How can you sum up the Mongol Rally?

How does "The Greatest Adventure in the World" sound to you?

What about, 8 000 miles, 2 deserts, 5 mountain ranges,roads ranging from bad to non-existent, no support crew and all this in a car you swapped for a bag of crisps?

Stir in the odd party in far-flung parts of the globe, and cook for about three weeks and you have an inkling of the Mongol Rally.

The Challenge

To travel ¼ of the way around the earth, from London to Mongolia, in any car as long as the engine is less than 1 ltr.

The rally is just over 8000 miles, it starts in Hyde Park in London on the 22 July 2006 and finishes in the Mongolian capital of Ulaan Bataar about three weeks later.

There is no set route, just some checkpoints where we can stop for a rest and a beer.

   
The back up team isn't just small, it doesn't exist!!

All entrants to the Mongol Rally must rely entirely on themselves.   It's an adventure not
a package holiday so there is no guarantee we will arrive at our destination, or that we will be safe.   

I repeat - there is no back up!!

Our car, Bonnie, will not only be our mode of transport but also our home for most of the time. If we are running late we may end up sleeping and driving in shifts.

   
Travelling light is the order of the day, we want to be as unladen as possible, so if we have to swap our broken car for a bicycle in the middle of the desert, we should be able to carry on.

Once we arrive in Mongolia there are a number of options, if we cannot get her back we may have to sell Bonnie , but we are really hoping to be able to drive her all the way home again.

But, and this is a big but, Paul's son Doug, is getting married on the 2 September so wind,  snow, rain, sun, breakdowns, bandits .........whatever!!

He will be back by then!!!!