What was it for?

What was it for?

The results of the rally are available on the ERA site. 107 cars started and 10 retired. There were two classes Vintageant pre 1941 and Classic 1941 - 1977. There were also - though it doesn't say so on the ERA site two classes of crew. One categorised the difference as between the ardent rallyers and the gentlemen tourers. I'm not sure about the soubriquet 'gentlemen tourers' but you get the general idea: some were there to win and some were there only, or primarily, to arrive in Paris.

The ardent rallyers were remarkably competitive. In the Vintageant category the winner's time was 281 hours 58 minutes and the top 15 cars were within 7 hours of that time. To give you the contrast, there were 42 finishers in the Vintageant category (out of 50 starters) and the
'slowest' time was 456 hours - though slowest is not quite the right term because the times include penalties for time spent broken down. (In fact the whole scoring system was a mystery to us novices - though as you can see, and as we intuited, it scarcely mattered once you'd lost 10 hours or more. In the Classic - 1941-1974 - (57 starters, 55 recorded finishers) the winning time was 260 hours 41 minutes and the next 23 cars were within 10 hours. For a rally timed over some 30 days programmed for driving 8-10 hours each day with up to 6 time trials, it's seriously competitive at the top.

The tourer attitude was very different. There wasn't a need to do every time trial; the ERA route was a starting point but to be compared with the alternative routes - for example those from TomTom or Google Maps. The benefits of early arrival at the next stop were not to be ignored: a balanced view of the attractions of an easier and/or shorter route were considered. And sometimes there were striking differences: Smolensk to Minsk is 3-4 hours on the fast road (allowing for a lunch time arrival and an easy afternoon) whereas the ERA route was 5-6 hours longer. The Tourers arrived in St Moritz in the early afternoon - in time for tea!
The tourers weren't all there by choice. Some, perhaps most, became tourers of necessity when their cars suffered serious damage in Mongolia 'the rolling wounded'. A few, including me, were candidate tourers from the outset: the challenge was survival and enjoyment not victory. No matter: as we progressed, and especially once we reached Europe, the tourers were a sizeable group - 20 crews on some stages and another 15-20 deviating on an ad hoc basis.

And one event crystallised the difference. Car 21, a 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II suffered a fire in Mongolia and had to return to Ulaan Bataar for rebuilding. Having missed several days, the crew drove 12 hours a day, camping by the road side at night to catch up in Russia. After missing a week or more, they were definitely tourers and as the rally looped north of Moscow they decided on an excursion. They drove into Moscow and persuaded a policeman to let them park for a photo in Red Square.

My reaction was to applaud: what imagination, what ingenuity! But when I said so next evening at dinner, the reaction of my fellow diners was nuanced to say the least. Yes, Hok Kiang Sia had shown initiative but our task was to follow the rally route: we had bought in and we should follow the rules. There was the half articulated threat of club law: if you don't want to play by the rules, you shouldn't be here.

The attitude of the ERA officials was harder: on hearing one of the rolling wounded's enquiry about alternatives to the tough posted route, the official's response was that if a crew wasn't going to follow the tulip directions, the ERA wasn't going to help. And the challenge to tourers was that the sweep teams were dedicated to helping crews following the route not deviators. (In fact the sweep teams were generally pragmatic about helping where the deviation was within 10-15 kms.)

So there's the rub. On the one hand the ERA encourages participants to believe that it will do all it reasonably can to help cars reach Paris. On the other, if your car is damaged that help will be limited. I discussed this with a senior ERA man (a former Clerk of the Course making a guest appearance) who was surprised that a tourer route wasn't available especially in the later stages: he said it had been done before.

The recent history of the Peking to Paris is as an event where fragile older cars comprised the majority of entrants but the trend has been for their numbers to decline. Until 2016, the Vintageant class of pre-1941 cars was in the majority but in 2016, the ardent rallyers in Classic cars comprised over 50%. The trend is clear and I expect the Vintageant numbers to decline further in 2019. But seeing the enthusiasm of spectators for older cars, that will be a loss to all.

