Today I was reading a blog I subscribe to, and the writer was happy to announce her entry in a race called the Mongol Derby. I wasn't halfway through her post before I was already searching for it on the Internet. Then somehow, the majority of my morning was gone and my blood was rushing to record speeds.
http://www.theadventurists.com/the-adventures/mongol-derby
In summary, its a 1000 km race (625 miles) over several days, on 25 horses provided for you. Its broken up into 40km (25 mile) legs, you swap horses after each leg of the race. The trail is not marked, you must find your way with GPS and grit. There seems to be food and water and camping each time you swap your horse, but you may find yourself camping in the middle of nowhere, with only 5kg of luggage to keep you warm and fed. You might have guessed from the name, its in Mongolia. The real catcher? Its on horses caught from the wild, with only a month of training.
Yes, this is right up my alley.
Big drawback: price vs my broke factor
Its expensive, and for good reason. There is no way I will ever be able to afford it on my own. So this is your warning... at some point in the future I WILL be begging you for sponsorship. Doing a quick estimation, I would say it will run me about $20,000. The entry alone is over $10,000 CDN + minimum donation to worthy charities. Plus travel and gear expenses, and if possible, survival training and toward entry fees for local endurance rides to beef up my application and as "training" for this event.
I would love to do this before I turn 30 while I am still presumably bouncing instead of splatting. That gives me 3.5 years.
If you would like to provide any sponsorship for me, please contact me with a pledge amount. Of course, I will not take any money until I am accepted as one of the 35 entries, but I WILL start preparing my entry now for 2014 and will keep applying until they deem me worthy.
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