The Mighty Mongol Rally Mission...

Who's doing what, and when?

Beginning on July 18th 2009 Luc Jolly, James Davies and Marc Gross are taking part in the 2009 Mongol Rally which basically involves driving from Goodwood in Sussex to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, in a wonderfully unsuitable little car for charity. The vehicle of choice is a 10-year-old 1.2 litre Fiat Bravo, modified for use in the rugged and remote landscapes of Eastern Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia in absolutely no way whatsover.

We have decided to support two of the official charities of the 2009 Mongol Rally; Mercy Corps, who support rural communities in Mongolia by helping them to lead an independent and sustainable life, and CNCF (Christina Noble Children's Foundation) who run a variety of excellent projects in Mongolia helping children who've been dealt a pretty rough hand in life.

To find out more about our team, our car, the charities we have chosen to support, the sponsors who have chosen to support us, and the route, please navigate around our little site using the links on the left.

For some brief background about the origins, purpose and ethos of the event, straight from the organisers' mouths, please read the short extract below and/or follow the link to the offical Mongol Rally website.

Please, please, please also sponsor us whatever you can afford via our Just Giving links on 'The Charities' page of this site. All donations go directly to the charities mentioned and help to make a real difference to real people in some of the impoverished regions through which we'll be travelling. Thank you!

What's the point?

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.

Imagine yourself in the middle of the gargantuan Kazakh desert, your car slowly being shredded by the dirt track your map says is a motorway, completely lost hundreds of miles from civilisation with no back up crew to rescue you. Just you, your wits, your increasingly brown pants, a car that the laws of physics say shouldn't have got you past Peckham Rye and a slightly angry looking man with a gun.

If this all conspires to make you think, "my goodness that's a terribly silly idea" the Mongol Rally is probably not your cup of salted Mongolian tea. If, on the other hand, you think "hang on by gad, that's exactly what I need", you've found your calling, so read on to find out what you'll be doing next summer.

The Charities

The Mongol Rally isn't just about adventure, it's also about raising huge sacks of cash for some great charities. In 2007 the Mongol Rally topped £200,000 and we hope to smash that this year.

Each team coming on the Rally raises a minimum of £1000 for the Rally charities. You can find out more about them and the awesome work they do on the Charity page.

The Road Ahead

A third of the way around the earth, from Europe to Mongolia via a plethora of countries most people haven't heard of in a car that has an engine with no bigger than 1.2 litre. Starting from England, Spain and Italy, the rally finishes in the Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar around four weeks and a whole heap of adventure later. It's between about 8 and 10,000 miles depending on the route you choose to throw your trusty steed at. We don't believe in telling you what to do or where to go as this is supposed to be an adventure not a cosy guided driving tour, so the world is pretty much your oyster. Take a look over the route page to get a feel for the different delights that await you.

To get to the end teams have gone as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as Afghanistan on what can only really be described as somewhat circuitous routes. What happens to you between the start, the deserts, mountains, bandits and wilderness is anyone's guess. In a normal year just over half the teams make the finish line in one piece.

If you want a full support crew (or any support crew) you're in the wrong place. If nothing goes wrong, then everything has gone wrong. You only start having fun when you break down in the desert with only a short stick and some chewing gum to fix your car. If your automobile completely lets you down and all else fails, e.g. the sky has fallen on your head, you may be able to get to Mongolia by scabbing a lift from other cars. However, you are supposed to be on an adventure not in a nursery class so if the sky does fall on your head, prop it up with a windscreen wiper and carry on. If you're worried, stay at home.

For more details about the event please visit the official Mongol Rally Website.........