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LONDON: An all-female Canadian team has begun an epic trip from Britain to Mongolia in a Subaru XV.

Corinne Copreni and Jess Watt – the two Canadian adventurers that make up the Offtrax team – have entered the Mongolia Charity Rally, a pan-continental road trip from London to Ulan Bator.

Subaru Europe has provided Offtrax with a Subaru XV 1.6i for the journey, which started from London on July 19 and will last up to three months.

The round trip is expected to be the compact crossover’s toughest challenge yet, spanning a distance of 35,000km on- and off-roads.

Offtrax is supporting Go Help, a charitable organisation providing emergency services vehicles and school and medical support to the poorest Mongolian villages and communities, and Make a Wish Canada, raising funds to grant wishes to seriously ill children. Throughout the journey, the team hopes to raise in excess of C$5,000 (around RM15,000).

“Some might think it’s just plain crazy to drive almost 22,000 miles to Mongolia and back, across some of the most unforgiving terrain in the world, all for charity,” said Copreni.

“Well, it might just be – but if it makes you dream, then it’s not crazy at all. After going for a test drive at our local Subaru dealership in Toronto, we were 100% sold on the idea that, if there’s one car that could make it through this rally, it’s the Subaru XV.”

During the trip, the Offtrax Subaru XV will visit 32 countries, cross five deserts and span seven different time zones, with thousands of miles covered off-road.

The only modifications made to the car are a bonnet protector and a sump guard, essential equipment for taking on the harshest terrain long after the Tarmac has run out.

Otherwise, the XV is entirely “as standard”. It remains on the same original equipment all-weather tyres as other XVs, with the team relying on the Japanese brand’s unique Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and reliability, ruggedness and build quality to get them all the way to Ulaanbaatar.

The team’s progress can be followed on www.offtrax.ca or www.facebook.com/OfftraxAdventures.