Because It Is There: A Zero Emissions Odyssey

So i’d arrived at the NEC ready for The Outdoors Show Extra and quickly threw up my banners (courtesy of Exantia) ready for the waves of people queuing outside the main entrance. I had a quick run around the show to check out a few of the stands and then headed back to my stand as the show opened. I spent two days at the stand chatting to people about my expedition and posing for photos. It felt good to be inside in the warmth and away from the horrendous weather i had faced the previous couple of days. I met some great people at the show, some of whom i knew from previous shows i’ve done, plus some of the people from twitter and facebook. I also managed to gain a new sponsor, aswell as meeting some of my existing sponsors for the first time.

Sunday came around fast and after a hurried send off i set off with 20 riders of the Outdoors 100, a 100 mile ride in aid of Action Medical Research, who very quickly shot off at speed and left me struggling with my fully laden bike up a hill. I was passed by approximatley 150 riders, most of whom very kindly slowed for a few minuted to have a quick chat with me and to wish me luck. Soon i was on my own again. I headed for Straftford upon Avon where i  planned to camp just outside of the town but after an hour or so of searching i just couldn’t find anywhere to pitch a tent or roll out my bivvy bag. As the sun was setting i stumbled on a campsite so decided to sleep their for the night. After paying £10 (twice my daily alloted amount of cash) i started pitching my tent, when, as i was feeding the second pole into the tent i heard a huge crack. I glanced over at the the first pole that i’d already fed into the pole sleeve; it was now hanging limp inside the sleeve. I pulled it out and found that the pole had snapped clean in half. Anybody who’s followed the expedition while i was training will recall a similar incident when i was walking in the Scottish Highlands. The same pole snapped in a storm where the winds reached 80/90mph. The original pole section was repaired but i think this pole section was weakened by the winds back in Scotland and was just waiting to snap. So i had to make a quick call to Expedition HQ (Home) where my parents very kindly drove down the next evening and dropped of my spare tent while Vango organised a replacement pole.

After a day or so mooching around Stratford i set off again into the crap weather for another wet ride. The rain was constant but every now and again would become so heavy it was impossible to ride so i’d take cover in bus stops in little villages where i’d take the time to grab a snack and read my book (and get a good staring at by the locals). On the road i met an elderley man who stopped me and starting telling me about the amount of touring he had done around the world, mainly in Europe. He then asked where i was heading, i told him, and he pointed me in the ‘right’ direction. This ‘right’ direction was indeed the wrong direction and took my back through the village i cycled through and hour or so beforehand. After checking a map in a bus shelter (mine had been blown away) i realised i had done a 15 mile loop which took me back to where i first met the elderley gentleman.

After so many miles i neared Bristol. I was warned by a few people that navigating Bristol’s city centre, especially when you don’t know the area, is extremely difficult so i decided to make camp before Bristol in a little campsite just north of the city. It was here that after grabbing a shower i headed back over to my tent where i found a local cat curled up on my sleeping bag. After evicting the cat i got my head down.

People were not joking about Bristol. It took my a 2.5 hours to navigate the city streets where i had drunks and cyclists alike cheering as i rode past. After Bristol i followed the road toward Weston Super Mare. I had to hold up for a couple of nights to rest my leg which is in considerable pain with a strained/pulled muscle. I was very kindly donated a pitch at Dulhorn Farm Camping Site which allowed me to rest my leg over the Easter weekend.

After resting my leg i headed south. I’m headed for Devon and then possibly Cornwall but really, where i go is dependent on where i can catch a lift on a yacht to the continent from. That itself will be a task but it’s all part of the expedition. I’m currently writing this blog in a bar adjacent to a campsite where once again the owner has let me camp for free. I thought i’d spend part of the money i saved on the pitch and buy my first pint of local cider (very nice it is too).

So that’s where i’ve been and where i’m headed but my riding isn’t all i need to concentrate on. The expedition is still seeking funding through corporate sponsors. If you know someone or a company who may be interested in checking out a sponsorship proposal please feel free to drop me an email with their details. As it stands i have enough funding to get a little of the way into Russia but no further (and i can’t afford a flight back) so the rush is on to find a sponsor!

…and so it began. I finally set off on March 24th from my home to cycle and sail around the globe. It was a rather strange feeling, not because i wouldn’t see me home again for 3 years but because it didn’t feel like i was doing anything other than going on a short training trip. This could have been due to the fact that it was a rather low key affair with my parents and a couple of neighbours waving me off. It felt good to pedal away from home after 18 months of planning, training and sponsorship hunting.

I took the slow route out of my village so i could take in the surroundings one final time for the last time in 3 years. My destination was the Birmingham NEC for the Outdoors Show Extra where i was exhibiting and chatting about my expedition to anyone who was interested (or would listen).

I had to make the dash to the NEC in a day and half which, at the time i thought was fairly easy as i had been training by doing 70 miles a day with a loaded bike however there was, of course, the inevitable hiccups.

