#ChapeauCycle across France

In 2014 I cycled 5,000 miles across Brazil to visit all 12 of the World Cup football stadiums before the tournament kicked off - it was an amazing way to explore and discover sucha diverse country as it prepared to host this huge event:http://smudgersambacycle.org/When it was over the obvious question became... whats next?Well, Id love to see more of Europe and particularly France, and the next European Championships is being held there (10 June to 10 July 2016), so Im gonna cycle to visit all 10 of the stadiums/cities during May 2016:http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-finals/hosts/france/Heres thebasic route map:http://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/Le_Tour_des_Stades/SocEntSycle

Wanna join me for some or all of it?The total distance (starting from London) will be about 1,000 miles, which at a steady pace(ie. touring not racing!)will take about a month, including 1-2 day stops in each host city to look around and visit the stadiums. I plan to camp as much as possible in order to keep costs down, but stay in hostels/BBs or maybe Couchsurf in the cities.I appreciate its probablytricky for peopleto commit to doing the whole thing, so maybe the London to Paris (via Lens and Lille) segment, or the Bordeaux to Nice (via Toulouse and Marseille) segment might appeal to come and join mefor part of the adventure.Ill be blogging via the#ChapeauCyclewebsite (not set up yet) and will be aiming to raise lots of money for a couple of charities(not chosen yet), so the more participants the better to spread the word and turn this into a great story that we can get into the media for coverage. Any ideas/suggestions on that front are very welcome.Allezallezallez!Cheers, Andy

Walk 4 PTSD

This walk is due to start on the 04th of May 2015 from Andover High Street and will end 4 months later on the 31st of August 2015.

Those taking part on the walk will be veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and in addition to this VIA are looking for 1,000 people to walk a short distance with the VIA Team.Please follow the link to the Walk 4 PTSD website www.walk4PTSD.org.uk. The idea for Walk 4 PTSD came from our previous long distance walk called World War 1 100 which was not completed due to an injury. Many things were learned from this previous walk and the first was in order to get people to walk with you on something this big it is better to have its own dedicated website which has been constructed. This website will give individuals or teams wishing to join the team the ability to choose where and when using the maps on the site.The aim of the walk is to walk around the coastline of mainland Britain using National Trails and tracks where possible taking in the fantastic countryside that Britain has to offer.The walk will be completed over 4 months with time set aside where the VIA Team will fund-raise in towns and cities on our route. Short walks will also be done into these towns where people will be invited to walk with the VIA Team and get sponsored a minimum of 100 and if we reach our target of 1,000 people throughout the walk we will raise 100k to help those who suffer.

Patagonia Kayaking

Our mission was to sea kayak down the west coast of Chile. A distance of 800km which would take us 33 days, completely self-supported. From our start point to our finish point, there would be nothing but wilderness. Steep Mountains, Glaciers, Icebergs and some truly testing weather conditions. If you would like to see a film from this expeditions then make a cup of tea and put you feet up and enjoy 30 mins of adventure. For Film follow this link -http://palmequipmenteurope.com/blog/en/hidden-glaciers-patagonia

Trans-Siberian Expedition

The Trans-Siberian Expedition is the initiation of a larger project called Run Our Planet Expeditions.For me this will be unmatched in scale, dedication, willpower and grandeur.This series of expeditions will see me run solo/unsupported (mostly) all 7 continents, 40 countries and 30 000 miles in a quest to look at the relationship between Man, Planet, Transport and the Future of it all as well as contributing to good and valuable causes. The Trans Siberian Expedition is the first of these expeditions and will see me running solo/unsupported 8000 miles from Vladivostok (Russia) back to London while raising funds and awareness for the great work that the Youth Sport Trust does for our young people.

http://www.runourplanet-expeditions.com/

Walk Mongolia with Ash Dykes

Our latest expedition explores the rugged taiga landscape west of the blue pearl of Mongolia Lake Khovsgol the largest and deepest lake in the Central Asian region. As one of the worldsancient lakes, Lake Khovsgol is of significant scientific importance as well as being one of the worlds purest water sources.This 12 day 120km trek covers a region that is without doubt one of the most beautiful parts of Mongolia. Our route explores the western shore of the lake and the surrounding area magnificentviews and great hiking. The province of Khovsgol west of the Khoridol Saridag mountains is the cultural landscape of the Dukha reindeer people who will extend massive hospitality should we meet them. Trekking through forests and meadows, we will move through the home of wild sheep, ibex, bear, moose, and countless species of birds. We will be accompanied by professional guides and pack horses to carry our luggage and equipment.Young Adventurer of the Year 2015 nominee Ash Dykes became the first person to walk solo and unsupported across the width of Mongolia during the summer 2014. This is an incredible opportunity to explore one of the most stunningly beautiful and exciting corners of the world with a world class adventurer as your guide.2nd 15th August 2015Price is 2000 per personPrice includes: Domestic flights, airport transfers, all land transports involved in the itinerary, 2 nights hotel in UB, tent hire for the expedition, all meals in the countryside.Price excludes: International flights, travel insurance (mandatory), Mongolian visa fee (if required), any equipment you might require for the trek, tips for trek staff and drivers, food in Ulaanbaatar, miscellaneous expenses beer, souvenirs etc.

