The Veneto Trail is a 500km unsupported bikepacking adventure through the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Starting in Cittadella, the off road loop takes in the spectacular views & trails of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. I came to the Dolomites a few years ago when touring across the Alps – It rained the entire…
The Hope 1000 is a non-stop mountain bike ride of 1000km across the Switzerland. The route itself is fixed. From Romanshorn to Montreux, it is quite simply a masterpiece, taking in iconic climbs & astonishing views of the Swiss Alps. There is no entry fee, no outside support, no prize money & the quote Willi…
The Trans Pyrenees is a self-supported ultra-distance race organised by Lost Dot, the team behind the famous Transcontinental Race. My Trans Pyrenees race report is from the second edition of the race, TPRNo2, originally schedule for the autumn of 2020 which took place at the end of September 2022. Starting in St Jean De Luz…
Last minute, spontaneous plans are always the best. I mean who doesn’t love getting a text on a Monday morning suggesting taking Friday off & heading north for a 3-day ski weekend in the Scottish Highlands?! Life has been hectic of late. Balancing training for 2020 goals, planning an 18-month career break, saving for an…
Think adventure, landscape, wilderness & pure rugged unspoilt beauty. Scotland is simply idyllic for campervans. From big mountain landscapes, to glistening white sandy beaches and magnificent coastlines. For me, Scotland takes the best of the Alps and mixes it with the best of the Mediterranean, making the best of both more accessible. Sure it rains…
Fresh air, coffee, vanlife, adventure and simplicity – It could only be autumn adventures in the Cairngorms National Park. The best of the Scottish highlands. Oh, and bikes too (of course). With a week off scheduled, the lure of adventure begins to grow. Nothing quite awakens the soul like a trip to Scotland. Vast mountainous…
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…
Ask people where they would picture mountain bike heaven, it’ll look something like beautiful British Colombia. More specifically, Whistler. I’m lucky enough to be able to travel to Canada with work, so when I was told my latest trip would mean spending a weekend in Vancouver, you can probably imagine my delight! British Colombia is…
Not quite Mr. Beans holiday to France, but not far off. 7 dirt bag kayakers alpine dreaming, in search of sun, mountains and whitewater. After paddling the steep Italian creeks, but not having much luck with sunshine, it didn’t seem right to head back to the UK without at least a little time to chill…
With the spring snow melt filling up the rivers across the European Alps, the playground is formed for the alpine kayaking season. The end of the ski season certainly doesn’t mean the end of alpine fun. For whitewater kayakers, it means the opposite, the fun is just about to begin! Kayaking can be a frustrating…
Another blogger writing a Croatian National Parks Guide… yep just what we need, another one – like there isn’t already enough! Well, this blog is your one stop-shop containing all the information you need, all in one place, for an epic day out at both Krka & Plitvice National Parks! Whilst no trip to Croatia…
Exploring Croatia by car, made my adventure so much easier. Having that flexibility to plan & adjust my week to suit me was the ideal way to fit as much into the trip as possible. Car camping is an idea I first came across in New Zealand – it’s the simple concept of living out…
Wow! Where to even start with this blog write up?! Normally I struggle for the opening line of my blog posts – this one, I don’t even know how I’m going to fit it all in! This was a last minute, spontaneous, f**k it sort of trip – with a last minute cancellation on a…
Thursday 4th January! So we’re back inland and exploring the Tongariro National Park – or I wish that I could currently say I am writing my latest blog post coming from yet another cool place; i.e. the base of the three volcanoes at the heart of the park; the mountains Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. Instead…
Every once in a while, we all need a break. A break from the hustle and bustle and stress of every day life. Where better to head for a week, than the Scottish highlands. A vast rural landscape, with so many more mountains than people, what better way to refresh & recalibrate, than some time…
So welcome to my first blog post! I’m really not too sure how to do this blogging malarky – so I’m fingers crossed, hoping this is going to go well! Enjoy… Road tripping is the ultimate expression of freedom; go where you want, do what you want & when you want to do it –…