The crew will drive the fire engine an impressive 26,000 miles, through 28 countries, over 9 months.
The route is split into 9 stages. The crew for stage 1 will leave London on July 18th, 2010.
Stage 1. London (UK) to Moscow (Russia) : 3,000 miles
The ease of driving through central Europe will slip away as the landscape becomes >tougher when the crew head east towards Moscow.
Stage 2. Moscow (Russia) to Beijing (China) : 5,500 miles
The crew will follow the world’s longest railway, the Trans-Siberian, travelling through some of the most barren landscapes on earth.
Stage 3. Beijing (China) to Vientiane (Laos) : 3,000 miles
Travelling through one of the world’s oldest civilizations the crew will face the most testing cultural challenges of the expedition.
Stage 4. Vientiane (Laos) to Singapore : 2,000 miles
From city streets jam-packed with motorbikes and scooters, to relatively isolated and undeveloped areas of Laos, this stage will provide varying challenges for the fire engine and crew.
Stage 5. Perth (Australia) to Brisbane (Australia) : 3,500 miles
With sometimes days between major towns, the distances and heat will be demanding with temperatures expected to peak above 40c in places!
Stage 6. Christchurch (NZ) to Auckland (NZ) : 2,000 miles
Geographically isolated, New Zealand is full of natural beauty; rugged mountains, beautiful beaches and incredible glaciers. The biggest difficulty in NZ will be for the drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
Stage 7. Grays Harbour (USA) to Hermosillo (Mexico) : 2,400 miles
After the heat of the Southern Hemisphere, the crew will need to acclimatise to the harsh American winter. After then passing through five US states, the crew will head to Mexico.
Stage 8. Hermosillo (Mexico) to New York City (USA) : 3,000 miles
Once the difficult terrain of Mexico has been negotiated, the open roads of Southern USA will come as a welcome sight.
Stage 9. Casablanca (Morocco) to London (UK) : 2,000 miles
The Western Sahara will be the last major challenge for the crew as they travel through this largely uninhabited desert. Leaving the Sahara sand storms behind, the long road winds back up through Western Europe and to London to complete this remarkable and astonishing journey.
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