Select a trip: years

We missed out on the rush to go inter railing during our student days and decided to give it a try. We started with a map of Europe and decided that everywhere was top priority and started to plan our 4 year trip accordingly. When the harsh realities of modern working life hit home we started to cut this back to a more manageable 3 weeks. Like all good inter railing students we tried to make good use of the overnight trains on offer, unlike all students we booked a bed on each one of them and actually found it a reasonable way to travel. Some time zone changes meant we arrived a little earlier in some countries than we thought we were but overall it was a pleasant way to travel and also had the bonus that I wrote my diary as we went along.

The Himalaya's proved great biking territory when we treked across Tibet and certainly worth a second trip. This time we were on the Indian side of the border doing the classic trip from Shimla to Leh. The last day of work before the holiday and there was a noticeable lack of radio chatter - perhaps our best prepared trip ever? Time will tell. We met up at the airport coming from a variety of directions but as ever the Wyatt van made an appearance loaded with kit. With our calorie starved previous trips in mind I turned up with several boxes of power bars to hand out. At this point they were free which prompted some debate on how the market price of a power bar might rise as the trip, and hardships, progressed. Even Steve 'not a care in the world' Wyatt seemed to have learnt from his experiences and popped an extra one in his bag 'just in case'. After all the trips we have done it was familiar sensation wheeling straining trolleys into the departure lounge checking out each other's packing strategies - making sure bikes get to the other end of a long haul flight in a fit state to ride requires some careful choices.

South America always looked like an inviting place to go, if only it were a bit closer. Double checking the flight times showed that this slim hope was dashed. So we have waited a long time to have a sensible chunk of time off to make the journey worth it. In the end it was quick an epic trip with so many highlights it is hard to put my finger on the best bits. Writing this up took a short and snappy year but hopefully it's worth it - enjoy.

A summer of planning bike trips resulted in the realisation that no one had the time for anything we had suggested so far. From this rather gloomy state of mind came a casual suggestion from Duncan that we should look at the classic Lands end to John O'Groats trip. As Duncan put it 'we've all thought about it in the past' and it seems Hugh had given it rather more thought than most when he sent round a proposed route he had already sketched out which led us all to jump on the band wagon like it was the only ride in town.

There's a lot to weddings, at least there's more to them than I thought. It starts with a bright idea that you'd like to spend the rest of your life with someone. This leads to popping the question which in turn brings up lots of questions of when, where, with who etc etc. Even once all these questions have been answered there remains the actual mechanics of organising everything, from guest lists, booking locations, invites. And so it goes on. Make no mistake it is worth every minute, but here we'd like to record our thoughts of the day itself as well as the run up to the big event - so hopefully we will remember the good bits in the years ahead. Please enjoy our memories responsibly and feel free to point out any other entertaining points we've missed.

We'll never be accused of over preparation but this was the closest exception we have ever had. With three weeks to go flights had been booked, a route tentatively planned out and group kit assigned. The origins of the trip can be traced back to Andy's enforced two week break from work at the start of August due to his industry in effect shutting down for the fortnight. With memories of biking in Tibet fading some new adventures were proposed. The front runner appeared to be Alaska but some research showed that firstly it is a big place, secondly it is a long way away and finally that no one had more than two weeks of holiday to spare. A killer combination to that plan. Andy suggested Iceland as the perfect compromise. Smaller than Alaska, but with equal interest. Closer than Alaska, only a few hours of flight and a single hours time difference with routes possible in two weeks. So in summary Andy set the dates of our trip, the location of our trip and even had a hand in planning the routes to take. It will come as something of a surprise to the reader that at the last moment Andy announced he had booked his flights: to, you guessed it, Norway....

