I know you are watching so ... please sponsor me as I have just completed 15,000 miles on my world cycle. Bart and I are back on the bikes to take on the challenge of cycling over some of the highest passes in the Alps. Keep reading for the full story.
To sponsor me for Oxfam, click on the link on the right.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
Wednesday 20 June 2012
L'Ecot, France - Technical? Me?
You are probably all sitting at home asking yourself “what
does one pack when one is cycling for two years in various parts of the world”
and even if you are not, I am going to give you the answer. Yes, the time has
come in this blog to give you all a bit of technical jargon … at least as
technical as I ever get … which is not very technical at all!
Of course, the
first thing you need for adventure cycling is a bicycle and I’m so happy with
my Thorn Sherpa which has been strong, reliable, versatile and very comfortable
… although the old girl is a bit on the heavy side. Every now and again I have
popped the bike into a local bike shop wherever I am for a quick service and
replacement of any worn parts and the only serious problem I have had is a
buckled rear rim from riding on the appalling washboard gravel roads of
Argentina. I had to hitch a lift to the next town with a “bicicleteria” for a
replacement. I don’t carry many spares as in most parts of the world you will
find a bike shop of some description but I do have a puncture repair kit and
spare inner tubes though to date I have only had three punctures in nearly 15,000
miles thanks to my expedition grade Schwalbe tires. I do carry one of those
rather nice multi-tools with secret compartments that reveal all sorts of useless
attachments including the one that takes a week to open a tin of beans. Such
multi-tools are commonly known in the trade as “the wrong tool for every job”.
The
second most important item is my camping kit which allows me to spend the night
almost anywhere I choose and helps me save money by staying in campgrounds or
camping wild rather than paying for rooms. Most of the trip I have carried a
super-lightweight Terra Nova Laser Competition tent which packs small and light
but is still quite roomy, especially if you are my tiny size. When Bart joined
the expedition with his strong thighs and bottomless bike trailer, the
accommodation was upgraded to a very spacious MSR three-person tent – there were
only two of us but, like any couple, you never know when you might want to
entertain in the evening! Dinner parties may be somewhat limited by simple
cooking arrangements. I have an excellent Primus multi-fuel camp stove which
can burn gas canisters, white gas, diesel, petrol and buffalo dung … OK, I’m
lying about the buffalo dung. I cook with two titanium pots so I can make
decent meals on the road and one of them is non-stick for goodies such as scrambled
eggs and steaks! I also have a Titanium mug for enjoying the best part of any
day – relaxing with a cup of tea or coffee. Titanium is very lightweight and,
unlike aluminium cookware, doesn’t give you Alzheimer’s Disease. For a
comfortable night’s sleep I have an inflatable Thermarest camping mattress
which fortunately has never punctured and a down-filled sleeping bag. A silk liner for the bag keeps it clean, is
all I need for sleeping in hot climates and adds a touch of luxury to my
boudoir!
Now to my wardrobe! Mostly I have followed summer around the globe, so
shorts and T-shirts suffice for most of the day. But in the Andes, the east and
west coasts of the United States and the mountains of New Zealand and Turkey, I
cycled and camped in snow and freezing temperatures. So I also carry some
really warm clothes including a thermal vest and long johns – had I known Bart
was going to be joining me, I might have packed some sexier underwear! In the
electrical department I have a Toshiba netbook computer which has allowed me to
use free wifi, a Panasonic Lumix digital camera, a mobile phone for emergencies
or sending texts to friends when I’m bored, an ipod with some favourite tunes
and one clever device called CamCaddy that can charge all of these through the
computer’s USB port!
All of this stuff
gets squashed, rolled, pushed and forced into four waterproof bicycle pannier
bags – two on the front racks, two on the rear rack, with the tent strapped on
top. Easy peasy! Most days the total weight of my kit, bicycle, food and water is
about 37kg. And, despite devouring copious amounts of food, I still only weigh
47kg myself. Phew … no wonder I’m exhausted at the end of the day! And rattling
off all this technical jargon is also quite exhausting so I’ll just hit the
“off” button on my thingummyjig, pack away my dibberywotsit and worry about the
hole in the blubberydooda tomorrow.
New photos on Flickr.
New photos on Flickr.
Sunday 10 June 2012
Les Chapieux, France - Kidnapped
Please help me … I have been kidnapped
and am being held in a remote location in France. My kidnapper’s ransom demands
will follow at the end of the blog. Here
is my statement for the French police.
After crossing the Col du Pillon, I
cycled out of the Alps via the beautiful lakeside Swiss town of Thun with its
trendy waterfront cafes and turreted castles. The excellent system of Swiss
bicycle trails then whisked me along the course of the River Aare, whose
fast-flowing, broiling waters took me by pretty little villages of wooden
houses and through deep forests of tall pines. In most Swiss villages you will
find a water fountain of some description which is always great for topping up
your water bottles or retouching your hair which is usually matted like felt
after several hot hours under a helmet. In the village of Wolfwil I was charmed
by a dozen water fountains, all of a different design – on one you had to turn
a handle to make the water come out of a dragon’s mouth and another was powered
by a waterwheel. A local man told me that the water here comes from deep
underground and gives you great strength. I would need strength for the drama
that lay ahead.
An easy climb in the rain took me
north from the River Aare and over forested hills to join one of Europe’s great
rivers, the mighty Rhine. It had been my plan to follow the course of the Rhine
north to Rotterdam to catch a boat home and so I cycled on through Basel and picked
up a beautiful cycle path along a quiet canal close to the river. I cycled passed a system of huge locks on the river that allow the long, squat cargo boats to pass the hydroelectric dams. It was here
that I met trouble. On the opposite side of the canal, parked in a picnic spot,
I spotted a large white van, with two high windows, a satellite dish and a
good-looking Belgian man. I went over for a closer look but before I knew what
had happened, my kidnapper used his charms to entice me into the van and I was
driven hundreds of miles back to the Alps. My kidnapper is now forcing me every
day to do terrible things … things such as … climbing high mountains covered
with spring flowers, cycling up impossibly steep cols and whizzing down the
other side, eating delicious homemade bolognaise, drinking glasses of wine as
the sun dips behind the peaks and snuggling under a warm duvet each night,
reliving the memories of the day. It is a living hell!
I ask my family and friends not to be
concerned as I am sure I will be released soon. But please, please send my
kidnapper’s ransom demands as soon as possible … a large bag of fun-size
Snickers and two Belgian beers.
Photos of my ordeal on Flickr.
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