significant body damage.
Brad climbed Upchuck on his first attempt in the RZR XP 1000 FOX Edition. Smooth power delivery, compliant FOX suspension and the grip of the X-ROX tires helped him hold the correct line without falling into the center crack.
After the major obstacles, the trail opened into faster sandy sections and washes. Camp Chef met the group with a trailside lunch before we continued into a small dune area for photos, jumps and plenty of sand roosts.
Our separate 2016 Arctic Cat Rally on the Rocks trip report provides another look at Behind the Rocks from the Arctic Cat media ride.
Friday: Moab Rim and Cliff Hanger
Friday’s plan was ambitious: complete Moab Rim early and then move to Cliff Hanger before the trail became crowded. Moab Rim climbs rapidly from the Colorado River, beginning with Devil’s Crack and continuing to the technical Z-Turn.
The hurried pace caught up with several drivers. Brad made a poor line choice and used too much throttle at Devil’s Crack, resulting in a mechanical failure that ended his Moab Rim run. Other vehicles experienced problems in the same area, and the Z-Turn produced additional carnage, including a rollover. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Because this happened during Rally on the Rocks, Brad was able to limp the RZR back to the arena’s vendor area. Mike and the SXS Performance crew repaired the machine, although Brad could not catch the group before it departed for Cliff Hanger.
Cliff Hanger
Cliff Hanger begins with a stair-step descent from the road before crossing Kane Creek. From there, it climbs through several challenging obstacles and follows a narrow shelf above Jackson Hole. The trail is less than five miles long but finishes at a spectacular overlook of the Colorado River and La Sal Mountains.
Rally on the Rocks Vendor Area
The vendor area was an important part of the event. Numerous UTV aftermarket companies displayed products at the Old Spanish Trail Arena, and many offered installation services for parts purchased during the rally. That became especially valuable when vehicles returned from the trails needing repairs.
Grand County Search and Rescue RZR
Rally on the Rocks also used a Polaris RZR XP 1000 raffle to support the construction of a Polaris RZR XP 4 1000 for Grand County Search and Rescue. A properly equipped four-seat UTV gave the rescue team a practical way to carry personnel and equipment into Moab’s remote off-road terrain.
Five Days of Moab UTV Riding
The 2016 Rally on the Rocks delivered everything that makes Moab a special UTV destination: spectacular scenery, technical sandstone obstacles, organized group rides and immediate access to knowledgeable aftermarket companies. Between the two RZRs and the Kawasaki Teryx, we experienced a broad cross-section of the trails and terrain surrounding Moab.
For Brad, extending his second Moab visit from three days to five made the trip even more memorable. Despite the mechanical problem on Moab Rim, he came away impressed by the event, the machines and the people he met throughout the week.
Additional reporting and firsthand trail observations by Brad Goodfellow.
