Meet the Jolly Good Chaps

Allow us to introduce ourselves: Gabby Jolly and Cade Chapman — or, for reasons that will hopefully make sense by the end, The Jolly Good Chaps.

This September, we're finally doing something we've been trying to do for seven years: driving a 145cc auto-rickshaw roughly 3,000 km across India, from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to Fort Kochi in Kerala.

For context, our rickshaw has a top speed of around 55 km/h (ish), and we'll be navigating thousands of kilometres with no support crew, no set route, and no particularly good reason to believe we know what we're doing.

So naturally, we're very excited.

Seven years in the making

Back in 2019, we signed up for the Adventurists' Mongol Rally, which was supposed to happen in 2020.

Then 2020 happened.

The Rally was postponed through 2021 and 2022, and just as we thought we might finally get moving, 2023 brought some unexpected changes of its own. Gabby's dad passed away that year, and life understandably took a different direction for a while. We'd also planned to travel through a number of countries that subsequently became, shall we say, less than ideal for a road trip.

So the Mongol Rally never happened.

But the itch to do something completely ridiculous, difficult and memorable together never really went away. Seven years later, we've decided that while crossing a war zone probably isn't in the cards right now, crossing India in a rickshaw absolutely is.

So, why "The Jolly Good Chaps"?

Our surnames are Jolly and Chapman, so Jolly Good Chaps was almost too obvious.

But there's another layer to it.

"Cowboy chaps" seemed appropriate given that Cade is a Texan. "Chaps" can also mean British gentlemen — a little nod to Gabby's British heritage on her dad's side.

So we're part British gentleman, part Texas cowboy, and entirely questionable decision-makers.

It's also a fairly accurate description of what happens when the two of us have a good idea.

Why Cool Earth?

The adventure is the excuse, but Cool Earth is the reason we're fundraising.

We both work in guiding, environmental education and conservation, so protecting the places we love has always been a pretty natural fit for us.

Cool Earth works alongside rainforest communities to support them in protecting their forests and livelihoods. We love that approach: supporting the people who know their forests best, rather than swooping in and telling them how to save them.

It seemed only fitting that our own unnecessarily complicated adventure should help protect some wild places too.

Here's where you come in

We know that donating to a rainforest charity doesn't technically require two people to drive a tiny three-wheeled vehicle across India.

But where's the fun in that?

Your donation will support Cool Earth's work with rainforest communities — and help fund a slightly unhinged adventure that's been seven years in the making.

We'll be sharing updates along the way: incredible landscapes, new friends, questionable navigation and, almost certainly, some breakdowns.

So go on. Sponsor the Jolly Good Chaps.

We've waited seven years for this one.

It's about time we got going.

https://www.theadventurists.com/rrsep26/team/jolly-good-chaps-3/