Ok Beautiful people, let’s continue to continue to connect to our breath,

to ourselves, and to everyone who is resonating with us here.

Slow Down

Take a moment

Listen to the silence

Be in the Remembrance.

INTENTION: Signifies a course of action that one proposes to follow.

I have, and I continue to expand beyond my perceived limits, and I can go further still.

A passion drives me and rewards me with learnings that feed my soul and nourish my adventurous spirit.

Do you test your limits?

Do you go beyond your comfort zone?

What have you learned?

Try something new

Discover a new skill you did not know you had

A passion unfurled like a wild fern.

A creative spirit soaring

An excitement to grow and learn.

LIVE IN THE NOW

LIVE IN THE WOW.

A new calendar year,

nothing here to fear.

Let’s go deep

for it is here we will reap,

rich rewards for cutting the chords.

A de-programming,

an un-learning,

un-ravelling,

A revelation

An evolution of you.

A sense of self

A sense of purpose.

What else is possible?

Propose your intentions with love,

with confidence and clarity,

Align and smile,

Create a divine memory file.

Whatever it may be,

commitment is the key.

Embrace this journey,

step by step,

bring it back to now.

Pure presence,

Conscious breath,

Lifeforce light.

Tune in, Tap in,

Give attention to your intention,

empower yourself to go beyond,

your inner power knows no bounds.

Raising vibrational frequencies,

elevating consciousness

from the fullness of our hearts.

Let’s take a moment to

Embody and embrace it all.

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One week ago, when preparing and packing my bike, I hit a snag. I could not remove my seat post from the frame. I squirted some lube around the circumference of the seat post, where it entered the seat tube, in anticipation that it would seep down and loosen things up. I came back after an hour, still completely stuck. I pinned the frame down on the ground to gain more leverage and pulled with all my strength. Nothing! completely stuck.

I’ve never had this issue before, More lube, more hours passed and many attempts at removal. Nothing!

It’s now Saturday evening. I’m not even sure where the nearest bike shop is to my current location, and I know that I need to remove the seatpost so my bike fits in my Evoc bike bag. I Fly out at 7 am; Best solve this soon.

YouTube had some ideas: hot water to expand the metal.?? and more that proved unsuccessful.

What is going on here? nothing was working. This was not how my day was meant to be.

I knew there was a small bench vice in the barn, bike inverted I attached the seatpost securely and carefully pulled the frame towards me with all I had, hoping to feel some movement.

Nothing!, Damn, this was properly stuck, like the Seatpost has become one with the frame, locked into my optimal height.

Frustration crept in, and I pulled and pushed the frame, wishing to twist it off the stagnant seatpost. I must have garnered extra strength from my frustration as I yanked forcefully, I felt something give way, hope momentarily restored, but just as quickly, rebuffed as I realised the seatpost itself had distorted under the pressure. OH FUCK

My Thomson Masterpiece aluminium seatpost was now compromised, I could see the bent Aluminium halfway along the tube. My initial issue was unresolved, and now another was apparent, I twisted some more, knowing already it was the end of this nice seatpost, eventually snapping it off, leaving an ugly tangled mess protruding from my Titanium frame.

At least now, it would fit in my bike bag. I removed my saddle and packed everything, thinking I would get it sorted in Australia by bringing it to a bike shop to see if they have some hacks to remove the remains of this seat post and purchase a new one to replace it.

During the day, I contemplated why this was happening at that moment. What’s the message?

Was I meant to just chill without a bike and spend time with my wife? Well, in my mind, I had planned to do that anyway AND do some riding whilst she was attending to some work commitments. Seemed reasonable in my head.

Was I meant to hike and run more?

What is stuck in my life that needs moving?

Plenty of questions and no clear and concise answers.

I always question and consider when something like this occurs as I do believe there is a message there to be received. This is where discernment comes in.

An example of a clear universal message for me was back in 2019 when I broke my collarbone. I was not long returned to New Zealand after my second Tour Divide and a trip to Ireland. I was keen to get over to Australia for the Race to the Rock, a race I’ve wanted to do for years ( still haven’t done it)

One early August evening at dusk, I grabbed my road bike and decided to go for a quick ride, moving swiftly with tailwind assistance, my ride was very abruptly ended when a possum ran under my front wheel, propelling me onto the road with force. I gathered myself and my bike off the road, in shock, I knew I had broken my collarbone for the first time. I also remember being extremely disappointed to see my new and expensive Gore-Tex Waterproof jacket shredded from my shoulder down my arm from sliding along the unforgiving tarmac.

The message here? Slow down. Rest.

Deep down, I knew I had not yet recovered from a very challenging Tour Divide, and here I was about to head full-on into another big race.

Only a couple of weeks earlier, I was riding through a small town on the west coast of Ireland when a driver hit me on a roundabout. This was the first message, but it took a bone fracture to truly get it.

I knew I had to get up at 3.30 am to drive down to Auckland airport; it was now 10 pm when I decided to leave my bike behind. I removed whatever I needed from my Bike Bag and left my bike disassembled to be sorted on my return.

The message is not always clear, and it may only become clear sometime in the future, but at this moment, my decision felt right, and I was at peace with it, even though my ego mind put up a good battle for supremacy. I had spent most of the day trying to remove my seatpost, in the end, I resorted to force that ended up breaking the goddamn thing and ultimately ending in a worse-off position.

Sometimes you have to back off and just Let it go!

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Many of us learn this rite of passage at a young age, never to forget. The feeling of riding un-assisted for the very first time is extremely exciting and terrifying all at once. The terrified part soon dissipates and the bicycle instantly becomes a new best friend.

The humble bicycle can take one around the world, people compete in all sorts of races, from shorter ones to mega Ultra-Endurance adventures. Some get paid for their talents on two wheels, many commute daily on their trusty steeds and some will just occasionally get out for a gentle Sunday ride.

The bicycle connects people across the world, the simple pleasure of a bicycle is acknowledged, loved and utilised beyond measure.

However, more complexity is added in these modern times. Electric bikes are now hugely popular, with assisted power at the press of a button, and heavier bikes to accommodate the tech and battery.

Road and mountain bikes can now be equipped with electronic wireless shifting, hi-tech suspension systems, dropper seat-posts, Power meters etc. designed for speed, efficiency, comfort and stats.

So Bicycles continue to evolve, maybe not as simple as before but the essence remains the same. An expression of FREEDOM and FUN.

Thank You.

Thank you.

Thank You, beloved Bicycle in all shapes and forms.

Latest news. These past few months, I have been involved in a book collaboration, and it has just been released to the masses.

It was my wife, Mary Jo who got invited first, I was not paying much attention until I got to have a brief chat with lead author David Mc Leod who asked me ‘ Did you ever think of writing a book or a chapter in a book?” My answer was ‘no', not really”

I’d never considered it.

David said he would love to have more male authors join his project and that I should have think about it. I did think about it and there was an excitement that I had to follow. I told David I was keen, we arranged an interview chat and I was in. Holy Moly! What have I done? Admittedly I did have some mini freakouts, thinking 'What have I got to share ?’

We would proceed to have fortnightly Zoom calls with the other authors sharing thoughts and experiences in writing and life. By the time it came to writing our chapter I was in a more confident author-to-be state, and keeping my chapter within the word capacity was my biggest challenge. Turns out I have lots to share.

What a joy, what a journey. Full of support, insights and learning.

Available Here

“Accept what is. Embrace the reality of your current situation. Accepting

doesn’t mean giving up; it means acknowledging the present moment without

resistance, which can lead to calmness and the ability to respond effectively.”

Excerpt from my chapter; BEYOND LIMITS Discovering your why to know your purpose

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Welcome to my Substack beginnings and thank you for reading.

Getting started finally gained momentum after flirting with this platform on many occasions. Now must be the time. I look forward to sharing here what lights me up in this life. I have been Ultra Endurance cycling now for 10 years and a huge amount of inspiration and transformation has come through that. I have gained incredible insights that I love to share and what I love is that I get more insights and learnings from each epic adventure. I share them all

Learnings from pushing my limits in endurance cycling transfer to life and have helped me immensely giving me a huge sense of purpose. I go deep physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, it truly is Holistic Endurance.

I would love to build a community of curious resonant beautiful people to share with and to learn with.

I’m passionate about living a conscious lifestyle, running a wellness retreat for 9 years gave me the amazing opportunity to grow, share and serve all the beautiful souls who passed through our doors.

I also have a bunch of poetry past and present, on paper and digital. Poetry is so nice to share.

SO, IN A NUTSHELL…

I’ll be posting on my endurance cycling endeavours, takeaways and observations. My present moment awakened aware life. I see this organically evolving as I explore the space. I initially aim to post weekly. My paid subscription gets you full access to all writings, poetry, images, offers and much more.

• My top insights cover mental attitude, embodiment techniques, Nutrition (especially from a plant based viewpoint), Gear & Equipment etc

• Event Strategies

• How to overcome challenges and setbacks.

• checklists

Let’s Ride Together!

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INTROSPECTION

CONTEMPLATION

REALISATION

A TIME TO BE

A TIME TO SEE

A TIME TO HEAL

A TIME TO FEEL

WEEKS PASS BY

AS I GO DEEP

INTO THY SELF

I EMBRACE THIS JOURNEY

ITS NOT SO LONELY

I MEDITATE, I LEARN

I REPLENISH, I GROW

I NOURISH, I FLOURISH

I BREATHE

I ACTIVATE THE MUSCLES

I MOBILISE MY BEING

I GROW STRONGER EVERY DAY

BEEN JOYFUL IS THE WAY

What the hell just happened 

Suddenly I’m down

Realization sets in

I’m static on the ground.

Agony in movement 

I inhale into the deep 

Serenity in stillness

A limb lays distorted, motionless

A soloist surrenders 

Warm sun is soothing,

Tussock sways in the breeze,

Birdsong lost in big skies,

Timeless on the mountain.

I introspect,

I reflect.

Whisked off in a mechanical bird,

I breathe deeply once again.

Dropped in supportive arms

I accept

I allow.

A surgery to mend,

Incisions and insertions made.

A metal Rod I carry now.

Alchemy to heal.

I dissolve into a drowsy state, 

I contemplate 

A new endurance challenge awaits.

Support from near and far,

Tears well in my eyes,

Gratitude fills my heart.

Overwhelmed and humbled,

I surrender to what is.

An opportunity arisen,

The reason I am here.

In Presence, I grow stronger

In calmness, I remember.

I listen with intent,

This is how it was meant. 

What the fuck just happened?

I will just rewind a bit to how this day started…

I arrived at Otematata at about 1 am, and a pre-arranged bed and vegan meal and snacks at the Best Dam Pub was my reward. Four hours rest ensued and soon I was riding into Otematata Station on a beautiful warm morning just as light was penetrating the skies and the shadows of the mountains appeared. A steep climb wakened the legs as I looked back down over Lake Aviemore and soon I was descending at speed down into the enchanting  Otematata river valley. Some fast kms along the valley followed before been diverted off the road to climb the stupidly steep zig zig up towards the Hawkdun Range.

I knew I had a big day ahead, I was feeling great, the sun was out and the wind pushed me as the gradient eased.

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BAM !!    My left pedal clipped a rock embedded in the side of the road and spun me around unceremoniously, I landed heavily on my upper right leg on another rock poking out ominously from the dirt. Instantly I knew my race was over as pain vibrated through my body from my hip area. I was unclipped but still under my bike, my right leg was splayed out unnaturally, I could not move my leg except for my foot, and my head was spinning as lay on my back looking up at white wispy clouds racing across the blue sky.

I took some deep conscious breaths and scanned my body to assess further. Waves of pain weakened me as I pushed my bike off of me. I threw my helmet to the side and agonisingly tried to reach my sunnies that had flown off my face.

I lay still. This meant less pain. As my breathing controlled the shock, the adrenaline wore off slowly, I experienced serenity, the only sounds here were the gentle breeze in the tussocks and birdsong from birds I could not see.

