One hundred days into the countdown and we’re still being asked why anybody want to take a 1345cc Hyundai Accent all the way to Ulaanbaatar. Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. ‘Why Not?’ is probably the best retort, but it’s not enough. Boiled down to the grist, along with Old Man Time the opportunity to see a large slice of hitherto undiscovered world is also slipping away. The chance to drive to Mongolia by way of Cappadocia is going to be a lot more of an unforgettable experience than popping into the likes of a local travel agency and booking a package-holiday in Hotel Rippoff, where one is cosseted for ten days by disinterested reps wearing blue coats. Once the die is cast there’s a lot to learn in double-quick time: the route – once committed to memory by with sufficient flexibility to absorb knockbacks – must include a visit to the ship’s graveyard at Zhalanash, in Kazakhstan. However, it seems that the wrecks are inaccessible by normal two-wheel drive vehicles so a photo shoot of the Hyundai slewed carelessly alongside one or more of the abandoned wrecks seems to be out of the question. On the other hand, if the site is actually accessibly by 4x4s then all is not lost: we have, after all, a nice new tow-rope that cost us the princely sum of £1:00.
With potential trouble looming in Iran, the decision has now been taken for my team to cross from Turkey into Russia by way of the Black Sea. This will negate the need to enter either Iran, and will also close the doors on Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – a shame, because two other must-see’s that will fall by the wayside are the Gates Of Hell at Darvaza and the Russian Space Centre at Baikonur.
Another valid reason for undertaking such an adventurous jaunt is much more difficult to define: there comes a time when suddenly the prospect of doing something way out exceeds the desire to plod on day-by-day waiting for retirement and the eventual, inevitable slide into a ‘nice’ residential home somewhere.
Mix in a number of informative and entertaining blogs from the 2011 contenders [www.returnoftheyak.com] and it’s a done deal!
Unfortunately, their superb Skoda Fabia failed to make the finishing line, but shrewd planning ensured the Yak that had been carried – on the roof – all the way from Goodwood actually made it to the Finishers Party!
