Mellow Expeditions - @outofdoor_core

This week we spoke with @outofdoor_core about his solo cycle tour for charity. Travelling through England, France, Belgium, Switzerland & Italy, Luis had made some incredible distance and raised a significant amount of money for Hertfordshire Mind Network. Here’s what he had to say..

2120km, 23,000m of elevation gain, 5 countries & 2 mountain ranges later and here I am, early June, sat back at my desk in tepid, damp old England, thinking back on it all. It was the tail end of winter 2023 when I first thought up the idea of a solo cycle tour. A few destinations crept into my mind, mainly destinations in sun soaked climates, I presume due to just surviving another British winter. One place stuck out to me, Rome, the eternal city, the city they say so beautiful that to gaze upon it from Palatine Hill could end your life. I liked the idea of crossing The Alps as well, as I’d always wanted to see Europe’s mightiest mountains. Settled then, London to Rome.

Mid May 2024 was when I’d set off. Plenty of time to sort out the gear for my bike like racks & bags, of which I had none. Plenty of time to work out a loose route through central Europe and plenty of time to lie to myself about training for the upcoming adventure. Four weeks was the target to complete the ride. The Sunday morning I left it was in the mid 20s, with Toy Story clouds wisping across the sky. I meandered my way through rushed bin men and sleep deprived partygoers from the night before as I cycled to the outskirts of the first city of many. My mate Jake rode with me that first day for moral support and we smashed out 100km, which was double what I’d ever done before in a day. I think deep down I just wanted to get the UK stretch done and get onto the continent, into foreign land where the adventure would begin. The plan was to wild camp as much as I could, with campsites to supplement and the occasional hotel.

Arriving off the ferry in Calais I was nervous but excited. Touching down onto the landmass of the continent really put things into perspective. You could technically cycle all the way to Singapore without your feet getting wet, that really boggled the mind. That first day though, my feet, and everything else, got very wet. A capricious day made worse by a navigation calamity, leading me 2 hours in the wrong direction, I was too sodden and tired to realise my mistake sooner. What should have been a short hop along the coast turned into 120km of thunderstorms & headwinds. Fortunately that night was a hotel night and the thought of hard white enamel and soft white bed sheets pulled me through. Most of my travels through France and Belgium were blighted by unholy, loathsome storms. Many mornings waking up to spatterings of raindrops and devilish slugs making my flysheet their home. One pro (aside from the croissants and red wine) was that so far, the land was flat, which I should savour whilst it lasts because it’s only going to get tougher. And tougher it did, as a few days later, just past the city of Tournai, I felt the burn in my thighs as I clambered up and down the first onslaught of climbs. I reached a summit, the sun peaked its head and in front of me was the vast Grand Est region of France, Velvet Underground’s ’Sweet Jane’ was playing on my headphones. I descended.

Switzerland was next on the agenda and as I rolled across the border into Basel, I was charged by the thought of exploring a new country. I’d heard about the Swiss being stricter when it comes to wild camping, but if you set-up late, pack-down early, keep away from the paths & leave no trace, then you’re usually alright. I’ll never forget the days spent rolling through the pretty, prepossessing valleys dressed in sunshine, with the river as my only companion. As the landscape started to rise around me, so did my anxiety, as I knew the biggest challenge was afoot. The Alps. The heat in the Andermatt Valley was sticking to the tarmac, bouncing against the sweat of my brow which cascaded back down to it. It was the first of a two day non-stop accent to the top of the Gotthard Pass. At times the gradient was so intense that I had to get off and push the bike with its heavy load up the winding road towards the summit. After a gruelling many hours turning the crank of my lowest gear, constantly alternating between pilling on and removing layers, dodging the snow drift and gulping down litres of water, I’d reached the top. The long descent down, as you can imagine, was a lot more fun.

Italy was a blur of espresso induced sublimity. It is a land that stirs the soul, where life is a combination of magic and pasta. Como, Pisa, Florence and most of all Rome. Anatole Broyard said that “Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city”, a city I was happy to be ending this adventure.

This cycle was to raise money and awareness for Hertfordshire Mind Network, of which you can find a link below where donations will still be live for a little longer. Any donation small or large is much appreciated and goes to a great cause. Thank you to Cabin Air Services for your help with some of the logistics and creating awareness for this trip.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycling-london-to-rome-for-mind-charity?fbclid=IwAR3kzMU2lOctezqIq65_-NIuiPnEnkl2xv9ZALUvlInHOwleYYfvbm8b_3s