23rd July

I got packed up first and left dead horse plain behind. We were to find Pawel and Aga using co-ordinates that they had sent through the night before. Eventually, after playing around in some woods, I discovered them. In time, the rest would get here too.

It was a beautiful place, with stretches of rivers and surrounding mountains. The weather was settled and everywhere was bathed in sunshine. After a moment or two of arriving and being greeted by Pawel and Aga, 2 Manchunian boys walked up, shook hands and offered me a tea. They were Mal and Dale and were two very top blokes. Rather than do the usual Mongol Rally which is exorbitantly priced, they bought a Skoda Fabia second-hand, got a load of sponsorship and free gear, and took off to Mongolia. The aim was to get there and donate the car to an orphanage run by a church.

Once everyone arrived, we set up camp and set about collecting firewood for the evening ahead. Tuomas was like Ray Mears and seemed to arrive back with entire tree trunks, ripe for burning. Pawel got to work on his and Aga’s bike, and Pauli and I sat on our asses.