TWO students from Oxfordshire are preparing to rough it in an old ambulance to raise funds for sufferers of cystic fibrosis.

Augusta Sharp, who lives near Wantage, and Eliza Johnston, a former pupil of St Hugh’s Preparatory School near Faringdon, will join four friends in the ambulance to travel about 12,000 miles from England to Ulan Bator in Mongolia.

The 20-year-olds will be joined on the trip by fellow students Roland Wood, 20, Todd RushJansen, Charlie Willis, 21, and Jo Lambie, 20.

The group is aiming to raise £3,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the charity DISCS, which funds research into the causes of back pain. They have already raised £1,450.

Miss Johnston, who lives near Lechlade, said the team would face tough conditions including poor road surfaces and sweltering heat.

She said: “On July 23, we will start our journey from Goodwood in Sussex and we will travel through Europe into the top of Iran.

“We will then trundle through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, then emerge from Russia into Mongolia.

“Jo’s brother James, who is 19, suffers from cystic fibrosis which is why we selected the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as one of our charities.”

The students are encouraging people to donate to the charities online, and have approached a number of different companies for sponsorship to help cover their travel costs.

Cars used in the rally cannot have engines larger than 1.2 litres but ambulances, which will be donated on arrival to the Mongolian emergency services, are exempted.

The team, called Cross Country Rebels bought its ambulance for £2,000 at an auction in North Wales.

Meanwhile, four friends who met through a shared love of extreme sports will also be tested to the limit as they take a cheap car to Mongolia.

The Lost Wolves, as Graham Wilson, Andy Smout, James Connor, Adam James are known, will traverse 23 countries in seven weeks in an ageing Hyundai Accent.

The quartet will leave England on July 23 as part of the Mongol Rally and will be raising money for Help for Heroes and the Christina Noble Mongolian Children’s Foundation.

Mr Wilson, 28, said: “There is no prescribed route and no support along the way, once we exit the Goodwood race circuit on July 23.

“The aim is not to race cars but to go to countries that few people travel to, discover misunderstood countries and go in search of natural and cultural wonders that are not seen in most travel agents’ brochures.”

Mr Smout, 27, from Abingdon, added: “We are aiming to raise over £4,000 in total.”

To make a donation to the students, visit the website virginmoneygiving.com/team/ mongolrallychallenge2011 For more information about the Lost Wolves team and how to donate visit london-mongolia.com