Hamish and Sara's (from Leith) Mongol Rally blog is up and running NOW - click here for it.

Hamish writes:

To Hell In a Hairdryer!

(click here for the blog - updated as they drive)
(click here for official site page)

Rules state the cars have to have and engine size of 1000cc or less and "generally considered to be crap".

Described as ‘the greatest adventure in the world’ the Mongol Automobile Rally starts in Hyde Park and, 5 weeks and 10 000 miles later, ends in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia.

Our route on this wee jaunt will take us through Eastern Europe to Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia and follow what can only be described as some of the least safe and worst maintained roads in the world.

On this unbelievably uncomfortable and downright dangerous route we will not have any support team and, crucially, have to drive a car that has an engine with only about enough motoring oomph to power a hairdryer! Added to this vehicular handicap is the likelihood that we
could be robbed, chased by bandits, jailed, threatened and might get lost.

Only a third of the vehicles are expected to finish! But nobody has died yet!!

Out chariot for this venture is a rather impressive 1994 reddish Ford Fiesta, the perfect horseless carriage! It has 5 doors, 4 wheels, a sunroof and a partridge in a pear tree. The car was kindly donated by Billy and Jane from Renroc. www.renroc.co.uk.

The reason for all this tom-foolery is charity, we have to make a minimum of £1000 and donated whats left of the car at the finish line. We have a donation website www.willwemakeit.com/theoptimists.

The money we raise will be split between two charities, Edinburgh based Mercy Corps and SWORDE-Teppa.

The 2008 edition of the Mongol Rally opened up in November 2007 and the places have all been snapped up. Demand is massive for this corker as the 5th glorious year of adventure from the top drawer draws near. There's already a waiting list for 2008 but due to massive demand we'll be opening up some early spots for the 2009 adventure in late April 2008.

Mongol Rally Information Links:

Organiser's website
Map and past routes

When is it?
The Mongol Rally 2008 starts on July 19th 2008 from London. After a hugely successful launch from Madrid for the 2007 rally, there will also be launches from Spain and Italy for the 2008 edition. More information on those coming soon...

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 this summer.

The Mongol Rally in the News:

Hewer on the highway: Mongol Rally, day one: Daily Telegraph: 01/07/08

Rally Sponsors:

leith links

www.mercycorps.org.uk

Mercy Corps is honoured to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided over £500 million in assistance to people in 94 nations. Supported by headquarter offices in Europe, North America and Asia, the agency's unified global programmes employ nearly 3,200 staff worldwide and reach more than 13.5 million people in nearly 40 countries. Over the last five years more than 90% of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programmes that help people in need. Mercy Corps/Mongolia has one overall strategic goal – to support rural communities to mobilize resources to meet their economic and social needs , and by extension, to provide a better quality of life for rural residents. The objectives are:

To develop, diversify and strengthen rural businesses critical to Mongolia's agriculture sector, helping individuals, families and communities to become more self-sufficient , diversified in their production, and better linked to both value-added processors and local, regional and national markets.

To enhance the ability of rural communities to make informed economic and social decisions and to act on those decisions; and to empower them to participate in public sector decision-making from the local to the national level.

Currently Mercy Corps implements the following projects in Mongolia:Gobi Regional Economic Growth Initiatives (Gobi Initiative), Rural Agribusines Support Program (RASP) and Training, Advocacy and Networking Program (TAN).

www.sworde-teppa.org.uk

Through local and specialist knowledge, the charity
SWORDE-Teppa helps people to help themselves and their community in the Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan - the poorest country in the region. Implementing projects with enthusiastic local staff, volunteers, the community, youths, street children and many others, SWORDE-Teppa runs projects which are actually wanted and needed by the community.

The projects are based at or supported by SWORDE-Teppa’s English and Education Centre, opened by HRH The Duke of York in July 2006. We have a diverse range of projects which are all linked together to assist poverty reduction and lead to a healthier, more fulfilled life for all the community. They include innovative English, IT and other specialist educational programmes, plus environmental, conservation, health, sport and recreational projects.

SWORDE-Teppa is a registered UK charity but no funds raised are spent on administration or salaries because all the UK personnel are volunteers. We promise that all vital, and gratefully received, funds raised for our charitable projects go directly to Tajikistan to be used for the benefit of the community.

SWORDE-Teppa is a reconstruction and development organization and is committed to sustainable projects, with the emphasis on encouraging and supporting people to do things for themselves. SWORDE-Teppa projects can provide much needed economic opportunities for the local community and are vital for urban and rural regeneration and development. Many SWORDE-Teppa projects are to be handed over to local groups, with continued SWORDE-Teppa backing at the end of funding periods. We believe that this long-term commitment is the only way to ensure long-term success.