The plan is to take this poor mini, all the way through Europe, across the Med and into north Africa, through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and end up in the Gambia.

Taking a mini fully across the Sahara might not be the best plan in the world but we will get it through some how!

Pat Ford and David Kirkpatrick are the two drivers on this crazy trip, which includes negotiating  a minefield on the Mauritanian border (i'm told we are fine as long as there are vehicle tracks in the sand to follow, if there has been a sand storm then its described as -interesting), we'll be camping in the sahara for 5 days, pushing, digging out, towing the cars along. then where the road runs out in senegal we drive along the beach at low tide for 30 miles, it gets fun if you judge the tides wrong I'm told.

The whole trip should take around 3 weeks and there are 50 cars going with us (although the Mini is by far the least appropriate car to go in!)

full details of the challenge can be found here  plymouth-dakar we are trying to raise as much money as possible for the infamous hamster rescuers the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, so anything you can give will be much appreciated.

we have set up a blog where you can follow the progress of our trip here

P.S. the dates on this event are actually 16th of Dec to the 8th of Jan, not sure why the system said other wise.

 p.p.s Just had a message from the rally organisers it says-----

" Glad to see that you've ignored all staid, sensible advice and
continued with the Mini.  I wish you luck... I hated the mini that I owned
for a short period of time... I REALLY wouldn't want to drive one to The
Gambia!"

not that we are worried but he has done this before.......