Sometime later I heard a sound, a motorbike was approaching, I waved my arms with all I had to make sure I was seen laid out in the middle of the trail. Laurence checked that I was ok, and then went off to find phone reception.

I was grateful for the warm sun as I weighed up my options before eventually deciding to activate my spot tracker SOS.

An hour later a helicopter hovered and circled above before skilfully landed in the tussock close by.

The amazing crew had seen it all before. Laurence returned.  A magic inhaler helped with the lift onto the stretcher and then into the back of the helicopter. The guys carefully removed the wheels off my bike and soon we were spinning off the mountain without a trace. I had an opportunity to peer out over the dry Otago hills before landing on the roof of Dunedin Hospital. I was whisked inside to a holding room for assessment. A very long day followed with x-rays, CT scans and waiting with plenty of time to contemplate what had just happened. The next morning I had surgery to fix my fractured femur, a titanium rod was inserted running from my hip to my knee. Later in my groggy state I was looking at the massive amount of messages of support that were coming in. I made an instagram live video to explain what had happened and to acknowledge everyone that was reaching out.

A time to embrace acceptance and vulnerability as I lay on the hospital bed unable to do much and requiring the assistance of the amazing nurses for simple things like toilet and cleaning. I was humbled and grateful knowing it could easily be worse, my leg would heal and I would ride again.

Photo by Anton McGeachen

Photo by Anton Mc Geachen

The first four days of my Tour Te Waipounamu race had gone well. I was sticking strictly to my 4-hour minimum sleep strategy each night and I felt I was making good decisions. Joe and Rufus had forged ahead at impressive speed, but I was determined to race my race for now. The first day got me to 335kms where I found an enticing farm shed with hay for a comfortable sleep.

The next day brought me to the 2 bunk Anderson’s hut just after dark at km 467. A much slower day with a lot of on/off the bike as well as the massive HAB across the Dampier Range. My sleep was less good here in this derelict hut as riders were coming in and setting up camp in the hours I was there. As I got my stuff together to prepare to leave somewhere about 2 am I saw a handful of riders sleeping in their bivys outside the hut

The next evening at km745 I decided to stop and bivy just before entering a private farm section, there was a hut after a few hours but I decided to have a rest first and then start this next tough section. First up is the very steep Bullock Bow Saddle, a two track that I’ve pushed my bike up before. This time however I used my bike carrying harness which I believe was faster. Spectacular views await at the top and a fun single track brings me to the next serious HAB. With the bike on the back once more this was a different proposition, a harder-to-navigate trail with stream crossings, rocks and tussock grass. You are made to earn the views that greet you at the top of Stag Saddle, the highest point of the race.

I eventually got to Tekapo at about 3.30 pm for a much-anticipated resupply. Leaving town I was soon greeted with an incredibly strong head/crosswind that meant I only got 20kms done in 2 hours on flat terrain. Frustrating! I eventually escaped the wind and  I pushed on through the hilly Black Forest  Estate to finally reach Otematata after 195kms for the day. My race soon to be cut short

Photo by Anton Mc Geachen

Massive thank you to the search and rescue crew for getting me off the mountain, and all the caring staff at Dunedin Hospital for my 4-night stay, you were amazing. The local Dunedin residents who visited me brought clothes, and food and assisted me with my bike to get home and all the people who reached out with messages of support and offers of help. it was overwhelming and beautiful, this community is strong.

Much Love

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Just after dark and after 300kms I reached a private farm section that had an accommodation/resupply available. Mojo ( Ian Davidson) rolled in shortly after. I decided to push on, as did Mojo. The section was rugged and remote with some chunky riding requiring extra focus in the dark. I continued and Mojo eventually passed as I was putting on some more layers. I found a roadside farm shed and that was my cue to stop and get some sleep.

It had not been the best sleep due to the uncomfortable ground and feeling cold, and after a few hours, I was riding into day 2. I enjoyed the gravel roads and undulating hills and I was on a mission to reach Taumarunui for a resupply.

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The boost of food and drinks propelled me onwards and onto Owhango and the next section was the 42nd Traverse. This was a tough section with steep pinches and some HAB and I was happy to get through here. I then realised I needed to push the pedals to get to National Park before the shop closed at 6 pm. Thankfully I made it with 10 minutes to spare. The next section to Whakahoro was enjoyable as the light drained from the sky. From here I knew there was some climbing and my pace eased, as I had stopped to eat some snacks a light appeared and it was Mojo. Heading into the night the company was good and we rode together for a few hours.

I was starting to drift off and was struggling to keep my eyes open. I told Mojo that I was going to have a lie-down, I think he was surprised, and I watched his light disappear up the road. Sleep did not materialise so I began riding again. I found another spot and once again laid down, I can’t remember but I was maybe 20 mins. I needed a reset as I was so groggy on the bike. The previous night’s inadequate sleep was now catching up with me. I hoped the morning light would bring me some energy and I reached Ohakune at sunrise. I craved coffee but nothing was available, I moved out of town knowing I had about 120kms to the finish. The sun came out and I gradually did feel better but there was not enough power to catch Mojo. A final 30km of headwind was enough to drain my legs and I was grateful to reach the landmark Tower on Durie Hill which was the finish line.

Mojo was there, and we had a good catch-up about the race. Riding new terrain and having a good battle with Mojo at the front was fun. As always, I learnt some things that will go in my experience bank for future races

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After a long and sleep-disturbed 30-hour journey from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Calgary, the bike and body checked into a downtown hotel for a much-needed sleep. The next day, I was on a bus to Jasper, with my bike still in the box. We were on the Icefields Parkway, a stunning route through Majestic mountains, massive glaciers and gorgeous river valleys. I planned to cycle back to Canmore on this road. I checked into a Hostel in Jasper for 2 nights, put my bike together and got out to explore a bit. For some reason, I was struggling to sleep in the hostel dormitory; it was not particularly noisy, and I couldn’t settle into a deep sleep on either night that I was there.

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I departed Jasper at about 5:30 a.m. The roads were super quiet, and the scenery became more spectacular with every kilometre. I was riding through a postcard; it was stunning. I spotted a Black Bear alongside the road, as well as countless other wild animals. This was riding through a postcard.

After 300 km of amazing road riding, I was in Canmore, my base for the next 5 nights before the Grand Depart. Upon checking in, I noticed a slight irritation in my Tonsils. Not thinking too much about this, I was ready for bed. The next morning, I felt like absolute shit, both my tonsils were very swollen and sore, I had a headache, my body ached and my whole head felt stuffed and blocked.

Monday and Tuesday were a write-off; I had zero energy, and I was in bed most of the time. I did have to walk 800 meters to the shop to get water, which was even a struggle. Here I was, laid up in bed just days before the start of the Tour Divide, I had to direct my thoughts from going down the tube.

With time, I simply had to surrender and accept what was happening, this was a tremendously humbling experience. I had to drop expectations that I had formed, consciously or subconsciously, and completely let go and just be. I faced the simple truth that I may not be able to start the race, but I was not closing the door on the possibility of starting either. Support and empowering conversations with my wife, Mary Jo, back in New Zealand, helped with perspective, and I focused on getting better as best I could.

I knew resisting what is and feeling sorry for myself would not be helpful and would not allow optimal healing to take place.

For two days, I could not eat at all, and even though swallowing anything was uncomfortable, I drank warm lemon ginger drinks and as much liquid as I could.. On Wednesday, I was slowly starting to feel better, but it was Thursday before I had the energy to go out into Canmore town.

I had to make a decision today, and the decision was to start the Tour Divide. As the Grand Depart was the next day, I now had a list of things to do that afternoon which made things a little more hectic than I would have liked.

I had considered, and people had suggested taking a few extra days of recovery and then starting an individual Time trial, but this did not resonate with me; I wanted to start with everyone else.

Finally, onto the race…..

GRAND DEPART  9TH JUNE 2023  – BANFF  TO  FERNIE

At 5 am outside my accommodation, I met Steve O Shaughnessy, host of  My Back40 podcast, and we rode together the 20-odd kms to Banff, we grabbed a coffee, and Steve proceeded to pull out his microphone for some impromptu chats with riders for an upcoming podcast. I caught up with a few familiar faces, Crazy Larry had done his unique unofficial race briefing, and soon we were off, unleashed into the wild, fuelled on caffeine, adrenaline and nerves. 

I was feeling far from 100%, but I was happy to be there, right now riding my bike amongst breathtaking scenery and fresh mountain air. Natures medicine. I trusted myself and I trusted my body. This was happening.

I chatted with a few riders on Day one,as seems to be the normal before things spread out, including Kiwi Joe Nation and Ezra Ward Packard, Joe’s first attempt and Ezra back for a second attempt. Dark clouds had been forming with intermittent rain, and the heavens eventually spilled open as I went up and over the tough Hike a bike on Koko Claims. Riding through a stream on the other side, my front wheel hit a rock, and I fell fully into the cold water, far from ideal. I pushed on. The rain was persistent and heavy on the gravel roads to Fernie, a decision to get a motel was easy and an opportunity to dry out and get warm with 250kms in my muddy and tired legs. Some riders pushed on, but many more stayed in Fernie on the first night.             

FERNIE TO WHITEFISH

Well, this turned out to be a massive day. I caught and passed riders in the early hours under overcast skies. I went over Cabin and Galton passes without incident, and soon I was through the border and into Montana, USA. A substantial resupply in Eureka propelled me onwards and ready for the climbing that lay ahead on the route to Whitefish. A couple of hours out of Eureka, I came upon a few riders stopped before me, and I soon realised there was a Grizzly bear just ahead. The Bear was more interested in digging for food than us. A couple of times, the big Bear walked towards us, and we backed off. eventually, after 15 minutes or more, the bear wandered down the steep side of the road and we could all pass safely. It was an opportunity to meet and get to know a few more riders, and we rode on and off together for the next few hours.

After the long climb up to Red Meadow Lake, a couple of riders decided to stop and camp, it was after 11 pm and I continued on the long drag to Whitefish Lake, I started looking for suitable places to camp, without success and soon I was in the outskirts of town, it was after 1 am as I pulled into an area of small shops and rolled out my mat under the eaves of a shopfront for a few hours sleep.

 WHITEFISH TO SEELEY LAKE

Another early start, it was a nice fresh morning, mostly easy riding for the first few hours on quiet roads. I passed through Columbia Falls and onto the cafe at Echo Falls for a very welcome breakfast. It was busy and therefore not a very fast resupply.

Lots of ups and downs for the next hours, and I was not feeling super good, I was coughing up phlegm and feeling the fatigue from yesterday’s huge effort.

I was fully aware that I needed to nourish my body and be mindful of my efforts. As I slowly proceeded, I realised that I would have to rein in my efforts and manage this sensibly, or else there was potential to blow up spectacularly. And that is what I did for the upcoming days, I eased up so as not to blow up.

As I was nearly out of food, I went off route 2km to the Hungry Bear restaurant, close to Holland Lake, for great food and sandwiches to go. I had stopped here also in 2017, but not in 2019.  Onwards to Richmond Peak, the rain started, gradually getting heavier as I went over the top. Full rain gear was on well before I reached the summit. There was little snow up there this year, instead, the trail was full of water. I was pedalling on the singletrack at speed in now torrential rain, splashing through puddles on a mission to get off the mountain. I was feeling cold after the long descent. Ovando had been a target, but instead, I decided to go off route to Seeley Lake with the hope of getting a warm feed and a room.

The rain continued to pound down, and the roads were muddy and sluggish as I arrived at Seeley Lake township, a place I’d never been before and knew nothing about. One motel I spotted was closed, so I continued into town. it was completely dead. Did anyone live here? I did not see any other accommodation options, nor restaurants, it was after 9 pm and there was nobody about. It felt eerie as the darkness fell, and the rain got heavier. I felt more alone and isolated in this urban emptiness than I do when I’m traversing high mountains or following remote river valleys.

