Four intrepid friends from Haverfordwest are today setting off on a five-week, death-defying rally to Mongolia to raise funds for environmental charity Cool Earth and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

The 2014 Mongol Rally covers 10,000 miles - starting in London and finishing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city - and involves navigating the Gobi Desert, the fifth largest desert on the planet.

Joel Bullis, 26, Henrey Bradley, 26, Bobby Sweet, 19, and Jo Hoyle, 26, will set off today (Saturday) and – hopefully! - return to the UK on August 23.

The men will compete with no support and no rescue team.

“It’s not a race, it’s a test of endurance,” said Joel. “Entrants have to find the cheapest cars, and take the hardest route possible. Over half the teams usually fail to finish!”

Every £60 the team raises will save one acre of Peruvian rainforest from destruction. They decided to donate to the hospital because staff there saved Bobby’s life when he was a child.

“If we don’t do it now, we will look back and regret not having had such a massive adventure,” said Joel. “We’ll get to see parts of the world we wouldn’t get to see otherwise, and raising money for two great causes is an added incentive.”

To show your support by donating, visit www.tumongols.co.uk, call Jemma on 07731 432 974 or Joel on 07825 876 900. The team also has a Facebook page.