Cycling around the world in 80 weeks

Posted on 25 May 2011

In a world of convenience everything, one has to wonder what goes through the mind of an IT professional when he decides to pack it all in and head off on an around-the-world adventure taking him back to basics of transport. Yes, you guessed it, human power.

From the high-rise buildings and congested roadways of Dubai, I returned to Cape Town in 2006 in pursuit of my dream… to stand at the North and South Poles, and get there by using only my own body to get me there. While the North Pole is not that absurd, the South Pole does present a pretty daunting challenge! After all, there’s a large stretch of pretty rough sea surrounding it.

Adventure is largely about escaping the rush of the modern lifestyle, so why not take it a bit further and remove the clutter and the complications and see if man is really meant to be here or not.

While I’d already been thinking about the magnitude of my expedition and the associated timescales, I happened to be in Hermanus on the birthday of Jules Verne and got thinking that while 80 days is impossible, 80 weeks may just be! Besides, ‘Around The World In 80 Weeks’ has a nice ring to it.

So, after a few phone calls to my technical madmen (cyclists who believe that cycling non-stop round and round a muddy or rocky loop is fun and a normal weekend activity), I decided that I shall have to see just how far the human body really can be pushed and if one can indeed get all the way around the world via the North and South Poles using only the human body as propulsion.

This will certainly change the way anyone thinks about training and preparation, as there are no guidelines or set kit lists. No rule books exist here!

To kick start the madness, I headed up Table Mountain last weekend with award-winning photographer Jacques Marais to capture the beginning of a new era… and have some fun in the process.

Hope you like the pics!

Please note: mountain biking is not permitted in the Northern Section of the Table Mountain National Park, and special permits were acquired in order to conduct the photoshoot!






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