Digital Age

It’s pretty simple - start with the pinky on one hand and count each finger including your thumbs and what do you get? 10? Most people get 10. Logically if you start in 2011 and count backwards 10 years then you reach 2001. Most people get 2001. And if it’s May and you count back to January 2001 you get 10 years and five months, which is more than 10, not 10 or less. 

This simple review of math has a point and the point is that no matter what your enterprise read the fine print and double check your sums. Team Red Thread is the proud owner of two cars in the UK because, well, we’ll just blame it on age and over-excitement and a near complete inability to calculate figures that are bigger than the number of fingers on our hands. 

Having proudly announced our acquisition of a Suzuki Wagon R we can now proudly say that car is up for sale at a bargain price. Just contact us. It’s in great shape, has an MOT and tax and is ready for it’s next 60,000 miles. In its place we have acquired another Suzuki. This time a three door 1.0 litre Swift. Driven by a little old man on Sundays it has less than 50,000 miles, electric windows and unlike the wagon actually meets the rules laid down by the Mongolian government. We’re excited. We hope you are, too. 

Trendy but Dead

“Nice glasses, Mike. They’re kind of trendy,” my friend Greg observed. 

“Thank you. I really like these glasses, they’re pretty cool - if it weren’t for the fact that I’ve had several near death experiences wearing them.” 

“Well, that can be your epitaph. Here lies Mike - Trendy, but Dead.” 

Relentless pursuit of fashion can be fatal. At least that’s the conclusion that I’ve come to regarding spectacles, prescription or otherwise. It’s come to my attention that glasses designed for beach or business wear have expanded faster than a sumo wrestler’s waistline while those for sporting activities are designed with rail thin sidearms for a reason. The move towards wider and wider frames is undoubtably temporary, but from personal experience the blind spots created by these fatties are significant enough to cause fatal accidents - more dangerous perhaps than texting while driving. And it’s not something that you’d necessarily experience at the optician’s. Once in the car however, it soon becomes obvious that all is not as it seems. A quick glance over the shoulder when changing lanes appears to be clear, that is until the car in the next lane starts honking wildly. Knowing that rearview mirrors never tell the complete story, the next step is to learn to work around the frames by tilting one’s head upwards or alternatively wearing sports sunglasses at all hours of the day and night. More recently it’s been up to my co-pilots to shout abuse and scream uncontrollably as cars barrel directly towards my blind sides. Generally it gets my attention in time. Watch this space…

Hypochondria

At the start of Jerome K. Jerome's hilarious “Three Men in a Boat” the narrator, “J”, describes a visit to the British Museum to read up on the treatment of a slight ailment. He makes the mistake of turning the page and quickly realizes that he has every disease in the book, with the exception of housemaid’s knee, up to and including zymosis. Similarly, shopping for a first-aid kit at www.rescue-essentials.com this week ended with our preparing for every type of major disaster imagined or real. Rest assured, team Red Thread is coming prepared. 

Noting that the three leading causes of death in the the tactical environment (wherever that is) is penetrating trauma with 60% extremity bleeding, 33% tension pneumothorax, 6% airway obstruction, the only sensible answer is a S.T.O.R.M. Operator IFAK pack. Fortunately it’s made to meet the demands of an austere environment as well and can be worn as a drop down leg rig leaving one's hands free to steer the car. No responder can do without a CAT tourniquet, but if that doesn’t work there’s Celox-A to control life-threatening bleeding from penetrating wounds (them again). We actually got some of this in case some pointy bit of automobile decides to penetrate something it shouldn’t. It better have legible instructions. 

Thus equipped for combat, wilderness, front and back country injuries, and eventual evacuation, it was simple matter of maxing out the credit card to ensure that every eventuality is covered. Fifty pounds of prevention to deliver several ounces of cure. And just in case that doesn't work or we're attacked by rabid Mongolian mongrels, we’re taking out air-evac insurance and carrying a SPOT with a nifty red Batphone button. 

Qualifications

What, you may well ask, makes you think that you have any hope of achieving this mad adventure? What qualifications do you have that distinguish you from say Scott of the Antarctic, Henry Hudson, or any of the other great explorers that had more ego than common sense? What makes you think that, like them, you won’t make a beeline to Valhalla and not Volgograd? Put that way, not much, frankly. But we’re working on it. 

To that end, Wilderness First Responder training took up most of last week for Mike and will continue on for most of the next. This 80 hour first aid training course run by the Wilderness Medical Institute, a part of NOLS, covers everything from patient assessment to creating splints from ski poles. Theoretical training complemented by practical scenarios takes the student from knowing nothing to a standard level of competency. Plus there’s buckets of fake blood, faux bruises, and victims hanging from trees. Is this training necessary? Hopefully not, but if the wilderness does indeed start an hour from ‘definitive care’, it seems like cheap insurance for the backwoods of Russia. When last in Mongolia Mike was thrown from a camel and there wasn’t a medic for at least a 150 kilometers. Luckily there wasn’t enough permanent damage to bring an end to the holiday or the fun. As Medical Officer for the Red Thread Mongolia team, the real trick will be making sure that Mike stays healthy, or at least conscious enough to bark orders. A first aid kit for both the car and its occupants seems in order. The good news is that duct tape can do double duty for both. Epoxy? Well, not so much. 

