THREE former Hampshire students are set to trade everyday life for an extraordinary rally that covers two continents.

James Smith, 22, Iain Dykes, 23, and Elliot Mellish, 23, pictured below, are gearing up for a trip of a lifetime, as they are set to take part in the Mongol Rally to raise funds for charity.

The trio won’t be using a rally car in the traditional sense – instead they will rely on a small £450 Volkswagen Polo which has a top speed of 62mph.

They will thunder 10,000 miles across mountains, deserts in Asia and Europe and will end up in Ulan-Ude in Russia, via Mongolia.

What is more the trio will have no backup or support or set route, which means they have to prepare for every eventuality in the journey which is expected to last six weeks.

James, from Cheriton, said: “Last summer Iain and I (Jamie) finished our Masters degrees, at Cambridge University and Cardiff University respectively. Having spent the last four years in academia, we were keen to take a break and broaden our horizons.“Whilst interrailing around France Iain suggested the idea of participating in the Mongol Rally. I quickly said yes. As one of our oldest friends, Elliot was soon invited along as well.“This unsupported 10,000 mile rally appealed to the adventurers in us, who wanted to take on a real challenge unlike anything we had done before. As I said at the time ‘We’ve done France now, so Mongolia is the next logical step’.

“Moreover, the event is for charity, so is an opportunity to improve the lives of those less fortunate.”

The three know each other well as they attended Perins School in Alresford between 2005 and 2010, and they will set off on July 16 from the Goodwood Circuit in Chichester.

They aim to raise £1,000 for three charities.

They are Cool Earth, an organisation that works with indigenous people to fight deforestation, Naomi House and Jacksplace and The Lotus Children’s Centre.

Speaking of the challenges ahead, Mr Smith added: “As well as contending with breakdowns, a major obstacle is corrupt police and difficult border guards.

“Kitted out with stickers and a British license plate, our car will tell the world we’re not locals. In previous years this has encouraged local officials to take advantage of unsuspecting participants. Similarly, many border crossings will involve lengthy car searches, interviews, and exchanges of vast amounts of paperwork.

“I have been researching the best way to deal with these situations.

“So far the best advice I’ve had is ‘Take chocolate to bribe the Romanian Border guards. They milk and to smile at the police so they won’t know what to make of it.”

To sponsor them visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MongolIndependentTradingCo&isTeam=true - and will keep people up-to-date with their progress on their blog at http://carjacksandyaks.blogspot.co.uk/