Adventure King

The Mongol Rally started in 2004 as a crazy jaunt from London to Mongolia.  It has since become an infamous rally with a focus on adventure, It’s not really considered a race, more a journey of discovery.  Given the history of the regions around Mongolia and the gruelling 9000 mile journey across mountain ranges and deserts you might wonder who signs up for this perilous trip?

Oh and did I mention the rules?  Only cars with an engine smaller than one litre are allowed…

Today we’re speaking with Rich from the “Yakky Racers” team.  He and his intrepid co-pilot took part in the Rally a few years back and hopefully we can gain some insights into this slightly crazy annual event.

So Rich, what made sign up for the Mongol Rally, were you inspired by the Cannonball Run films?

My fondness for Burt Reynolds was obviously a factor, but I got the idea after seeing my friend’s brother complete it the year before. Hearing some fairly ridiculous stories about his adventures sowed a bit of a seed in my mind that kept on growing. Eventually a combination of bribery and blackmail convinced my co-driver to take part and despite the website shutting down on sign-up day due to the number of entrants, we managed to snag ourselves a place and a very silly holiday.

What trusty one litre steed did you end up with, do you have a photo?

We went for a rather splendid 1995 red Nissan Micra which we purchased for the princely sum of £350 on Ebay! I have no affiliation to Nissan whatsoever but I truly cannot describe how amazing that little car was. Despite the unspeakable things we did to it, including smashing both front and rear suspension bars on craters in the road and dragging it through a river pulled by a 4 x 4 (with exhaust and door seals gaffer taped up) the engine did not fail to start a single time. Those Japanese definitely know how to make a car.

How did you go about selecting a co-pilot, any advice to share?

You’re unlikely to ever be in such close quarters in such extreme and uncomfortable circumstances for so long with one person very often so pick very carefully. Random acquaintances are probably not the way forward and a good mix of complimentary skills are a definite advantage. Oh, and take lots of deodorant.

Other than choosing a reliable looking car, were there any other preparations, did you learn about mechanics for example?

I would advise anyone doing the rally to at least have a basic grasp of mechanics or, as in my case, find a co-driver who’s much less inept than you are. Quite simply, you will break down. And the chances are you will break down somewhere that is a bit rubbish. I would suspect that its also fairly unlikely that your roadside assistance will cover the Gobi desert. I learned a few of the basics so I could at least contribute to a point when we got stuck but thankfully my co-driver Steve is one of those irritatingly practical people who can fix pretty much anything. Aside from basic mechanics, its probably sensible to have a bit of a crash first aid course or at the very least pack a decent first aid kit.

My other bit of advice is not to take too much stuff. We passed loads of cars who had dozens of spare parts, petrol cans and tyres but were far too heavy to drive over the sand tracks that make up the roads out there. Take the essentials including a couple of spare tyres, petrol and water but don’t take too much.

Did you plan a route and stick to it, were there any forced diversions or stopovers?

We had a route but so many things happen on the way that you can never stick to it 100%. Unlike some of the other teams we had a fairly tight timescale as we both had to be back in the UK at a certain time for work commitments so had to have at least some sort of plan. With the number of border crossings you have to go through and the relevant paperwork and passports you pretty much have to plan where you’re going or quite simply you won’t get in.

Did you see a lot of other Mongol Rally Cars on the road, what was the atmosphere like?

There’s definitely a fair bit of camaraderie and for the first few days everyone is pretty much going the same way to the same time scale. On the first day from London to the ferry you become part of the most ridiculous comedy convoy which certainly raised a few eyebrows. On the road everyone pretty much helps everyone else out although the cars get spread all over on different routes and timescales. There’s plenty of stories of cars being abandoned only for the passengers to squeeze into another team’s car to carry on the journey. And its always great to turn a corner and see another car with British plates on in the middle of nowhere!

So, tell me about your breakdowns, I’m assuming you had a few?

