There is no better way to explore a country than by bicycle. And if you’re going to be cycling the length of a country, why not do it for charity? H2H is a group of expatriates based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam that is in its third year of existence. We will ride from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City – 2,000km, or 1,200 miles – from February 3-29 while raising money for three local charities that help poor children gain access to education and healthcare. We can’t wait to see what this adventure will bring!
Update: Pat is already nearing the end of his journey in the Antarctic.
It seems being an adventurer is getting more and more extreme. Pictured here is Pat Farmer. He has begun a ultra endurance run from the North Pole to the South Pole. He will run about two marathons every day for almost a year. And here is a point that baffles my mind: he’s going to do it without ever taking a day off! The reason that baffles my mind is that riding a bicycle around the world wore out my body, specifically the way my liver processes sugar and the chemical and hormonal balances of my brain and body — Oh! — and my poor knees. Pat Farmer is donating his knees to raise $100 million for the International Red Cross. Visit his website to follow the journey.
Here’s an incredible story. Two legally blind people will be riding a tandem bicycle unassisted from Ushuaia, Argentina to Deadhorse, Alaska. That’s an 18-month journey across roughly 16,000 miles and 15 countries. They’ll visit schools for the blind along the way to share experiences that have shaped their lives. To follow their journey click here. Here they are pictured at Thorong La Pass in Nepal at 5416 meters.
This is truly awesome in the original sense of the word: something that is both frightening and wondrous. Imagine tightrope walking, bungee jumping and parachuting all rolled into one.
Social media has really helped promote cycle touring, push the envelope and has become a major vehicle for creating awareness. Here’s a noteworthy adventure and cause.
St Thomas’ Hospital forecourt, London, Tuesday the 5th of January 2010, Steve said cheerio to loved ones and then started pedaling – he will be pedaling for the next 1700 days. Steve’s lonely migration east began in Europe and then Africa but will eventually see him travel by bicycle the length of six of the earth’s continents in a mammoth five year expedition during which he will cycle a distance equivalent to twice the circumference of the earth.
Steve will trace a route through regions affected by the Neglected Tropical Diseases and will witness firsthand their effect on local populations. These are 14 largely ancient infectious diseases grouped together by the World Health Organization. Once widely dispersed, they now thrive in impoverished settings, especially in the heat and humidity of tropical climates.
To invest this hare-brained endeavour with some worthy purpose he’s also raising money for Merlin – a UK based medical aid charity.
Update: The team is just a few days from reaching their goal, and little did I know when I first posted this story that my friend (more of an acquaintance, but I like to think of everyone I meet as a friend) and fellow world cyclist, Mark Beaumont is on the boat as both an oarsman and cameraman. Good luck, guys. And Mark, hope you brought your bike, because you can do several laps around the world up there.
===========
British explorer Jock Wishart and Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky have unveiled a remarkable mission to conquer what could be one of the world’s last great “firsts” — the first rowing attempt to one of the world’s Poles.
The challenge will take place in July/August 2011 and is of global significance as both a pioneering maritime adventure and an environmental expedition. The planned 450 mile route across the Arctic sea starts in Resolute Bay in Canada with timing being of the essence as the final section of the journey is only navigable for a few weeks of the year before refreezing. It has only become possible to consider an attempt like this in recent years due to the increase in seasonal ice melt and the much-documented deterioration of the Arctic landscape.
Preparations are already underway for their August 2011 attempt:
A recce of the route took place by plane in August 2009
An advanced rowing boat design is being constructed to make it possible for it to be man-hauled across the ice. At a later date, this specially designed boat will be unveiled – believed to be the first ‘ice boat’.
Jock has begun the challenging process of selecting his crew who will activate a ‘three on, three off’ rowing and resting regime.
Planning has taken place with scientific research partners to deliver environmental data and insight from the journey
Here you see a quintuple bicycle. The Pendouin’s are the first family to cycle across North America on such a bike, which also suggest there are a lot of records still left to be broken/created/made. More info.
Congratulations to Ed Stafford who just finished his epic 2-year walk down the Amazon River. Which Sir Ranulph Fiennes says is “in the top league of expeditions past and present.”
Here is one of the more unique adventures I’ve seen lately.
Haidar Taleb, the disabled 47-year-old from the United Arab Emirates is about to embark on a 200-mile voyage across the desert in a solar-powered wheelchair which he designed and built himself. Mr. Taleb says, “With this journey I hope to raise awareness of disability and sustainability as well as what we can achieve as individuals if we have the courage and determination to try.” Which is pretty much what I would have said too; in fact, this is pretty much what I tried to do, except that I had the full use of my legs and my disability was mostly in my head :)
Here is a cool Backyard Adventure, a cool fun mini-expedition helping students and parents see the world with eyes of wonder, and a great example of a modern argonaut.
ASSIGNMENT: Your adventure, should you choose to accept it, is to find a star-gazing adventure right in your own backyard.
Example: Watch this video of the ultimate backyard adventure. A father and son send a HD video camera into space on a balloon, and used an iPhone as a GPS tracking system. It reminds me of when I was a kid, my dad and I made time-lapsed photos of the stars to track the orbit in across the night sky.
One of my favorite books as a kid was Kon-Tiki.Here’s an interesting adventure that I’ve been following. Plastiki, boat made of 12,000 plastic bottles nears end of Pacific voyage. Next perhaps we should try building a battleship out of bottles or maybe cruise ships :)
National Geographic’s top adventurers from 2010, including an acquaintance of mine, Mark Beaumont, who holds the speed record for cycling around the world, and recently cycled from the tip of Alasaka to the tail of Argentina, climbing the two tallest mountains along the way. Mark’s a real nice and honest guy. Congratulations.
I’ve never wanted to measure my life by money, which lately has been an overly idealistic philosophy; nonetheless, I believe in measuring my life by new experiences and new opportunities. Books are a very bad business plan, so my only reward is hearing the stories of how I’ve made a difference.
One recent story comes from an 88 year old woman named Jean. She saw my bicycle leaning outside a store and insisted her driver stop and let her out. She “ran” into the store and told me that she had purchased my book last summer and “just absolutely loved it” and that she had bought a copy for all her friends. She found it so inspiring, she said, that after reading it she added up all her frequent flier miles from a lifetime of travel, and not long after that she made a solo journey to the other side of the world to Bangladesh. Her eyes were still on fire with the excitement of her recent trip. She rattled off a few amazing stories, and told me of her new dream to write a book about her adventures and she says to me, “I want to call my book ‘An old lady and 3 Bangladesh men’.” Then she winks and says with a smile, “Do you think that will sell?”
I know I have inspired many people, several of which are attempting to ride bicycles around the world, an idea which used to be unheard of, and sometimes I sit back and wonder about all those people I’ve inspired who are trekking through the world, inspiring even more people like Jean, who will inspire even more, and the thought warms my heart and boggles my mind. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see our life’s influence ripple around the world?
World Bicycle Tour
Share your story
Subscribe 
Here’s an interesting adventure that I’ve been following. Plastiki, boat made of 12,000 plastic bottles nears end of Pacific voyage. Next perhaps we should try building a battleship out of bottles or maybe cruise ships :)
