At 19, Tom Davies may be the youngest person to ever cycle around the world. Starting in London in January 2015, he cycled 18,000 miles in 174 days, most days going over 100 miles. He rode to challenge himself and to raise money for three charities; Prostate Cancer UK, The Sohana Research Fund and Carney’s […] The post Cycling Around the World with Tom Davies : TPZ 099 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
On September 23, 2015 Dave and Amy Freeman will launch their canoe in the Kawishiwi River and paddle into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. They will remain there for a full year, camping at over 100 different sites and traveling over 3,000 miles by canoe, ski, snowshoe and dog team. This 365-day adventure is in support […] The post A Year in the Boundary Waters with Dave & Amy Freeman : TPZ 098 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
Te Araroa is one of the world’s newest long distance trails. Opened in 2010, it’s a 1,900 mile trail in New Zealand connecting Cape Reinga in the North to Bluff in the South. Anna McNuff spent 5 and 1/2 months running the trail from south to north, unsupported and carrying a 30-pound backpack. She partnered […] The post Te Araroa New Zealand Running Adventure with Anna McNuff : TPZ 097 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 105 mile long-distance path around Mt. Blanc that cuts through France, Switzerland, and Italy. For 6 days in September, Mike Hogan and a few friends trekked clockwise around the mountain. In this episode, Mike shares his story and provides information on how to make the trip successful. Mike […] The post Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc with Mike Hogan : TPZ 096 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
Angelo Wilkie-Page is on an 8-year adventure to circumnavigate the planet, east to west and pole to pole using only human power. It’s a first of its kind journey, called Expedition 720, that will send him across all lines of latitude and longitude. In the first leg he cycled from Los Angeles, CA to Anchorage, […] The post Expedition 720 – Cycling to Alaska with Angelo Wilkie-Page : TPZ 095 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
In 1914, President Theodore Roosevelt co-led an expedition to descend an unknown river in Brazil known as the River of Doubt. 100 years later, Dave Freeman and Paul Schurke retraced Roosevelt’s journey along this renamed Rio Roosevelt. They did it to see how the river has changed and to celebrate the legacy of President Roosevelt […] The post Canoeing the Rio Roosevelt with Dave Freeman : TPZ 094 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
Justine Curgenven is an expedition sea kayaker and adventure filmmaker. In her most recent expedition with teammate Sarah Outen, the two became the first to kayak the Aleutian Island chain from Adak to Homer Alaska. It was 4 months and 1500 miles of kayaking in a remote landscape with strong winds, fast currents, and rugged […] The post Kayaking the Aleutians and Adventure Filmmaking with Justine Curgenven : TPZ 093 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
For 3 months in 2014, Jake Hoffmann and his girlfriend Becca traveled light and fast by bike. Starting in Key West Florida they cycled north, connecting to the Southern Tier route which took them west to the Pacific coast. Next they cycled their way to Cape Flattery Washington where they had to carry their bikes […] The post Adventure Cycling Key West to Cape Flattery with Jake Hoffmann : TPZ 092 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
As a teenager, Ellen McDonah dreamed of paddling the Mississippi River, but her mother said no. Over four decades later, she made the dream a reality, becoming the first woman to paddle solo 2,350 miles from the source to the Gulf of Mexico. She called the expedition One Woman’s River which began in May 2014 […] The post Kayaking the Mississippi River with Ellen McDonah : TPZ 091 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
Four years ago Sarah Outen began her London 2 London via the World expedition, traveling eastward by bike, kayak, and rowboat. During the past two legs of her expedition she kayaked for 101 days and 2500 km along the Aleutian Islands until landing in Homer Alaska. Next she cycled from Alaska halfway through Canada and […] The post A Kayaking and Cycling Adventure with Sarah Outen : TPZ 090 appeared first on The Pursuit Zone ....
For five weeks, Erin Bastian and two teammates paddled sea kayaks 800 km through a beautiful and remote wilderness in the Chilean Patagonia. Starting in Puerto Eden, they traveled south through the fjords and rivers and among tidal glaciers and icebergs until their finish point in Puerto Natales. The expedition was called Wilderness 72 for the 72 degree line of longitude they would straddle and you can learn more about it and about Erin at erinbastian.com . Erin Bastian, welcome to The Pursuit Z...
