Bikepacking is my meditation. It allows me to connect with myself and the land I am passing through in a way that I never thought was possible. I feel like I am learning so much every day. Whether it be about myself or the places I travel through. I always return home more at peace and connected with mission in life.
My first experience of bicycle travel was in Colombia. A dangerous and volatile place (or so people told me) where I spent 6 months travelling. But I found nothing but kindness and generosity in those Andean mountains. So many people stopped to chat with me, albeit slightly bewildered at the task I had undertaken, cycling from Cartegena in the north to Pasto in the South, a journey of 1500km. But I never felt threated or at risk. Luckily, I could speak the language which definitely helped. But also, I was off the beaten track, in amongst the true culture and I soon realised that the key to unlocking the true potential of a county, is by exploring it on two wheels.
So I returned home to the UK, trained as a guide and started my own company – Zero Carbon Adventures. For the past 5 years, We have been leading groups all over the UK and Europe. From lands end to John o Groats, London to Amsterdam and across the stunning mountains in Northern Spain. We guide people through unfamiliar territory and our goal is to showcase the best a country has to offer. The tiny villages, the local markets and beautiful countryside which most people miss. All whilst minimising our impact on the environment and maximising our experience.
We are a generation of explorers. We live in a time where global travel is so accessible we can hop on a plane and arrive in a completely different country within the same day. The problem is that we are forgetting about the journey in between.