RALLY ROUND LAUNCHES 2020 – 2022 CALENDAR OF DRIVING ADVENTURES INCLUDING MONGOLIA, ETHIOPIA AND ‘WILD’ ALASKA

RALLY ROUND LAUNCHES 2020 – 2022 CALENDAR OF DRIVING ADVENTURES INCLUDING MONGOLIA, ETHIOPIA AND ‘WILD’ ALASKA

Rolls-Royce in the Himalayas

Rally Round has launched its calendar of epic adventures for 2020 through to 2022, which includes three brand new rallies that journey to Mongolia, Ethiopia and the wilds of Alaska.

Rally Director Liz Wenman said: “The success of the Trans-Himalayan Adventure shows the sort of experience that these explorers are looking for in their cars. It doesn’t always need to be about hard competition and the quickest time. We have created a calendar which allows crews to visit the undiscovered in the most spectacular way.”

Kicking off 2020 is an opulent and luxurious tour of Rajasthan on the Maharajan Marathon in February, which will explore historic palaces and the most spectacular scenery over 18-days. This will be followed by a second adventure journeying up and over the Himalayas.

After the success of the inaugural Trans-Himalayan Adventure earlier this year, Rally Round will return to China, Tibet and Nepal for another 21-day expedition of tough terrain and high altitudes. Starting late April, highlights include the city of Lhasa, the lost Western Tibetan Kingdom of Guge, sacred Mount Kailash and Everest Base Camp.

The following year starts with the inaugural Pure Mongolia, a three-week competitive event that explores the national parks, ancient rivers and vast desert of this stunning frontier. This is ideal for any rally crew who has previously competed on the Peking to Paris rally and wishes to spend more time in this beautiful country. A mix of the competition will be on offer, but more focus will be given to the journey and camaraderie of the entrants.

Mongolia is followed in the autumn by the second Rally Round Africa, a luxury event which mixes opulent game drives with some mildly competitive driving. This rally is ideal for novices and couples looking to combine their driving with brilliant safaris.

The year ends with another brand-new event and a first for any international rally organiser as Rally Round heads to the incredible vastness and changing landscape of ancient Ethiopia.

Unexplored by many westerners, this is a unique rally across a stunning country of which most people only know from the horrific images of poverty historically shown to the world. Recently visited by the new Top Gear presenters in their new series opener, the route will not be for the faint-hearted and like the Trans-Himalayan Adventure, will see enough competition in the terrain, elements and altitude.

In 2022, Rally Round will return to Japan for the second Samurai Challenge, having previously visited in 2017. Visiting in the spring when the famous cherry blossom will be in full bloom, this competitive rally also takes in the beautiful Japanese culture as well as a fantastic route through this interesting country.

In the autumn of that year, Rally Round will hold its third new epic adventure – Wild Alaska. Moving away from the more tourist areas, the route will explore the depths of Alaska and the Yukon. As well a route taking advantage of undiscovered roads, there will also be time for taking in the wildlife of this breath-taking region.

The rest of the Rally Round calendar will include a series of shorter events designed to encourage newcomers to the endurance rally scene along with dedicated training events held worldwide.

Rally Round offers amazing adventures all over the world, creating unique events that combine the passion for historic motoring with the adventure of global travel. Find out about future events on the Rally Round website -  www.rallyround.co.uk.

GHOST OF LOST 1907 PEKING PARIS VEHICLE RE AWOKEN DRIVING THE ABSolute IMPOSSIBLE

GHOST OF LOST 1907 PEKING PARIS VEHICLE RE AWOKEN DRIVING THE ABSolute IMPOSSIBLE

A 112-year-old Mototri Contal three-wheeler is set to take on the 2019 Peking to Paris, aiming to finish a 13,840 km journey it started in 1907.

The first Peking to Paris (P2P) ran in 1907, five competitors accepting a seemingly impossible challenge. Amongst them was a French three-wheeled Mototri Contal piloted by an ambitious duo, Frenchman Auguste Pons and Oscar Foucauld. A story of struggles and triumphs eventually saw them, and their three-wheeler, stranded in the Gobi Desert. The story ended with the crew attempting to walk back to Peking, almost losing their lives in the process.

But now Anton Gonnissen (58) a successful architect from Sint-Martens-Latem near Ghent in Belgium will attempt to rewrite history by starting the 2019 Peking Paris Rally in a rebuilt second Mototri Contal and bring her back to Paris, a feat the brave Pons failed to do in 1907. Inspired by the story that almost cost Pons and his co-driver Foucauld their lives, Anton Gonnissen set about acquiring an original Mototri Contal. He reached out to many for support and all, including the Rally Director of the Endurance Rally Association, who asked: “Are you mad Anton?”

On the contrary, Anton Gonnissen is an accomplished modern-day adventurer who has finished three Dakars, four Rallies of Egypt, and one UAE desert rally variously in a car, truck and on a quad bike. He is taking this bold venture very seriously and intends to make the impossible journey possible, using all his experience from his previous adventures.

Gonnissen eventually found one of the very few Mototri Contal’s left in the world together with its original manual and went about making the necessary study of the antique machine following a structural test by Ghent University. Some improvements have been made to the chassis, wheels and engine, although, as with the original Mototri Contal, there is no rear suspension together with the 1906 crude springing still on the front. The navigator will sit over the front axle perched out front in what has long been christened the ‘suicide seat’, or as the French said: ‘le tue belle-mère’.

Brave navigator, Belgian Herman Gelan, an interior architect from Ghent, will be in that seat perched out front as Foucauld was all those years ago. Herman is an accomplished triathlon and marathon runner, a passion he shares with Anton. However, he is being thrown in at the deep end as this will be his first motor sport event, he is a total novice. 

Anton Gonnissen will be behind him steering the trike from over the rear wheel for 36 days, 13,840 km (8,600 miles) aiming to finish in Paris six weeks later. The only concession to comfort for the endurance rally specialist from Belgium is a Harley Davidson saddle in place of the original bottom crusher.

Anton Gonnissen: “The story for Auguste Pons was a short one. Stranded without petrol early in the race they couldn’t be rescued by the other competitors as they were ahead of them. They ended up drinking the water out of the radiator and then started their perilously long walk back to Peking in the heat. They nearly died and the Contal is still out there covered by sand somewhere.

“Auguste Pons and navigator Oscar Foucauld were the only men not to eventually make it back to Paris so we intend to lay that ghost to rest and exercise their long lost spirits. Pons was certainly the bravest of the five competitors in the race, as he attempted the absolute impossible race. He lost everything in the Gobi Desert, even his 1906 driving licence was left in the trike when the Contal was abandoned. However, we did find his 1908 replacement document.

“As it is one of the few original Mototri Contal, we have tried to keep as many original parts as possible which is why some components of the original trike will be in place. In some cases, we have simply had to beef up the chassis with the endurance rally and the finish in mind.

 “We are nearly ready to start testing the Mototri Contal which has to be ready to be shipped to China in early March. We want to be prepared but I am not underestimating the formidable challenge ahead. We know this will be a life-changing event, but it could turn us, ordinary men, into heroes if we can get the Mototri Contal all the way to Paris and finish the job for Auguste Pons 112 years on.”

*Testing of the Contal Mototri will begin in February. A further release with VT/ photos from the tests will be distributed in early March. Please kindly indicate if you would like to receive the material and follow the story as it unfolds.

*Please also follow Anton Gonnissen’s blog here.