Well Stage Three begins. Graham Higgins and Mike Bailey have joined Les in Novosibirsk.
Without a doubt the toughest stage they'll face. The guys are excited, the Jimnys have been readied and discussions have taken place as to the route ahead. The original route took them through Mongolia. However, Les begun to have reservations about the communications problems they are likely to face now they don't have an interpreter, particularly with the experiences he has had through Russia and Kazahkstan, where he is certain looking back he wouldn't have managed without Mariusz.
So the crew threw ideas around, remain on Russian soil all the way to Vladivostock or stay with the original route through Mongolia, where they really don't know what they'll have to deal with. Finally the decision was made. They're going to follow their original route come what may and the decision was finally made on the following reasoning ......
from Les ..... "I don't want to be sitting around a dinner table in a year's time telling tales of our adventures then getting to the part when we decided NOT to go into Mongolia. I don't want to look back over this challenge and regret something we could have done having got this far. We're all in agreement so we're going come what may".
It's exciting, trepidatious and with a big dose of the unknown. They'll cross into Mongolia on Sunday (12/5/13), a country with the world's lowest population density, with many many miles of empty, bleak landscapes ahead of them. Where the temperatures at night can still fall below freezing. No hotels, no luxuries, scarce WiFi or phone coverage ............ so communications over the next two weeks at least are going to be very limited.
We wish them good luck ...... we're all praying for safe passage through to the other side.
From the left: Les, Mike and Graham
Without a doubt the toughest stage they'll face. The guys are excited, the Jimnys have been readied and discussions have taken place as to the route ahead. The original route took them through Mongolia. However, Les begun to have reservations about the communications problems they are likely to face now they don't have an interpreter, particularly with the experiences he has had through Russia and Kazahkstan, where he is certain looking back he wouldn't have managed without Mariusz.
So the crew threw ideas around, remain on Russian soil all the way to Vladivostock or stay with the original route through Mongolia, where they really don't know what they'll have to deal with. Finally the decision was made. They're going to follow their original route come what may and the decision was finally made on the following reasoning ......
from Les ..... "I don't want to be sitting around a dinner table in a year's time telling tales of our adventures then getting to the part when we decided NOT to go into Mongolia. I don't want to look back over this challenge and regret something we could have done having got this far. We're all in agreement so we're going come what may".
It's exciting, trepidatious and with a big dose of the unknown. They'll cross into Mongolia on Sunday (12/5/13), a country with the world's lowest population density, with many many miles of empty, bleak landscapes ahead of them. Where the temperatures at night can still fall below freezing. No hotels, no luxuries, scarce WiFi or phone coverage ............ so communications over the next two weeks at least are going to be very limited.
We wish them good luck ...... we're all praying for safe passage through to the other side.
Good luck guy's I'm rooting for you, it sounds like the greatest of adventures.
ReplyDeleteGood luck stage three, we are rooting for you. Enjoy every mile x
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