I rode through town and found a service station open, I shivered and dripped as I tried to gather my thoughts and buy food. On asking the attendant about possible accommodation in town, I got a blank response; he had no clue, and the walls of the store seemed to be his limits. I started riding back and spotted a post office, I went inside, it was warm, I changed out of my wet gear, ate food and prepared to sleep. During the night, two people had come and gone at different times, presumably to collect mail, in the wee hours.  One of them was talking and singing to themselves, and the other saw me and simply said ” Tour Divide” in a knowing manner. I opened my eyes but could barely see against the blinding lights. I simply responded, ‘ Yeah, Tour Divide,” and went back to sleep.  Again, I arose early and spotted a group of riders sleeping in a shelter as I quietly rode out of town.

  SEELEY LAKE TO  PICNIC AREA 20ish KMS before Butte

After getting into my rhythm and finding good climbing sensations, I enjoyed the early morning through the deep forest as the mist was lifting. I pedalled through Ovando about 15 minutes before the shop would open, moving towards Huckleberry Pass and onto Lincoln for a good resupply. The wet and at times cold weather was not helping me recover, but I was reasonably satisfied with how I was going and just managing my body in tune with my circumstances. The next stretch to Helena is long with plenty of climbing, I connected with a few other riders through here. Massive dark clouds had gathered as I approached Helena, and unfortunately, I did not make it on time as the skies unleashed the heaviest downpour I’d ever witnessed. This continued for a few kilometres as I entered town, the roads were now fast-moving rivers of water. Eventually, the rain eased, and I found a bike shop just in time before closing time. I had noticed some movement in my crank, and it turned out that my Bottom Bracket had come loose. I was grateful to have gotten this sorted. The guys in the shop talked of weather warnings for flash floods for that night. It was about 6.30 pm under gloomy skies and I had to decide what to do. Push on towards Lava Mountain or get a motel. I decided to continue as it was so early, the rain was holding as I climbed Grizzly Gulch road. Halfway up the long climb, I caught Justin Smith, we rode together onwards and upwards as darkness fell.

Just as we were entering the rough trails on the upper slopes of Lava Mountain, the rain came again, it persisted, making this section super challenging on the slippery, rutted and flooded trail. All my energy and focus were required to navigate safely before eventually topping out for the cold and wet descent to Basin. Justin and myself rode through Basin at about 1 am, accessing our options, he decided to stop and sleep at the post Office. I was feeling more awake now and decided to push on, the rain had stopped, and I could take off the waterproofs.

Ambitions of getting to Butte diminished without warning, as sleep monsters took over. An attempted lie down along the road was aborted after 30 minutes as I could not get warm. Later, I pulled into a picnic area with a large shelter and wooden benches. I set up my sleep system on top of a bench before having a restless sleep.

  PICNIC AREA TO ELKHORN HOT SPRINGS

I had coffee and breakfast early in Butte and pedalled out of town. The coffee had activated my metabolism and nature called, I pulled into a rest area to find a toilet, and I opened the door to find a young couple having sex inside. They looked completely drugged up and vaguely startled to see me and also did not look like they were going to let me use the toilet.(as they were busy) I moved on quickly before gratefully finding another empty facility further on.

I was struggling to find the energy on the climbs to Fleecer Ridge, so I took a 20-minute nap in the shade of a tree. It worked and I was able to get over Fleecer Ridge in a decent time. I had considered an early stop at Wise River, but there was no rooms to be had, so  after a greasy feed at the pub, I moved on. The long and gradual rising sealed road brought me to Elkhorn Hot Springs where I’d hoped there was a bed for me. I was too late for food, and too exhausted to utilise the Hot Pools, but I had a great sleep in a warm comfy bed.

  ELKHORN HOT SPRINGS TO ISLAND PARK

The famed Bannock road was slow at times, and it was clear that the riders before me would have had more challenging conditions with the mud. Dark clouds hung low in the sky and strong winds stunted my momentum. An eventual tailwind brought me to Lima for a quick resupply. Later I would be reacquainted with a fierce headwind before Red Rock Pass. With my energy drained I  pushed with everything I had to try and get to Subway before it closed at 9 pm in Island Park. I made it right on time to grab a Sub, then purchased a massive amount of food at the shop. One motel was full, the next had a room, I accepted for my most expensive accommodation of the trip. I noticed my legs were a bit swollen, something I’d never had before.

One of the first things I did when I got to my room was Viparita Karani or Legs up the wall yoga pose. This is a powerful pose that I use regularly and especially during ultra races as it has many benefits for tired, achy swollen legs. I would normally stay 15 mins in the pose and have used trees, fences and a whole host of props to facilitate this pose. I made the most of the nice room, I also had a bath, ate food then slept soundly for a few hours, happy with my day and feeling revitalised.

  ISLAND PARK  TO UNION PASS

Some sections of the rail trail out of Island Park were completely submerged in water, wet feet so early in the day was disappointing but unavoidable. I pushed on, catching up with Justin once more, riding on undulating gravel roads before getting to Flagg Ranch for a re-supply after 1 pm. Today was the first day that I started to feel stronger, I could feel that I was able to push the pedals harder for longer without feeling the effects like I had been in the first week.

I got to Lava Mountain Lodge before dark and had a quick resupply, heading off to tackle Union Pass. A couple of Hike a Bike sections near the top were no problem, and there was a lot less snow up there than in previous years. It was dark and cold by the time I reached the high point. The descent off Union Pass is very gradual, with some uphills, and it feels like it just goes on and on. It’s also technical, rutted and muddy in many sections, full focus is required. I noticed a Mountain Shelter that I stopped at and decided to sleep there. It was spacious and warmer than sleeping outside. A mouse made holes in my Apidura food pouch during the night, attempting to get to my snacks as I was oblivious in my slumber state.

   UNION PASS TO WAMSUTTER

It was cold and damp as I set off again just after 3 am from the sanctuary of the mountain shelter, I was sleepy and weak, I just wanted to shut my eyes and rest.  I knew the sun would revive me but that was hours away, I pushed on through the mist and darkness just following my light leading the way, it was too wet to just lay on the ground. It was a long lonely morning.

After a long sealed road section I was in Pinedale, feeling better after a service station resupply. From here the scenery changes from mountainous to high desert plains, its drier with less vegetation and expansive views across to distant mountain ranges. Riding with purpose towards Atlantic City, I could see massive storms in the distance, I hoped that I could avoid them. I refilled my water at the Atlantic City Fire station, not needing to go downtown of this tiny settlement as I had enough food.

Next up was the Wyoming Great Basin, it was beautiful as the sun was slowly dropping into the horizon, and wild horses and Antelopes galloped across the scrubby plains. As darkness fell I noticed the roads becoming muddier, this continued and deteriorated into a peanut butter mud nightmare. Long periods of pushing my bike ensued, trying to clear the mud from my wheels and drivetrain, it was a slog, at least it was not raining as I went deeper into the night. I caught and passed Lael Wilcox as she was about to set up her Bivvy for the night. I was determined to get to Wamsutter, but it was painfully slow. I jumped on my bike to ride a less muddy section, I was gaining speed on a downhill section when suddenly I completely wiped out and hit the ground hard,  I lay in the dirt stunned, I landed heavily on the right side, I took a few deep breaths, I picked myself up of the road continuing to scan my body for any injuries. My ribs were sore and most of my right side took the brunt of the fall. I picked up my sunnies and head torch and noticed my bike was facing the opposite way to which I was going and the handlebars and aero bars needed straightening. This shook me up.

I eventually got to Wamsutter after 4 am, cold, muddy and sore. I got food in the 24 hr service station and rode around to the motel. Ringing the doorbell numerous times, a lady eventually came to say that they were full. I pleaded that I would even take an uncleaned room, and she must have taken pity on me and said there was one uncleaned room I could take, I asked how much and she said no charge. Wow!

I did not care, I just wanted a warm shower, food and sleep. Before that, I washed down my filthy bike with a hose just outside the building. Just another crazy Tour Divide night after a massive day.

WAMSUTTER TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

My crash the previous night was a setback just as I was starting to feel better and gain momentum. The effects of the crash lingered with me all day as I passed into Colorado, the scenery changing again and soon I was at the welcoming Brush Mountain Lodge. My time was short here as I wanted to get over the next pass, I bought snacks got some photos and the mandatory hug with Kirsten. I caught up with Lael again and we climbed and chatted for a while, the sun was setting and spraying the mountainside in this incredible pink-orange colour. I put on extra layers and gloves at the top, some snow slowed progress before eventually, I started losing some elevation. About 20 km before Steamboat Springs, I became very sleepy and was having to work hard to stay awake on my bike.

It was a long drag into town, it was late and quiet. I spotted a bar and walked in, it was after midnight but asked for food anyway, all I could get was Coke and crisps. I sat there for 20 minutes and digested my day and thought about my next move. The super friendly bar worker didn’t even charge me, he said I deserved it after riding all that way. More Trail Magic. Just off route on the way out of town, I found a bus shelter that would be my resting place for tonight. A shorter day in terms of distance, but it was a late start from Wamsutter and I was recovering from the previous huge effort.

  STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO SILVERTHORNE

Lynx Pass awaited me as I climbed simultaneously with the rising sun. I was grateful for drier conditions after a fairly wet first week. I was making good time until I started to fade a bit as a headwind kicked in before Ute Pass. After descending and the long slog to Silverthorne I  decided I would get a room after what was a relatively uneventful day.  A massive pizza with vegan cheese and a comfortable bed did wonders for morale.

The first week of this race was all about managing my mind, body and spirit. This has to be done anyway, but I had to pay closer attention to it after being sick before the race. I knew I could not push as hard as I would normally, I required more stops and longer sleeps. I stayed at motels more. My body would let me know when I was ready to push harder. This strategy worked as I had some strong days through Colorado. I was catching some riders, which was very motivating and I was now back in race mode looking for the best possible finish. It was a surprise when I realised I was on track to beat my previous best time of 16 days and 3 hours.

   SILVERTHORNE  TO SARGENTS

Bike lanes brought me to Breckenridge before anything was opened, I pushed on over Boreas Pass and thoroughly enjoyed the Gold Dust Trail single track. The high plains are fascinating and I’ve always enjoyed this section to Hartsel, where I stopped at the service station for food and cold drinks. Ezra pulled up and explained some of the bike issues he was having, that unfortunately would lead to a DNF for him. Some good hills came and went before a super fast descent into Salida, I kept moving to Poncha Springs to resupply. My mission now was to get over Marshall Pass and down to Sargents before the store closed at 9 pm.

I was feeling super good on the friendly gradient on this super long climb. Once at Sargents, I decided to get a cabin, happy enough with my day and knowing some big days lay ahead.

   SARGENTS  TO  PLATORO

I didn’t particularly want to get out of my comfy cabin bed, but I did and got organised to set off just after 3 am. It was a pleasant night and soon I was feeling good and spinning away happily as the first light ignited the sky around me in a wonderful display of colour. Some punchy climbs through the Rio Grande National Forest, as the temperatures rose and a fantastic and beautiful downhill spat me out onto the plains and into a horrible hot headwind.

It was a long slog into Del Norte, The Subway I had used in previous years was now closed, so I rode uptown to find a fantastic whole food store/Cafe. I sat down to eat and stocked up well, here I found vegan burritos, a first on Tour Divide for me, I bought five to go.          

 Re-supply points were now becoming scarce and timing was crucial. I called ahead to the Skyline Lodge in Platoro to reserve a bed as I knew it would be after hours when I arrived.

Between me and my bed for the night was Indiana Pass, the highest point on the Tour Divide at 3,645 meters elevation. A very long and steep at times climb, If you are feeling shit on this climb, it will be a nightmare, this one takes some time and there is plenty of up and down to get to Platoro after cresting the summit. New Mexico was imminent and I slept soundly.

   PLATORO  TO  POLVADERA MESA

The long valley after Platoro went by quickly and soon I was on the  La Manga Pass climb, it was still dark and chilly as I entered New Mexico, back on gravel roads again. These roads would get rougher as the morning went on and some big snow drifts blocked the road in places. This part of New Mexico is stunning, It is very green with beautiful forests and heaps of wildlife and meadows of wildflowers. Taking in the views and concentrating on the rough roads takes all my focus and attention.