The Power of Power Naps

The last couple of weeks have been an adventure of a small kind, but good preparation for big one later this year. A short trip around the UK covering about one tenth of the total distance to Mongolia came with a few salutary lessons. In a former life your correspondent sold medical equipment in England for a living. Long before carbon footprinting was even a concept he did his best to cover as much of the country each week as possible. Being a young buck with a Marks & Spencer suit, a Samsonite briefcase and little experience, the old-timers in the company gave him some good advice. “Always fill your car up the night before so you’re not faffing around in the morning when you run into a traffic delay,” they said. “Double check your appointments for the week and reschedule ahead of time. Make sure that you get enough sleep and pull over if you’re tired.” This last piece of advice saved my life on more than one occasion. Thrashing a Vauxhall Cavalier up and down the motorways became an almost pleasing routine back in 1984. In an era before cell phones a busy day was bookended by time for reflection as the miles whizzed by on my way home. 

Today things have changed a bit. Speed cameras have taken the place of jam sandwiches (police cars with their distinctive horizontal stripe) as the primary means of controlling the 'ton-up boys.' Coffee is now drinkable at the rest stops and the web available 24x7, wherever you are. Yet, there’s nothing quite like that 20 minute power nap in the middle of the afternoon. It’s so much better than driving off the road at 70 miles an hour.   

The Adventurists Film Festival

A triffic time had by all at the Adventurists Film Festival today. By extending a personal trip to London by a couple of days, the chance to take in the hilarity and real art of expedition film making was unmissable. All the films were riveting in their own way and the judges had clearly done their homework. One particular standout in the Public category (i.e. not from an Adventurists adventure) was, Across Europe in a Paper Boat, directed by Julius Markevicius from Lithuania. Using 6mm plywood, Julius and a couple of friends built a small boat in their apartment and glued it together using epoxy and fiberglass. Surprisingly seaworthy, they powered her with a four horse outboard and proceeded to navigate her, almost non-stop, from Belarus to Rotterdam via the lakes, rivers, and canals of Europe. Julius’ commentary was dead-pan hilarious. You can see the all the films at The Adventurists Film Festival web site. 

Ed Stafford, the bloke that walked the entire length of the Amazon in two and half years, provided us insight into what it takes to meet a modern challenge including determination and a good partner. His partner, Cho, joined him at a particularly dangerous point as Ed made his way through indigenous Peru, then stayed with him until they reached the Atlantic ocean. 

In addition, there were a couple of educational sessions centered around making your own documentary. Perhaps the two most useful pieces of advice were 1) ensure that you get good sound and 2) communicate with your audience. From a technical standpoint, winners used everything from $100 Flip video cameras to sophisticated digital SLR’s. It appears the success of a movie like this lies as much in the editing as anything else. 

With so many Adventurists on hand, there was expert advice available. Turns out that not only is the Nissan Micra the most popular car for starting the rally, it’s also the one that crosses the finish line more than any other - largely due to their popularity in Eastern Asia and the availability of spare parts. The roads in Kazakhstan are vastly variable, the ones in Russia generally predictable. We shouldn’t miss the Altai region or attempt the northern route across Mongolia if we want a prayer of doing this in less than eight weeks. Topped off with Hendrick’s Gin and a set of three official car stickers it was a splendid day. http://filmfestival.theadventurists.com/

Avé Avo

The Red Thread team spent last weekend poring over plans for the trip, sampling food and making movies. For the first time we all gathered in one place and renewed our commitment to the rally. Tom booked his flight to Frankfurt. The gutsy plan is for Mike to leave Goodwood and the Festival of Slow on July 23, swing by FRA, pick up Tom, then head straight to the Czech out party on the 25. From there it’s anyone’s guess as to how long things will take. Tom’s reckoning, as chief navigator, and the one tightest on vacation time, is three weeks to Ulaanbaatar, or roughly 500 miles a day. Mike was reckoning on four weeks and about 350 miles a day, our planned arrival coinciding with the Adventurist’s first Finish Line party. As they say assumption is the mother of all foul ups and this one is pretty important to straighten out. It might mean the difference between the team making the finish line together, or dropping off Tom for an Aeroflot flight home somewhere near Novosibirsk. There’s work to do. 

Travel plans aside, we spent a little time bonding and learning more about each other. Some lengthy video recording will be trimmed down to a web-digestible length shortly. We also broke bread together and as part of that team building activity we found food and advice in Portland’s best Near Eastern grocery, Anoush Deli. We introduced ourselves to Avo, the owner, and when he learned of our Mongolian ambitions, he said simply, “Take me with you.” He is our kind of guy. Upon inquiry, he gave us a tour of Moldovan and Transylvanian wines, along with delicious homemade dishes for an impromptu meze. Between the pinot noir, pepper relish and the mushroom perogies we feel assured that we won’t starve on the journey. The challenge will be finding food as good as Avo’s. 

