Adventure travel, 2009–2011
Before the ultras and the Army application, I travelled. In 2009 I spent 92 days backpacking from Venezuela to Argentina while supposedly training for my first marathon. In 2011 I hitchhiked from London to Tallinn. These pages retell the best of those diaries with today's context, and keep 2009 memories clearly separate from current travel advice.
South America, 2009, in route order
Retold from my original travel blog, with my own photographs.
Europe
Hitchhiking and marathons in European cities.
South America, 3 May to 3 August 2009
The route ran Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and the Galápagos, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. I rode horses and walked to the Sierra Negra caldera on Isabela, cycled towards Santa Teresa on the back route to Machu Picchu, rode Bolivia's Death Road and stayed on as a volunteer at the La Senda Verde refuge below it.
Europe overland, July 2011
Seven days, eight national borders and about 1,120 to 1,200 miles from London to Tallinn, by lorry, shared car and a lot of waiting, via Dover, Germany, Riga and Pärnu.
Old diaries, current caution
Each story is a dated memory, not a current guide. Where safety matters, such as cycling the Death Road, the pages point to the questions to ask an operator today and to official travel advice.
Reader questions
- Is cycling the Death Road safe today?
- I cannot say from a 2009 ride. Choose a reputable operator, check the bike and brakes yourself and read current government travel advice.
- How long was the South America trip?
- 92 days, from 3 May to 3 August 2009.
- How far did you hitchhike to Tallinn?
- About 1,120 to 1,200 miles over seven days, crossing eight borders, by my 2011 blog.
The published stories
Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos: my 2009 ride and hike on IsabelaIn June 2009 I rode a horse, then walked, to the rim of Sierra Negra on Isabela Island in the Galápagos. What I saw, and what to know before you go now.
The back way to Machu Picchu in 2009: bikes, jungle and railwayIn June 2009 I reached Machu Picchu the long way: a bike descent towards Santa Teresa, days of jungle trekking and a walk along the railway line.
Cycling Bolivia's Death Road in 2009: my ride down the Yungas roadIn July 2009 I cycled down Bolivia's so-called World's Most Dangerous Road. What happened on my ride, and what has and has not changed for riders today.
La Senda Verde, Bolivia: volunteering at an animal refuge in 2009After the Death Road I stayed on at La Senda Verde, a Bolivian refuge for mistreated and illegally kept animals. My 2009 diary, retold with today's caveats.- Training for my first marathon while backpacking South America (2009)I committed to the Chicago Marathon and then spent most of the training block backpacking through South America. What that improvised build looked like, and what it cost.
Hitchhiking from London to Tallinn in 2011: 7 days, 8 borders, 1,120 milesIn July 2011 I hitchhiked from London to Tallinn: seven days, eight borders, about 1,120 to 1,200 miles. Truckers in Dover, a shared car from Berlin and nights in stations.
Barcelona Marathon 2010: my second marathon and a 40-minute improvementFive months after a 4:25 first marathon in Chicago, I ran Barcelona in about 3:45. My race-week diary on gels, a downhill at 21km and heavy legs at 28km.