An Exmouth man is preparing to drive 10,000 miles to Mongolia in a second-hand ambulance.

Josh Hadfield, 21, along with Australian teammate James Mathers, 40, will be setting off this Saturday on the Mongol Rally.

Beginning at Goodwood in West Sussex, they will be driving through 25 countries in around seven weeks to reach Ulaanbaatar - the capital of Mongolia.

The intrepid pair - who have named their team ‘Between a Yak and a Hard Place’ - will be driving a 1992 Ford Transit ambulance, which will be donated to a Mongolian charity at the end of the trip.

Incredibly, the pair only met for the first time last week, after Josh advertised for team members over the internet.

They are taking on the challenge to raise money for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation and the Lymphoma Association.

Josh, who lives in Cranford Avenue, was inspired to take on the challenge after a long period of unexplained illness.

He said: “I had strong chest pains for two or three years - they seem to have gone away a little now but no one ever worked out what they were.

“While I was unwell last year I needed something to focus on, and the Mongol Rally gave me that.

“I wanted a challenge, and I wanted to prove it was possible to do something like this.”

Teams competing in the Mongol Rally are free to choose their own route, and Josh and James’ route will be more challenging than most, passing through Iraq and Iran.

Josh said: “Our route is probably the most ambitious and adventurous ever attempted as part of the rally.

“We’re only going through the northern, Kurdish part of Iraq so I’m not worried - I’m looking forward to it.”

Along the way the team’s overnight accommodation will include camping, cheap hotels and sleeping in the ambulance itself.

They have also planted trees to ensure that their 10,000 mile drive will be carbon neutral.

To donate to the Lymphoma Association, visit www.justgiving.com/Between-a-Yak-and-a-Hard-Place.

To donate to the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, visit www.justgiving.com/betweenayakandahardplace2.

To donate towards the costs of the team’s fuel and equipment, visit their website www.betweenayak.org.