Countdown Blog 2

Only weeks to go, and the countdown is nearly at an end... then the real business begins!  In this series of scribbles I´ve tried to give an overview of some of my preparations with the bike, gear, documentation and route etc. But I´ve also been preparing myself.  I represent the most important tool I´ll have on the trip (hey, careful!) so important that I look after that too.  So let’s take this opportunity to cover what I´ve been doing in that regard.

First things first, I´ve been losing weight.  Over the last 18 months or so I´ve dropped close to 1½ stone, with a more notable effort over recent months as I have upped the training schedule.  Quite a bit of leg work since Christmas, and now the upper body to ensure I can just keep on lifting that bike!  Also a bit of cardio and core work thrown in.  Seems to be having an effect, and certainly my waistline has receded notably.  I am, for example, having to dig around the back of the wardrobe for 10 year old togs, so I don´t end up with me draws around me ankles while out for a stroll... 

It was quite a shock to discover just how out of shape I had become.  I can´t say I had given the matter a whole lot of thought, but despite the hard work early on, and a very slow build up on the exercise front, I feel that I´ve broken through the pain barrier and now starting to feel the benefit.  Nice!   Mrs Pat also appears content with the fact that I can now see my knees without having to sit down!

During my previous distance bike trips I have put on weight, as I enjoyed eating out each day and failed to compensate for long days in the saddle through, as a minimum, long walks.  But that was in Europe.  This trip across the Americas will also have some long technically easy riding days for sure, so I´ll need to do a bit of cardio work from time to time when needed.  But this trip will also include challenging riding representing a much greater overall physical and mental test.  The need to keep costs down over such a long period will result in me having to cook more – so much easier to watch the calorie intake.  Taking Idris around the Americas is going to give me quite a workout overall – so I´m hopeful that I shall return in even better shape.  I´m up for it and, more importantly, I feel up for it!

But what happens if things go wrong?  There is no doubting this trip at times will test my skills and endurance to the limit, but what happens if a situation arises and that limit is not enough.  Important then to be able to fall back on the best insurance cover you can get, so I´ve signed up for £10 million of medical cover.  I think I´m worth every penny.  Mrs Pat is not so sure, but she had been signing me up to go and see every sort of doctor she can think of.  I'm not sure if she is simply concered that I should be in the best possible shape for the trip, or looking for reasons for me not to go?  In any event, after the most rigourous MOT I've ever had, I've come through with shining colours.  If you're interested in what jabs I've had done, see The Admin section - though you should, of course, consult a travel clinic direct.  Also, under The Gear, you'll now see info on my travel first aid / medical kit.

As you can see my gear and documents are coming together, and I´ve been spending time updating the other information pages on this blog.  In the next couple of weeks that work will be completed, with full information on all that I am taking available for you to note.  I´m not being sponsored by any manufacturers or suppliers of kit, so I hope to be well placed to give you my honest low down on how various bits and bobs hold up during the 4 months.  And I´ll include bike accessories / modifications in that too - up to date shots of which will appear as soon as I can swing a camera in Idris´ direction. 

The last countdown blog will report on my packing efforts, plus the outcome of my visit to James Cargo to drop Idris off ready for freighting.  Now, if I can just squeeze 4 weeks of work into the 3 I have left, I´ll be ready to hit the road.

Countdown Blog 3

I’ve got a date!  No, not that sort of date, Mrs Pat would kill me!  A departure date – 22 March, less than two months away as I type and I’ll be on my way.  Idris will be heading for Heathrow on 12 March, following which I’ll be dashing back to Spain for a week or so to do the final countdown (we know a song about that, don’t we...).

People are starting to ask if I am getting nervous, and I must confess to being a bit twitchy a few weeks back when I handed over wads of cash.  But that must have been due to me being a tight git, as it only lasted 24 hours, and now I’m left wondering why I’m not more on edge.  Perhaps that will come.  At least I hope so.  Imagine completing such an epic trip with just a shrug and a comment, such as “well the weather was nice!”  I want to feel the buzz of something new, something challenging, something unknown.  I hope that will come.

Last time I scribbled it was all about Santa – great guy that he is.  And Santa has that funny trick of leaving bits and bobs around for other people to use.  Needless to say, I benefitted well from his little visit at the end of last year, so I thought I would share some information in this entry on my gear for the trip.   

