'14s to Race 10,000 miles from UK to Mongolia
Cramped in a 1.1 liter Suzuki Alto, Nick Allen ’14, Benjie Jenkins ’14 and Cooper Thomas ’14 will depart the U.K. on July 20 as part of The Mongol Rally, an annual car rally that covers 10,000 miles. If successful, they will arrive at the finish line in Mongolia by Aug. 30.
"Having never spoken to the dealer, having never sent anyone to look at the car [and] based solely on the eBay description," the trio decided to make the purchase on eBay, Allen said.
Allen learned about the opportunity through someone he worked with last winter and posed the idea to Thomas and Jenkins. On the first day of registration, Thomas emailed the other two asking if they were serious.
"I was sitting there at the desk of my boring job thinking I have literally no reason not to do this,"Allen said.
Thomas said it was “an opportunity to go out with a bang, so to speak," acknowledging that they are all seniors and will live in different parts of the country next year.
The rally brings plenty of potential challenges. Jenkins is particularly nervous about the disorganized border crossings that the trio will have to navigate and negotiate, while Allen cites the freight ferry across the Caspian Sea as a source of stress.
"[It] could take anywhere from 24 hours to five days to make the crossing, and that's assuming we even get on in the first place,"Allen said.
The seniors are also preoccupied with the mechanical skills necessary for the trip.
"None of us have any mechanical experience and obviously the car is a critical part of our trip, and so that's obviously a bit of a concern," Thomas said.
Jenkins added that the trio will have to resolve any mechanical problems themselves.
While the trip poses potential difficulties, Thomas thinks that the uncertainty is part of the trip's thrill.
"I think we're all at least a little bit excited for the first breakdown, and just to figuring out how to make that work,” Thomas said. “That sort of on the fly problem solving is something that can be extremely frustrating in the moment, but ultimately produces the most rewarding and positive memories in the long run."
The team is raising money for the Cool Earth foundation, which helps protect rainforests by doing carbon offsets. The foundation is the Mongol Rally's official charity, but they also have the opportunity to raise money for their charity of choice — SOS Children's Villages, an organization that defends the rights and needs of children in developing countries.
“One of the countries they work in is Uzbekistan, and we're hoping to stop by one of the centers that they set up and, like, give the kids gifts,” Allen said.
The group is accepting donations through the website crossingtherubikhan.com. Contributions up to $20,000 will first go toward expensive trip costs, such as visas and supplies, and further donations will go to their two charities.The trio will post about rally on the site throughout the summer.