Does this fit you through the shoulders?

A visit to southern Switzerland was the perfect opportunity to see first-hand how a 1.2 Liter car would work out as wheels and home for 10,000 miles. I asked for a Fiat Panda at the rental car counter and should have been tipped off when they asked "Is your jacket size a 46 or 48?" Then, "Anna, can we have the silver Panda taken out just a bit on the driver's side?" Uh oh. To give you an idea of how this class of car stacks up, the silver Panda is parked among mid-size European cars in this picture (4th from the bottom if you didn't guess). The first test was loading luggage. The large suitcase could only fit in the back seat. Lesson: pack light in soft bags - check. Next, pick up Keeley in Bergamo and take the back roads to Como and then the highway to Lugano. Winding roads through the foothills and the autostrada were no problem. Plenty of power. Lesson: it's all about the gearing - check. Next test... load up the Wolfpack, a group of Franklin College women, and check ground clearance, power and handling. With a total of 7 passengers (they claimed they could fit in 2 more easily) we would have had minimal sag, enough power to get up the steepest hills, and still corner with caution... if it had actually been legal or safe to do this test run. Lesson: roof-top cargo will be limited more by center-of-gravity issues than weight limits - check. Final test... how does this speck of a car handle poor driving conditions? To test this we set off for St. Anton in Austria. Mid-way at San Bernadino pass as darkness fell we hit a hard driving (gorgeous) snow storm. 5+ inches of snow on the road, both hard packed and new, semi's stuck in the middle of the road and insane 4wd Audi drivers careening in all directions to pass, explore the ditch, or see what pointing the wrong direction might by like. No problem for the Panda - no skids, no slips, no drama. Lesson: new highway tires can handle the worst condition on paved roads, and knobby tires are a good idea for the dirt and mud in Mongolia - check. We pulled in to St. Anton safe and sound having made good time despite the snow. Final verdict? I ended up developing a real fondness for this class of car. Comfort and performance are remarkable for something light enough that we can use sweat, muscle and foul language to get out of a rut. Oh yes, and it's small. Very.

Progress Report

Team Red Thread has been making progress. We’ve developed a solid understanding of what the adventure is going to entail and are continuing our research on all fronts, by which we mean everything from road conditions, through visa requirements, and where the best pubs are in Moldova. We’ve received sage advice about handling medical emergencies and to memorize the phrase “I am not a spy” in 15 languages. We’re also feeling a growing sense of awe about the impact our adventure can have on the lives of thousands of children. As we start building momentum we have been looking for analogies that can best explain what we’re doing. Our 10,000 mile journey across Asia is the equivalent of driving across the United States three times - back to back to back. Most folks we’ve talked to understand that means it’s a heck of a long way. When we talk about our goal of raising $211,600 - a dollar for every child Half the Sky Foundation will touch with its programs in the next five years - people understand that’s a big hairy objective. But that’s what it’s going to take to change the lives of thousands of children and to change the world for generations to come. We’ve almost hit our first $5,000 in donations and are building our base. Encourage everyone that you know to join us on the website, our Facebook page and Twitter. We’re only just starting our engines!  

The Power of Yes

We’ve been partying with some very cool people in the last 72 hours, a group of incredibly successful, interesting, and well connected people with a network of amazing relationships that extends around the globe. The question is what makes them who they are? Are they products of their environment? Their genetics? Hard work? Just plain luck? Some mystical combination of all four? Everyone we’ve met has an intellectual curiosity and sense of discovery that keeps them engaged and excited about learning new things. But how did they get to where they are? For some there was a time they questioned some fundamental belief they held dear and found to their own astonishment that their passion, if not their calling, lay answering that question. Nancy was one of Washington’s most powerful women and remains one of the best connected people in the world. Educated in a convent, her college-aged curiosity in paleoanthropology shook the very foundation of everything she had been taught, eventually leading her to Africa and time with the world’s leading discoverers of the origins of humankind. Vern, a retired chaplain, was brought to his calling kicking and fighting all the way from the age of five. Having found his path through a process of self-enlightenment in his early twenties, his life became incredibly fulfilling in ways that he says he neither imagined nor comprehended when he was younger. Perhaps the one common distinction for the folks we’ve met this weekend is they had each harnessed the power of ‘Yes’ at pivotal points in their lives. Whether it was a call to Washington to serve in the White House, or a call to China to open diplomatic doors in the late 1970’s, those three letters were the turning point for each of them. To a person they said yes despite their own doubts; taking faith in other’s faith in their abilities - plunging forward and eventually making the world a better place. The world is built on relationships and it’s much easier to start a relationship with ‘Yes’.