My fundraising - a big thank you

We are already at roughly the half way point in the fund raising and I want to thank all those who have contributed. I value each and every contribution and I have or will thank each of you personally. A few have contributed anonymously and I respect their wish not to be identified publicly but I'd be very pleased if they would let me know privately who they are so that I can thank them too.

If any reader is minded to join us in supporting the research, any contribution will be most welcome (and will be matched by me £ for £). There is a link to the just giving website on the top right of the blog. Or for reference, my just giving page is at:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paulrivlin
Alongside the rally, I've been seeking to raise funds for a research project at the University of Leicester Medical School. The work on Sudden Coronary Arterial Dissection (SCAD) addresses a heart condition suffered mostly by young women during or shortly after pregnancy. I enclose with this post some relevant notes from the University.

Driving in the desert and the steppe

Remember going down a country lane until the tarmac ran out and picking your way across deep ruts, or perhaps going with the ruts and wincing as the car bottomed? And when you completed the 200 metres to the farmhouse or picnic spot or whatever, you heaved a sigh of relief - with just the slightest niggle that the return might be your undoing. Now imagine doing that for 300 kilometres with an allocation of, say, 8 hours to do it. The average speed doesn't sound so bad - less than 40 kph / 25 mph. And you get some help because you've fitted a steel plate underneath the front of the car to protect the sump and vital parts. There's a track.... It's brutal: - the terrain is unforgiving: there's a track - often 100 metres wide with perhaps 6 or 8 'lanes' each of them rutted, littered with potholes, and as often as not, with corrugations, hard ridges across the line of travel, like mini-humps that shake the car and its contents (counterintuitively corrugations are often best taken faster - provided there aren't too many potholes). In this peculiar world stoney areas are almost welcome - more likely to puncture tyres than break an axle! And there are the specials - sand drifts (got caught in one of those and had to be towed out) and flooded (supposedly dry) rivers - needed towing there too! The car shakes and rattles. The bottom grounds. The wheels hit potholes awkwardly. The balance of probability at any moment is that the car will fail and then you'll be in the middle of nowhere relying on the satellite phone to call for help. It's brutal on the crew too: the driver has to give full and sustained concentration to make the least bad of the track - 8 and more hours of that is no fun - and the navigator is guiding by heading as best the zigzagging tracks will allow towards a point in the desert/steppe distinguished only as a compass point (waypoint) recognised by a Garmin - a modified GPS system. (And to be followed by putting up a tent and car maintenance.) I did a non-scientific study of car casualties over the period in Mongolia with results as follows: a. immediate serious and car stopping damage: 20% - usually requiring a low loader b. material damage to normal function either immediate or leading to later weakness 80% (for example our starter motor began sticking and had to be stripped down later in Novosibirsk - great nuisance getting jump starts etc and worry about conking out during day. Emerald still carries tears in the metal fabric of the body. c. Minor scratches and abrasions or nothing: 0% - lucky bastards - keeping quiet with reason. It's a minor miracle that Emerald stood up as well as she did. But I'm still wondering at the utility of it. Two days in the Gobi would have been interesting,challenging, scary and sufficient for me. 6 days more (8 if you count two equally challenging days I n adjacent Russia) was gratuitous violence and I'm not sure that the "satisfaction of achieving survival" really cuts it.

We finished: Day 36

We finished in blazing sunshine in the Place Vendome. The square was thronged with reunited families celebrating the arrivals. The sponsors stepped up to the mark by providing a free champagne tent.

The first cars - led by the winners - arrived at 1.15: the last some two hours later. By 4.30, it was almost all over - a few sightseers picked their way round the cars now deserted by their crews.

At 7.00 everyone reassembled for the celebratory dinner. The plea to be in our seats by 7.30 achieved only after 8. A slide show seemed to include at least one shot of each participant and was followed by a video with a similar objective.

Skilful presentation gave a positive spin and some of the shots showed breathtakingly beautiful scenery. But how can you show the jolting of the corrugations or the heart stopping shudder after grounding on a particularly deep pothole? Damaged cars weren't ignored but the balance of the presentation has begun the process of rose tinting the negative moments. The memories will be dominated by the positive.

The award giving was extensive with everyone who finished getting their moment in the spotlight. And it's true that we are winners from the experience whatever the official designation of our achievement.

