Mongolia 2010 Expedition: The Altai Mountains Loom

Long distance solo trekker Ripley Davenport is closing in on another milestone on his epic trans-Mongolian march as the Gobi Desert begins to give way to the foothills of the Altai Mountains, and an entirely new set of challenges.

Regular readers will recall that Ripley is in the midst of his Mongolia 2010 Expedition, in which he is attempting to walk solo and unsupported across the entire length of that country. He has already left the Eastern Steppe behind, and crossed the Gobi as well, and according to his most recent blog report, the Altai Mountains are looming in his path. That change in terrain will make it difficult for him to pull his custom built cart, which carries all of the adventurers gear, but he seems more than up to the task at the moment.

As of today, Ripley has covered more than 853 miles on his planned 1700 mile expedition. If he is successful in completing that trek, it'll be the longest solo and unsupported walk in history. Reading his updates from the field, it seems that he remains in good spirits and upbeat about the challenges ahead, even as he knows that he is just halfway to the finish line.

An update to the expedition's Facebook page today tells us that the former British military man has moved into some rather steep canyon areas, with the gorges there providing a respite from the sun. The temperatures have been a bit cooler, but the narrow passages are filled with scree and other obstacles.

On another note, Ripley is also falling pray to another malady that often befalls explorers on long distance journeys like this one. His toenails have started to fall off! One of his large nails is already gone, while others have turned black and are threatening to follow suit soon as well. If that wasn't enough, he's also dealing with a very sore and swollen ankle that has been bothering him for some time. Still, he soldiers on and keeps making great progress.

Mongolia 2010 Expedition: Ripley Is In The Gobi!

It's been about a month since we checked in with Ripley Davenport and his Mongolia 2010 Expedition. At that time, he was just returning to Mongolia to resume his 1700 mile trek across that country that would see him traveling the entire length, east to west, while going solo and completely unassisted. To accomplish that feat, the former British Army officer is pulling all of his gear and supplies behind him in a cart, which had to be redesigned to handle the rigors of the trail following a major malfunction back in April.

Since he's resumed his mission however, Ripley has been progressing quite well. As of yesterday, he had completed 536 miles of the journey and is now well into the Gobi Desert, one of the harshest environments on the planet. It is warm, dry, and incredibly remote, with little to break up the monotony. The ground is sandy and difficult to hike through, let along drag a cart that is loaded with nearly 400 pounds of gear and supplies as well.

Still, reading Ripley's updates, he remains incredibly up beat despite spending more than a month in field, dealing with warm temperatures, and having feelings of isolation from his friends and family. He reports that the Gobi is a place of beauty and wonder, and is filled with life, notting that there are a variety of lizards practically everywhere that he goes. Ahead of him is another 1200 miles of trekking, and probably two more months of toil, but he is relishing in the challenge thus far.

If you haven't been following Ripley's adventure so far, I urge to check it out. He makes some interesting observations and offers unique insights into what it is like to be on a long distance expedition where you are self supported and completely alone. It makes for some really interesting reading, even as we know that he is working hard and suffering mightily out there in the wilderness.

Mongolia 2010 Expedition: Ripleys Back On The Trail!

Ripley Davenport has returned to Mongolia and has resumed his Mongolia 2010 Expedition, as planned. He'll now continue his very long trek across that country, covering more than 1700 miles through the Eastern Mongolian Steppe, Gobi Desert and the Altai Mountain Range. He hopes to complete one of the longest solo and unsupported treks ever, by carrying all of his supplies and gear, including food and water, in a specially designed cart that he'll pull the entire way.

The British adventurer first set out back in April, but just a few days in, he was forced to abort that attempt when a design flaw in his cart caused the wheels to seize up, preventing it from going further. He then returned home, rested up, regrouped, and fixed the problem, and two days ago he returned to the exact spot that he stopped a few weeks back, and began once again.

Ripley is keeping us all updated with his progress by posting regularly to his blog. So far, he's been making good progress, covering 48km (30 miles) on the first day out, which is a heck of a pace considering the load he is pulling. Speaking of which, he also reports that the cart, nicknamed Molly, is performing well so far on her return voyage, navigating over gullies and rocks just fine. Hopefully that will continue to be the case in the many days that are ahead.

In his entry for today, Ripley shares one of his experiences that are so sublime that they only take place in remote places like the one he is currently hiking through. He says that at 4AM he was awoken to the sounds of footsteps and snorting just outside of his tent. When he went to take a peek, he found that he was surrounded by a herd of wild gazelles, who fled at the sight of him, even before he could snap a photo.

Let's hope that the rest of his journey provides similar experiences.

Mongolia 2010 Expedition: One Week To Mongolia

It has been a couple of months since I posted my interview with Ripley Davenport, the man who is about to embark on the Mongolia 2010 Expedition, during which he'll be attempting to make a solo and unsupported trek across that remote country.

According to his most recent blog post, which came last week, Ripley is busy taking care of the last minute details before his boots hit the ground in Mongolia a week from today. As you can imagine, those details are pretty consuming at the moment, as he prepares to leave the U.K., not to mention his wife and kids, for a three month long adventure that will test his stamina, both physical and mental.

The journey will cover more than 1700 miles, beginning in the Eastern Mongolian Steppe, crossing the desolate Gobi Desert, and continuing through the Altai Mountain Range. To accomplish this monumental hike, he'll need to carry all of his gear and supplies with him, in a specially designed cart that was built from the ground up for this trip. Ripley will be pulling that cart, along with more than 400 pounds of gear, behind him across Mongolia. And he hopes to complete the entire expedition in less than 90 days. A tall order indeed.

Watch Ripley's website closely starting next week, as I'm sure we'll be getting more updates on his progress soon, especially once his SPOT is activated and we can begin tracking his progress in real time. I know he'll be in Mongolia for a few days before he heads out, and once that happens, he'll be dealing with every kind of terrain and weather imaginable. This is going to be one tough expedition, but having spoken to Ripley directly, I know he's up for the challenge.

Good luck Rip!

ExWeb Interviews Ripley Davenport

I've mentioned Ripley Davenport on more than one occasion on the blog. He's the British adventurer that is preparing to trek across Mongolia on foot next year, solo and unsupported. He'll be crossing more than 1700 miles of some of the harshest terrain on the planet, including the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe, while pulling all of his supplies in a cart behind him. He expects to complete the journey in just three months time.

Today, ExWeb has posted an excellent interview with Ripley, who with just five months to go, is hurriedly putting the finishing touches on his expedition. In the interview, Ripley talks about the logistics of his preparation, what he's done to prepare and what else needs to be done before he goes. He's been working hard on his physical conditioning, testing and modifying the gear he'll use, and arranging for his travel in Monoglia as well. He also talks about the design and construction of the trailer he'll use along the way, his biggest challenges to date, and plenty more.

All in all, this is a good read, with some nice insights into what it takes to put together an epic solo expedition such as this one. There are so man behind the scenes things that go on that you never think about, that it is fascinating to get a peek behind the curtain sometimes.

I've been fortunate enough to chat with a number of amazing adventurers in recent months. People who are climbing big mountains, going to the Poles, or on expeditions like Ripley's, and there has been a common theme amongst many of them, which is "how do I get a sponsor?" With the economy still sluggish, sponsors are being very careful about how they spend their money, and Ripley talks about that a bit at the beginning of the story too, mentioning how time consuming it can be just to make contacts and have the opportunity to present to potential sponsors.

Let's hope the economy improves in 2010 so that more great expeditions like this one can get underway.