A Norfolk man and his friend are tackling the adventure of a lifetime as they take part in a gruelling automobile rally. Chris Ardron, 33, from Attleborough and his friend Ramsey Wilson, 34, who is from Scotland, have joined about 200 other teams on the 2008 Mongol Rally.

A Norfolk man and his friend are tackling the adventure of a lifetime as they take part in a gruelling automobile rally.

Chris Ardron, 33, from Attleborough and his friend Ramsey Wilson, 34, who is from Scotland, have joined about 200 other teams on the 2008 Mongol Rally.

The event kicked off on Saturday and the pair are travelling thousands of miles from London's Hyde Park to Mongolia in a white 1992 Volkswagen Polo, which was bought for £265 on Ebay.

The 'Polominted' team will have to drive for 10 hours a day for a month and will travel through countries including Germany, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Mr Ardron, a mechanic who runs his own window tinting company Sun2Shade, said: “We are really excited. It is going to be unbelievable. We have pretty much got it all mapped out, but it is a little bit nerve-wracking because there is no support at all. If you break down or have a crash there is no one there to help you.”

The team is raising money for Mercy Corps Mongolia and Hope and Homes for Children.

Once they reach their destination they and others taking part in the challenge will leave their cars and much of their equipment to be auctioned off for charity.

The men have thanked sponsors including Andrew King, of CCI at Diss, who has provided the team with a world wide tracker, which will allow well-wishers to monitor their progress online.

To find out how the pair is getting on visit www.trackthepolo. com and to sponsor them visit www.willwemakeit.com/ polominted.