I’ve decided to take a tent and camping gear.  To fit within my travel budget (and because I like it) I’ll be doing some camping and wild camping over the period.  But I’m taking the smallest possible tent, even though it will be a real squeeze to get both me and my gear inside.  A down bag, thermal mat and silk liner will keep me toasty warm on cold nights – and a bit of luxury, I’ll also have an inflatable pillow with cotton pillowcase (also for use in any manky hostels that I feel the need to rest my head in).  I’m going to go with a trangia spirit burning stove, with a limited cook set, as I expect to be ‘eating out’ a lot!  I´ll also be carrying a tarp for extended rain cover when camping plus many other uses, such as ground sheet, wind break, bike cover etc.  More detailed information will appear on the relevant page of this blog, as soon as I can lay my hands on that packing list.  

I´ll be taking along my phone, with an international SIM card, notepad computer (with skype), plus a couple of cheapish cameras to record the vistas – the cables for which seem to be more bulkier than the gear itself.  I´ve already written a bit about how Idris will be adorned (and some of its spare bits).  So how will I adorn myself (no spare bits for me!)?

I´ve taken advantage of some of the first class reviews that have appeared in ABR magazine of late (if you are not familiar with it – then have a look at the link on the right).  Some top notch base layers have been aquired, coupled with a couple of undies, good quality trousers (zip off type), fleece, a pair of lightweight casual shoes, and a few pairs of my favourite icebreaker socks.  As I´m having to take more spare bike parts along than I originally thought, the clothing has to be shrunk (!?).  Thankfully I´ll also have my portable washing machine to ensure I´ve got a good supply of clean (full sized) togs.  For washing machine, read a black watertight bag half filled with water, soap, and dirty clothes.  When tagged to the back of the bike and subjected to the sun´s rays and bike vibrations for a few hours, it has a remarkable impact on those hard to reach stains - daz whiteness without the boil wash (well, apart from when we are crossing the Atacama dessert).

Talking about hard to reach things – I´ve been amazed by the response I´ve had to this blog and to the number of people I have been able to reach and who have sent good wishes from all over.  Some 2,000 hits on the site, and I haven´t even started the trip yet.  Very many thanks to all, and I hope you continue to enjoy these ramblings – which will be supplemented by lots of fab photos and even the odd video as I move along.  I also very much hope you´ll be able to help others through this blog, and my Just Giving page (see link on the top right).  Two more countdown blogs to go, as the preparation intensifies... 

Countdown Blog 4

Counting down to number 4 and all eyes (well, at least the two I have) are now on the Christmas break.  This trip planning is not only great fun and informative, but it is also doing wonders for my advance planning skills.  Would you believe it, by early December all prezzies were bought, paid for, and waiting to be packed.  Nice!

But you are probably not that interested in my humble attempts at playing Santa, and more so in what I’ve been up to since I last scribbled some notes on these pages.  Lots of bits and pieces is the short answer. 

My ongoing reading about similar trips and the countries to be visited continues, alongside taking notes in a little book I plan to carry with me.  I’ve also been pulling together all my documents, including an international driving permit, to take some good quality colour copies which I hope to use mostly in place of the originals (which will be carried with me separately and securely).  I’ll get a new supply of passport photos done as soon as I can be bothered to shave!

Picking up from earlier research, I’ve been in touch again with shipping agents for ‘Idris’ to confirm their requirements (it’s a long way for a dragon to travel – even a Welsh one!).  And I’ve been checking airline options to Buenos Aires to get me there a few days before Idris flies into view.  I’ll have all that lot booked before next month’s instalment.  I’ve been reviewing notes about insurance, both for my travel – including some really good medivac coverage just in case – and the requirements of each of the countries to be visited.  I won’t be booking any insurances until nearer the date, but it is good to have the ground work done.  I’ll post up details under The Admin once final choices have been made.

I’ve also been turning my mind to what spare parts Idris might need during the run, and which of those I should carry with me.  It seems that Idris is a rare breed in the Americas, so many of the bike specific parts may be difficult to come by.  I’ll be carrying spare inner tubes, of course, along with the associated puncture repair kit, replacement valves, a mini compressor and so on.  That will be supplemented by a good set of tools and the usual ABR bits and bobs, selected for the necessary maintenance Idris will require (no point taking tools I won’t use).  But what other spare parts should I carry?  A spark plug, set of light bulbs and fuses pretty much choose themselves, and I’ll be supplementing that with a chain and sprocket set, oil filter and spare chain links.  I’ll also be tagging spare cables to Idris’ existing ones, though I don’t anticipate having a problem in that area. 