In the book, Walking Home from Mongolia , Rob Lilwall tells the story of his 6-month trek from the frozen Gobi Desert in Mongolia back to his home in Hong Kong. Along with teammate Leon McCarron , the two alternated pulling a 2-wheeled cart containing their supplies. At the China border, they ditched their conspicuous cart in favor of heavy rucksacks and continued south as they struggled with the landscape, the language, the police, and each other all the while filming the adventure which became...
In November of 2014, Charlie Walker completed a 43,000 mile cycling adventure through 61 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was a 4.5 year expedition that began in England on a secondhand bike he called Old Geoff. As part of the journey, Charlie also trekked 1,000 miles across the Gobi Desert from Beijing to Ulaan Baatar, rode a horse 600 miles across the Mongolian steppe, and paddled a dugout canoe down 350 miles of the Lulua River in the Congo. You can learn more about his adventure and...
For one week in February, Danielle Ramsey took part in the Husky Dog Challenge. It’s an event in northern Sweden, near the town of Kiruna, 145 km inside the Arctic Circle. As part of the challenge, Danielle mushed a team of sled dogs a distance of 200 km over several days in the wilderness, sleeping in a basic cabin without running water or electricity. She did this to raise funds in memory of her older sister Abby who had Down’s Syndrome. You can learn more at arctic4abby.wordpress.com . Daniel...
In 2008, Phil Harwood completed a descent of the Congo River, starting at the Chambesi River in Zambia then traveling mostly through the Democratic Republic of Congo. For five months he navigated through the water and the corruption in his 15-foot canoe to reach the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way he encountered people that wanted to kill him and steal his money, but also local fisherman that offered their help when he needed it most. Phil tells this amazing adventure story in his book, Canoeing t...
Into the Empty Quarter is an adventure film that follows Leon McCarron’s journey through a vast region of the Arabian Desert. Beginning in Salalah Oman with teammate Alastair Humphreys , the two pulled a heavy cart containing their supplies for 1,000 miles to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Their adventure was inspired by the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger who wrote about his crossing of the desert in the book Arabian Sands. You can learn more about the movie and Leon at intotheemptyquarte...
In 2009, Tyler Fish and John Huston became the first Americans to ski unsupported to the North Pole. It took 55 days to travel more than 500 miles starting from Ward Hunt Island. They pulled and pushed their heavy sleds over sand-like snow, giant ice-rubble fields, and through stretches of open water. To avoid deadly mistakes in the sub-zero temperatures, their motto was slow and steady until the last few days when they had to ski nearly nonstop to make headway against the constantly shifting ic...
Will Frazer cycled around the world from London to Miami. Along with his friend Johan du Plessis, the two spent 234 days on the road, cycling 23,500 km through 24 countries. Their adventure is called Riding for Rhinos and their mission is to raise money and awareness for an animal dangerously close to extinction from poaching. You can learn more at their website ridingforrhinos.org . Will Frazer, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
At age 24, Tom Bruce quit his job and set off from his home in the UK on a 10-month round-the-world cycling adventure crossing Europe, Asia, and America. It was 14,000 miles and one of the greatest experiences of his life. In the process he raised thousands of dollars for SOS Children’s Villages , an organization devoted to protecting the world’s vulnerable children. To learn more you can read his book titled Every Inch of the Way – My Bike Ride Around the World and visit his website tombrucecyc...
Emma Timmis ran across Africa, coast to coast, from Namibia to Mozambique. It was 89 days and nearly 4,000 km. Supported by a small crew, they called their expedition Head over Heels 2014 with the aim of raising money for several charities. Emma says it was the toughest thing she has done in her life, even tougher than becoming the first woman to run the 2400 km Freedom Trail in South Africa. You can learn more about the adventure and their fundraising efforts at headoverheels2014.com . Emma Tim...
