Doing the Mongol

Route

Epilogue

Today when I go online to browse through some Facebook profiles of fellow rallyers it’s plain to see there is a pattern that emerges. Skimming down the friends of friends lists I see names I recognise, names I don’t but there is nearly always a rallyer tell in their choice of profile pic, even now a year later – whether it be their car, an action shot of them doing something rallyesque or just with that red t-shirt freebie that we gradually grew to spot from upwards of a mile out. And it doesn’t end there. Many went on to use UB as a stepping stone, a gear change, to the next stage. It marked a line in the sand after which things would never quite be the same again.

Whether it’s inspired people directly – one guy I see will graduate next year with a PhD in Mongol History – or it’s offered up a chance to get away and clear some room for perspectives on back home, you can’t help but acknowledge the whole event which started out as a fun way to spend the student summer has taken on a whole new form and meaning in a Western society that is otherwise void of meaningful experiences. When looked at in this light, sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether it’s the ancient Mongolian way of life or Western society who is most in need of this annual charitable enterprise.