Anglesey adventurer in Mongolia rally marathon
AN ANGLESEY teenager has begun an extraordinary adventure this week that will see him drive his 25 year-old Citroen 2CV from London to Mongolia, as part of the infamous Mongol Rally.
Will Bibb, aged 19, from Aberffraw, with long-time friend and co-driver Charlie Roberts, 19, set off from Battersea Park earlier this week on a trip that will take them through the fjords of Scandinavia, vast Siberian forests, dried-up seas of Kazakhstan and the sprawling mass of the Gobi Desert.
Will said: “It’s a true adventure rather than a sanitised rally, because there’s a just a start point and a finish line.
“For the 6,000 miles in between, every entrant is on their own, free to choose whatever route and left wholly up to their own devices.
“I’m not worried about the navigation, but there are vast areas of forest and swamp in Siberia.
“More worrying are the wild bears - and I did hear that some years ago a man was swallowed whole in his sleeping bag by a snake in Kazakhstan.
“One of my biggest fears is being invited to dine with a family of Mongols herders.
“When adventurers Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor passed that way they had to eat a bowl of testicles - and one can hardly refuse their hospitality!”
Some may see the car as being an odd choice given the distance, but Will thinks otherwise.
He added: “You can’t fix modern cars in the middle of no-where. The Citroen is simple and devoid of electronics and black boxes.
“Spanners, a hammer, a few basic spares and a Haynes Handbook should do the trick.
The adventure is due to ends in Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in around seven weeks’ time.
Will, who is keen to join the Welsh Guards, will be blogging during the adventure on www.facebook.com/oopstheunlikelylads.
Funds raised from the challenge will go towards two chosen charities - Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and Save the Children.
Will Bibb, aged 19, from Aberffraw, with long-time friend and co-driver Charlie Roberts, 19, set off from Battersea Park earlier this week on a trip that will take them through the fjords of Scandinavia, vast Siberian forests, dried-up seas of Kazakhstan and the sprawling mass of the Gobi Desert.
Will said: “It’s a true adventure rather than a sanitised rally, because there’s a just a start point and a finish line.
“For the 6,000 miles in between, every entrant is on their own, free to choose whatever route and left wholly up to their own devices.
“I’m not worried about the navigation, but there are vast areas of forest and swamp in Siberia.
“More worrying are the wild bears - and I did hear that some years ago a man was swallowed whole in his sleeping bag by a snake in Kazakhstan.
“One of my biggest fears is being invited to dine with a family of Mongols herders.
“When adventurers Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor passed that way they had to eat a bowl of testicles - and one can hardly refuse their hospitality!”
Some may see the car as being an odd choice given the distance, but Will thinks otherwise.
He added: “You can’t fix modern cars in the middle of no-where. The Citroen is simple and devoid of electronics and black boxes.
“Spanners, a hammer, a few basic spares and a Haynes Handbook should do the trick.
The adventure is due to ends in Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in around seven weeks’ time.
Will, who is keen to join the Welsh Guards, will be blogging during the adventure on www.facebook.com/oopstheunlikelylads.
Funds raised from the challenge will go towards two chosen charities - Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and Save the Children.
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