Having left school in July 2016, we sought to have a Gap Year with a difference; not wanting to sit on a beach in Thailand for 3 months, we set about planning this trip.

​We intend to journey from the UK to China along the route of the Silk road.
On this 3 month long trip, we will be taking in the sites of the Ancient cities of Samarkand and Tashkent whilst also crossing the vast Central Asian Steppe. Unsupported, we will be alone on the road, navigating mountains and deserts as we journey east towards our goal.

Harry McGrath

In many ways, for me this trip is 10 years in the making. Ever since I saw the Long Way Round with Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor, I wanted to do a similar trip. I think there is something wonderful about the fact that once we arrive in France, our wheels won't stop rolling till they reach the Pacific. My enthusiasm for this trip has only been lifted by the idea that we can support the Lotus Children's Centre in Ulaanbaatar and so in some way help lift the lives of those children.

Charlie Betton

I've always loved the idea of a road trip but I had never even dreamt of one on quite this scale. I am really enjoying the planning that a trip of this length requires and look forward to tackling the challenges that we will be faced with along the way. Hopefully our trip will help to change people's misconceptions of this relatively hidden part of the world. I look forward to experiencing the transition of cultures as we travel east and to meeting new people along the way.

Harry Behrens

I wanted to do something other than the norm for my gap year. Rather than sit on beach, I have decided to embark upon this slightly crazy trip. Such a trip I hope will expose me to new and different cultures, giving me a different perspective on a region that has received its fair deal of criticism. Given that I haven’t done anything extraordinary with my life to date, so I thought this would be a good start.