| As Bill & Steve make their way across Europe and Asia, follow their progress on this page. Reports will be posted underneath the maps. Click here for a report from the launch. The Morris Minor will show approximately where Bill & Steve have currently reached. |
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| Stage 4: On to Mongolia, dodging the yaks |
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| flags are courtesy of www.3dflags.com |
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| live updates and full text messages are available on the Mongol Rally website itself..click here |
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| For comments and enquiries please e-mail the webdisaster, Mike Hancox |
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| click here for earlier reports |
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| August 22nd 23:45 Day 24 Mongolia is starting to look almost agonisingly close, but I suspect that that is where the fun will really start. The only news I have to report today is from fellow convoy members Pandora's People, the Rascal Romahome, who have advised Left omsk, heading for novosibirsk , doesn't look like we'll make it tonight so plan on camping. Karakorum caravan club suffered 3rd blown tyre in 2 days. |
| August 23rd Day 25 The only text I've received today states: In tyre shop again after another puncture yesterday. Town called KARGAT near NOVOSIBIRSK. Miles from London now 4514. Still about 3000km [1875 miles] to go. V windy. Received at 04:21 BST. No other news to report from Pandora's People or Chingiss Khaan't either. |
| August 24th Day 26 It looks as though the team will take the path of least resistance to Ulan Bator, via Irkutsk rather than entering Mongolia from the extreme west. This may be wise as this morning, Bill advises: In Krasnoyarsk. Suspension, brake repairs holding up OK. 2 windows & both rear wings weld on with duct tape. 3 days to go more or less. Then, this evening: will spend the night in bandit country, about 150 km east of Krasnoyarsk. Miles from London 5195, Running out of duct tape to hold car body together. |
| August 25th Day 27 Before they left London, Bill told me that he might drive the Traveller back from Mongolia as well, I think we can safely say that isn't going to happen. Here's the latest text: Somewhere 200 k nw of IRKUTSK. 3rd night sleeping in car. No decent facilities for days. Russian roads now atrocious. Car being shaken to pieces. 5561 miles. |
| August 26th Day 28 - additional text messages Yesterday spent mostly on dirt track amusingly alled the M53. Very dusty. Disintegration of wheel arches has left cabin open at rear, so car has filled thenat wheel arches cabin now open to road, wheels throw dust INTO not behind car so we and all gear totally covered. finally: 170 km short of Irkutsk. Fuel pump packed up. Fuel appears t be contaminated with brass shavings (!?!) Working the problem Places reached today: Irkustsk, Lake Baikal |
| August 27th Day 29 Spent night in holiday camp on shore of lake Baikal. Shower and shave at last. Fuel pump on morris packed up yesterday but now working after stripping and clean. then, from Bill- fuel pump fixed- now skirting south shore of lake Baikal |
| August 28th Day 30 I am stunned to report that the team formerly known as the Karakoram Caravan Club have proved the doubters (me included) wrong and are now on Mongolian territory. Steve reports: Arrived mongolia. 12 hours to cross the border. Not helped by lost passport for camper van . Pandoras's People (the camper van) add: After 12 hours at border ourselves, Chinggis Khaant and Karakorum Caravan Club made it 2 Mongolia! and Chinngis Khaan't reported the earlier problems at the frontier: No progress at border. Mayhem, others pushing in, stuck in non-moving Q. After 4hrs moving to back of other queue. Not sure we'll even get past 1st gate today. |
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| August 29th Day 31 There seems to have been one last problem-parked up on the Mongolian Steppe near..er, well not near anything actually. The jeep has failed again;brakes now. Morris fine. Ulan Bator by evening if repairs succeed, texted Bill at 06:42 BST, but great news is posted five hours and five minutes later: sunset overlooking Ulan Bator. Short drive to Mongol rally camp at mgl els [not sure where mgl els is-Ed]- will officially complete the mission. |
| August 30th Day 32 Early this morning I received confirmation by text from Bill that the final destination had been reached. Unfortunately, I managed to delete the text! It went something like this, and is rather reminiscent of the announcement of lunar conquest of 1969: On Tuesday August 30th 2005 at 1400 local time (0600 GMT) Bill Morrison, Steve Beckley and a 1961 Morris Traveller arrived in Ulan Bator and completed the 2005 Mongol Rally. Miles from London 7027. Thankfully however, Bill appears to have resisted the temptation to claim Mongolia in the name of Her Majesty. Congratulations to all three of you- a job well and improbably done. Any more sponsorship would now be more than welcome..please click here to donate. |