Cancer Research Run to Latvia

We at Jagbreakers are proud to be associated with Charles Rogers in his attempt to raise funds for 2,500 mile journey to Latvia in his 1990 XJ40.

They will face bears, wild boars, wolves and some of the deepest snow in Europe as they travel off road along disuses railway lines and old Vodka smuggling tracks.

Coldplay, Kasabian and games of I-Spy will keep them entertained as they drive through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Lithuania to the coastal port of Liapaja.

Their trip will also include a perilous seven mile trip across the frozen Baltic Sea to Kihnu Island off the coast of Estonia.

"We have to drive 250 metres apart so if one car falls in the other doesn't follow", said Charles.

The 18 year old 4.0 L XJ40 will be fitted with snow tyres but has no specialist equipment to cope with the harsh conditions. "We'll be getting stuck in snow drifts and slipping into ditches", he said.

They will be offered accomodation along the route. One night will be spent in a former soviet naval prison. Charles, on his motivation for this challenge stated, "I've always wanted to do something interesting for charity and touches every family at some stage".

Piste & Broke Feb 8th - Feb 17th 2008

Piste & Broke Feb 8th - Feb 17th 2008

It's minus 20 degrees, the car is up to it's windows in a snow drift and worse still, you've run out of coffee...only another 500 miles to go...welcome to Piste & Broke.

The Wheels

Anything that might not make it. Like a 3 wheeler, or a massively overpowered rear wheel drive saloon. Or maybe a milk float? The possibilities to die of frostbite are endless. Just leave the 4x4 at home (along with the shopping and the kids)...

the route

Unrestricted autobahns, back roads, fields, frozen rivers, lakes, and plenty of alternatives to tarmac. A total of 2,150 kms from London to Estonia including a visit to Kihnu Island, which is er...in the middle of the Baltic sea...so let's hope it freezes over this winter (damn that global warming)...

expected difficulty rating

Well, bearing in mind a severe frost normally gridlocks the UK, you can appreciate how well prepared we are for this.

Make mine a Ford Capri 3.0 (in gold)...

Piste & Broke - the route

So here is the schedule. Of course, this comes with the Extreme Trifle advisory notice that things (or cars) can slide into chaos and throw the delicate planning into the bottom of an ex-Soviet missile silo. If it all goes wrong then feel free to blame Gibbsy (Extreme Trifle Director of Public Relations Spin and General Bullshitting) But all going smoothly (hahahahahaha) this is what'll happen:

Friday 8th Feb

Wake up, call in sick to work, scratch your delicates and contemplate driving 2,342 kms from London to Liepaja in Latvia. One 'L of a journey. Record is 26 hours straight including the ferry crossing to Calais, but this might be the day to leave if you're going to make it by Sunday evening and want to incorporate some sleeping/drinking in Poland.

Saturday 9th Feb

Spluttering along, your teammate noting the numberplates of Germans who laugh at your choice of motor so you can stick bananas up their tailpipes in the next service station. Perhaps do something horrible to their car too. Discover your car won't go past 68mph on the unrestricted autobahns between Hanover and Berlin, then cross into Poland, or Pzcszocazdz as the locals call it. Saturday night spent getting pissed in ye olde city of Poznan. Some fine heraldic goats, apparently. Or carry on to Plonsk or even Pisz (real towns, people, real towns).

Sunday 10th Feb

Wake up hopefully not too piszed to drive into Lithuania. All borders have just been dismantled between here and Latvia, so no faffing about showing photocopied 'MoTs'. Bypass Kaunas, reportedly home to the best nightclubs in Lithuania (and therefore a possibility for the Saturday night). Then off to Latvia and the port of Liepaja. Here's where we find Kaspars, a real-life Latvian and an old hand at crap rallying, who'll be our invaluable guide (and translator in the court cases). He's got a 4x4 as well, which will help when things get really bad. Hotels start becoming free here (or, at least, included in the price)

Couple of hotel options: a plush place belonging to a Danish musician (who obviously heard Liepaja was the capital of Latvian rock music), or an ex-Soviet prison where they've eschewed boutique chic for, er, the atmosphere of a Soviet prison. With plenty of bars and serious nightlife in the old town, who knows, you might even get to sample a more contemporary porridge.