I’ll start updating The Bike section of this site with the full details of what I’ll be carrying over the Christmas break - but if you can think of anything I clearly need, feel free to give me a nudge.  Things will start to move along pretty quickly once the New Year drinks are out of the way (only three more countdown blogs to go before I hit the road!).

All I need to do for now is sit back and wait for Santa to fill my panniers with more of that lovely ABR gear.  I think I’ve been a good boy this year, and Mrs Pat is nodding in the background so it must be true!  So until next time... ho ho ho  Merry Christmas.

Countdown Blog 5

I blink and another month has gone!  It is now less than 5 months before I hit the road.  So, what have I managed to progress in my preparations since I last wrote?  Well, to be honest I’ve not done a huge amount of work on the trip over the last 4 weeks.  I managed to bury myself under a very large rock... you know, one of those work ones... worst kind...  and had to pry myself from under it just to pen these few words.  You know what it’s like - when the business end of life calls, and domestic duties echo, the time for other stuff just gets squeezed.  Can’t grumble though, my special / annual leave approvals came through, so I’m free to go.  Yey!  There is definitely an upside to working for a cool employer!

So aside from earning the bucks and getting a few more holes shot in my arm to keep away the nasties, I did manage some time a couple of weeks back to do a few more farkles on the bike.  So why not spend a little time now to talk about Idris.

I faffed!  I hate to admit it, but I did.  I spend over a year researching and testing a whole range of bikes which I thought might fit the bill; reading up on the trials and tribulations of fellow overlanders who have been and done on various machines.  There was a point when I could more than gainfully hold my own with the best salesmen about the relative merits and drawbacks of a particular model or make.  I looked at GS1200s, GS800s, GS650s, V-stroms, XTs, Transalps and Africa Twins.  I looked at different Tigers, Varaderos, Stelvios, and Multistradas.  I even looked at Harleys, touring bikes, even my trusty 800 Intruder.  And could I decide?  Could I heck!  But at the end of the day, I also looked at my bank balance!

I came to the conclusion that all of the bikes I looked at could do the trip, just some more easily than others.  But I also decided that whatever bike I chose I would keep.  I have images of my tottering out to the garage when old and grey, dragging the dust sheet off the bike, and sitting there looking at the scrapes and stickers as I probe the no longer functioning memory cells to try and relive the best moments of the journey.  So with that romantic moment in mind (and yes, it is possible to have a romantic moment with a bike... just so long as it doesn’t get physical!) I decided that I would get a machine that could do the trip and be of use to me for some light off roading / green laning on my return.  I also concluded that since I’ll likely be travelling solo, it would be a good idea if I chose a bike that was both easy to repair and pick up when I fall off (and I have no doubt that I will).

Time was running out.  I knew that it would be a good idea to give the chosen one a good run before hand, just to iron out details and check it would do what I needed.  I also knew that this test run would have to take place during this summer, as annual leave would be at a premium in the run up to the trip.  That timescale would also give me space to rebuild the bike in line with my thinking, or swop it out for something else if it proved a real dog!

So off I went to see a G650GS single – it was sold!  Then a GS650 twin – it didn’t grab me.  Then a GS650 Dakar – great bike, and with ‘Dakar’ in its name, how cool is that?  Well, it would have been, but it had sold.  So then I went to have another look at an XT660Z Tenere that I had seen before – 18 months old with only 600 miles.  It was still for sale (after 6 months sitting idle) so a deal was struck and Idris found a new home.  Nice!

The Bike page on this blog sets out all Idris’ various modifications, so I won’t repeat them.  Needless to say I managed to bag a sound machine, with enough left over in me back pocket to set Idris up for the trip.  This month I did manage to start on some homemade farkles which should aid on the road, and to give Idris’ sheepskin seat a haircut!  One does have standards don’t you know!  I now need to sort out connections for my heated gear and swap the tyres out for something chunkier, and it’ll be ready to go.     

One other little detail done this month was plotting the planned route on Google Earth.  I’ve not figured out how to link the live document to this blog yet, but my plan is to also track my actual route so you can see the trip unfold.  What I have done is taken a snapshot of the planned route as a photo on the globe – and you are welcome to visit The Route page of the blog to see the result.  I think it really brings home the enormity of the journey – almost from end to end – and may inspire some of you to donate to my adopted charity – nudge, nudge.  See the link on the top right of this blog, and please give what you can.  Thanks.

