5:20pm Thursday 9th July 2009
A former Ermysted’s Grammar School pupil is set to take part in the gruelling Mongol Rally.
Max Brear, 28, from Cononley, and university friend, Neil Rzechorzek, also 28, will set off on the five-week 10,000 mile journey to the Mongolian capital next weekend.
Their journey will take them through Europe, Turkey, Georgia, across the Caspian Sea and bring them face to face with notorious Russian border patrols.
Max, who was a house captain at Ermysted’s and captain of the school’s cross-country team, said the pair had been lured by adventure.
“The rally is notoriously difficult and given the distance, harsh terrain and mode of transport, it is not surprising that many teams simply do not get to the Mongolian capital,” he said.
“We both enjoy travelling and, after a long period of intense working and studying, we decided it was time for an extended trip.”
The pair, who met at university in Bath, will be making the journey in a six-year-old Suzuki Jimny, setting off from Goodwood racecourse.
They need to raise at least £1,000 for the charity Mercy Corps – which supports a wide range of Mongolian projects – and once they reach their destination, they will hand the Jimny over to a local good cause.
Under rally rules, teams can use any type of vehicle, but it must be under 10 years old and have an engine no more powerful than 1.3 litres.
Max, who works in London for Barclays Bank but whose family now live in Carleton, said: “Neil and I are really looking forward to crossing the Caspian Sea by ferry into Turkmenistan and driving across the Mongolian Steppe, a vast grassland eco-region that forms a crescent across the Gobi Desert.
“We are most dreading the notorious Russian border patrol teams who often require significant bribing before they let you in and out of the country. In the past, along with the ongoing challenges of continually breaking down, a few teams have actually been chased by armed gunmen.”
It will not be the first charity trip Max has undertaken. In 1998 he mountain-biked around China with the Yorkshire Schools Exploring Society and has completed a coast-to-coast race with Steve Cram for his COCO charity.
So far, Max and Neil have gained the support of a few sponsors, including Keighley Suzuki specialist KAP, whose Andrew Webb, another former Ermysted’s pupil, has carried out much of the work on the car.
“At the end of the rally, we have agreed to donate the vehicle to the local Mongolian community, therefore we are looking for corporate sponsors to support the cost and upgrade the vehicle to ensure it gets there in one piece and is of most use to the people of Mongolia,” said Max.
Anyone who would like to sponsor Max and Neil can contact Max at maxbrear@hotmail.co.uk or visit their website at justgiving.com/stopyakkinggetcracking
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