8,000 miles. 1/3 of the Earth's surface, heading eastwards from London, crossing five mountain ranges, two deserts and twelve countries. And to undertake this vast and dangerous mission, we will be travelling in a 1991 Daihatsu Charade CX. It's unsuitable to do the shopping in, and in a drag race it would lose to a modern lawnmower. It's got a 993cc engine, four wheels and a steering wheel that has no affect on the direction of travel. The brakes went missing many years ago. We will have no support crew, no guarantee of success, and no mechanical knowledge whatsoever.

But there's nothing to make perfectly sane people do utterly stupid things like a good cause, and a good cause this is. Each team must raise a minimum of £1,000 for charity, which is split between Send A Cow and a Mongolian charity yet to be named.

Send A Cow are an African-focused charity who provide farmers with high-yield livestock - not just cows, but whatever animal is most suited to the conditions - so that families may subsist off their livestock, as well as have enough left over to sell at market, providing important extra income. 

The Rally begins in mid-July, so there's plenty of time to tell your friends to give to this good cause, and all being well, we'll reach Ulaan Baatar in somewhere between three weeks and two months.

To keep up-to-date on our preparation for the trip, check back regularly at http://www.mongoliantaxi.co.uk