On 22 August this year, myself and twenty-four fool-hardy riders will mount our steeds amidst the ruins of the Great Khaan's ancient capital Kharkhorin, to face a grueling 1000 km world record breaking race across the empty wilderness of Mongolia. This will be no ordinary horse race. The Mongol Derby is not a test of the horse's speed, but the rider's skill, endurance and the toughness of the skin between our legs.

No ones ever done this before, so there's certain to be plenty of stories which I'll keep posted here.

survival of the wettest

So this post has been a long time coming and to be completely honest it’s probably quite a good thing, as I’ve now forgotten all the bad stuff and can only remember the good. Probably not too different to how the race will pan out!

However, despite a shattering experience amidst one of the wettest weekends this year deep in Devon, I returned home from the Survival course having met two fellow racers, Will and Holly and picking up a fair few survival tips that definitely put me in a somewhat more knowledgeable place than previously. I can now claim the badge for fire lighting, night navigation, rabbit skinning, insect munching, water purifying and camp building – well perhaps not camp building, that was a disastrous washout! if we only have to do half of this list, the weekend will have been worth it.

Thanks Nobby and see you on the Arctic Circle canoe course next year….

first time in the saddle

This is me, first time in the saddle, riding Dozey, not one known for unpredictable or sudden movements. Quite the opposite and if it wasn't for my clearly natural position, expert handling of the reins and quiet confidence, he wouldn't have moved at all! Watch out everyone - this is what you're up against!

My favourite bits of the photo are the t-towel for a numnah and the white socks....thanks Viks for the shot x

if you're worried about the site of blood...

"If you're worried about the site of blood, it's perfectly fine to stop taking part in the exercises"

This was one of the first comments made during a very short briefing received a couple of weeks ago when taking part in the Surviving Adventure course. Recommended by The Adventurists team and developed by 'elite medical professionals', it seemed a wise course to sign up for considering I know little more than putting on a weter proof plaster and opening a paracetamol bottle. Not now though - I can add major head trauma's, first degree burns, compound and skin-breaking bone fractures, punctured lungs and general life support to my no extensive medical CV.

Not great skills if I fall from the horse onto my own head, but should I come across a fellow racer with a suspected neck snapped fema and shock I can either ride on past, dreaming of the finish line win with one less competitor to worry about, or, apply some field first-aid. Obviously I'd do the later....

The best part of the course was that they literally threw us right into the action. There was little prep or explanation at the start, just the issuing of medical kits and collapsible stretchers and then off for a gentle stroll. However, just around the first corner lurked our first patient - a woman with a seriously cut wrist, then around the second corner, a mountain biker with smashed up head and then finally on the first morning, a stab victim who'd been mugged at a street carnival - it's amazing what can happen in sleepy old Herefordshire.

Confronted with each emergency, our ex-SAS medical experts let us tackle the situation with the little knowledge we had between us, rendering most of our patients into at least agony and at worst death. When it all got too much, not even the experts could stand around passively and would jump in and explain the correct approach. This proved to be a pretty good way to learn all the tricks of the trade and by the end of Day 1, we were ready for our first big test. 

After dinner, we went out for a final walk with the sun setting and spring fresh in the air. Then from nowhere, a bunch of FARC rebels jumped out shouting, waving automatic weaponary and brandishing grenades. All we could do was raise our hands and try and converse - no eye contact, agreeing all the time, soft voices etc - but to no avail. The grenades went off, people were hurt with shrapnel and our new training kicked in - sort of. The result was not bad at all in the end - no deaths, perhaps a little too much laughing about the FARC rebel who we all believed had served us lunch just a little earlier in the day and a general urge to get to the pub.

The next day followed the same lines with trickier situations being thrown at us. The final test was a biggie though and involved all of us stumbling on a Land Rover that had driven off a cliff with a family on board. Suspected back and neck injuries, head trauma, punctured lungs and broken legs. We thought we'd nailed this one, until the boy with the punctured lung whispered after his sister - doh! We hadn't found or even realised there was another missing. It turned out she'd bailed out of the car the top of the cliff and was lying injured some way away. Massive FAIL on our part.