The dinner finished at 12. The bar finished at 2. The reflection and conclusion process is only just beginning.

A sting in the tail: Hard reality Saturday 16 July - Day 35

The pictures tell the story. We managed to get about 150 kms north of Lausanne before we ran out of road.

The engine was making rattle noises at higher revs from the outset. At first we were able to do 60-65 kph with controlled rattling; then 55-60; then 50-55 and then we decided we needed to do something. So we consulted various authorities about isolating one of the cylinders and running on only 5. Worked brilliantly for 500 metres then the coil blew. So we fitted the spare coil and it lasted for 5kms. We didn't know (and were not told) that we had to earth the idle spark plug. So the second coil blew and we weren't going anywhere. Only ourselves to blame.

Conclusion: get to Rheims by low loader and consult the sweeps further. So that's what we did and, as you can see, French low loaders are state of the art as compared with Russian ones. (Frankly it's a piece of knowledge I'd rather not know.)

And we borrowed a coil from the friend of a local enthusiast who stopped to help. So we can move the car a bit (we think): four cheers for the local enthusiasts. He wouldn't take payment but he wants his coil back - and he shall have it.

Will we make it to Paris tomorrow? Yes we will. Will Emerald be with us? Let's hope so.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

A sting in the tail 3/3: Friday 15 July - Day 34

It was cold and wet on the passes. Not much fun at all. By 12.00 I was wishing that it had been possible to put the car on a low loader and proceed by train - the Glacier Express looked cool; but that was just dreams.

Emerald had to work really hard to get up to and through the passes which were over 2,000 metres high. The approach to each comprised a series of hairpin bends extending over several kilometres. The descents weren't much better - steep roadways into tight bends so that the drum brakes had to be supported by putting the engine into low gear to aid speed reduction.

By the time Emerald reached Lausanne, there were various rattles and squeals as the car accelerated and decelerated. It was clear that Emerald needed expert attention.

A cluster of mechanics gathered to view the valves, pistons and other moving parts of the engine. The consensus was that the dominant problem was the alternator - our spare had been fitted in Aya, remounted in Novosibirsk, and repaired on the road in Slovenia. Now the casing had cracked and the rotor carrying the fan belt was failing. So we refitted our original - accused and replaced in Aya but never proven to have failed. Fitting was quick and the new (ie old) alternator provided good charge.

The engine was revved and the repair was passed as the solution. But below the good noises was a faint rattle that was reminiscent of the big end bearing failure that caused our breakdown in Russia. Perhaps the work done in Omsk was being undone by the wear and tear since and exacerbated by the stress of alpine driving. It wasn't the same noise, we were told, but we were advised to take it easy. A full repair would take at least a couple of days we didn't have. The current status quo would probably be all right for the last two days. So we agreed to stick so far as possible to Autoroutes and to drive the car gently.

We set out tomorrow with the warnings ringing in our ears and with hope that we haven't done too much damage.

A sting in the tail part 2/3: Friday 15 July - Day 34

The top page shows going through the Oberal pass and the bottom one through the Furkapass: I am informed by Neil that the Furkapass was used for filming a Bond film car chase. I bet they had better weather than we did. (There is an Aston Martin in the rally - but, sadly, limping along in slow speed - though still faster than Emerald - after damage in Mongolia/Russia.)

In the middle is a Monit screen - one of the electronic devices (along with Brantz and Garmin - further explanation available if there is public demand) that we serious rallyers are allowed to use. (Tomtom and Google maps are strictly forbidden in most rallies.)

Tulip maps are the preferred method for rally organisers to tell participants how to get from a to b. We were issued in Beijing with two thick books for our journey. These are pages from the 12 pages of detailed tulip instructions about how to travel from St Moritz to Lausanne.

A sting in the tail - part 1/3: Friday 15 July -Day 34

It was projected to be a tough day with the rally planned as 450 kilometres up and down over the Alps (rally route projected in bold on top picture - strong line does not mean wide road!).I wanted to take an easier route with more motorway and less up and downing (see options on second map highlighted in marker) but Richard was having none of it. A split vote is not sufficient to cause Emerald's departure from the ERA plan (and there wasn't much scope for compromise on account of there not being many options for going from St Moritz to Lausanne. So the tough route it was.

