Over the last two years, cycling has had a hugely positive effect on my life. It’s become influential in the way I live each day of my life – almost to the point of obsession. Given cycling will be dominating the latter part of my 2020 plans, I thought I’d write this post to explain…
So I probably couldn’t have picked a darker, colder, wetter time of year to head out on a 3-day adventure, winter bikepacking in the Scottish borders. After a pretty hectic end to year, I set out with the sole intention of addressing my work/bike balance. I ride to work every day, but work a lot…
So I’ve finished work for the year & to celebrate I’m heading off on a winter bikepacking adventure in Scotland to address my work/bike balance! Do I feel prepared, absolutely not! But then again, I didn’t when I began my bikepacking adventures this summer. A few people have taken interest in my bikepacking adventures this…
How do you celebrate another year closer to arthritis? By heading out bikepacking in the Lake District! In a summer that has seen me graduate from university, ride my bike across the Alps & add my name to the Everesting hall of fame. There is one adventure that stands out from the rest – a…
Low winds, clear skies & the calling of the Yorkshire 3 peaks. With the glorious forecasts ahead of the 2019 Yorkshire 3 peaks cyclocross race, it seemed rude not to head out bikepacking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks route beforehand! With the Yorkshire 3 peaks being as popular as they are, mountain biking the 24 mile…
Linking together bikepacking and bothies in the Scottish borders has been on my hit list for some time. Like most, I’ve always driven straight past the Scottish borders in search of adventure in the highlands. I mean it’s not exactly on the way to anywhere is it! Rumour has it, the gravel trails of Kielder…
‘The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and ride repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Complete the challenge, and you’ll find your name in the Hall of Fame, alongside the best climbers in the world.’ –…
Bikepacking the Austrian Salzkammergut, the final leg on my journey of one thousand miles! From sunny Slovenia, I was greeted by rain and thunderstorms in Austria. The objective was Vienna. From Villach, Vienna was a pretty reasonable distance. But I didn’t come to alps for reasonable distance. I came to the alps to explore. I’d…
My traverse across the Eastern Dolomites brought me to the foothills of the Julian Alps, where I was to begin bikepacking the Soca Valley. I’d experienced remoteness and isolation for the first time on this journey of one thousand miles. I’d ridden in thick clouds, through apocalyptic rain, getting further and further from civilisation. Having…
Part 2 of my journey of one thousand miles, bikepacking across the Italian Dolomites, started in spectacular fashion. Camping at high altitude, not far from Livigno. That night was the night the weather was due to break across the alps. TDF stage 19 had already been abandoned and the bad weather was due to move…
Part 1 of my journey of one thousand miles, across the European alps started in Switzerland. My plan was to ride across Switzerland through the Bernese Oberland & Graubunden, aiming to cross the border into Italy near Livigno. As crazy as a journey of one thousand miles across the alps may sound, it was a…
With a full weekend of sunny weather, I loaded my bike and kit and headed north for a 3 day Lake District bikepacking epic. After the success of my recent midweek mountain bike micro adventures, followed by getting my first 100 mile day ride under my belt, I figured the next step on my big…
Nerves, apprehension, can I do it? All thoughts running through my mind ahead of my first 100 mile day on a bike. Truth be told, I was more scared of failure. What If I don’t do it? It didn’t bear thinking about. All the training I’ve done, through wind and rain. It would be so…
Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten myself back into cycling to work, this new found love of road cycling came about when on a chilled-out break down in Cornwall. Of the 5 days we spent living the simple beach lifestyle, we moved the van once – cycling everywhere; to the beach, to the town,…
Saturday the 19th May was the day of the annual PHASE Worldwide Walk for Nepal event. The Walk for Nepal event, was founded by Alex Staniforth following his experience of the 2015 Nepal earthquake during his second attempt to climb Everest. The 2018 event took place Ben Nevis – the highest mountain on the British…