1 Man, 1 Motorcycle, 2 Continents, 22 Countries and 15,000 Miles in 3 Months! Hello, my name is Russell Johns and I am about to take on the trip of a lifetime for North Devon Hospice! On Thursday 1st November 2012 I will be carrying out a solo expedition on my BMW R1200 Adventure GS motorcycle from a little town in North Devon across Europe and then down through Africa to Cape Town.
The Route My journey will be covering 2 continents: 1) Europe: I will be taking the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff to start the European leg of the trip, the route is not really set in stone for this part but I must make my way across from France to Turkey. I hope to complete this in 2 -3 weeks covering 200 300 miles per day depending on how it goes. I plan on camping as much as possible through this section of the trip. I then intend to take the ferry from either Mersin or Iskenderun in Turkey to Port Said in Egypt. 2) Africa: My journey through Africa will start in Egypt and I will ride through the following 10 countries: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and then finish up in Cape Town.
Through each country I ride through in Africa I will be visiting a local hospice and spending a couple of days with each meeting the people who work there, learning about how the hospice is run and meet the patients they care for. Depending on the terrain and day to day obstacles I hope to complete the African leg within 2 months. I will be using various forms of accommodation along the route such as camping, local guesthouses and staying with each hospice.
The purpose of this fundraising expedition is to raise monies and to help create awareness for North Devon Hospice and hospices across Africa. I have raised money for North Devon Hospice in the past and it is a great local charity to support. The trip came about really from a bit of a boy's dream to ride a motorbike from the UK and down through Africa. I was then talking to a friend about having fundraised for North Devon Hospice the previous year and what I could do for future fundraising events and all of a sudden thought it would be a great idea to combine the two together and help create a hospice awareness link across 2 continents. I will be funding this trip solely through my own savings so all the monies that are raised will go straight towards funding the North Devon Hospice. A Little About Me I am 33 years old and have run my own business in the Ultimate Adventure Centre for the last 5 years in Bideford, North Devon. In that we offer a total wipeout assault course, climbing wall, high ropes and zip wire cross section, coasteering, kayaking and surfing sessions.
I am used to keeping active and working in the outdoors but the plains of Africa will be very different and a huge test for my endurance and will power. It will be an honour to visit different hospices across Africa and it will hopefully shine a spotlight on their struggle to provide quality care in such a difficult environment.
If you would like to take a look at the official website or would like to make a donation towards the cause please do so through the following links, or if anyone has any tips or comments regarding the trip then I look forward to hearing from you!
www.justgiving.com/hospiceafricanadventure