The first major issue was with the trailer i’m pulling which holds to of my panniers. Amongst the mixed emotion of leaving i had to pack my panniers (twice) but, for some reason, i was more concerned about organizing each bit of equipment into panniers by size as opposed to weight (i’m not sure why) so that as i was riding the weight on the trailer was on way side more than the other. Due to the trailer being attached to the rear axle the weight on one side managed to twist the trailer hard enough to pull the wheel out off place. It was just a case of putting the wheel back on the bike and rearranging the panniers but it was pitch black and i wasn’t in a very nice part of town. A friendly policeman did turn up to help me and upon learning more about the expedition gave me two jam doughnuts which definitely helped.

Another issue i had was that i was cycling the fastest route to Birmingham which involved pedaling down a duel carriage way which made it extremely difficult to find a spot for my first night’s camp. I eventually found a small field in the dark and as i started putting up the tent heavy rain started i got a thorough soaking so my first nights camp was a damp one.

The next day a scrambled into my damp clothes for my first full days riding. Within a few hours i had my first puncture. Obviously not a big issue but taking off all the panniers to fix a puncture gets a little tedious. I quickly identified the problem and set about extracting a shard of glass from my tyre and was about to fix the puncture when i realized my pump didn’t work properly. 50+ miles into a 50,000 mile ride and my bicycle pump doesn’t work – great! I eventually got the tire sorted with the help of a nice hot cup of tea from the man whose house i was sat in front of.

This delayed me by a couple of hours so when i finally got into Birmingham it was dark which made the navigation to the NEC extremely difficult. Coupled with the fact that the UK map i bought didn’t include and roads other than major roads i got rather lost in the city (or at least the outskirts). I did eventually arrive at the hotel but rather later than intended.

Anyway, enough of the moaning. I did enjoy most of the ride down (except for the above points) and the feeling to actually be on the expedition is great.

I’ll be writing another, more positive, blog post very shortly, possibly regarding new sponsors.

p.s. Thanks to all the message you guys sent me, it was very much appreciated

p.p.s. I understand the site looks a little jumbled up if your viewing it in Safari. I trying to get the problem sorted.

I know the blog posts have been a little sparse over the past few weeks as i’ve been going over final checks, ordering last minute bits of equipment and packing the next 3 years of my life in 5 little bags. Tomorrow is the big day! I set off on my 50,000 mile journey around world.

This moment is the culmination of over 18 months planning and preparation. The bags are packed, the chain is oiled and the route is drawn. All i have to do now is pedal.

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me through the highs and lows over the past few months – I’d write a list but i’d be typing for hours (i’ll save that for the book…)! A massive thanks to my Patrons, Benedict Allen and Sir Ranulph Fiennes and everyone who has been kind enough to endorse the project. And last but not least a huge thank you to all my sponsors who have helped to make my dream a reality.

I am still looking for funding for the expedition so if you fancy making a small donation or your company would like to become a corporate sponsor, take a look at the sponsor pages to find out more.

Right then; let’s get pedalling!

This is another quick update as i have a fair few bits to do this evening before i get some sleep.

So, things are really starting to get stressful here at Expedition HQ (my bedroom) and i’m running around doing last minute bits and pieces before i leave on the 24th. I’m still waiting for a couple of bits of equipment to be delievered including some goodies from Sennhesier and a couple of new sponsors yet to be announced.

On Saturday i went over to Kendal where i spent the day on an Outdoor based First Aid Course run by Fieldskills, a company who specialize in training and support to allow people to do safe and successful expeditions. The course lasted all day and really has given me a deeper knowledge of First Aid, which previously consisted of simply being able to strap up a wrist or an ankle. Even though the course ran all day, it certainly didn’t feel like it as Dom, the course leader, runs the course with practical exercises as opposed to a slideshow presentation with a couple of 10 minute sessions on how to bandage a knee or similar (unlike the a first aid course i did when i was in the Scouts).

If you heading out on an expedition and are looking for First Aid Training (or any other kind of training) Fieldskills should be your first choice.

Dom, the Outdoor First Aid Course leader

Tomorrow i pick up my bike for the expedition which was very kindly bought for me by a supporter of the journey (Thank you!). More news on that soon….

So with less than two weeks ago everything is a mad rush at the moment. In between seeing family for the last time in 3 years and running around to pick up various equipment and having last minute meetings i’m trying to find the time to Blog but as you’ll understand it’s difficult. A few exciting thing have happened in the past weeks which i’ll cover in a longer blog entry this week, including news on new sponsors and equipment.

Tomorrow (or today as this goes up) i’m heading to Kendal to meet up with the guys from Fieldskills who have very kindly sponsored the expedition with a free Outdoors First Aid Course. I’ll also do a write up about this next week too.

Goodbye for now

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.

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.