The Yurtles Mongol Rally - London to Mongolia
Donation protected
Hello! Our names are Jonathan Strauch and Henry Nowland; together we form “The Yurtles” (a mix of a Mongolian yurt and a turtle). We are two university students that are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: The Mongol Rally.
For those who haven’t heard about this crazy race, here are some statistics that put it into context: 1 Renault Clio (c. 2002), 2 drivers, (+)23 countries, 40 days, 300 teams, and over 10,000 miles. You can check out a map of our proposed route here.
As crazy and hectic as it sounds, there are some basic rules to the madness. Firstly, the car must be farcically small (in our case 1.2 litres). Secondly, teams are completely on their own (we’re poor students, we have no backup). Thirdly, each team is required to raise £1,000 for charity.
Our charity of choice is Cool Earth , an organisation that “works alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation and climate change”. This is a cause that is close to our heart, as Jonathan does research in the Peruvian Amazon on deforestation due to illegal gold mining.
Through deserts and snowcapped peaks, across seas and steppe, and over paved and (very) unpaved roads, our rusty chariot, a Renault Clio will be our home for a month. We've lucked out in obtaining the perfect car (shout-out Luke), but the task that we are currently faced with is raising money for charity.
Through this fundraiser, half of all donations will go straight to Cool Earth and the other half will help out the Yurtles in subsidizing the costs. A main point about the Mongol Rally is to prove that you don't need a stupid amount of money and capital in order to have crazy adventures. That being said, some of the upfront costs make it difficult to get started.
Some of the costs involved in a trip of this undertaking include:
- Entry fee ($950)
- Food (two hungry boys)
- Lodging (sometimes in a tent, sometimes in a hostel)
- Fuel (~$1000)
- Visas (Henry's visas come out to ~$1100 and Jonathan's come out to ~$500)
- Travel insurance
- Third party car insurance at every border
- Equipment
- Maintenance (spare tires, sump guard, roof rack)
- Scrapping the chariot at the finish line (per rally regulations ~$1500)
- Palm greasing
If you or someone you know would be so kind as to help us on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, any and all donations are greatly appreciated. And for anyone who donates $100 or more, we would be delighted to put a (culturally appropriate) sticker of your choice on our car, which would be seen by thousands of people throughout our journey. There is also room for corporate sponsorship, if you know anyone who might want to get more involved (feel free to reach out to Jonathan or Henry at [email redacted] or [email redacted]).
As we’ve mentioned above, this is an expedition of a lifetime. The stars have aligned to give us enough time in our last summer as students and after over a year of organizing, the start line is rapidly approaching. We are looking forward to the prospect of travelling to unknown corners of the world and doing it all for charity as well. Any help you can give will be truly appreciated and will go a long way in helping the Yurtles reach our goal.
For those who haven’t heard about this crazy race, here are some statistics that put it into context: 1 Renault Clio (c. 2002), 2 drivers, (+)23 countries, 40 days, 300 teams, and over 10,000 miles. You can check out a map of our proposed route here.
As crazy and hectic as it sounds, there are some basic rules to the madness. Firstly, the car must be farcically small (in our case 1.2 litres). Secondly, teams are completely on their own (we’re poor students, we have no backup). Thirdly, each team is required to raise £1,000 for charity.
Our charity of choice is Cool Earth , an organisation that “works alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation and climate change”. This is a cause that is close to our heart, as Jonathan does research in the Peruvian Amazon on deforestation due to illegal gold mining.
Through deserts and snowcapped peaks, across seas and steppe, and over paved and (very) unpaved roads, our rusty chariot, a Renault Clio will be our home for a month. We've lucked out in obtaining the perfect car (shout-out Luke), but the task that we are currently faced with is raising money for charity.
Through this fundraiser, half of all donations will go straight to Cool Earth and the other half will help out the Yurtles in subsidizing the costs. A main point about the Mongol Rally is to prove that you don't need a stupid amount of money and capital in order to have crazy adventures. That being said, some of the upfront costs make it difficult to get started.
Some of the costs involved in a trip of this undertaking include:
- Entry fee ($950)
- Food (two hungry boys)
- Lodging (sometimes in a tent, sometimes in a hostel)
- Fuel (~$1000)
- Visas (Henry's visas come out to ~$1100 and Jonathan's come out to ~$500)
- Travel insurance
- Third party car insurance at every border
- Equipment
- Maintenance (spare tires, sump guard, roof rack)
- Scrapping the chariot at the finish line (per rally regulations ~$1500)
- Palm greasing
If you or someone you know would be so kind as to help us on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, any and all donations are greatly appreciated. And for anyone who donates $100 or more, we would be delighted to put a (culturally appropriate) sticker of your choice on our car, which would be seen by thousands of people throughout our journey. There is also room for corporate sponsorship, if you know anyone who might want to get more involved (feel free to reach out to Jonathan or Henry at [email redacted] or [email redacted]).
As we’ve mentioned above, this is an expedition of a lifetime. The stars have aligned to give us enough time in our last summer as students and after over a year of organizing, the start line is rapidly approaching. We are looking forward to the prospect of travelling to unknown corners of the world and doing it all for charity as well. Any help you can give will be truly appreciated and will go a long way in helping the Yurtles reach our goal.
Fundraising team (2)
Jonathan Strauch
Organizer
Winston-Salem, NC
Henry Nowland
Team member