My goal was to get to Abiquiu before the one store shut. It was a long and hot day and I was feeling good. Chris Burkard was also at the Abiquiu store preparing for the next tough section through to Cuba. Leaving Abiquiu I was feeling amazing and was having a great time on the very long climb up the Polvadera Mesa. The sun was setting and I had thoughts of pushing on to Cuba some 70 km away.  After going over the high point,  the climbs did not stop, and soon thoughts of Cuba evaporated as fatigue set in and I was soon sleeping in my tent. Another monster day in the bag.

   POLVADERA MESA  TO GRANTS

This morning was tough, the hills were relentless and frequent, the sun was getting higher and the temperatures were too. My problem was that I was thinking ahead to Cuba and resupplying and not being present to where I was right now. This made for a very long morning indeed. I was cooked when I reached Cuba and devoured ice-cold drinks at the service station. The next section is 190km on sealed roads in exposed terrain and previously I had hit horrible headwinds in the afternoon. Sadly this time was no different, the winds were strong and hot, sucking the moisture from me, It was only later after dark when the winds subsided that it felt I was making good progress on the road towards Grants. I bought a heap of food at the 24-hour service station in Milan and then rode on 8 or 9 km to Grants and pulled into a Motel. I ran a bath to soak my weary legs eating my Subway sandwich at the same time. The little things are huge at times like this.

Another self-care technique I use all the time is grounding or Earthing, which is connecting to the earth. You need to have bare skin on the earth or submerging in water also works. In Ultra Races and in life, we can be very disconnected from wearing shoes, driving cars and walking on concrete etc. I will make time to take off cycling shoes and socks and put my feet on the earth or in water, this can be a great relief to your feet after hours and hours of pedalling. I was drawing on all my resources to get me through some of the challenges I faced in this race.

   GRANTS TO BEAVERHEAD WORKSTATION

As was normal now, I was on the road before 4 am, I appreciated the warm air and enjoyed the sky changing colour as I rode through some spectacular scenery in the Malpais National Reserve. It always seems to take a long while to get to Pie Town, through the rolling hills and corrugated sandy roads, headwinds don’t help either. It is of course completely worth it, if you hit town when the pie shops are open. I arrived just as one was opening and proceeded to have an amazing breakfast.

From here the route goes through the remote Gila Wilderness Area. It wasn’t long before the headwind found me again. Today was one of the toughest days on the course for me, the heat and wind made it very tough. The Pie and coffee of Pie Town were a distant memory as I had to lie down in the shade a few times trying to escape the wind and sun, to reset and replenish before moving once more into the elements. The terrain out here has areas of trees and small scrub bushes, it’s hot and dusty and all the creeks are dry. I had to filter water from a filthy cattle trough as I was getting very low. Eventually, after a very long day from Pie Town, I reached the Beaverhead Work Station. I was cooked, I laid out my mat on a concrete verandah, set an alarm and was fast asleep very quickly.

  BEAVERHEAD WORKSTATION  TO ANTELOPE WELLS 

I awakened in the darkness yet again and prepared to depart knowing this would be my last day on the Tour Divide, although I still had 300-plus kilometres to Antelope Wells. Wildlife continued in abundance with big herds of Elk sprinting off once they saw me. I was grateful to be riding in the cooler temperature as the sun was rising but I knew that would change. I eventually popped out on a highway for the short smooth ride down to Sapillo campground. The next section is on the Continental Divide Trail, with its rugged single track with some Hike a bike. I enjoyed the sections I could ride with the element of danger from some serious drop-offs to the side. It was late morning and already super hot, I was happy to get past the Hike a Bike section, knowing this was the last really tough part of the race.

After getting out to the road and heading towards Pinos Alta, a few more pinchy climbs and I was suddenly feeling flat and jaded. There was nothing open in Pinos Alta to buy a cold sugary pick-me-up drink, so I rode on to Silver City.  McDonald’s is not a place I go often, but I pulled in and the cool air con was welcoming, the food not so much but it served a purpose. A couple of Dot watchers were there to meet me and have a chat. Limited to non-existent vegan options here meant I was resupplying at a store on the way out of town.

After a few more hot pavement climbs before turning off onto the last gravel section, the wind was finally favourable and I made good time to Separ. The trading post store was closed, but it didn’t matter as I had enough food to get me to the end.  Hachita was next and Jeff Sharpe and his friend Thomas were out to say hello, I filled up with water and rode into the warm desert night, for the final stretch. I had to keep pushing as I knew Peter Kraft was only a couple of hours behind me, with no time for sleeping or messing about.

Emotion bubbled as I looked back at my journey, the ups and the downs, the rollercoaster that is the Tour Divide. I was grateful and proud to once again complete this Ultra epic race, especially with the challenges before the start and negotiating the first week by tuning in to what my body could muster up daily.

I finished at 1.58 am on the 25th of June. Overall time of 15 Days and 18 hours.

George and Jalene Harris, Owner/creators of  Binary Bicycles were there to meet me. I was riding the Binary Havok and it was a dream ride with no issues. George and Jalene had their super nice camp trailer, I had food and drinks and even a warm outdoor shower all within an hour of finishing. This was amazing.

The next day we left the border early, Temperatures were already high, so we dropped into the Bike Ranch in Hachita. Jeff and Thomas were there and Ulrich, this year’s Tour Divide winner. The other fast finishers had gone to the border to meet Chris Burkard. It was nice to have a catch-up before hitting the road again towards Siera Vista, Arizona. I spent 3 nights with George, Jalene and their lovely wee doggies at their beautiful home. It was super nice to get to know more of the Binary Bicycles story first-hand and to rest and recover at the same time. Much love and gratitude

Will there be a TOUR DIVIDE #4 ???

Well, I simply could not rule it out

BINARY BICYCLES

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I never enjoyed school that much, the best part was playing football with friends. I was a shy kid who generally hid amongst friends, never been overly extrovert. I was more comfortable playing football than talking to girls through my early teenage years. As the years went by  a lot of my friends were going out and drinking, I was not so interested initially. Sadly football suffered, it wasn’t the same anymore and people were not showing interest. Eventually, I joined the gang, I started going out and drinking. The alcohol gave me a newfound confidence, albeit only when I was under the influence, and the football fizzled out.

After finishing secondary school, most of my friends left town to go to college. I did not know what I wanted to do, I was a bit lost, i was looking for direction. At the time the easiest option was to stay at home and work in a local joinery, where I had done a couple of summers before. I was offered full-time work, and it was good as I learned a lot. We made hardwood windows, doors, stairs etc. I enjoyed working and creating with my hands.

My weekends would now involve going to the pub and clubs drinking and smoking. At the time I thought it was pretty great to have money to spend and have fun every weekend, deep down I knew it could not be a long-term solution.  I was still living at home with my parents, brother and two younger sisters. At the time drinking and going to the pub was very much part of the Irish culture, ingrained for years and years. I started drinking relatively late, it was hard to resist as there was nearly a pressure to do so to fit in.

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During these years I got into heavy music, especially Grunge, I grew my hair and gathered an impressive collection of body piercings. My poor parents had to put up with loud music and some drunken antics for a few years. This had now replaced football as my main passion.

When I was 21, I left home and went to Jersey, Channel Islands with my friend Dave. Dave’s brother had gone there to work the previous year and we heard it was a pretty good place. It was time to leave home and my hometown. After finding a small bedsit to live and jobs on a building site we settled into life on Jersey Island. It was very different to the west coast of Ireland. I enjoyed meeting new people, the weather was better and it was more multicultural. I continued to go out and party on the weekends. After a year Mary Jo came to Jersey, initially just for the summer, but we would get together again and she stayed. Dave went back to Ireland, Myself and Mary Jo moved in together. We had a growing group of friends, interesting people  who would travel to exotic places every year. We continued to work hard and party hard on the weekends, dancing all night high on drugs.

Looking back, all the drinking and drugs were escapism for me. Underneath I was lost, looking for direction and purpose in life. Looking for confidence and purpose. The alcohol and drugs gave me this, but only temporarily. I knew deep down this was unsustainable but at the time it helped me to integrate with people and feel like I belonged. Alcohol never agreed with me, I would suffer terrible hangovers, especially if I mixed drinks. I would be vomiting the next day, in bed for hours and still, I would go back for more the next weekend.

A Pivotal time in my life was when myself and Mary Jo went to Thailand for 2 months in December 1999. This trip opened my mind to a whole new world, landing into the craziness of Bangkok was simply unforgettable. We initially stayed in the famous Khao San Road area before moving south to the beaches. It was a sensory overload and I loved it. We made our way to the beautiful island of Ko Lanta where we had a hut on a white sand beach. We were living in a dream, experiencing new foods, people and cultures. For the big 1999 millennium party, we went to Koh Phan Ngan where we enjoyed a massive beach party. We stayed a week, with some more parties on the beach before escaping to some more chilled vibes on other islands.

On returning to Jersey, I knew I wanted to travel more and soon we were applying for a work holiday visa to Australia. Our Thailand experience also gave us a very new perspective on life and how to live. I decided to go vegetarian, it was easy for me, I never really missed meat and was happy not to be supporting the industry of mass production of meat for human consumption. Myself and Mary Jo were getting more and more interested in health and wellness and the drinking and partying lessened.

Before arriving in Australia we landed in Bangkok once again and made our way south overland to Singapore over a few months.  We landed in Perth, Western Australia and soon bought a campervan. We spent about 9 months in Western Australia before going through the Northern Territory and across to Queensland. During my time in Australia, I did some building work, I was painting in Brisbane, I picked cucumbers and other fruits in Carnarvon, WA, and I picked Mangoes in Northern Territory and Queensland. It was one of the best years of my life.

After Australia, we went back to Thailand and explored the northern Chang Mai and Chang Rai regions before crossing into Laos via a long overnight ferry on the mighty Mekong River. We continued into Vietnam and then Cambodia  before arriving back to Bangkok after a few enriching and exciting months of backpacking.

It was time to visit India, a country we had heard so much about. I was excited and nervous. We landed in Kolkata, we had nothing booked so got a taxi to the Sudder St area as we knew there were some hotels. The rain was pouring down and our taxi driver said the monsoons had just begun. It was late evening and dark, the streets were filling with water and it felt like we had landed in hell. The taxi stopped and the driver pointed to a Hotel across the street. I stepped out into murky waters that was halfway up my calf, we grabbed our Rucksacks and trudged through the murky water and into the hotel, thankfully they had a room.

Mary Jo took a couple of days to summon the courage to leave the sanctuary of the hotel, she would send me out for food. Slowly we started to explore, already India was so different than anywhere else I’d ever been,  We organised ourselves to do a few weeks of voluntary work with the Missionaries of Charity working with the dying and destitute. This was an incredibly humbling experience. Mary Jo worked at different centres than me, I would walk the streets every day observing the life of these people. In India, there are people everywhere, people are living their lives on the streets alongside cows, goats, monkeys etc.  It’s intense and takes some getting used to. I’ve heard of many people landing in India and simply not been able to handle that intensity.

Volunteering in these centres certainly helped me deal with the  poverty that is clear to see everyday. Beggars would plead for food or money, kids would surround us and look at us with curious smiles and wanting eyes, we were slowly immersing ourselves in Indian culture.

The next stop was Bodhgaya, Bihar where we did a 10-day silent meditation course called Vipassana. Another incredible experience and a nice contrast to the Indian street life. This was my first time doing meditation and it was a transformational journey.

We headed west, taking long train journeys that were always an adventure in themselves. At this stage I had long dreadlocks, I guess I fitted in as many of the Sadhus, the Indian holy men had long dreadlocks. I kept the dreadlocks for many years and really loved them, they were part of me.

After exploring the desert cities of Rajasthan we went towards the Himalayas and Rishikesh, where we did a 2 week Ashtanga Yoga retreat. Again it was a first for me doing Yoga, I enjoyed how I felt after doing yoga twice a day and experiencing the peace and calm of the retreat on the shores of the holy Ganges river.