Then at the last minute the route was changed by a handwritten note changing the route for the first 50 kilometres: throw out the first 2 pages of the tulip plans in the stroke of a pen (explanation of tulips for those who thought they were flowers) in part 2.

We began the antepenultimate day after a comfortable - indeed luxurious - night at the Suvretta House hotel in Sankt Moritz. There was full cloud cover but not the freezing cold or even snow that some said had been forecast.

Crossing the Alps to St Moritz: Thursday 14 July - Day 33

Today we crossed the Alps from San Martino Di Castrozza in Italy to St Moritz in Switzerland. It was a day of fantastic views and relief that the sun shone.

Everybody in the rally made the journey. Some followed the official route of some 400 kms taking 10-12 hours (and that was the shortened version after some time trials were cancelled!). A sizeable minority took the more direct route of 250 kms (mostly following Google Maps directions) in 5-7 hours. The schism has become a regular feature of the rally and the number of unofficials grows as the wish to reach Paris becomes more important than seeking prizes from the rally.

It's food for thought on what the rally means to different people and I shall be pondering on it too.

Rain in the Alps: the 2 second video

I'd like to post a longer clip but face some technical difficulties in downloading it so this very short version will havectonstand substitute.
A taster of the torrential rain

Fwd: The Alps in the rain: Day 32

Day 32 was from Ljubljana to the Italian ski resort of San Martino di Castrozza. The distance didn't sound too bad - 380 kms - and 10 hours to do it. But that didn't include the hairpins and the rain. Rain is always a challenge in the Alvis because even with the roof on, water comes through the open sides. If it's heavy you end up with a wet arm. If it's bucketing down, it's wet ankles too as the rain seeps through the engine compartment into the foot well. Yesterday it was torrential and long. Driving up and down Alps all day is hard for the driver: arms hauling the steering wheel round hairpin bends and right foot standing on the brakes as we descend. Add a prolonged rainstorm and it's a tiring - and tiresome - day.

24 hrs of contrast: Wednesday 13 July - Day32

Last posts I've been taking the view that the rally is all but over. Not so. The last 24 hours have shown that the drama is far from over.

The route from Maribor to Ljubljana is 130 kms direct on a good motorway - Slovenia's roads are excellent. The ERA route is about 3 times longer almost all on side roads. So there was a temptation to take the Motorway and have a leisurely day in Ljubljana. Very few did but some must have regretted it.

Our day of contrasts began after 40 kms when, on a test, the fan belt started slipping. A repair in Russia came apart when a metal strut sheered. Half an hour of frustrating work on our own was relieved when Andy, head of the sweeper team turned up and, with successful improvisation sorted it. In thebaking sun it was a long 90 minutes.

By mid afternoon, we were done leaving a part of the ERA course unvisited. Those who did were out until past 7pm - a very long day and somewhat frustrating to Ljubljana's official welcome. We later learned of the problems caused by the final part of the circuit unfortunately resulting in several accidents: no soft ending this day.

For us it was a reviving beer in the sunshine followed by a good dinner at Valvast'ro - a proper restaurant with proper cooking.

On this showing it's hard to beat the attractions of Ljubljana as a stop on this journey - and indeed any tour in the region.

Emerald in Budapest

Budapest Interlude Sunday/Monday 10/11 July - Days 29-30

It's been delightful to be in Budapest for our last rest day. I've said before that the only resting parties on rest days are the cars as the teams scurry round to make them fit for travel: this time (with a few exceptions) there was time after car works to enjoy the city.

Budapest has much to offer the visitor with 19th century elegance and prosperity evidenced by the many stone buildings. There are cafes and restaurants galore and city and river tours. With the city attractions and the British Grand Prix, Wimbledon victory for Murray and the European Football final, there was plenty to do.

I also sensed a change in attitude. Paris is less than 1,500 Kms away - we could do it in a (very long) day. So the end is in sight and people are beginning to talk about returning to normal life. There's still 6 days hard driving to go but the tough tests of Mongolia and Russia are over: the alpine challenge is to be relished or minimised as the mood and the state of the car suit.