After two years of planning, Lucy Engleheart and Anne-Laure Carruth set off on an amazing 174-day road trip circumnavigating the Mediterranean Sea. They focused their journey on North Africa and the Middle East, hoping to break down cultural misperceptions and gather stories of everyday life. Their constant companion was Landy – a 1971 long wheelbase Series IIa Land Rover which continuously broke down, yet delivered them safely back home. You can learn more about this adventure at their website ...
Jennifer Steinman’s documentary film Desert Runners has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world. It tells the story of four amateur athletes competing for the 4 Deserts Grand Slam which is accomplished by finishing four 250 km ultramarathons in a calendar year. The movie shows how challenging and dangerous it can be to race in the most inhospitable places on earth – the Atacama, the Gobi, the Sahara, and Antarctica. You can learn more about the film at desertrunnersmovie.com and m...
Having never owned a car, the bicycle plays an important role in Anik See’s life. In her book, A Fork in the Road – Tales of Food and Travel , she writes about her cycling and travel adventures through Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Long distance cycle touring has also taken her to Sri Lanka, India, and Scotland. She currently resides in bike-friendly Amsterdam and you can learn more at her website aniksee.com . Anik See welcome to The Pursuit Zone. The US edition of Anik’s book is tit...
In her book, Paddlenorth: Adventure, Resilience, and Renewal in the Arctic Wild , Jennifer Kingsley tells the story of her 54-day canoe journey on the Back River to the Arctic Ocean in Canada’s Nunavut Territory. With 3 canoes and 5 companions, the team struggles with the river rapids, the weather, and group dynamics. You can learn more about this 1,000 km canoe expedition at her website jenniferkingsley.ca . Jennifer Kingsley, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
In April of 2014, Mike Ranta and his dog Spitzii set out on an 8,000 km canoe expedition from Vancouver to the Cape Breton Islands. They crossed over three mountain ranges which included portages over 100 km. Mike’s main goal is to inspire the kids of his hometown of Atikokan that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. He is also trying break the Guinness world record for the longest solo canoe trip and you can learn more about his adventure at his facebook page by searching for Mike R...
As a polar explorer, Eric Larsen travels in some of the most remote and wild places on earth. In 2010, he became the first person to reach the north and south poles and summit Mt. Everest within 365 days. His most recent 2014 expedition to the North Pole is called Last North. With his teammate Ryan Waters, the two traversed the Arctic Ocean from Northern Ellesmere Island to the geographic North Pole. Unsupported for nearly 500 miles, they traveled across the moving sea ice by skis, snowshoes, an...
Brenda Piekarski is the founder of Adventure Minnesota Films. It is a group of professional freelance filmmakers producing films focused on outdoor adventure sports in the beautiful state of Minnesota. Their first project is titled Among the Wild – The Arrowhead 135. It tells the story of 3 athletes competing in the one of the toughest winter ultra races on the planet and you can learn more at amongthewild.com . Brenda Piekarski, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
Grant Christie walked the entire length of the South African coastline as part of his Six Million Steps expedition. It was a 3500 km adventure over 250 days inspired by a love of nature and a dissatisfaction with ordinary living. Grant hopes to inspire people to chase their dreams and to motivate them to a higher ideal of conservation and you can learn more at his website sixmillionsteps.co.za . Grant Christie, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
Peak to Peak 2013 is the brain child of Axe Rawlinson. It was the first continuous, human-powered journey from the summit of Mt. Ruapehu to the summit of Aoraki / Mt. Cook in New Zealand. Axe and his teammate, Alan Silva, continued the adventure with Peak to Peak 2014, a climbing, cycling, and kayaking journey from the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland to the top of Mt. Blanc in France. The goal was to have fun on a shoestring budget and stay safe with as little support as possible. You can read more...
For eleven years, Tim Travis lived his three favorite things: cycling, traveling the world, and camping. After years of planning and saving money, Tim and his former wife Cindie set off on a worldwide cycling adventure on March 30, 2002. He writes about his travels at downtheroad.org and as his website grew more popular and the books he wrote kept selling, he was able to keep the adventure going longer than planned. Tim says that, “International bike touring is less about cycling several hours a...
