When I describe the Mongol Rally to someone, I usually receive two questions: "Why on Earth would you do something like this?" and a close second is "How did you hear about it?" This entry should answer these questions and provide considerably more insight then I usually offer when I'm describing this after a few beers.
I have difficulty remembering the exact moment when I discovered the Mongol Rally. I believe it was sometime in the spring of 2007 when I encountered a trip report written by a father/son team from the UK. It piqued my curiosity but it just wasn't an engrossing read. There was very little flair for the dramatic, almost as if they weren't aware of how difficult the feat they accomplished really was. Despite the less then thrilling prose, something about the idea of driving across entire continents in underpowered vehicles struck a chord with me.
There are two more recent events that lead to my enrollment in the 2010 Mongol Rally. The first would be my participation in the Central American leg of the Expeditions West Ends of the Earth Expedition (try saying that three times fast). It was my first real exposure to overloading and an absolutely fantastic experience. The second would be Paul Theroux's novel of travel by train, The Great Railway Bazaar (I highly recommend this book!). After finishing the aforementioned book, not only did I want a trip of my own, but I realized it was very possible to put one together.
Fast forward to November, 2009. On a whim, I checked out the Mongol Rally homepage and discovered that registration was open for the 2010 Rally. On an even bigger whim, I registered for a spot on the waiting list (some part of me wanted to be selected - I chose Barcelona as my starting point because I figured the waiting list was fairly short). A week later, I received an e-mail stating I had a spot on the 2010 Mongol Rally and had two weeks to pay the entrance fee or else my spot would be released. The two-week period happened to fall over Thanksgiving, which gave me some time to think about what I might be getting myself into.
It goes without mentioning that I was extremely excited about this potential opportunity. Before I forked over the entrance money and committed to the race, I wanted to get some outside advice: my mom and dad. They were for supportive for the most part (although I did promise my mother I wouldn't visit Iran). I paid the entry fee and officially signed up en route to an Overland Training alumni trip in Baja, Mexico.
My first and perhaps biggest obstacle: find a teammate. I needed to find someone willing to make a real commitment to crossing the finish line. Many friends were interviewed, but no one was able find the 6-7 weeks necessary to participate in the Rally.
Three months passed and I gingerly began collecting research material and planning my route. Things were picking up but without a teammate, I wasn't able to fully commit myself to the Rally. It was now February, 2010. If I dropped out of the race by March 31 the majority of my entrance fee would be returned to me. It was imperative for me to find a teammate.
Since I reside in Prescott, Arizona I knew there was only one person I could turn to: Scott Brady. I knew Scott would be a great addition - he possess many of the hard skills I lack and has a global network of contacts. I knew both would be important if we wanted to take this trip to the next level. He accepted - now it was time to buckle down and make things happen.
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