Ripley returns

Davenport picks up world's longest solo trek

British adventurer Ripley Davenport will resume his 90-day solo trek across Mongolia later this month, after his first attempt ended in disaster.

The ex-military serviceman originally hoped to complete the 2750 km crossing of the Eastern Mongolian Steppe, Gobi Desert and the Altai Mountain Range in 90 days or less. The attempt was made more difficult by the fact that he would be pulling a wheeled trailer, specifically designed for the journey, carrying provisions and equipment weighing in excess of 250kg behind him.

Two days into his attempted trek in April, Davenport was forced to abandon his endeavour when his trailer wheels failed in the harsh conditions with the heavy load.

Admitting his disappointment at the failure, Ripley revealed in his blog that he had thrown a tantrum  ‘screaming my head off, punching the air, spinning around like a lunatic and kicking the Mongolian dirt’.

On May 25 he will be returning to the position where his original attempt failed and try to resume the trek. Ripley said, ’’Basically, given the overall weight, the distance to be traversed, extreme temperature fluctuations, blizzards, sand storms, isolation, merciless desert heat and brutal terrain, this expedition will test the acknowledged limits of human endurance in a desert environment.’’ ??Davenport ‘s failure came at a price as had sold his home and moved to a smaller one to fund the expedition. In addition to extensive physical training to prepare for his attempt, Davenport had been sleeping outside in sub-zero temperatures and leaving his clothes  outside overnight before putting them on for training in them early the next day.

This is not the adventurer’s first solo trek. In 1998, Ripley successfully crossed the Karakum Desert in 21 days with one water resupply and in the same year crossed the Namib Desert, solo and unassisted, with two camels in 82 days.??The trek is an attempt to raise money for UNICEF Shelterbox and Hope and Homes for Children.

To find out more, visit www.mongolia2010.com