Countdown Blog 6

Blimey it’s October already, so less than 6 months to go before I hop a plane. Time is really flying, and Idris and I will also be taking to the sky soon as the X’s are gathering in number on the calendar. I’ve decided to spend a bit of time this month sharing some thoughts on the route – well as much as I can anyway. My overall approach will see me planning actual roads to be ridden around a week in advance as I progress north. That said, I do have some particular bits in mind, so here goes.

The start in Buenos Aires will see me motoring south on Ruta 3 after a few days getting sorted and visiting the city’s sights. That week long Atlantic route south will take me past some impressive marine sights and through the Welsh communities around the coastal side of the Chubut valley. Yep, there really are Welsh speakers outside of Wales, so would be rude for Idris and I not to pop by for tea and a chat. Though the chat in my case will have to be restricted to Spanish, which by far outstrips my Welsh!


I digress, but while I do that, I’m still heading south for Tierra del Fuego and, weather permitting, a short turnaround at Ushuaia, one of the most southerly of cities, before the on setting winter chases our tail north again. That will see me tackling the winds and wilderness of Patagonia’s Ruta 40 – with side tracks to visit the Torres del Paine national park, the Perrito Morreno glacier, and more Welsh at the Andes end of the Chubut valley.


Subject to surviving that, I’ll be heading wheel first into wine country, which will present a whole new set of challenges as I continue to weave in and out of Andean mountain trails (hic) with a distinct chance of me opting to run a stretch of the Carratera Austral in Chile. Fab – but we’ll see. Skipping many days riding, and we’re already into Bolivia and the outstanding Altaplano which is famous for, well, not standing out really - it being pretty flat and all that. Spectacular nevertheless – and should prove to be one of the highlights.  


Bolivia into Peru along with Lake Titicaca (yep, it is a real place) and on through Cuzco and down the most excellent, I am told, ruta 26 to Nazca (yep the desert place with all that ancient graffiti – and no, not those US car races!). Then it’s hot work north through Ecuador into Columbia, where I should be rewarded with lush greenery, great roads, and wonderful people.  


Then it’s Central America packed with diverse cultures and challenging accents (well at least for me!). Panama will quickly run into Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras – which is where the options return, depending on whether I am running in advance or behind my overall schedule. I’d like to spend time in Honduras before passing into Guatemala; but if the clock doesn't favour, there might be need for a quick run through El Salvador instead. Again, my reading on Guatemala has sparked interest, so it would be great if I could also cross this country into Belize, before heading into the Calakmul area of Mexico. If I have been particularly tardy in the southern land it will mean a straighter run to Mexico, missing out Belize, which would be a shame.  


So to Mexico, another big land with mucho to see, which will probably have me hovering around the Caribbean coast as I continue to peer upwards. Choices about crossing into the USA are numerous, so we’ll see how that goes, but I am minded to run from Arizona through to Montana avoiding the major conurbations and focussing on the many wondrous national parks (pretty much a guiding feature of the whole trip really).  


Then it’s Canada and big bear country – so call me a girl’s blouse, but I think I’ll avoid camping from here on! Which leaves Alaska, where I would dearly love to ride the Dalton Highway into the Arctic Circle, weather permitting, and where I would also like to visit a town at the edge of nowhere called McCarthy (it’s my surname you see) before calling it a day at Anchorage. But even that is not yet set in stone, as I have yet to get confirmation about the return transport for the bike from the Alaskan capital.  


Quite a trek I think you’ll agree, and I'll be passing through some of the friendliest countries in the world and seeing some of the most spectacular scenery. That said, I'll also be riding some of the world's most dangerous roads possibly in extreme weather conditions - so time to take a few deep gulps! Many people have completed this journey by motorbike; some have tried and failed... 


As I’ve said before, I'm doing this for my own reasons, but when times get tough (and I'm assured that they will by those who have both been and done) it would be good to know that my trails along the route have inspired some of you to help out those less fortunate. Your support will help me keep going, but more importantly, it will help many young people globally to realise their ambitions as they battle through their own life trials. Take time out now to click on the link at the top right of this blog and make a difference – go on, do it now before life gets in the way again as it so often does!