Edinburgh-based dealership Belmont Mitsubishi has been giving logistical support to ex-servicemen Matt McHugh and Rhys Rowlands for Operation RagnaröK, which will see them and the L200 – nicknamed ‘Louis’ after The Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno – spend a month driving across the Nordic country.
They will be taking on treacherous terrain such as glaciers and solidified lava on volcanoes as they bid to raise £5,000 for Poppyscotland. The charity supports Scotland’s ex-servicemen, women and their families and has helped Matt and Rhys back into civilian life, after a heart condition put paid to Matt’s Royal Navy career as a mine clearance diver and Rhys suffered a serious leg injury while serving in Afghanistan with 2SCOTS (the Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland).
Matt, 26, and Rhys, 29, aka the Volcano Hunters, are due to leave Edinburgh Castle on 26th July and will catch a ferry from Newcastle to the Netherlands then drive to Denmark, where they will take another ferry to Iceland.
The challenge has been one and a half years in the planning and takes its name from a Norse myth relating to the final destiny of the gods. The dynamic duo have been hard at work preparing for it, with Belmont Mitsubishi, which is based in Bankhead Drive, Sighthill, on hand to help with maintenance.
Matt said: ‘The guys at Belmont have been brilliant and instrumental in keeping us to our timetable. Many thanks to them! Rhys and I are really looking forward to the challenge and are itching to get on the ferry.’
Gavin Wilson, Franchise Manager at Belmont Mitsubishi, said: ‘We are keen to help as much as we can because it’s all for a good cause, and we’re only too happy to make sure the lads are on track for their challenge. It’s crucial that we get them away on time, and we wish them good luck ahead.’
The video, which shows Matt, Rhys and ‘Louis’ on a training weekend at Loch Lomond, has been uploaded to Operation RagnaröK’s YouTube channel and can be watched below:
YouTube page: https://youtu.be/cCrkaGp0jMY