One or two! To be fair to our car, which I’ve already mentioned, the engine was just about indestructible. We did manage to break the front and rear suspension bars (and by we, I mean me) which caused a bit of concern. The locals we came across were just brilliant though; the first time we actually got taken to a Nissan approved garage in Kazakhstan were we had the best part of twenty people patching us up and the second time a very large man with a very small hammer performed an equally adept roadside repair in the middle of a tiny village in Mongolia. There were a few other minor problems (a few inevitable burst tyres for example) but the worst thing was that our horn stopped working properly, emitting a rather camp squeak by the end. Given the state of the driving out there, a working horn is probably more essential than your engine!

Any run ins with the law or border guards?

Plenty! You have the face the inevitable that at some point you are going to get robbed by a man in a uniform and a very large hat. The larger the hats by the way, the more of your money they can hide in there. We discovered however that the police and guards we encountered generally had a low boredom threshold so every time we got stopped (which was a lot) we’d essentially just jump out of the car, deliberately misunderstand what they were trying to say and start smiling and shaking their hands like long lost brothers. And if that didn’t work, the clincher was our jumbo pack of mint humbugs which greased many a dirty palm. Whilst they looked completely dumbfounded we’d just smile, get back in the car and drive off. They probably thought we were idiots but it worked a treat. Some of the border crossings were fine, others not so.

My best bit of advice is not to look petrified, pretend you have little or no money (which won’t be hard as you probably won’t have showered for about five days) and keep it all lighthearted. The only time we got really unstuck was when an off duty policeman dragged us into his car in the middle of a city in Kazakhstan and tried to steal our passports. Luckily a local guy spoke some English and tried to help but things escalated a little and we were driven down to the main police station, marched through the cells and presented to the Chief of Police! It was all completely surreal but the Chief was great, sent us on our way and wished us luck! I’ve never left a place so quickly though!

Were there any moments where you stopped to think, “What The Hell Am I Doing Here”?

Plenty. There’s a couple of photos of us with the car in the middle of the Gobi desert and there’s just literally nothing for miles. You have to pinch yourself sometimes but its an amazing place to drive through, even if you are in a Nissan Micra!

What were the highlights of the trip for you?

The whole experience of it was what made it so much fun, but in terms of the places we drove through, I’d have to say the Mongolian countryside as it’s absolutely stunning and the near complete detachment from what we’re normally used to in modern society is actually quite amazing.

So, I heard that on average, only half of the entrants finish, were you lucky enough to make it all the way to Ulaan Baatar, what is it like?

Thankfully we did make it, although there were a few times I wasn’t so confident we would! It’s a great feeling to pull in to the finish line and have a cold beer thrust in your hand. I can honestly say that never in my life has a pint tasted so good. Ulaan Baatar as a city is great, and surprisingly cosmopolitan with plenty of bars and restaurants to unwind in. And it has showers!

How does the event help charities exactly?

There’s a number of great charities which the rally is affiliated with, most of them dealing with poverty, and in particular child poverty, in the countries we passed through. Every team has to raise a minimum amount of sponsorship to enter and on top of that the cars are sold off at the end of the rally to raise even more money. They’re quite the collectors item to Mongolians as well; despite the beating we’d given our car we found out it sold for £750; more than twice what we actually paid for it! All in all each rally raises somewhere in the region of a quarter of a million pounds each year with all the extra advertising which is fantastic.

On reflection, is there anything you really wished you had taken with you?

A proper car! To be fair we planned and packed pretty well. I’m not entirely sure we needed a coffee percolator and a football but I suppose you need the odd luxury item. More humbugs maybe?!

What kind of person do you think would enjoy the rally?

Anyone who wants to do something a bit different and see places that you’d never ordinarily go to. You do need to be able to devote a bit of time to it though; the longer you have, the more you’ll experience. It’s one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done but there is an element if risk to it and you do have to be careful and pretty level headed to stay safe.

Thanks for agreeing to the interview Rich, sounds like you had the adventure of a lifetime driving to Mongolia. Good luck to all of the teams entering the Rally this year.

If you want to sign up for the next rally follow this link to “The Adventurists”, also known as the nutters that came up with this genius idea.