The Dusty Donkey

Mongol Rally 2026

Team Name: The Dusty Donkey

Members: Ommund, Tore & Jørn Vehicle: A CFMOTO UFORCE 1000 XL – a six-seater farm implement with big dreams.

Route: Norway ? Probably somewhere far worse. We’re three men old enough to know better, but too stubborn to care. Our noble steed is not a car, not a truck, not even something you’d take on a paved road — it’s a UTV. Designed for hauling sheep feed across muddy fields, not crossing continents. Perfect. We plan to drive from Norway to wherever the wheels, the laws of physics, and our questionable decisions allow.

Our goals are simple:

1. Survive long enough to regret this.

2. Keep the UTV moving with duct tape, cable ties, and prayer.

3. Avoid becoming a cautionary tale told by future Mongol Rally teams.

Each of us brings something essential to the team:

• Ommund – Owner, sponsor, and reluctant voice of reason

Ommund is the owner of the vehicle (or whatever this thing legally qualifies as) and currently the team’s only confirmed sponsor, courtesy of Ørnhaug. He is deeply motivated by a strong desire to leave the devil island he lives on, preferably for a very long time. Whether everyone makes it home again is, in his words, “a secondary concern.”

• Tore – Mechanical optimist and practical problem-denier

Tore firmly believes he can fix anything, provided it breaks in a way that matches his confidence. Armed with a “it’ll work out” mindset and a total lack of concern for consequences, he approaches navigation, repairs, and international borders with equal levels of optimism. His solutions are fast, creative, and occasionally correct.

• Jørn – The planner who joined the wrong team

Jørn is the team optimist and the only one who genuinely believes preparation matters. He operates with detailed Plan A through D, despite the rest of the team considering planning to be overrated and vaguely suspicious. A major breakdown before the start would likely send him into a quiet, lifelong depression — which is why we try not to mention that possibility.

Together we’re Team The Dusty Donkey — a mix of misplaced confidence, mechanical ignorance, and the faint smell of diesel and despair. If you see us on the road, please honk, wave, or offer help. Preferably all three.

• 

  Tested extensively. For 20 kilometers.😛🤣

  November. The month of bold decisions and questionable confidence.

  This was when we took our vehicle on its very first “long-distance” expedition.

  A staggering 20 kilometers.

  Yes. Twenty.

  Please hold your applause. 🤡

  That distance represents roughly 0.0000001% of what awaits us this summer, when we point this mechanical experiment east and casually enter the Mongol Rally.

  And now, the fun part begins.

  Jørn – also known as The Brain 🧠 – has officially started working on the part of the journey that actually requires planning: Turkmenistan.

  A country visited by only about 7,000 people per year, largely because it doesn’t really want visitors and makes sure you know it.

  While there, we plan to:

  Visit the Gates of Hell (because of course we do) Ride mules (against their will and our better judgment) Drink fermented horse milk, hopefully fermented enough that we don’t remember having done so

  Good times are being carefully planned.

  For the rest of the route, we plan to plan as little as humanly possible and let chaos do the rest.

  We’ll pass through Iran, follow parts of the ancient Silk Road, and tackle the legendary Pamir Highway, which includes crossing a mountain pass at 4,655 meters above sea level.

  This is where things get interesting.

  The big question remains:

  👉 Can this machine actually generate more power than a group of confused, slightly ill foals while climbing that altitude? 🤪

  Now begins the serious work:

  Planning spare parts Strengthening weak points And, most importantly, making this thing presentable for Mongol Rally 2026

  We’re talking full artistic expression.

  Possibly donkey skin on the hood.

  Definitely poor decisions.

  Absolutely worth it.

  This is going to be fun.

  Or a disaster.

  Either way – content will be produced.

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