Borneo for Christmas? With this seemingly innocent question a holiday was born and with it a very different Christmas atmosphere than your classically traditional affair. Much heavier on the jungle, leeches, lack of oxygen, table tennis, pigs jaws, rain and much lighter on the presents under the tree (although there was no shortage of trees), last minute present shopping, traditional Christmas lunch than most years I've survived so far. Being away for Christmas does have the draw back that just prior to leaving, commonly a time to panic about all manner of things connected with traveling, becomes a time to rush around the country taking in as many Christmas activities as possible. Parents and sister missions completed it only remained, with some particularly last minute planning, on the last night before we flew to deliver a sofa bed to Eleanor's father and we were set for the off....

I'm writing this trip up in 2011 having found my diary notes tucked away on a shelf so the normal laser like accuracy might be adrift. Mind you the upside is that it may also introduce some much needed brevity into my thoughts although I reserve the right to fall back on sheer exaggeration to spice things up. The Haute route connects Chamonix to Zermatt over the Alps. During the winter this is a classic ski touring route but during the summer one must rely on more muscle power to get through. There's several sections of glaciers to walk on and snow slopes aplenty but in theory little in the way of graded climbs. This does of course rely on you sticking to the route but more about that later....

New year party 2006, after a wet day out on the hill, the traditional Hugh quiz, the inevitable skin full of beer rumours went around the crowd that Steve had come armed with, if not a dream then at least a guide book. After being passed around like a dirty magazine to selected members of the crowd it left a gleam in some eyes, probably tears in others. Thus this trip was born. Akin to a good recipe the guide book, supplied by Steve 'Chipper' Wyatt himself, was baked in the alcohol of a New year party, left to rest for a few months and finally ready to take out of the idea stage and into reality towards the end of the year..

It's always interesting, the first few moments of a hangover. Like a thief in the night consciousness creeps back into the body, desperate not to make a disturbance in case pain wakes up. So begins the slow process of quietly levering open the eyes for a brief glimpse of the hopefully familiar surroundings. Undoubtedly there is a hangover waiting to pounce, all the warning signs are there; eyes glued shut, check. Part of the Sahara camped in the mouth - check. The moisture once contained in mouth dribbled over the pillow - check. A distinct feeling that your head is several sizes too small - check. No memory of how you got here, or where here is - double check. Time for the time honoured game of 'who am I?', or for the Buddhists out there, 'which life is this'? A part of me argues that asking the thief to rummage through the memory cupboards is asking for the splintering crash of a particularly delicate memory being dropped onto a hard floor, but surely the risk is worth the prize, it might turn out that pain waking up is the least of our troubles....

Even Andy admits that his choice of best man might be considered a little risky, a reputation I am keen to uphold. The first duty of the best man is to organise the stag weekend of course. I had heard rumors from the hen night that the lesser halves had been muttering that we were in for a wash out of a weekend due to a lack of plans. Lack of plans?? I had plenty of plans....

So for the second year running the Swiss Alps were to be subjected to our attentions, and it must be said that after last year the mountain rescue must have seen us coming and started limbering up there and then. As ever the plans for getting there were up to the usual level of complication, although this time without the almost inevitable hitches. Well almost....

The trip started as a drunken conversation about how nice it would be to get away more and eventually turned into a concrete trip some 9 months or so later. Given how long that felt I truely feel for anyone pregnant. Budapest was picked by vote from a list of options and after a bit of faffing around hotel and flights were booked and it was all go...

Steve, Darren and Helen opted to drive out to the Alps, having 2 weeks to spend out there, while myself, Chipper and Andy arrived a week behind the pace but determined to catch up. Also present when we arrived were Nicky and Sunny, Steve's house mates, but they soon ran from what they could clearly see were men on a mission. Just in case anyone thinks that its just the late lads who made a bit of a stress of the journey it worth recounting the mishaps that bedeveiled the early birds.

Writing this it occurs that you may not know what a working holiday actually is. Basically the National Trust have lots of things to get done but not always the basic manpower to get it all done in time for tea and so has come up with a frankly inspirational idea...

Finally, after many years, my time has come. At last I have completed my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition, now for the second time but at least this time I have a signature in my book. For the setting of our final expedition we chose the Isle of Mull, let me now introduce a few of the cast...