Monday 11th Feb

Leave tarmac for the first time to discover just how bad our machines will be on snow-covered unsealed roads (or 'long gaps between the trees' as the British might call them). A quick trip to an abandoned Russian army barracks complete with spy satellite, then head north west to Kaspars' home town of Sigulda, pausing first for comedy pictures in the town of Ogre. Local delights include a vertical wind tunnel and après ski (or après sliding). Food, drink, hotel (near town centre).

Tuesday 12th Feb

If we haven't yet been chased out of town by Kaspars' offended relatives, we start the day with some skiing/snowboarding. Then it's off to the Estonian border, where recent border dismantling means we can enter via old tracks previously only used by spies and vodka smugglers. Also, a river crossing conundrum. If it's flowing we put the cars on a hand-drawn ferry. If frozen, we find a bridge. If frozen solid we drive across. Food, drink and hostel will be close to Parnu, the summer capital of Estonia. Hawaiian shirts only please - it's just respectful.

Wednesday 13th Feb

Off to Kihnu island. This is in the sea. That doesn't worry us. Because. There's an ICE BRIDGE. Assuming we haven't added too much to global warming on the journey up, there'll be some nice thick ice to drive over. So, we'll be driving on the sea. Pass through Pootsi, Nautsi and Tootsi. I really am not making these places up. Food (herring, black bread and blood sausage), drink, hostel are back somewhere close to the Latvian Estonian border in an old water mill with a bar.

Thursday 14th Feb

In the hills among forests, snow and spooky ex-Soviet secret installations. Attempt to drive our cars up Latvia's highest peaks (an Everest-baiting 289m and 311m). Maybe go to the Russian border and sympathise with truckers in the longest traffic jam in Europe. A week to clear that mother. Food, drink, hostel in the small town of Ergli, which holds the record for deepest snow in Latvia. Only one tarmac roads leads there, so we won't be taking that one.

Friday 15th Feb

Today, special stages on a frozen lake. Hard to say which lake at the moment, but Kaspars will be looking out for ice fishermen - when they will appear on the lake, that means in a day's time there will be ice. When they disappear suddenly, that means the ice is melting. Food, lots of drink (Nick's birthday) and hostel back in town of Cesis, which looks like you'd want a rustic Baltic town to look like - castle ruins in the middle of small streets, with bars and crazy live music.

Saturday 16th Feb

To the capital Riga. Last short leg, but STILL on unclassified roads. Early to the hotel, allowing for primping ahead of sightseeing, food, drink and that famous Rigan nightlife. Hold onto your knickers.

Sunday 17th Feb

Either drive back or take a plane. A friendly scrap merchant will take your car (rhd motors can't be registered - a lhd car is worth way more) for around £150, which is an air fare. Ryanair flies Stansted, East Midlands, Glasgow or Liverpool. Air Baltic do flights to Gatwick. No BA any more.

Stuff you'll need

Snow tyres. These suckers are the rule from Poland upwards. You could leave em off, but you'd become a target for any bored copper with a sharp eye for an MoT certificate (apparently there are so many British-registered cars running about they all know what it is. But then local rules on car testing are lax at best. Hmm)

That's about it. No visas or anything. A coat might be handy in minus 15 degrees. Gloves? You know, the sort of stuff we used to need in this country.

Money

£100 per team as a deposit by the end of November. The rest (another £380 - so £480 in total for a team of two) to be paid on arrival. For that you get Kaspars (Latvian dude), his knowledge, his mate with a big winch to help out, roadbooks to figure out which snow-covered track to turn down, and seven nights free hotels.

More info at Extreme Trifle...