Towards the end go our Indian adventure we both picked up Giardia, resulting in diarrhea and weight loss and some time to recover back in Ireland. Being back in Ireland was a complete culture shock after all our travels. After some months, we had not settled so returned to Jersey.

All the travelling experiences had a huge impact on me, I had changed and grown as a person. Drinking, drugs and partying were now of little interest to me. I got back to playing football for my local side St Lawerence, I practised Yoga and did many detox all while completing a carpentry course.

New Zealand was next on my list to travel to. Towards the end of 2007, we packed up from Jersey and were gearing up for our next adventure. We flew to Costa Rica and spent an amazing month there. We travelled north to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala and finished in Mexico.

Arriving in New Zealand in February 2008, we soon bought a campervan and started moving about, firstly up to Northland. We stopped in Keri Keri for a while to do some work.

I had been contemplating cutting my dreadlocks for a while, and in the end, I cut them while I was alone at Kai Iwi Lakes. It was a beautiful setting for this moment which I made special. My heart was beating faster as I took the scissors to what had been a part of me for almost 10 years. I hung some dreads off the trees, I threw some in the crystal clear lake water, and I set some on fire as I took some photos. On completion, I remember my head feeling so light and all I wanted to do was massage my scalp. It felt right and was the right moment, it was liberating and felt like a new beginning, and so it was.

We travelled through the north Island and crossed into the South Island, going to Nelson thinking this would be the place where we would stop again to find some work. This did not eventuate, nothing was falling into place here so we continued. Christchurch was going to be the next destination, but before that we popped into Hanmer Springs, not really knowing anything about it, just knowing that we needed petrol for the van, which was unfortunately a gas guzzler.

That same day, Mary Jo went into the main Spa and enquired about any Massage Therapist jobs. She walked out with a job. Afterwards, at a local cafe and chatting to one of the employees we had a room in a house. Within a few weeks, I had found work with a local builder. Everything had fallen into place and Hanmer Springs opened its arms to us. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would still be here in 2023.

Slowly over time and after meeting some locals, in particular Fraser and Mike mountain biking was becoming more apparent as a very popular thing to do here. I bought a  Scott hardtail mountain bike and clip-in MTB shoes. Riding the single track was super fun and I was out practicing more and more. Hanmer Springs was the venue for numerous mountain bike races, I entered these and gathered experience and confidence. I loved the buzz of being on the start line.  Soon I had the confidence to enter the Molesworth Muster, an 86km gravel race. This was another steep learning curve as I went hard initially and blew up spectacularly and finished somewhere around the 47th position. It didn’t matter, I had fun, I was hooked.

I had heard about this event called the Kiwi Brevet, that passed through Hanmer Springs. An 1100km unsupported largely off-road ride around the top of the South Island. I was intrigued and really could not comprehend how people were completing this in as little as 4 days.

In early 2014, I was in Blenheim, at the start of the Kiwi Brevet, my first bikepacking race. I was excited and super nervous. During this ride, I completed my biggest days on a bike ever to this point. I met some guys here who knew what they were doing much more than me, I was a mere novice at navigation etc. I met and rode with some great riders that I now call friends like Brian Alder, Jeff Lyall, Cliff Clermont and Geof Blance to name a few.  I ended up riding with Brian to the finish at Blenheim after 4 days. This was a huge pivotal moment and a massive confidence boost, knowing I could ride multiple big days back to back.

Cycling and bikepacking consumed my world over the next years and the next big one for me was the 3,000 km inaugural Tour Aotearoa in 2016. Taking on this was a massive step up and I felt confident that I could do it. Unfortunately, I only completed four days due to a knee injury. I was devastated at the time, however, after 5 weeks I did go back and complete the ride.

Steve Halligan descending into Clark, Colorado. (Rugile Kaladyte)

Pisa Range Photo BY Lukas Liptak

I won’t go into all the races here as I’ve covered most of them in other blogs. Essentially, I was looking for bigger races where I could test myself and push my limits. I seemed to have a good ability for this type of racing and I was keen to see how far I could go.

In 2015 Mary Jo and I set up Vibrant Living Retreat, a wellness centre offering  Detox, Yoga, meditation, Massage and more.  We have facilitated many amazing retreats over the years, meeting some incredible people along the way.  I was even able to set up Vibrant Living as a sponsor for my racing endeavours.

Kyrgyzstan 2022, photo by Nils Laengner

About a year before the 2017 Tour Divide, I stopped drinking alcohol completely, initially, I thought it would just be in the lead-up to the race. However, I’ve not gone near alcohol since and never missed it at all. I always say that drank enough in my earlier years that lasted me a lifetime. For years I used to look back with a tinge of regret, thinking of a wasted youth pissing my life away. Nowadays I just accept what it was and that it was part of my journey to where I am now.

Cycling and Ultra Racing have given me a huge sense of purpose. I am hugely motivated to get out there and put myself in uncomfortable positions, to grow and learn. My races are transformational and I come away having learned new things every time.

Cycling is freedom for me, it’s fun, adventurous and empowering. I have been fortunate enough to have raced some of the biggest races in the world and raced against some incredible people. The bikepacking community are a great bunch of people, we all have a certain spirit inside that brings us together.

So my story shows what’s possible in life. I was lost and lacked direction but I did not give up, I pursued and found a deep passion.  Elements of Endurance racing have transferred to my life to make it fulfilling and exciting. I am now 100% committed to showing up for myself every day, whether that’s on the bike or not.

Life is for Living

Life is a journey

Live it, Breathe it, Be it

Pedal on

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Downpour Rains

Phlegmy cough

Swollen legs

Open sunshine basins

Desert Plains

Epic beauty reigns.

Sticky mud

Slowed right down

A deep descent

Fall to head, knee and hand

A wee kip, three hours long

Body sore

Wifey alarm bell call

Up again

Wheels turning

Body burning

Breath churning

Nourishment yearning.

Steady focus

Determined Legs

Holey Moley

I choose this again

One of a kind

A race like no other

In my bones

Pulsing blood

Finding new depths

Pulling Through

Uncovering

Grounding in

Unwavering

Deeper truths

Desire expands

To meet demands

Gratitude,

Breathe

I AM

OR SO IT SEEMS

HERE AND NOW

CREATING ANEW

IN EVERY MOMENT

MY WHEELS WILL TURN OVER VAST TERRAIN

UP AND OVER BIG MOUNTAINS

THROUGH EXPANSIVE DESERT PLAINS

THE TRAILS WILL EVOKE TALES

DREAMS INTO REALITY

A ROLLERCOASTER OF ENDEAVOUR

THIS RIDE IS FOREVER

EVER CHANGING COCKTAIL MIX OF VARIABLES COLLIDE

MAGIC AND MYSTIQUE

ITS TOUR DIVIDE

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I was well stocked with supplies so I rode through Twizel and on toward Lake Ohau. It was about this time that I suddenly felt a bit flat, I backed off the pace a bit as I approached Omarama. I had been looking forward to riding over the Omarama saddle for the first time, but sadly I did not enjoy it too much. Greg Clarke, a fellow Irish man caught me near the summit and we rode more or less together to the Vulcan Hotel at St Bathans. Hot chips and Coke here and I was feeling better and ready to tackle the first private farm section.

Darkness descended as I rode alone through this valley crossing the twisting river many times. Eventually, I popped out on the highway that leads to Lindis Pass just before midnight. I decided to push on into the next private section, meaning I would have to get to Lake Hawea before stopping, as camping was not permitted in these sections. Thankfully I was feeling good as I climbed to about 1400 meters on Grandview Mountain. Unfortunately,  I had no vista so I can only imagine the views down over the plains and Lake Hawea. A fast and rowdy single track brought me to the edge of the lake before I meandered into the village as the first light was embracing the distant skies.

I continued on the quiet trails all the way to Wanaka, waiting 15 minutes for the shop to open before continuing on towards Crown Range. I knew I would not be sleeping now, the Pisa Range loomed large in front of me as i churned my way up to almost 2,000 meters. The views up here were simply magnificent, I took a few moments to take it in, looking across at distant peaks in all directions.  I was super happy to have my front suspension for the fast downhill that required all my focus and riding skills.

It was tempting to stop for a proper meal in Cromwell, but as so often is the case I just stopped at a service station that had limited options for a plant-based diet and to satisfy my hungry belly, I pushed on regardless.

Joe Nation was about 20kms ahead, the only rider in front of me and already eating into the climb up Old Woman’s Range. As I made my way up the long climb I noticed dark clouds and shower squalls in the surrounding mountains. Soon I was on the exposed plateau just over 1600 meters and sure enough the weather closed in quicker than I expected. I knew the route stayed at this elevation for over 20kms and this was not the place to be in challenging weather.  Visibility evaporated, the wind picked up and the cold rain was smashing into me, the trail was now a slippery mud and my brakes were failing. All this compounded to slow my progress. I had seen a sign earlier for Boundary Hut. I decided I would aim to get there to get warm and dry out, unfortunately, I had missed the turn so I pushed on into the abyss.

I took out my phone, the touchscreen was very difficult to use in these conditions with no respite from the driving wind and rain. I looked at my Topo GPS app, the descent of the mountain would start in about 5 km and there was a hut a couple of km back and off route. As I stood there in the darkness high up on this mountain with the weather completely enveloping me, I began to shiver uncontrollably. At this moment I knew I had to go back to the hut. I turned back, something I really dislike to do in a race, I found the turnoff and gingerly made my way down to Nicholson’s hut after dropping some 200 meters. Initially, I could not see it until eventually I spotted the hut across a fast-flowing river. I got inside and changed into dry clothes, done star jumps to warm up and got in my sleeping bag. Thankfully I did get warm and slept until 7 am, looking outside the skies were grey but the rain had stopped. How grateful I was for this small tin shed.

Looking back I felt I made the right decision, even though the descent was close, it was a long way down to Clyde with a few locked gates. I think I would have been super cold and miserable

I was craving coffee and hot food but decided to push past Clyde on towards Alexandra on the rail trail. I was also trying to organise the jet boat for the trip down Lake Roxburgh, unfortunately, I was unable to get through so therefore did not know a departure time as this had to be pre-arranged. I reluctantly decided to ride the road section around the lake.  I still  had no coffee or decent food and was feeling the effects of last nights mountain experience, the hills and headwinds on this section were a challenge.

I stopped in Roxburgh for a meal and long-awaited coffee and then started to enjoy the riding after that. I had now dropped back to fourth place, Matt and Greg had passed me early morning as I slumbered in the hut refuge and Joe Nation was powering ahead relentlessly.

In Lawrence, I decided to book a room in Mosgiel, a further 80 odd km ahead. I was familiar with the next section passing Lake Mahinerangi, I was feeling better now and looking forward to a good sleep in a bed. Before sleep at the motel, I had to change my brake pads front and back, these had diminished last night in the mud and grit.

The next day required climbing legs, starting with a long climb up to Swampy Summit, and it certainly was a swampy descent before moving into quiet forestry roads and eventually onto the coast north of Dunedin.

Apparently I missed a resupply option in Karitane, so had to push on with what I had. The hills got steeper and drier on the rollercoaster Ramrock road. After a long day, I made it to Ranfurly with time to resupply at the Four Square. Looking north the dark clouds looked ominous, as Dansys Pass loomed. I was not looking forward to another cold and wet night on a mountain, but as usual in these events, I pushed on. A few kilometres from Danseys Pass the rain started to fall and became much heavier as went over the top. The rain continued before easing as I popped out at Duntroon. Spotting a fancy new electronic toilet block, I decided to take a break, dry out and get warm.

Soon I was on the move again, the rain had stopped, and like the boys ahead of me, we were charging through the night. Up the long Hakataramea valley, the sleep monsters were circling and I did succumb to a couple of power naps. The sunrise was spectacular as I approached Hakataramea Pass with less than 50 km to go to the finish at Tekapo.