Camping - a considered view with the benefit of hindsight

Quiz question: When does camping become glamping? Is it: a. Once there are showers, a bar, and catering. b. Only if the arrangements include your own dedicated bathing facilities c. Never - the term is oxymoronic so long as you're in a field. I've been pondering the answer since our 6 nights under canvas in Mongolia - my first since schooldays. The camps were organised by Nomads - an experienced Mongolian holiday operator - who set up a communal mess and bar, showers with hot water and toilet tents. There was plenty of space to decide where to pitch your tent and allocated areas for cars needing repair.

I thought I'd analyse the pros and cons together with their mitigants in relation to my experience in this rally. Cons Putting up a tent at the end of a long day is extra effort. The instructions look simple and I'd practiced in England but setting a small tent well is a skill outside my natural compass. Mitigant: discovered after the first day the camp organisers, 'Nomads', would provide, set up and dismantle a good sized tent for $25 a night - bargain.

Shower and lavatory facilities are bound to be inadequate. Mitigant: they did their best.

Field catering is at best a compromise - you just don't get Masterchef from the Camp site - for good reason. They did their best.

No wi-fi and mostly no mobile signal - no mitigant. Sleep quality is diminished by closeness to the natural environment: true. But even more diminished by the din of generators for the mess tent and floodlighting; by the arrival of low loaders with broken down cars; by the clanging as mechanics tried to keep cars rolling; and, not least, by over enthusiastic participants starting up early. Pros It enabled us to reach remote parts of Mongolia with rutted tracks, rocky summits, sand drifts not otherwise accessible. Mitigant: how good was being there? - see separate discussion on desert and steppe off roading. I survived but was well pleased to throw away the tent in Russia. There was nothing glamorous about option a (but it could easily have been a lot worse). The extra discipline required for camping is organisation: the key item at the bottom of the rucksack is entirely out of reach. Absence of Internet access (and especially the ability to recharge my mobile) were irritants and created a sense of isolation emphasised by the distance from a cafe or shop. So the conclusion - nothing glamorous about a. and no encouragement to try b. which deals with only one of the cons - so it's c. for me - but I expect you guessed that already.

Kosice, Slovakia : 9 July - Day 28

We received a tremendous reception when we arrived in Kosice in eastern Slovakia and, indeed, in other Slovakian villages and by the roadside. And Kosice has an attractive town centre with elegant buildings and a lively atmosphere on Friday night.

Driving through Slovakia, however, it's impossible to ignore the obvious signs of poverty. Houses are less well kept, public spaces are scruffier. So it supports the observation that's beginning become a pattern that our old cars are better received in areas that have less. In Mongolia and most of Russia we were waved at and applauded: in Poland and more prosperous cities less so. No cod psychology from me but it makes me pause for thought.

Rszeszow, South East Poland. Friday 8 July - Day 27

We crossed the border into Poland and the level of prosperity was palpably greater than Belarus and Russia. Villages were better kept and houses better maintained. Roads were variable but it wasn't clear whether that was a proper sample or ERA routing. We took the 'scenic' route - no time trials or time controls - but travelling through miles of pine forest wasn't obviously better than the fast road.

In towns like Omsk, Minsk and Brest, I looked for evidence of city centre cosmopolitan life and generally found some. Seeing the relaxed style and hustle of Rszeszow, a provincial town of 200,000, set a benchmark. Rszeszow's market square is lined with shops, cafes and restaurants and was lively in the evening. It was at least the equal of Kazan, the most sophisticated of the places visited since Mongolia.

Border crossing Thursday 7 July Day 26

Crossing the border from Belarus into Poland. One long crocodile of ERA cars - time consuming for us and frustrating for regular travellers being held back for us.

(It's also a reminder to Brexit supporters that turning back the clock has some serious downsides.)

Mir Castle

Sent from my iPhoneThe castle at Mir - between Minsk and Brest - dates from the twelfth century. The rally is mostly about travel, tests and trials. So a diversion for sightseeing is an exception - at the suggestion of the Belarus authorities - and rather welcome.

Minsk Wednesday 6 July - Day

Yesterday we left Russia. It was easy to cross the border - Belarus is part of the CIS and which operates its own Schengen type agreement. The main road takes you through the two border posts without stopping.

