SHREWSBURY STUDENTS TAKE ON THE MONGOL RALLY

For Shrewsbury students George Rowlands and Ed Barber there will be no package holiday to Ibiza or back packing around Europe this summer. Instead the intrepid twosome will be joining up with five other friends - to make up The Mongolian Job team - and take on a 10,000 mile road challenge that is the Mongol Rally. Old school friends, George and Ed were born and raised in Shrewsbury but are now studying at Loughborough and Bath Universities respectively. They are set to leave this Sunday the 17th July from Goodwood Race Track and will take approximately two months to reach Mongolia. The Mongol Rally is run by The Adventurists who put on fundraising events to ‘create adventures where you don’t know what will happen tomorrow’. There is no winning. Just pitting your wits across challenging terrain and aiming to get to the finish line in one piece. Furthermore there are only three rules: you have to drive a small junk car, you’re on your own and you do it for charity. The pair will be taking on this challenge from the seats of a 25 year old, one litre Peugeot 205, after George Rowlands’s Grandma donated her old, un-used car for them to use. Commenting on the lead up, George Rowlands said: “It’s really hectic getting the car prepared and trying to ensure we have all our visas in place but we’re super excited, albeit slightly apprehensive”. He continues, “It’s funny to think that in two months time my Grandma’s car, which has only clocked up 5,000 miles in the last 18 years, will have done 10,000 in two months”. The Mongol Rally 2016 has over 300 teams competing from all over the world. The start and finish destinations are set but each team can select their own route. The Mongolian Job team will be taking in countries including: France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungry, Budapest, Romania - where they will experience the Transfagarasan Highway Road named as one of the best roads by BBC’s Top Gear programme - Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Russia and Mongolia. Reflecting on the day to day events, George continues: “Between us, we’re a mechanical engineer and computer scientists so we’re hoping our practical experiences will help us when we break down or things don’t go to plan. We’ll share the driving and navigating and helping to keep all our followers abreast of our adventures via Facebook - The Mongolian Job-Mongol Rally - and Twitter - @MongolianJob. It’s going to be an awesome adventure”. Keeping it in the family, George’s Uncle, Martyn Rowlands, M.D of Shrewsbury pipe distributor Pipekit has sponsored the team in support of their pursuits. Martyn Rowlands adds: “It’s such an amazing experience and we’re delighted to be able to support them on their exploits across countries, mountains, deserts and dirt tracks. We’ll look forward to following their endeavours closely”. George and Ed are childhood friends having first met at The Priory School, Shrewsbury and then going onto Shrewsbury 6th Form College together. George has just finished his third year of a five year sandwich course, the third being a year out in industry where he worked in Cambridge. Ed Barber has also finished his third year on a sandwich course in Computer Science.