I knew early on the previous day that I simply did not have the legs to chase hard even though Greg and Matt were not that far ahead. I was happy to ride at my own pace and enjoy this spectacular part of the country.

A few people were at the Lakeside church to welcome me in mid-morning, which was very nice.  A catch-up over breakfast and coffee was a great way to wrap up this Great Southern Brevet experience, 1080kms completed in just over 4 days.

A super nice and challenging route certainly delivered a fantastic bike-packing adventure.

I had spent almost a week in South Africa acclimatising to the new land and culture. A stunning morning greeted the racers down by the beach on the 21st of October and we were off at 6.22 am. I had my distances between resupply and a bit of info on what would be available, but as this was the inaugural race, I had little to reference, I didn’t care, I knew this would be an adventure to remember. I got into my rhythm, riding at a good pace as I chatted with other racers here and there.

Before starting the Rhino Run I decided that I would sleep a minimum of 4 hours every night. In past races I ve sometime been very erratic  with sleep strategies, sometimes it works out and other times it backfires badly. I wanted to see if remaining consistent with sleep times would have greater benefits.

After 323kms, and after a solid climb out of Calitzdorp, I set up camp for a decent sleep after a wonderful days riding through some spectacular terrain.

I was rolling before 4 am and could see lights ahead of me, other racers to reel in as the sky slowly brightened to reveal more magical South African lands. This morning was my most social day of the race as I chatted with the Masaka boys Kato and Waswa, Sofiane and  April. During the afternoon and into the evening I was riding a little bit with Josh Ibbett. At about km 670, I decided to pull over and laid out my bag for a sleep under the stars in a roadside orchard.

I was moving again in the morning darkness and I was feeling good, passing Josh as he was packing up his sleep system. A nice climb and fast descent brought me to Franschhoek, I did not stop as I was determined to ride on to Stellenbosch before resupplying. I was entering the suburbs of Stellenbosch under spectacular skies as the rising sun put on a memorable show. I had a huge feeling of gratitude come over me, to be here in this new land on this adventure. I was present, completely in the moment and loving it.

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Nothing much was open except for a petrol station, a bikepackers most common resupply point. Limited vegan options, very average coffee and a staff member with no smile made it a disappointing stop after such a great early morning ride. Josh rode in, we chatted briefly before I set off again out of town and into the hills.

I really enjoyed Bainskloof Pass, a sealed road with a perfect gradient and amazing views looking back to the Cape Wineland’s.

The Cederberg section is dry and vast with no re-supply options, although there are a few Lodges. After riding many hours in the darkness I eventually pulled over to set up camp just off the roadside after 975kms

The morning brought what felt like a long drag on dusty roads to Clanwilliam, the outskirts here showing harsh living conditions in the rubbish-strewn slums. Things changed as I rode into the centre of town, as children made their way to school, I looked for a place to buy food. Clanwilliam is a relatively large town, I found a supermarket for supplies and decided to have a rare sit-down meal at a cafe, this was a morale booster and the coffee was good. I was ready for the next section!

As I enjoyed my sit-down meal and re-set I checked the tracker to see that Jimmy Ashby was not too far up the road and Abdullah and Benky were tearing it up at the front of the race. I was happy with where I was, feeling good and sticking with my plan of sleeping at least 4 hours every night. I was about 180kms off the front of the race at this point, and the next section was a tough one with little or no resupply, I wondered could the leaders keep up this phenomenal pace.

Resupply points are more important than ever here as options diminish through long remote sections and unfortunately, I arrived too late to Calvinia for anything to be open. I fancied to sleep in a bed that night and I rode around some streets looking for a possibility, after a bit of faffing around and a couple of phone calls, a very kind lady offered to check me into a room sometime after 11 pm. A hot shower and a comfy bed after 4 days of tough riding was heaven.  I wasn’t prepared to wait until the shops opened the next day so I rode on into a beautiful sunrise and some rugged roads to Loeriesfontein.

I was wild camping again some 50kms before the small town of Springbok, stopping before midnight to rest up. I rolled into Springbok on day 6 of the Rhino Run, much too early for the shop to be open but thankful that the service station was open. This next section of about 200 km to the Namibian border was tough. It was remote,  with sandy sections on rough roads with very hot temperatures. Throughout this race, water was scarce so carrying up to 8 litres was necessary.

I knew there was a couple of service stations just past the border, so I pushed on. The border control was frustratingly slow, and comical at times,  even though it was super quiet. I re-supplied as the sun went down and rode on northwards into a new land under dark skies punctuated by a carpet of stars. I rode 70 odd kilometres before setting up my tent for a few hours rest.

Soon I was riding again as the morning light danced on the jagged mountains. I enjoyed my first morning in Namibia and after some hours I rode into the important resupply town of Rosh Pina. I loaded up on water and food and then got a new SIM card for my phone. This was a process in itself and took longer than I would have liked.

A long sealed road stretch through the Namib Desert eventually brought me to the small settlement of Aus. The service station looked closed but there was a few guys next door in a small room. I pretty much emptied the shelves of crisps and Water before they casually mentioned there was a hotel around the corner. I could not resist my second sit-down meal of the race, amongst a couple of groups of German tourists.

I was once again riding into the darkness knowing I had a 200km plus stretch through some remote desert. Some welcome tailwinds had me gobbling up the kilometres initially, but this did not last and soon the need to sleep overcame me. The next morning was so spectacular, as the desert changed colours before my eyes.

The now infamous D707 Road took me close to 9 hours to get through. It was painfully slow at times with deep sand bringing me to a complete standstill at times. Another aspect that I had not encountered before was corrugations hidden in the sand. I would be gaining speed and going faster and then all of a sudden would hit these momentum killers, sometimes falling over into the hot sand. I was regretting that I hadn’t pushed on last night in the cooler temperatures, as now I was out here in the midday sun with very little options for shade. All there was to do, was push on, this was my hardest day of the race!

Like a desert Oasis Betta camp appeared, shimmering with the promise of cold drinks, I rolled in exhausted. I ordered pasta from the quiet Cafe/shop and proceeded to consume litres of various liquids, attempting to quench my thirst. I was revived and replenished and was ready to greet the evening as the sun began to drop and the amazing desert pastel colours dazzled me once again. After dark, a vehicle pulled up with a couple inside, after chatting briefly they told me they lived close by. I think they were a little confused as to why I would be riding after dark out here. Sadly I was riding through, what I imagine is a beautiful park under darkness with only my K Lite beam shining ahead.

I continued on, suddenly surprised by the noise in the bush, turning on my headlight revealed a large number of Zebras scampering up a hill.I spooked them as much as they spooked me. I was feeling good, even after the gruelling day, I pushed on for my only all-nighter of the race, arriving at Seisriem before 6 am, meaning nothing was open. My biggest concern was water, I was starting to get low. I had about 85kms to get to Solitaire so I pushed hard to get there before the temperatures rose. Once again the sunrise was spectacular. Herds of wild animals grazed in the distance. Oryx, a large antelope with long spear like horns were plentiful, and very impressive as they galloped across the parched terrain.

Solitaire was a very welcome and necessary resupply. I was motivated and with 265kms to the finish at Windhoek, I knew I was heading into my last night on this spectacular course. I knew there was a lodge just off course but was unsure if I was too late to get food and water. I rode in, it seemed quiet, and the reception was empty but I walked in through a few doors. I found some people around a large outdoor dining table. It was the managers and some guests. They had some food left over that I devoured  as they told me tales of  Abdullah and benkys visit the previous day. I left the lodge probably after 9 pm with hopes of pushing through to the finish. Unfortunately, less the 2 hours later I was swerving on the quiet gravel roads struggling to keep my eyes open. Sleep was necessary and probably the best idea as the next section would bring some bigger hills rising to over 2,000 meters.

The last 150km were certainly not fast as the hot sun once again ensured I was drinking litres of water to stay hydrated. Eventually, the city of Windhoek was visible in the distance and I was filled with gratitude to be near the end of another amazing adventure. Some local riders joined me for the last km through the suburbs and the media crew was following in their car. To my surprise, a small crowd had gathered at Christuskirche, a historic church in the heart of the city and the finish line of the inaugural Rhino Run. Abdullah and Benky were there, visibly coming to terms with life off the bike, after they had pushed each other to the absolute limit at the front of the race at a remarkably consistent pace.

This was an incredible adventure firmly etched in my memory, the course brought me through such magical terrains, I rode solo for the most part but the locals I met were super friendly and welcoming. At no point did I feel unsafe.

From a race perspective, I was happy, coming into this not that long after the Silk Road Mountain Race, I just wanted to enjoy it and finish it. I felt good throughout the race, of course, there were low points and some emotional rollercoasters, but nothing I was not used to. I rode relatively conservatively, especially with my sleep plan of sleeping at least 4 hours each night. Maybe I could have pushed harder and slept less, who knows?  I do know that in the end I was not destroyed

Ultra-distance bikepack racing is a constant learning for me, especially when tackling new countries and cultures and the Rhino Run has been another deeply enriching experience.

9 Days 8 Hours 49 Minutes

Race Film Here: Don't Look Back

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AND I WAS OFF

THE STARTING GUN

THE RHINO RUN.

TRAVERSING HILLS

AND LUSH GREEN FORESTS

TICKING OFF THE Ks

I M IN AN AFRICAN MAZE.

I M SEARCHING OUT A PLACE

BEYOND THE FEARS THAT I FACE

LANDSCAPE CHANGING BEFORE MY EYES

BEAUTY REVEALED WITH EVERY SUNRISE

EACH AND EVERYDAY AN ADVENTURE ON ITS OWN,

THE RUGGED ROUTE SETS THE TONE.

ANOTHER SUNSET THAT MAKES ME GASP

THE SKY FILLED WITH COLOUR

ITS BEAUTY, I CAN BARELY GRASP.

A NEW COUNTRY

A NEW LAND

THE RELENTLESS SEARING SUN

NO PLACE TO HIDE

ON DESERT PLAINS.

LONG DAYS

STRAIGHT ROADS

TIRED HAZE

HEAVY LOADS

ACHY FEET

ACHY HANDS

VIBRATIONS FROM BENEATH

CORRUGATIONS, ON REPEAT.

THE COOLER NIGHTS RECHARGE ME

THE GALAXIES ABOVE ASTOUND ME.

I RIDE AMONGST WILDLIFE I DO NOT RECOGNISE

AND EACH MORNING I ARISE

I AM SAFE

NATURE GOT ME IN ITS EMBRACE.

ONE FINAL LONG STRETCH

THROUGH PARCHED LANDS.

CIVILISATION SIGNALS THE JOURNEYS END

NOW I’M STOPPED, MY BODY CAN MEND.

MY CUP IS FULL

MY SPIRIT SOARED

AN ADVENTURE TO BEHOLD

STORIES SURE TO BE TOLD

Much Gratitude, Rhino Run 2022. South Africa & Namibia

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MY JOURNEY, MY RACE ……

     Rolling out of Osh at midnight under a big full moon for the 4th edition of the Silk Road mountain race with a police escort was a surreal experience.

             After the neutralised start all riders were let free and meandered into the hills in a southerly direction leaving the city’s comforts behind. Riders jumped to and fro with excitement and adrenaline to burn. I kept it steady, there was little chat among the riders, and everyone seemingly focused on themselves. Looking back at the weaving trail of headlights was a sight to behold on this warm night in southern Kyrgyzstan.

      Many hours passed before I reached the base of the mountain and the real climbing would begin. I was feeling good, I was in my rhythm, alone in my thoughts, dwarfed by these mountains shadowing me. I was so happy to finally be here, to finally be racing this race that I entered first in 2020, but pandemic related issues meant I could only get here now. I did not care, this was perfect.

     The first light of a new day arrived, the sun hit the peaks and still I climbed. The last two hours or more to the summit was gnarly Hike a Bike. The kind that involves pulling, lifting and scrambling across big rocks and loose scree with narrow channels that simply don’t have enough room for bike and human, every muscle fibre utilized to gain forward motion on this steep incline.

