Tuesday, December 11, 2007

To Africa and Back by Articulated Bus - 20,000k under the Sun.


Early next year, a small team of committed international adventurers will undertake a massive journey never before attempted.
The aim is simple, but the execution will be a great challenge: starting January 2008, a team of seven international adventurers, and two drivers, will pilot a mammoth, 16.5m long, specially configured bus on a journey from Budapest, Hungary, right across Western Europe and North Africa to Bamako, Mali and back. Known as the Bus Number 7 project, the team are preparing to cover well over 20,000km.
Along the way the team will have to tackle every obstacle imaginable, from sand storms, impenetrable Saharan sand-dunes to the daunting African border control, all with only their wits and a good slice of luck to rely on. The journey will break boundaries never before crossed as it makes a record-breaking crossing of the Sahara in a first for a vehicle of its kind.
For such an epic journey, the team are fortunately well-prepared, with a wealth of experience adversity between them. Team leader Aravind Bremanandam, spends most of his spare time organising the Autorickshaw Challenge, a project he set up back in 2006 and which sees teams from around the world driving the legendary 3-wheelers right across India. Fellow team-mate Attila Berényi is a veteran of the 2006 and 2007 Budapest-Bamako rallies, which will be of great value as the Bus Number 7 project will be the star participant of the Budapest Bamako 2008 rally on its outward journey.
More than just a journey though, the Bus Number 7 project’s mission is to use this incredible journey as not-for-profit event raising money for the local children of Western Africa . The team see the positive power and popularity of sport as a suitable partnering spirit for the project to brighten the lives of these children, and aim to deliver sports equipment to schools and villages in collaboration with community leaders. Furthermore, Bus Number 7 aims to become an institution in itself, with the voyage to Africa just the beginning of things to come. After the initial journey to Bamako , the Bus will spend months touring Europe to promote the project and raise awareness of its charity mission.
Find out more at our website at http://www.busnumber7.com/

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