To join please email info@walkmongolia.com for a pre-sign up questionnaire.We are particularly keen to hear from members of the Explorers Connect community so please mention Explorers Connect in your questionnaire.Mongolia Expedition Services reserves the right to refuse sign-up to candidates that it feels would be unfit or unsuitable for this trek

Cycle2Conserve

On June 11th I shall be cycling around the world. I have wanted to travel the world since a very young ageand have been dreaming about distant lands and faraway adventures for a long time. Now it is time to act upon these dreams and start chasing.As a conservation graduate, I am also very fond of the environment and for me, the chance to raise money and awareness while travelling was a match made in heaven.

I will be stopping my cycle tour regularly, in order to volunteer for various NGOs and help them in their conservation work and to help raise awareness. I want my blog to not only be a personal account of a global cycle tour, but to act as a resource to any future volunteers looking for that perfect project.At this moment in time, I am trying to build up a following on my facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/cycle2conserve (and eventually a twitter account) in order to support my pursuit of equipment sponsorship. If anybody here would like to help me raise the profile of my journey, please like my page, share it with friends who might be interested in a nutter's musings or even better, sponsor me?If anyone would like any further details of my journey please don't hesitate to ask and I will get back to you.

This site rocks!

Darren

From Fire to Ice

The From Fire To Ice expedition will be the first time a burns survivor will attempt to reach the South Pole unsupported while conducting medical research tests.

The team hope to complete Shackleton's unfinished journey.On January 2010 while working in Zanzibar Robs life changed forever. The generator that was powering his house exploded and whilst trying to escape set him on fire. Rob sustained a 43% Total Body Surface Area burn. He spent the next 10 days In Dar es Salaam but with the lack of specialised burns medical care, felt life slipping away. A commercial airline took pity on him and flew him back on a standard flight to the UK where they were told He would be dead on arrival. Somehow Rob survived the flight and was transported to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. With only a 27% chance of survival the fantastic staff fought to save his life.

He was put into an induced coma for a few weeks and spent about a month in intensive care. After spending around 5 months in hospital in London (and 1 year in total) He had to learn to walk again and started to piece his life back together. At this point Rob was introduced to a charity called Dans Fund For Burns (DFFB). They were able to help him and provide the support that He so desperately needed. It has been 5 years and 31 operations later that Rob is finally physically in the position to give back. The From Fire to Ice expedition aims to generate money for DFFB from the very people it was set up to support.During December 2016 extending into January 2017, the team will be flown from Punta Arenas at the southern tip of South America to the Antarctic base camp at Union Glacier. After a few days further preparation we shall fly by Twin Otter to latitude 8823S. the furthest point South that Shackleton reached. The team will then live under canvas, travelling on ski, towing sledges of supplies 112 statute miles to the South Pole.Please come follow us on facebook.com/fromfiretoiceAny questions then feel free to ask!

900 Days 900 Huts

To walk to all the DOC huts there are in New Zealand in as many days...I have tramped in New Zealand before but so far managed to barely scratch the surface of what there is to explore. With my next walk (http://900days900huts.info/) I hope to explore the beautiful kiwi bush more intensely and for a longer period of time. The walk starts in May/June of this year and planned to end around end of the year 2017. It goes on for about roughly 900 days and designed to do it in one go. Please share your thoughts or suggestions..

South Pole Full Distance

Skiing the South Pole - Messner route - is a challenging 580 mile (934 km) traverse through remote, freezing terrain from the Ronne Ice Shelf on the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent to the Geographic South Pole. The route skirts the western flank of the massive Foundation Ice Stream and the Transantarctic Mountains, then turns south toward the Pole. Extremely Strenuous The trip means skiing and pulling a pulk in one of the most inhospitable environments of the world; uphill all the way, where altitude exceeds 11,000 feet (3350 m) and temperatures may drop below 40C with severe wind chill and storms. Paula will be active for 8-12 hours a day hauling heavy loads of approx. 65kg for 38 days.

She must have the physical ability to cover a minimum daily distance and the mental stamina to continue in extreme conditions when she is exhausted. Courage, stamina, technical skill, a high level of strength and aerobic fitness, and commitment to a pre-trip training programme are also required. That's the official blurb! It's basically going to be challenging :) And I'm doing it for charity - it's a new charity called 'Gutsy Gastros' - for children and young people with life threatening bowel conditions such as bowel cancer, total intestinal failure, chronic Crohns others. Or, in real terms, I have a friend with a son who is 6 and he's in trouble... The charity is just being set up officially - prompted by my expedition! - so please watch this space for a Just Giving page or the charity's website.

Thanks for your support,

Paula