How would you like to travel cross-country from the Czech Republic to Mongolia, while taking in the wonders of the 13 countries in between?

Now how would you like to do that in an old, creaky car with no one there to help you if things go wrong?

This July, six intrepid Maltese people will be heading off to take part in the Mongol Rally, renowned as one of the world’s most famous holy grails for adventurers.

Luke, Romy, Jennifer, Brunella, Andrew and Nicholas aka the Mally Krashers will kickstart their journey in two separate cars in Prague on 21st July and plan to go down through Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria, before driving eastwards to Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan and Kyrgyzstan, northwards to Kazakhstan and Russia, and finally finishing up in Mongolia. That’s a total of 12,000 kilometers

“We also have a Plan B, which requires catching an unreliable ferry from Azerbaijan and a Plan C which takes us into a war zone… fun stuff!” the Mally Krashers told Lovin Malta. “None of us really like cities, to be fair, so we’ll be looking for routes which take us through the raw beauty of these places. So yeah, we’ll be driving through deserts, steppe, mountain ranges, you name it! I mean, the route is literally a third of the world so I’m sure we’ll be seeing lots of different sceneries.”

The rules of the game are simple. Your car must have a maximum engine capacity of 1000ccs (1 litre) and your team must raise a minimum of €1,128 for charity, out of which €564 must go to the environmental NGO Cool Earth.

Other than that, you’re completely on your own. If your engine breaks down in the middle of the Uzbeki desert or if you run out of gas at the Pamir Mountains, then you’re completely on your own.

The six Maltese participants will therefore bring an inventory along with them, consisting of repair kits, spare parts, clothing for every weather condition imaginable, medical kits, a large tent, food and drink supplies, toiletries, and (lots and lots!) of wet wipes.

Although the six Maltese participants are all experienced, thrill-seeking travellers, this trip is sure to test them to the limit.

“It was a very simple decision for all of us,” the Mally Krashers said. “Most people would be hesitant doing the silk road with no support in two rusty chariots but that’s what gets our blood pumping. Apart from the adventure itself, the biggest push will be raising money for charity.”

Indeed, the Mally Krashers are aiming much higher than the minimum charity requirements and plan to raise €15,000 for Cool Earth, as well as for the Dar Bjorn specialised nursing home and Anita’s Palace, a Kenyan baby daycare centre. Between now and July, they will organise several fundraising activities, including a raffle with the chance to win a skydive weekend holiday in Sicily.

“The Mongol Rally is about raising shedloads of cash for charity, using our long-neglected wits and scraping into the finish line with our vehicle in tatters,” they said. “All this with a wild grin smeared across our grubby faces.”

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]