Driving the Mongol Rally: London to Mongolia Road Trip Adventure
Three travelers spent weeks driving a battered car across 10,000 miles from London to Mongolia during the Mongol Rally, traversing Europe, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Facing harsh conditions, vehicle strain, and vast deserts, the crew relied on spontaneous local hospitality and convoy camaraderie to reach Ulaanbaatar.
Brainstorming the 10,000-Mile Journey
The idea for the trip began after a few pints and hours of YouTube research. While Michael Sheridan acted as the planner and spreadsheet man, his mates Grant and Chris wanted to celebrate their graduation by driving an old car from London to Mongolia. A mere 10,000 miles, roughly 16,000km, stood in their way, accompanied by several mountain ranges and deserts.
After getting lost on the way to the start line, the trio drove through Europe, making a few wrong turns in Berlin and stopping at a party in a Czech castle. Reaching Kazakhstan presented an entirely different challenge. The region offered vast, empty landscapes with very few roads, forcing the crew to bounce along at 25km/h across dry, dusty terrain while protecting their car’s undercarriage from giant rocks. Their daily diet consisted largely of dust inhalation, Haribo sweets, and porridge, leaving them mentally exhausted halfway to Ulaanbaatar.
Turkmenistan Breakdown and Local Hospitality
Stuck at traffic lights and a metaphorical crossroads in Turkmenistan without sufficient funds, the travelers needed external help. Grant and Chris relied on human goodwill, while Sheridan worried about potential risks. A curious young man in Balkanabad tapped on their car window at a red light on a Tuesday night, asked what they were doing, and simply stated that they would stay with his family.
The strangers welcomed the drivers into their home, force-fed them for two hours, and exchanged stories. The eldest son took them on a joyride around Balkanabad, while the father took their car to local mechanics to get patched up, refusing any payment before sending them on their way. This experience shifted the travelers’ perspective on local populations as they continued east along the Silk Road.
Traveling the Silk Road and Joining Convoy Life
The route passed the Gates of Hell, a gas fire pit burning since 1971, through Uzbekistan’s Islamic architecture, and toward the steppes of Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. While there was no set route for the rally, Samarkand served as a gathering point where participants regrouped. The crew stopped to wash and admire the turquoise domes of the Registan before joining a convoy of dusty cars.
Convoy life meant sharing experiences with other travelers, including a team driving a repurposed ambulance dubbed “Team Dino”. Local farmers discovered the group camping on their land and brought beer and food for evening storytelling sessions before the drivers pushed east again the following morning.
Reaching the Finish Line in Ulaanbaatar
The daily routine settled into eating Nutella porridge each morning and driving until sunset. Uzbek mausoleums gave way to Brutalist Soviet architecture as the team skirted the Chinese border into Russia and Mongolia. Aside from a motorway truck explosion and an accidental detour through a sunflower field, the run down to the Mongolian border proceeded smoothly via pristine Russian tarmac winding through river valleys.
Crossing into Mongolia, both civilization and vegetation vanished. From that point to the finish line in Ulaanbaatar, the journey was completed alongside the remaining convoy of old bangers, the repurposed ambulance, and wandering camels against a backdrop of ancient ruins.