A bit of background information...
I was having one of those disillusioned weeks at work, when I heard a Radio 1 interview with one of last year's Mongol Rally participants.
From then it was clear, I was going to Mongolia.
A couple of weeks later, at my 30th birthday (about time for a midlife crisis), I told some friends of my new mission. By the end of dinner I had two partners in crime.
Now there are three of us, all stubborn Aussies...all committed to making it to Mongolia
...committed to learning about the world's cultures
...committed to keeping you informed of our progress
...and most importantly, committed to helping our charities.
So what is this Mongol Rally thing?
The world is just a little bit too safe. Gone are the days where the edge of the map called you forth to discover what lay beyond - satellite maps and GPS have it laid out before you leave the armchair. What if you want things to go wrong? What if you want a bit of unknown in a world full health and safety measures? What if the words "adventure travel" conjure images of old ladies on a guided tour to Everest base camp with all the danger and real adventure neatly removed? What you need is the Mongol Rally.
Paragraph nicked from www.mongolrally.com
The Mongol Rally is about 200 teams driving from London, England to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. That’s about 8000 miles, and will take between 3 and 6 weeks, depending on the route. Teams can go whichever way they please.
Officially the Mongol Rally first ran in 2001, although there was only one entrant, but it’s run every year since, and in 2007 it raised over 200,000 pounds for charity. Each team must raise a minimum of 1000 pounds + penalties for charity to be able to enter. We’d like to raise much more!
Fancy support vehicles have no place on the Mongol Rally. Entrants must raise extra money for charity if their vehicle’s engine exceeds 1.0L, unless their car has extreme novelty value, for example it’s a hearse, an ambulance, or perhaps it has less than 4 wheels.
In 2007 167 teams made the starting line, and 117 made it to Ulaanbaatar. Don’t be fooled by the numbers though, of the 117 survivors, less than 80 rolled across the finish under their own power. 40 cars arrived on the back of a truck or were towed.
The rally is all about getting to the finish, not about getting there first. The winner is the team that has the most fun along the way.
When is the Mongol Rally and where does it start?
It starts on July 19th. The majority of entrants will start from Hyde Park in London, but there is also an option to start from Rome or Madrid for continental entrants.
