Ike had the honor of training student, Beth Lavinder, to help prepare her for a very important mission to Mongolia.
Beth is from Saxapahaw, North Carolina and was preparing to volunteer for Rally for Rangers. Rally for Rangers does incredible work across the world. Their mission is to protect the world’s special places by empowering rangers with new motorcycles and equipment. The motorcycles help the rangers protect natural and cultural resources from threats like poaching, illegal mining and illicit drug trade devastation to landscapes.
A team of riders delivered Yamaha AG 200s to Khar Us Lake National Park, located in western Mongolia in Great Lakes Depression. The bikes were flown in and then ridden by the volunteers across the vast and varied Mongolian landscape to their final destination. The bikes were handed over to the Mongolian Park Rangers who will use them to patrol the national parks in the remote part of the country. Without the precious vehicles, park rangers working tirelessly to protect ecologically important regions would have to patrol thousands of miles on foot or horseback.
Beth was preparing for the many logistical and physical challenges inherent in a motorcycle adventure like this one.
By the end of 2019 Rally for Rangers will have delivered 75 new motorcycles to nine parks in three countries – Mongolia and Argentina. You can find out more about Rally for Rangers on their website rallyforrangers.org. This video gives an overview of the 2018 Rally.
Rally For Rangers from Jeff Colhoun on Vimeo.
One Response
Training with Ike de Jager was one of the best investments I made in preparation for Mongolia. Over 1200km riding through bogs and sand, over endless steppe and river crossings, the skills I learned under his expert instruction kept me safe and insured that I delivered the Yamaha AG200 to my Mongolian ranger. His instruction also meant that I had a damn good time on the journey as well.