Brand Ambassadors

Ripley Davenport (UK)

MONGOLIA DESERT EXPLORER

British adventurer Ripley Davenport is a leading figure in North and Central Asian desert exploration.

Ripley was outfitted in Khunu for his record-setting feat of walking solo across the vast landmass of Mongolia from east to west in the summer of 2010. He covered 1,628km (1,012mi) in just 52 days, beating the current record.  En route he endured extreme temperature fluctuations, blizzards, sand storms, isolation, unrelenting desert heat, brutal terrain, several dog attacks, stomach cramps and sickness, and exhaustion. Ripley managed to cross the Eastern Mongolian Steppe, Gobi Desert and the Altai Mountain Range, while hauling provisions and equipment weighing in excess of 240kg in a wheeled trailer, specifically designed for the journey.

He is also the founder and leading member of the Gobi Crossing 2011, a team-based, 60-day, 1,600km (1,000mi) trek across Mongolia's Gobi Desert that will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary film.

Ripley has served a in a special forces unit of the British Royal Navy, holds dual graduate degrees in Environmental Science and Conservation Biology and most recently co-founded the Explore Foundation, a not for profit charity focusing on Adventure and Education-based learning.  He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.