Because It Is There: A Zero Emissions Odyssey

On March 28th 2010, I (Kevin Shannon) will begin a zero emissions circumnavigation of the globe, cycling over 40,000 miles (61,000km) across 5 continents and sailing approximately 10,000 miles across 2 oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. During the journey I’ll pass through extreme sub zero temperatures, scorching heat and face thirst, hunger and physical and mental exhaustion.

Through this site follow the eco-expedition as i pedal, paddle and sail my way around the globe across 5 continents and 2 oceans over the next 3 years. Through the expedition i will be raising awareness of Climate Change and promoting eco friendly travel.

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I’ve just returned from a brief training trip up in the Peak District with my friends Pye and Adi. We spent around 36 hours trekking across Kinder Scout, spent a night under the stars and then a trek back across Kinder Scout to the car. I pretty much summed up the whole trip in a sentence but it was a little more difficult than it reads.

After arriving a little late, we reached the top well after our targeted time. After checking the map, we decided to make the short 2.5 mile dash across the open moorland. This wouldn’t have been a problem normally, but what we staring out over was a frozen ‘wonderland’. The snow was 3-4 foot deep in some places which slowed our progress down considerably. We, but especially me (due to the purposely overloaded pack), would sink through the snow after only a few steps, so much of the time was spent struggling to pull ourselves out on to more solid snow. We reached the woodland we intended to sleep in just before dark which gave us ample time to set up our shelters and hammocks.

The next day we set off once again for several hours of yet again more trekking through deep snow after a quick breakfast of sausages (cheers Pye) and a quick Q&A in front of the camera.

The route on the way back to the start point was a longer walk with a long slow accent to the top where we tucked into a well deserved lunch overlooking Manchester and Stockport. Then it was back to the arctic-esqe moorland for more difficult trekking through deep snow. We reached the descent just as the sun set, so spent the next hour navigating our way down a steep gorge over ice and rock – not the most safest of things to do but great fun!

Now that the weekend is over i have no other overnight training trips until i leave. The leaving date is coming around very quickly and the next couple of weeks will be a desperate search for a bit more funding and the last couple of bits of equipment.

This saturday i will be heading to the Lakes for a full day first aid course which has very kindly been donated to me by the guys over at Fieldskills. Hopefully there won’t be any call to use what they teach me but it certainly helps to have the skills handy.

Last week i got to see a great film called Catching Out. The film follows different groups and types of people who engage in ‘freighthopping’. ‘Freighthopping’, as defined by wikipedia, is “the act of surreptitiously hitching a ride on a railroad freight car”. The film gives a fantastic insight into the world of modern day hobo’s in the US. Check out the trailer below.

With only a few weeks until i leave i’ve been stepping up the amount of training i’m doing for the expedition. Training is of course essential for an expedition but it can get rather boring seeing the same old sights day in, day out. I’ve been looking at different ways to train that would ’spice’ things up a little. Here are a few things i came up with.

- Walk the Pennine Way. I quite fancy walking the Pennine Way, well, part of it. The last section of the route goes through the Peak District, which is a short drive from my house. The route take me straight through the center of some of the wilder parts of the peak district.

- Kayak/ Canoe in the Highlands. I love the Scottish Highlands. To me, there is no better place to train than the highlands, specifically the west highlands. It’s always been a dream of mine to find a canoe or kayak, pack my tent, sleeping bag and some food and head off for a few days exploring various lochs and islands up the coast.

- Bivvy Bag challenge. I came across the 84km Bivvy Challenge website a few months ago and promised myself i would do it before i leave. The idea is to start from your house and head out for 48 hours, covering a distance of 84km, sleeping in a Bivvy and finishing back at your start point.

- The Disused Railway. I’ve noticed, when i’m out training on my bike,  an old disused railway track. I don’t know where it goes or how long it takes but i like the idea of grabbing my pack, a couple of days of food and just setting off walking.

- Do Nothing. I know it may sound a little strange but i had the idea of doing nothing as part of my training. To be precise, i’d head out to a patch of woodland or moorland, pitch my tent and stay there for 48 hours. No iPod, no book, no contact with the outside world, nothing. Just me, my camera(s) and a notebook.

Why don’t you let me know if you have an idea for something i could do as part of my training.

I’ve been thinking recently about ways i can travel through certain areas of the world where there’s a little too much water for cycling. I found this video whilst doing a little research and it certainly whets my appetite!

This made me chuckle.

Touching the Stairs from Green Thing on Vimeo.

I’ve just returned from a weekend in London where i was very kindly donated a stand at Adventure Travel Live. In between nipping off to catch talks from some of the UK’s leading adventurer’s i managed to chat to some very nice people (some of whom i hope are now reading this blog). The showed also afforded me the opportunity to have chat’s with various people including a hero of mine and patrons of the expedition, Benedict Allen, who managed to spare 5 minutes for a quick chat before having to rush to meetings. I also spoke with Ed Wardle, of  Alone in the Wild fame, and Stephen Lord who is the author of the Cycle touring ‘bible‘, a must for anyone considering a cycling expedition.

I had a few enquiries regarding the situation with funding during the show. The situation is not good and some people have very kindly offered donations for the expedition. As requested i have put up a Individual Sponsors page, should you wish to make a donation. Also, if you or your company would like to get involved with the expedition then please feel free to drop me an email requesting a sponsorship proposal and i’ll send one over.

In terms of exploration and adventure i personally feel that the greatest adventurers/explorers have got to be astronauts. So imagine how excited i was when i received a response to an email i sent to Scott Parazynski, the only man to have flown in space AND stand on the summit of Mt. Everest.

“I’m inspired by the audacity of the challenge you’ve set for yourself, and thrilled that you’ll benefit a worthy charity in the process. I will follow your journey closely, worry for your safety and strength, and pull for your ultimate success. Godspeed!”

To learn about Scott head over to his website http://parazynski.com/. Also follow his day to day adventures via his twitter feed