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   It was mid-morning when I reached the summit of Jiptik Pass at 4,185 meters elevation, the highest point ever included in the Silk Road Mountain Race. I was with Rodney, a Peruvian living in Italy, he took off down the mountain and I would not see him again. I took a moment and munched on some traditional Kyrgyz bread that I had strapped to my seat pack. A physically demanding start to the race, and now I was looking forward to descending.

       Across the huge valley was Mt Lenin, a 7,000-meter-plus mountain sitting majestically on the border with Tajikistan.

Loose steep rock and scree on the downside meant it was not all rideable, for me anyways.

Soon enough though I was bombing down narrow singletracks, connecting valleys and river systems before eventually opening up into a dry arid landscape under a hot afternoon sun. Passing by Yurt camps and wild horses, riding alongside crystal clear mountain streams, I absorbed my surroundings with immense gratitude and felt the bubbling excitement of the adventure to come.

   The longest sealed road section of the race came next, time to nestle into my aero bars and crank out the kilometres. It was very hot as I rode through this exposed dry section, thankfully the road was not too busy.

   Where would my day end? Where would I sleep after already going through a night without rest?

   A punctured sleeping mat ensured it was a below-adequate sleep high in the hills above the town of Gulcha, where many riders had stopped to get a guesthouse. I packed up and rode on in the darkness, but soon I was feeling super sleepy so I laid down under some trees for a quick nap.

          Arslanbob was reached after a long hot day and gradual climbing, with a couple of steep pinches to sting the legs, 525kms into the race, this was checkpoint 1. As I left the checkpoint after some proper food, to get a guesthouse James Hayden rolled in. After a brief chat, I could tell he would not be stopping long, However, my mind was not swayed, I knew a good rest would be more beneficial for me at this point than chasing the front guys.

       My early start meant I was riding through the biggest Walnut forest in the world under darkness.  After some rugged trails and HAB, I was spat out of the trees as the first rays of light were manifesting behind the hills. Some fast roads to lower elevation and soon I was crossing a wickedly constructed bridge that hung magically over a big river gorge.

         I made sure to resupply before heading onto the slopes of the next mountain as I knew it was a big one and the next town was well beyond this obstacle. Many hours passed before reaching the summit of the huge Kaidamo pass and a super fun descent followed. I enjoyed this fully rideable pass, I was feeling super good after my replenishing sleep last night. Three racers were ahead of me, I  craned my neck looking up at the switchbacks above thinking I might see one of them, I looked down to where I’d come from, but nobody to be seen, I pushed on. A long fun descent, passing many more yurts and animals, and a few more climbs before eventually reaching Kazarman as the sun was dropping hazily behind the mountains.

I came to Kyrgyzstan 9 days before the race to acclimatise and I had been in Kazarman so I knew what was available and where to go. I had ridden here from the capital Bishkek over some high passes over 3 and a half days. I did not feel super great during these days, which I put down to adjusting to everything, the elevation, the food, the time zone, culture etc. I feel these days helped a lot when it came to race time.

         From feeling super good, suddenly the hours after dark were a slog as the gradual upward gradient and poor road surface drained the energy from my legs. It was a dark haul through what felt like a monotonous land, there was no lights, no sign of humans and I was curious as to what it would look like in daylight hours. Eventually, I crested this never-ending sluggish climb and after a time there were some lights of a small town. I spotted a shelter, that looked like a bus shelter, there was lots of horse shit all around. It had a bench so I ignored the stench and got inside my sleeping bag. I awoke with a jolt in a moment when I thought I was going to roll off the bench. That was it, my sleep was over as my heart raced. I got on my bike to ride for what felt like many more hours of darkness. How long did I sleep?

      Day after day, mountain pass after mountain pass this journey took my breath away.

  High fives with mountain kids, Shepherds on horseback patrolling the land, Yurt camps nestled in high meadows, the mountains everchanging, enchanting beauty every day.

          The high elevations and rugged terrain of this race certainly take their toll, all the hike a bike makes it a very physical endeavour. Still, I was feeling good, I was racing my race, taking it day by day and enjoying this adventure. The mountains and epic vistas give me power, nature is medicine and empowering and I m always happy to tap into this infinite source.

Limited phone reception meant that checking the tracker was not possible for many sections. My phone remained in Aeroplane mode for most of the race. I rode alone, but always, every moment I was with nature, Immersed deeply in the beauty of this land.

Another road section on Day 4, unfortunately meant some unpleasant encounters with Kyrgyz drivers. Like many Asian countries, road etiquette is a bit different to what I’m used to and I had to question my safety on these roads. Once past the town of Naryn, it was a lot quieter as I moved towards the mountains again. A stunning long climb up a green river valley amongst the peaks brought me to a very steep push after dark. I said to myself that I would camp up once I got over this big climb. Once over the top, I looked for a flat place to pitch my tent. In hindsight, I would have been much better going lower as it was cold and windy up there and my sleep was not the best. I was up and moving again after a few hours with all my layers on to repel the biting wind.

This was an epic day riding through the long expansive and remote Arabel valley, finishing with another pass to climb.  The lower slopes of the descent had some river crossings, my bike fell into one, getting semi-submerged and water entering my top tube with all my electronics. Darkness once again quenched the light as I reached easier trails on my way towards Issyk Kul, and checkpoint 2 at the small town of Tamga.

Checkpoint 2 was at a guesthouse, on arrival I saw James Hayden’s bike outside, he was sleeping. I ordered food and decided also to get a room. On checking my electronics, my plug did not work anymore so I used one from the guesthouse. My charging cable was working and my power bank was good too. I could only however charge my Wahoo computer as I slept as I only had one USB outlet.

Leaving in the morning, James’ bike was gone and Rodney’s bike was parked outside the main entrance. Sofiane had continued after getting his stamp the previous evening for a nighttime ascent over Tosor Pass with an elevation of 3,893 meters

I was soon leaving the massive lake of Issyk Kul, heading inland towards Tosor Pass as the morning light hit the mountains before me. This was another long climb, and once again I was enjoying it, these are my favourite climbs. I was feeling strong as I concentrated on my breathing and rhythm. Hopes of seeing James up ahead did not materialise, I did not know how far ahead he was.

The imagined and hoped-for fast downhill soon turned to a strong headwind that would prevail for most of the day. Long exposed roads in this dry area with the hot wind blowing in my face certainly did its best to steal my energy and it was slow going.

Now I was about to enter the most challenging period of my race.

Noticing it was time to charge my Wahoo Bolt computer, Plugging in via my USB converter from my Dynamo Hub, nothing was happening. Tried to charge my phone, but nothing. My 3-way charging cable wasn’t working, was it water damage? it worked last night? Crap! This was a lesson learned. Bring spare cables!

I had a couple of hours of charge left, and I had a bit of charge in my phone. I continued into the headwind mentally focusing on a positive outcome.

My computer died so I was now using my phone to stay on track. Night fell and I decided to camp up some 50 km before Intersection Cafe, There was no point riding there as nothing would be open so I’d have to wait until morning anyway.

I awoke to see my phone was now dead, Fuck!  I have no navigation. I had to do the work to quieten my mind and remain calm.

I peered out from my tent to see my bike covered in frost, I layered up. Thankfully this section was a straight road, I remembered this from the course notes. It was a strange feeling to be riding and not following the line on my computer,  that we rely on so much.

Intersection Cafe is a main road junction with a few restaurants. I went into the first one I saw and had an instant coffee whilst trying to ask the lady, was there a shop there, hoping I could find a new charging cable. She pointed down the road, I went but there was only another eating place.

Communication is a challenge but somehow I always manage. To make it more confusing both  Kyrgyz and Russian are spoken.  I ordered food and more coffee and plugged in, to my surprise the cable was working, although intermittently. Was this due to my cable recovering from a soaking or was it the dodgy loose wiring from the outlet socket I was using low under the restaurant table?

I was here for more than 3 hours as I waited patiently to simultaneously charge my Wahoo and phone. There was no phone reception in this area so could not even check on the tracking page., I watched people come and go. Outside in the searing sun, I changed my front brake pads and at the same time my tummy was starting to feel a bit queasy I had no idea where I was in the race, did someone pass me as I camped last night or as I waited for my devices to charge. Frustrated and feeling very average, and after hours of waiting, I was super keen to move on.

Coming into the race I learned that following a plant-based diet could have its challenges. Kyrgyzstan is very much a meat and Dairy consuming country. Restaurants would not have much that I could eat, and communicating would be a challenge and also a time waster. Shops did not have much either, however I was able to pick up fruit and bread at times.  Traditional Kyrgyz bread, Nan, is widely consumed baked in a flat tandoor oven and adorned with patterns. It’s sometimes brushed with egg yolk and milk to create a shiny crust. This did mean I was not 100% plant-based, but I was prepared to have some flexibility here.

I brought food from New Zealand, even though it meant I started with a much heavier bike than I normally would, I believe it was the best decision and contributed greatly to my overall performance and experience. I carried a lot of Tailwind Nutrition, this is a powder supplement added to water that contains Electrolytes, Carbohydrates and protein. I also brought Nut butter in single-serve packets, Pics Peanut Butter and Roam Energy nut butter, two NZ brands. I also had a few dehydrated breakfast meals from Radix that just required cold water. By the finish of the race I had pretty much used everything so I was happy with how it worked out.

I also had three proper meals at the three Checkpoints which was really great.

Leaving Intersection Cafe into the mid day sun, as my stomach churned it was hard to get going. The tough climbs were punctuated with numerous roadside stops necessary to relieve the pain and upset I was feeling in my guts. Dropping into a deep beautiful valley lightened my mood as I rode alone in my thoughts towards Parrot Pass, once again I was losing light on Day 7. I aimed to get to Checkpoint 3 at the Yurt camp on the shores of Son Kul. It was dark as a motorcycle pulled up alongside me, the rider was an Irishman now living in Andorra. We chatted for 10 minutes or so, He offered me chocolate, and I declined he then offered me some whiskey which I declined also. I knew I would soon be at the Yurt camp with hot food and hot tea available. This was an oasis on this 3,000-meter mountain plateau, I decided to take the option of sleeping in a Yurt, A fire was put on, gratefully arranged by race volunteer Urmat and the Yurt was warm after 15 minutes thanks to its amazing natural insulation.

I had the best sleep here, although way too short as I was once again up and moving well before sunrise pulling myself away from the cosy Yurt. Thankfully I was feeling better and I enjoyed the early morning riding as  Son Kul Lake glistened magically as light filled the sky.  I traversed the punchy climbs for the next hours before eventually reaching the road that would lead me to resupply at Cholpon. At this stage, I had not seen another racer since briefly crossing paths with James at checkpoint Two on Day 2. It truly was a solo mission.

The last major obstacle ahead was Shamsai Pass, another high mountain that I wanted to get over before dark, I had to keep moving.  A long exposed climb with a few Yurts here and there, the wind was picking up and the gradient was getting steeper. The Hike a Bike began, and I tried carrying my bike across my shoulders. This was made more difficult as I had lost my ultralight Apidura backpack that I normally stuffed with gear from my front Roll and let my bike rest on, easing the pressure on my shoulders. The strong wind also made carrying tough.

A long push up a rock-strewn gully against a very strong cold wind took hours, I had all my gear on as the temperature dropped and the cloud rolled over the pass above. Visibility was now only a few meters and an eerie darkness enveloped me, I’d reached the top, it was -7, too cold to linger and no photo opportunities, it was time to go down.

The downhill only had a few rideable sections for me, due to steep loose scree, hidden rocks in the tussocks, river crossings and darkness it was slow going and losing elevation felt like it was taking an age.

The river that I had to cross numerous times was running swiftly, so getting a solid foothold and a good bike carry was crucial. My feet and knee warmers were soaking, it was cold, and I wanted to get off this mountain.