All in all a great and very useful trip, plus I can now officially guide small groups on short mountain walks! The next installment is the outward bounds course in June - navigation, shelter building, hunting and water purification. Looks like a few racers are also signed up, so will be good to meet a few more people. 

Finally, a few pics from the weekend are up on Flickr here.

thank you

We did it! Thank you.

The £1000 target I needed to raise for Mercy Corps was been achieved and surpassed. Thanks to all who contributed and help raise £1,740. Incrediby generous and some good words of encouragement.....

May your balls of steel go the distance...   Iain Tait

Good luck Nick - we never thought we would ever need to worry about the skin between your legs but it is for a worthy cause! Lots of love x  Annabelle and Crispin

May your leathered raw buttocks be the envy of Chariots! Dezza

Lunatic...good luck! Marcus

That is properly mad in a very real Section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 kind of way. (P.S. I'm walking across Devon in July) Matthew and Rebecca

You are the Lester Piggott of digital. Except without the tax evasion conviction. And you're a bit taller. A genuine adventure - very best of luck! Tom and Vic

i'm presuming you didn't read the warning page. great advernture, enjoy. Smudge and Al

So the charity focus has now shifted to The Friends of Victoria Hospital and the bar set a little higher - I'm going for £10K now. If you can help, even if just a word of support, it would be amazing.

more clues

Another clue popped up today in the form of the organising team's auto email reply, inferring that we may run into some interesting situations.....

Nevermind, I'm sure there's a course to learn how to handle all this stuff!

We will get back to you as soon as we can but right now we are fighting wolves and arranging horses in Mongolia so it may take a day or so to get back to you. We will get back to you though, so panic not, whatever your question or problem we will do everything possible to sort you out.

Cheers,

The Adventurists' Department of Horse Racing and Wolf Fighting.

surviving adventure

I'm taking this as a clue that the race could get a little hairy.

It's been recommended we take a Surviving Adventure course, which I'm on this weekend. Looks like we'll cover a bunch of stuff; field trauma management, haemorrhage control, airway management, fracture management, basic life support and casualty evacuation.

At least I'll know what to do when I land on my head...

sing for your supper

So several people have suggested and I've also read that I need to learn a song or two in order to get by out on the Steppe. Songs that can be sung, if needed, at a 'formal' affair. It seems that Mongolian etiquette demands that if the singing starts after dinner in the Ger, you should at the very least join in, but at best offer up one of your own.

I'm not quite sure what will go down well, but I need a repertoire of crowd pleaser's and sing-along favourites. What I may go for is an Elvis number, Ian Dury's 'Hit me With Your Rhythm Stick' or perhaps a round-robin of Kum By Ya to suit a campfire setting - or perhaps not. What I know I won't be up for is some Mongolian Tuva throat singing. Check out this. Albert Kuvezin & Yatkha singing live.

not bad going for a couple of days

Wow - in just two days, I've hit the first funding target of £1000. Thanks to all who have contributed so generously. Fingers crossed we can raise much more.

For an idea of where and how your money wil be spent, watch the video.

training has kicked off

Today was the first day of my four and a half months training plan and I'm shattered. Four horses ridden, one of which is called Lunatica with a personality to match, has taken quite a lot out of me. But I've a 5am call tomorrow to exercise a couple more, so hopefully will be in the swing of things soon!

Huge thanks to Wendy Richardson for letting me exercise her polo ponies and to return the favour, if you're looking for livery near St.Albans, drop Wendy a line at Sleapshyde Farm - wendy@richbuild.freeserve.co.uk

One tip I have had, is to rub surgical spirit onto your bottom each day. Apparently this toughens the skin up! Will report back shortly on this one.....

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