Jeep® vehicles are far more than a mode of transport - they define an entire lifestyle. Around the WORLD, OWNERS get together to celebrate their go-anywhere, do-anything spirit.

The searing heat of a relentless sun, intricate serpentine back roads and a wilderness that could only be Utah's Red Rock Desert have long been a combination that mesmerises the soul of Jeep® owners worldwide. Legendary even among those who've never had the good fortune to attend, the hallowed Moab Jeep Safari remains the ultimate test and display of undisputed loyalty for Jeep owners and their vehicles. It is also the world's largest and most demanding gathering of Jeep vehicles.

Drawn by a force almost as indefatigable as the Jeep vehicle itself, more than 1,000 off-road devotees assemble in Moab, Utah, over the Easter weekend each year. Owners come from as far afield as Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Britain and Japan. All are keen to make their mark and to meet up with friends old and new. While here, cultures meld and one owner's struggle against the landscape becomes - in the name of Jeep and the camaraderie it inspires - the cause of one and all.

"We couldn't experience adventures like this anywhere else in the world. There's nothing like it," enthuses Swiss owner Martin Eichmueller, a Moab regular for the past five years. Likewise, Bavarian owners Freidrich and Ute Wagner, old hands of California's famed Rubicon Trail, simply can't stay away. "We can't think of a better way to spend the Easter holidays," says Freidrich. He and his wife own three Jeep vehicles and happily admit that their lives revolve around these timeless machines.

The American safari is a prime example of the many ways in which Jeep vehicle owners gather each year to celebrate the brand's lifestyle. But for those who can't make the journey to the USA, Euro Camp Jeep offers plenty of fun and adventure to free-spirited Jeep owners from around the world. And, just like Moab Jeep Safari and all other gatherings, the overwhelming ethos is the unity of the 4x4 owners and their vehicles. At every event, the irrefutable fact is that Jeep vehicles, adventure, teamwork and friendship go together.

The four-day event started in 2001 and has taken place in various European countries, including France, Italy and Croatia. In July this year it will return to Le Rouret in the Ardèche, just 45km from the inaugural location. As always, there will be enough activities to keep the entire family entertained, with Jeep owners able to make their stay as demanding or relaxing as they wish.

The biggest Jeep event of its type, Euro Camp Jeep brings together the largest number of brand-loyal customers outside the USA, and testifies to the passion owners feel for their vehicles and the fellowship these 4x4s generate. "Euro Camp Jeep has become a 'must-do' for owners and enthusiasts across Europe," agrees Thomas Hausch, Chrysler Group Vice President - International Sales. "They budget their time and money to attend. While here, they live life in a Jeep, experiencing everything the name stands for." The 2007 event will give owners the chance to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the Cevennes Mountains. As well as putting their Jeep vehicles through their paces, they will be able to participate in numerous activities, including quad bike riding, canoeing in the Ardèche river and caving in some of the region's miles of limestone caves.

Euro Camp Jeep offers an amazingly diverse range of outdoor activities, from family team games during the day to live bands playing in the evening. The event also offers participants a close-up look at the rugged individuality of Jeep vehicles. So universal is the name and the fascination of the brand and events, it has been said that everybody would secretly like to own a Jeep at some point in their lives.

For those who want to push themselves and their vehicle harder, there's Camp Jeep Egypt, a desert crossing that takes in the Pyramids and the flavours of Cairo. Similarly, there are various African challenges such as the Tunisia Autotraper African Challenge. Run in co-operation with the Autotraper Off-Road Club Polska, the inaugural event in 2005 started at Lodz in Poland and covered more than 2,000km. Participants passed through the village used in Star Wars, the dry lakes of Chott El Jerid and Gharsa, endured sandstorms, overcame the Saharan dunes and rubbed shoulders with desert tribesmen.

For owners based in the southern hemisphere, Jeep activities are just as numerous and as testing - both mechanically and physically - as they are anywhere else in the world. Combining the legendary abilities of the vehicles with a true sense of wilderness adventure, New Zealand offers those who seek frontier exploration a unique chance to express themselves. Organised by Jeep New Zealand, Jeep 101 and Jeep Jamboree give owners the chance to explore their vehicles' true mountaineering potential or plunge themselves into the deep, lush valleys of both the North and South Islands. In between, they talk to long-standing friends across the bonnets of Jeep vehicles from throughout the ages. Likewise, during Jeep's annual fishing contest owners can prove that their own skills match their vehicle. To do this they must negotiate the winding route down to the sea before they can start fishing.

"Year after year, Jeep owners are drawn back to the Jamboree," says Brett Aspden, General Manager of Jeep New Zealand. "It's more than just getting together to go four-wheel driving, it's about being part of the Jeep family." On the other side of the globe, British owners who can't find the time to head over to Moab, Euro Camp Jeep or down to New Zealand, have more than enough to keep them and their Jeep vehicles occupied close to home. Organised by Mark Askew, one of the UK's most fanatical Jeep vehicle owners, Tong Fest, set high on the Yorkshire moors, is guaranteed to appeal to the most ardent Jeep owners.

"The highlight has to be the Rubi-Tong Trail. Although we can't compete with the real thing in California, there'll be more than enough rocks to crawl over, rivers to wade through and hills to climb. All the challenges require true teamwork for every vehicle to cross them. And don't think this event is only for old Jeep vehicles. Even if you've only just driven your new vehicle out of the showroom and all you want to do is park it up and watch the action, there's plenty for you to see and do. You'll still become part of what makes these 4x4s something special," enthuses Askew.

While meeting other Jeep owners is paramount to some people, others enjoy the ownership experience on a personal level. One such person is Karen Graham from England. Now the owner of her third Jeep Grand Cherokee, this independent 40-something regularly tours around Europe with nothing more than her map, compass and the inherent Jeep reliability. "The one thing about a Jeep, for a woman who enjoys travelling alone, is that I feel safe," she says. "To reach my destination I take in some of the most demanding mountain passes found anywhere. I've driven over the Stelvio Pass twice to get from Italy into Austria and Switzerland, and toured the mountains of Sicily. In fact, two years ago, I was one of the last to drive over the Grossglockner Pass before it became blocked with snow." Though Graham and many owners prefer to find their adventure in solo pursuits, they are all forever bound by their free-spirited nature and their love of their all-conquering vehicle.

As it says across the windscreens of some vehicles, 'It's a Jeep thing.' Jeep owners know exactly what this means. But for those who have to ask, their adventures will always remain just around the corner.

Words Mark Stone
Pictures Simon Childs