An unforgettable adventure
They still exist, the great adventures of our time. And we are particularly proud that we could be part of a team.
The Mongol Rally is a car rally that begins in Europe and originally ended in Uland Bator, Mongolia. To avoid punitive costs and taxes associated with vehicle imports and disposal, the rally now passes through Mongolia and ends in Ulan Ude, Russia. The principal launch is from London, UK , with subsidiary starting points in the Czech Republic. It is described as the “greatest adventure in the world”. There are three fundamental Rules of the Rally:
The car must be small and rubbish
Teams are totally unsupported
Teams need to raise at least £1000 for charity
The rally is designed to be an adventure for the participants, and not a traditional rally/race. The organisers (“The Adventurists”) are careful to point out that racing on highways is illegal, and that no recognition is given to the first finisher. There are other differences from mainstream rallies, particularly the fact that no support team is provided and no other arrangements are made such as for accommodation. Indeed, the diminutive vehicles are deliberately inappropriate for the task, in the adventurous spirit of the rally.
So it’s about the adventure for the drivers. How do you manage to get to Mongolia with little money, mostly without knowledge of the local languages and a lot of time? Transverse through South-East Europe, Turkey or Russia, through Georgia or Iran, and the four Stans, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tadjikistan and Turkmenistan. It is about a long journey, where you will get problems. With the group, which has to spend many hours in the car in a confined space. By car, which will hardly be able to create many thousands of kilometers without any big problems. With the authorities, since not a few visas, permits, or other bullying bureaucratic hurdles have to cope. And with oneself. It may happen that some participants are self-doubt about what they actually do in the Pamir high mountains, in Kyrgyzstan or in eastern Iran.
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