Got ma route down.

So… This is it. As close as I want to get to a solid route for 2014; following a discussion with my cycling partner Ben Lewis. 8 months, 9000 miles, 18 countries. The line on the map marks the onset of what promises to be a challenging, yet highly rewarding expedition from London to India. Comprehending the scale of this journey is not easy, but the excitement and anticipation is boiling the forefront of my mind. POSITIVELY STOVED.

The intention of this trip is adventure, I fully expect purpose to stem from this. If you set out with a good intention and back it up with knowledge and an open mind, often everything else will grow around it. I’ve lived by this philosophy for a while now and can only praise it. Flexibility is the key to keeping a trip interesting, I’m all for planning but spontaneity can conjure the most worthwhile experiences.

Gabber-shizzle aside, the route will begin with a swift mission to the coast from London. Channel crossing by ferry to France will be followed by Paris and a short bouldering crush in Fontainebleu. The route heads east from here to the Dunabe River in Germany via Strasbourg and Munich. The Black Forest born surge of water will guide us through Austria and Hungary, where stops in Vienna and Budapest are expected.

After breaking away from the Dunabe in central Hungary and powering through the final European sections in Romania and Bulgaria, our prep for the east will take place in Istanbul. All being well, we will leave behind Europe for the Caspian sea crossing between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The next stretch will head to Dushanbe, Tajikistan; via Samarkand in Uzbekistan and the M-34 mountain pass from the north. This stretch will require a flood of will power and motivation, it promises to be dry and in the high 20’s, with potentially scarce water supplies and a significant culture change.

The infamous Pamir Highway will greet us with an awe-inspiring backdrop, bringing us within metres of Afghanistan as we surge towards Osh, Kyrgyzstan. From here we plan to head east to the old city of Kashgar, China; before a colossal voyage on the G219 to the town of Lhatse, Tibet. Here, we drop south to Kathmandu, via the prodigious Everest Base Camp, before a stint of volunteer work with an aim to improve the desperate environmental state of the trekking region.

Single tracks will guide us through ~NE-SW striking Indian valleys of the Himalayan foothills before we head west for the first time through Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Our route through India remains uncertain at this stage and will depend upon time / circumstances, though we aim to conclude the expedition in November 2014.

I am buzzing like a BEE on steroids.

G.