And then we had a choice. The official ERA route went north for 150 kilometres before returning south to the Belarus capital, Minsk. It was widely regarded as a great day involving a town reception in historic Polotsk, time trials and a 12-15 hour day. Alternatively cars could push directly on to complete the 320 km from Smolensk in time for lunch and a leisurely afternoon at the comfortable Renaissance hotel in Minsk: also widely regarded as a great day by the dozen or so teams choosing it.

Minsk is a new city after near total destruction in the second war. There's a lot of grand boulevard on the Moscow style - as if when rebuilding the Soviets subconsciously suspected Minsk might become an independent capital. And there are quieter corners that hold their own as European style places to hang out.

The Smolensk Hotel

Sent from my iPhoneUnfortunately I beautiful on both inside and out.

Smolensk Tuesday 5 July - Day 24

The hotels are not so beautiful.



Sent from my iPhoneSmolensk has a Kremlin and many beautiful buildings in the old town.

Monday 4 July - Day 23 departure from Zavidovo

Radisson Blu - Zavidovo resort: new and comfortable resort hotel: the Moscow sea(lake)side

Sad news - car 30 retires

There was sad news tonight that Neil & Richard in Car 30, Rhubarb and Custard have decided not to continue. They broke down for the umpteenth time at the start of the Kazan - Nizhny Novgorod leg two days and a 1,000 kilometres ago. Having spent 36 hours in garage emergency, they concluded that the prospects for adequate repair combined with the challenge of catching up were just too much. It's very sad but here's a picture of R&C queueing to fill up in - what now seem - happier times at camp in Mongolia (blog on fuel to come).

We in Emerald know just how close the margins are. It's only a week since our breakdown in Omsk when the harsh equations of the Peking to Paris faced us too.

We'll miss Neil and Richard and we'll miss instalments of Neil's outstanding blog. It's distinctly 3* - worth a detour - as a record for all of us of daily life on this progress together with quizzes and ephemera: pekingtoparis2016.blogspot.com or through the ERA's competitor links.

Nizhny Novgorod Sunday 3 July 6 am Day22

Sent from my iPhoneUp early for a 6.30 depart.

Emerald is back - Friday 1 July - Day 20

Emerald landed safe and sound to our great pleasure and relief.

We then spent 4 hours checking, doing routine maintenance and cleaning. All seems to be in good working order and we are ready for the start tomorrow.Emerald is back. Arrived this morning at 10.30 am

Waiting in Kazan - 30 June Day 19

It's a waiting day for us in Kazan. Waiting for the rally to arrive this afternoon and hoping that friends are here early enough to share dinner; watching, slightly anxiously, the progress of Emerald on Vlad's low loader. 

It's a waiting day for us in Kazan. Waiting for the rally to arrive this afternoon and hoping that friends are here early enough to share dinner; watching, slightly anxiously, the progress of Emerald on Vlad's low loader.

We once hoped that he might reach us today but that's not realistic. Tomorrow is fine as long as it's in time for us to prepare the car before the evening as Saturday's departure will be early. He needs to get to Ufa tonight and as I write he's on the outskirts. Anything more is a bonus. 

In the meantime Kazan has been entertaining us well. It's an ancient town on the Volga and thought to have been a key point on north-south trading routes at least since medieval times. At the heart of the historic city is an enormous Kremlin (Russian term for a walled fortress including the one in Moscow but not uniquely so: think Tower of London or Prague Castle with an outer wall enclosing an assortment of buildings.   The Kazan Kremlin is huge with scores of elegant baroque, classical and modern buildings. At the heart is the Soyembika Tower, a dramatic tower associated by many with the pre-Russian Tatar Khanate and dating back to the mid sixteenth century.

The Kremlin also includes a Russian Orthodox cathedral, the Palace of the President of Tatarstan and notable fortifications. Dominating one part of the site is a modern mosque reflecting the traditional  Tatar religious allegiance.

The City has been set up to provide a tourist experience with pedestrianised streets lined by bars and cafes. In the West it would be teeming and even with tourism effectively limited to Russia it claims 1.5 million visitors a year.