As I reached another crossing point, I stood studying the river for a safe place to cross with my headlight. Suddenly I heard voices from my left, turning my head I saw two guys on horseback heading up the mountain. They were shouting at me with hand gestures to move back upstream. I backtracked a couple of hundred meters and sure enough, the river was less angry here. One guy, I’m sure was telling me off in Russian, probably thinking what the hell I was doing. I had to wonder why they were heading up the mountain towards the pass at that time also. I was grateful to cross the river again, then there was a large rockfall to negotiate.

Eventually, my speed increased as I hit a rideable double track, the river crossings continued, however, meaning it was soggy cold feet for the night. I was happy to reach lower elevations where it was not as cold and no wind, I continued, it was going to be a long night.

Civilization appeared in the form of distant lights from an unknown town bringing with it a sense of being closer to the finish.  At 12.45 am I came across a shop that was just about to close, and just as I needed a morale boost, I bought bananas, Bread, water and lemonade. A  few short power naps were necessary for the final 100 km as I became weary in the dead of night.

   I did come alive again on the downhill approach to Bishkek as the sun began to rise over the city of twinkling lights. Nelson Trees, race creator and resident of Bishkek popped out and we rode the last km together.  It was a perfect end to my ride as I cruised through quiet streets with memories flashing through my mind, a magical land imprinted forever.

I was done, 8 days 6 hours and 35 minutes of pure adventure was complete.  James Hayden was there at the finish and it was nice to have a bit of a debrief with him, it was nice to be off the bike after that challenging last 26-hour push. I think I had processed most of my emotions through the long night on the final stretch to the finish, the gratitude and joy to be completing this massive adventure gave me goosebumps. By the end, I was just tired and a bit spaced out. I went for coffee and food before going to my guesthouse and crashing out for a few hours.

I remained in Beautiful Kyrgyzstan for another week, relaxing, sleeping eating and gathering my thoughts of the race.

My race went well. One period of feeling ill along with some charging issues meant I lost time, but I’m well aware it could have been worse. I had favourable weather, nothing extreme, just some cold temperatures and a fair helping of headwind. I had zero mechanical issues, my Binary Bicycles drop bar Havok was a dream. I had no injuries or niggles and felt good for most of the race. I had one minor incident after Naryn on Day 4. Cruising along a gravel road, suddenly my bike skidded and stalled throwing me forward and sideways onto the road. It was so sudden I had no idea what just happened, blood poured from my knee and I noticed that my food pouch was wedged in between my front wheel and suspension fork. The Velcro strap had come undone at the handlebars and fallen into the wheel and got sucked in resulting in an untimely and strange crash. Zip ties were attached to both Food pouches there and then.

Much Gratitude to Nelson and his team for putting this together

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TO BE IN THIS LAND

I FEEL IVE BEEN  BEFORE

AN EASE,

A RESONANCE, I RAISE MY HAND,

IN THIS MAGICAL LAND OF LORE.

I TURN THE PEDALS AND ESCAPE THE CITY HUSTLE

I AM FREE

I RISE INTO THE CLOUDS

HIGHER AND HIGHER

THE MOUNTAINS HUMBLE ME

MY MIND, NO LONGER LOUD

BEYOND EVERY RANGE, ONLY MORE CAN I SEE.

LAYING DOWN UNDER A HUGE EMPHATIC SKY

A CARPET OF TWINKLING STARS

FEELS WITHIN ARMS REACH.

THE UNIVERSE TONIGHT, WILL TEACH

I AM SAFE AND EMBRACED

I FADE INTO THE NIGHT.

EVERY DAY I PUSH

SO GRATEFUL FOR THE STRENGTH

A DESIRE, A DREAM, A WISH

MY PATH LAID OUT IN FRONT OF ME.

THE BEAUTY AND THE CHALLENGE

A COCKTAIL MIX

EXPLOSIVE AND VOLATILE

I RIDE

THE UPS, THE DOWNS

THE VALLEYS I EXPLORE

THE MOUNTAINS

I WANT MORE

NOW I’VE HAD THE TIME

TO FEEL INTO YOU

OH MAN

KYRGYZSTAN

I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN

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I arrived back in Gore after 4 am on my third night of the Tuatara 1000, there was nobody around, and the streets were so quiet, that I took some moments to take it in. It had been a long day since 5 am after leaving Taieri Mouth campground on the windswept east coast, south of Dunedin City, some 300-odd kilometres back. A few power naps during the night helped me to the finish, completing the 1072 kilometres in under 3 days. I sat under the huge Trout statue that is a landmark in the centre of town, happy to be finished and slightly disappointed that I fell off the pace on the last day with Martin, Matt and Myles coming in ahead of me to make up the podium. It was time to get some sleep.

PHOTO: Steve Garratt

The Tuatara 1000 Adventure started at 7 am three days before right under this giant fish on a cool damp Southland morning. The riders taking on the race format were first to roll out heading in an anti-clockwise direction. There is also the Brevet options, same as the race format only that riders are required to take a 6 hour stop in every 24 hours. Some went anti-clockwise, others clockwise and there was also a shorter 500km option. Within a couple of days, there was bike packers spread out all across the region, it was awesome to see.

UNDER THE BIG TROUT, GORE, SOUTHLAND

PHOTO: Steve Garratt

This event was created by Andy Chalmers, who grew up in the area. Andy has a huge passion for Bikepacking and for giving back to the community. To weave a route that takes in all his favourite places from childhood is a very neat accomplishment and supports the smaller communities in these times with practically zero international tourism for the past 2 years. Bikepacking folk can spend a fair dash of cash on food, drinks etc as we meander with intent through the countryside riding bikes through beautiful natural landscapes.

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PHOTO: Steve Garratt

We rolled out into the murky mist with enthusiasm, gravel was not long coming and neither were the hills. I was happy to be wearing my waterproof jacket as the rain continued to get heavier, the gravel roads were good as we pushed on over the rolling hills. I and 5 others, Martin Strelka, Matt Zenovich, Reon Nolan, Myles Gibson and Nick Kennedy had formed a spread-out group ( no drafting permitted here), although it was not long before Matt pushed off the front.

NO PELOTON HERE

The skies began to clear and the rain ceased, the hills and the distant mountains made themselves known as I approached the small village of Mossburn and refilled my water bottles at the same time as Reon, Myles and Martin.  Te Anau was next, a bigger town and the gateway to the majestic and wild Fiordland National Park. The mountains loomed larger as blue skies peeped through the clouds. A quick resupply before hitting the fun and fast Lakeside trails that connect Te Anau to Manapouri.

PHOTO: Steve Garratt

Myles was having some bad luck as I passed him twice so far as he fixed punctures. Reon passed me on the sealed road out of Manapouri at a good pace into a headwind, Martin was a bit further back, and I would not see another rider all day. Riding now in a southerly direction, I reached Tuatapere just after 8 pm with 305kms in the legs and in third position on the road. I was feeling good and looking forward to riding into the night. A quick resupply at the local Four Square and it was into some faster roads as darkness descended on Day one. It was a shame to be riding in the dark and missing the scenery as the route brought us out to some picturesque bays on the south coast.

PHOTO: Steve Garratt

It was a beautiful calm night, the roads were quiet except for when I  was met by a large number of cows walking towards me, they occupied most of the road and stared blankly at me, probably surprised and blinded by my light as I inched past them trying not to spook them. I’m pretty sure these cows were not meant to be on the road, a gate must have been left open somewhere. This encounter woke me up sufficiently and gave me an extra boost of energy to get me to Riverton at 370 km as midnight approached.

Still feeling good, I decided to push on, aiming to get to Invercargill, I arrived there soon after 2 am, and now it was time to sleep. Just inside Queens Park, I found a super nice Bivy spot at the sports ground, I had a verandah, a power outlet and clean water. Luxury for a bikepacker after a huge day. This was stealth camping at its best and a decent sleep was had before my alarm rudely woke me at 5 am. I gathered my thoughts and my gear before moving out of the park in the crisp cool morning air.

Sunday morning city life was quiet and I was glad to see a service station that was open just off route. Hot coffee was consumed as the day brightened and I rolled out of town

As the route gets closer to the coast once again we go through a very interesting place that has heaps of empty fishermen’s huts along the lagoons and Rivers, navigating some sandy patches and boardwalks kept me alert. On last year’s race, I came through here on my last night, super fatigued and on the verge of Hallucinations. Riding past these old empty and rundown shacks was very weird with sleep deprivation setting in, this time however it was nice to see the place in Daylight.

SLOPE POINT

Back on the main road and heading towards Slope Point, a now familiar place, as it’s the finishing point of the Tour Te Waipounamu which I completed only weeks before. Matt was still up the road and Myles had passed me, very impressive considering the time he lost fixing his tyres/flats on day one. Martin was not far behind. This was shaping up to be an epic day riding, now moving in a north easterly direction up the coast. The day was sunny with blue skies enhancing the beauty of the Catlins region, dense forests, rugged coastline and stunning beaches, I need to come back here at a slower pace.

GLORIOUS GRAVEL, CATLINS

Owaka at 610 kilometres into the race was a welcome resupply and the ever-reliable Four Square provided the goods. Although said goods don’t always have much variety from a plant-based diet perspective. In events like this it’s mostly Bananas, salted nuts, protein bars etc, sometimes I will get wraps and Hummus/Avocado, this however is a bit more time-consuming, but nice to satisfy the Real food craving.

BEAUTIFUL CATLINS

Along the banks of the mighty Clutha River, leading into  Balclutha town before heading towards the coast again as the sun was lowering in the sky beyond. I decided to book a cabin at Taieri Mouth Campground a further 90 km up the coast with a promise of hills. The gravel roads were good and hills indeed did come before I eventually arrived at the cabin about 1 am. I deliberately did not check the tracker, I don’t even know if there was reception but I knew this was a crucial decision. Would the other racers ahead stop to sleep? or push on to the end? Should I just keep riding?  At this moment I felt a sleep would benefit me for the final push on Day 3.

NIGHT 2, CABIN AT TAIERI MOUTH

SUNRISE. DAY 3

It was after 5 am when I departed the comfort of the small cabin somewhat later than I would have liked. Soon the hills were there to greet my day as the course went inland before popping back out to the coast. The sunrise was spectacular, unfortunately, my legs were not as spectacular. I moved steadily over the hills towards the city of Dunedin, scanning the streets for a coffee shop. I did pass one and did not stop deciding there would be another for sure. Unfortunately, there was nt and before long I was heading out to the Peninsula without a caffeine hit. Boo!   After the Peninsula loop, there was a strong headwind heading towards Port Chalmers before moving inland to some serious hills in the suburbs of the city.

I had cleared the city by lunchtime and was happy to be moving out to the countryside once more, a resupply at Outram propelled me towards the beautiful climb towards Waipouri Falls and then past Lake Mahinerangi through rolling hills.

LEGS UP FINAL DAY

LAWRENCE,LAST RESUPPLY

After what felt like never-ending hills that all looked the same I rolled into Lawrence about 9 pm, the last resupply before the final 100kms to Gore. A look at the tracker showed Martin had taken the win, Matt was a close second and Myles was some 55kms further ahead of me.

I was determined to get it done and set off into the dark, The hours passed under skies that were gathering some dark clouds. The roads were quiet except for an insane amount of possums and rabbits. My full attention was required, especially on the descents, speed had to be curtailed as hitting one of these creatures would end in a mess. It didn’t help that they changed their mind and direction often, going left, then right and then left again before scurrying off into the roadside. Eventually, the lights of Gore appeared from high in the hills on Mountain Road, the Southland town, an oasis amongst the hilly farmlands. My Tuatara adventure was complete.

New Zealand is blessed now with many Bikepacking events all over the land, some crossover so you have to pick the ones you want to do to fill your summer. A look on the tracking site Maprogress during the summer months will inevitably have hundreds of bikepackers traversing Aotearoa in all directions, covering vast distances on mainly quiet backroads and gravel tracks. A truly amazing way to explore New Zealand by bike.

Big Thanks to Andy for putting all this together

Grateful for the ongoing support from Vibrant Living Retreat, Binary Bicycles, Apidura, Hub Cycles, Julbo Eyewear & Biomaxa

THE FINISH

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