bikepacking
Peak District: The Southern Pennine Bridleway
Nestled between the northern cities of Manchester and Sheffield, the Peak District National Park provides a natural playground to its neighbouring urban settlements. One of the first national parks created in the UK, the park spans over five counties making it one of the UK’s most visited and indeed most accessible national parks in the […]
The Isle of Arran: Beaches, Midge Bites and Mountains
With the passing of weeks and then months back in England, the pace of life once again gathers momentum as I find myself juggling my time between work, a new business, friends and family and establishing a daily routine in a new part of the country. An adventure in its own right, my time back […]
A Weekend Away
Upon my return to England the first weeks pass in a blur spent with friends and family, the people I missed so dearly on my travels. Back to the place I call home, the valley I grew up in, amongst the people I am lucky to call my friends and family. Deep rooted friendships unaltered […]
Colombia: Coffee, Deserts and Journeys End
Whilst originally planning my journey through South America, the mere mention of Colombia induced plenty of air sucking, and well meaning (if ill informed) cautionary tales. Pablo Escobar, drugs cartels, armed guerillas seemingly the extent of many people’s knowledge of this beguilling country. There is no shaking the country’s dark and murky past. Thanks to […]
Caraz to Ecuador
The Punta Olympica loop neatly deposits Flo and I in the town of Caraz, the starting point for one of Peru’s most famous treks; the Santa Cruz trek. Swapping dirt roads for trekking trails, we head in to the mountains by foot. Conscious of time and our apparent good fortune of continued blue skies we […]
Punta Olympica: Triple Heart Bypassing
The Peruvian rainy season provides us with ample rainy days to tick our way through Huaraz’s various restaurants, cafes, street markets, (plentiful) panaderias and of course sampling some exceedingly strong ale courteousy of the Sierra Andina brewery. Just as things start feeling a bit too comfortable to contemplate moving, blue skies and clear views of […]
Huancavellica to Huaraz: El Silencio Continuado
After 10 days relaxing in Huaraz the weather finally lifts to reveal stunning views of the surrounding Cordeillera Blanca. It seems Peru’s rainy season isn’t conducive to far reaching views. Cloud lingers low down in the valley as we are treated to a series of dull overcast days, and afternoon rain reimisicent of an English […]
Cusco to Huancavellica: Missing Links and El Silencio
After our riotous arrival in to Cusco following the Ausangate Traverse. We ritefully put our feet up in the historic capital of the Incan Empire. Internet fixes completed and sweet toothes sated Cass and I cook up an equally grand plan to take us north to the large town of Abancay. Navigating our way out […]
La Paz to Cusco: The Mountains
By Checacupe we finally branch off the rail trail linking Cusco and Juliaca. A veritable feast of narrow singletrack, railway sleepers and dirt roads. 200kms of riding, hefting bikes across rails and occasional buskwhacking our way across fields. Leaving the towns main plaza we branch off toward Pitamarca and the Ausangate valley, home to the […]
La Paz to Cusco: Riding the Rails
What do you do when you become the new owner of a fat bike? You ride tarmac. Perhaps there was a certain amount of inneudo intended when Cass thrusts a 7 percent beer named “Judas” in to my hand the night before we are due to leave La Paz. Whichever way it makes for another […]
Bolivian Backlog: The Road to La Paz
After abruptly jerking you forward, I am once again hitting rewind with the next installment in the Bolivian Backlog that sees us deposited in Bolivia’s capital; La Paz. As with much of our travels in Bolivia it has rarely been in a straight line, jaggedly weaving our way across the Bolivian Antiplano. Leaving the Salars […]
Bolivian Backlog:¡Salar Espectacular!
As the dirt road peters out, the crunch beneath our tyres signals our entry in to the Salar De Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. A vast white expanse of nothingness, measuring over 12,106 sq km. Under the dazzling light our eyes begin to adjust. Stopping for a moment we gaze ahead, the scale difficult […]