One Girl, One Horse, One Dream – this is Expedition Equus.Becky Sampson and Bertie’s Quest the piebald pony, are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime – riding from London to Tokyo, raising money for SOS Children. The expedition will span two continents, 15 countries and cover more than 15,000 km. The journey will take approximately four years.
Expedition Equus takes in Western and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, China and Japan, via the ancient trading routes of the Silk Road. Amongst the many challenges we shall have to face are the Tien Shan Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert (which translates as ‘he who goes in does not come out’). Experiencing temperatures as high as +50 and as low as -20, it is going to be both a mental and physical test.
Becky, 24 was born and bred in London. From the age of 10, she knew she wanted to travel by horse. An article she read about a man who was halfway through a ride around the world further fuelled dreams, and I knew at that moment that that was what I wanted to do. I still have the article of the man who rode round the world; in fact, I have since spoken to him for advice. I hope that by the end of this adventure, I can be an inspiration to others who want to journey by horse.
My first taste of adventure came when I was 17, after begging my father for years to allow me to travel. My persuasive powers paid off; I swapped school books for suncream and travelled solo throughout Europe.
You can read more about her adventures by visiting her website: www.expeditionequus.com
The following exerts from her blog give you a flavour of this amazing woman and her trusty steed Bertie.
The skills I have acquired in preparation for this trip will help me on this journey; I have the basics in several languages, been on survival courses and have had to put the skills I’ve learned in to practice; completed first aid training, been on a navigaton course and taught conversational English (and have since gained a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification). I am really looking forward to visiting the SOS Children’s Villages en route during the ride, which I hope will enrich the lives of the children I meet as much as it will mine.
I originate from London and have a passion for travel. I have decided to start the journey in Europe not only because there are so many different cultures to explore, but also to sort out any teething problems close to home. I will then enter the Causcaus and Central Asia to follow the Silk Road. This ancient network of trading routes has always been a strong lure for me and I want to follow in the footsteps of the traders who once bought their wares along its length, using the same modes of transport they would have had. In the Taklamakan desert I will exchange horses for camels, as they are better suited to the harsh climate. It is commonly believed that the Silk Road ends in Xi’an, China, however the Far Eastern endpoint of the Silk Road is the ancient capital of Nara, Japan. Nara was the first permanent Japanese capital from 710 to 784. From Nara, I will continue our ride to Tokyo, the ultimate destination.
It will take approximately 4 years as we will be averaging about 20 miles a day, and each week have a couple of rest days. We’ll also be stopping off for a few months where necessary to winter out and for me to do some teaching.
I am doing this ride independently for several reasons. Firstly, I want to get under the skin of the communities I come across as oppose to passing through. I want the freedom to be able to wake up every morning and chose which direction to take, rather than have a set itinerary. As I am passionate about the environment and climate change, I want to reduce my carbon footprint – on an organised tour, you would have to fly to and from the destination and most likely be using a coach for some or all of the trip. By using horses and camels from start to finish, wI are eliminating the CO2 that would be created had I opted for an organised tour. I am also going to get involved with local communities which is something a tour cannot offer. I thrive in the challenge that planning and organising the trip myself provides.
I chose April 1st as our leaving date so that just in case everything went wrong, we could say the expedition was one big April Fool! Fortunately, so far, all has been going well. We have had a few minor hiccups, but thats what’s great about starting from home – all the little things can be sorted before we cross the Channel!
I had bought myself a book and magazine, as well as a journal to write in each day – however the evenings seem to disappear so quickly! Once a place to stay has been found, Bertie has to be untacked, checked over, fed and watered, the tent has to be put up, bags emptied and stored, food to be cooked, and the next day’s route to be looked over – there’s no time to do anything else!
The only problem we have encountered is map reading. I refuse to admit it is my navigation skills at fault, as I asked several local people where our path was and not one of them could tell me. I then asked some very serious hikers with all the latest gear, who, even with the use of GPS and some marvellous video map, could not pin point our location. My host for this evening has advised me that these routes are very poorly signed, so tomorrow I think we shall just be heading East and see where it leads…after all, we have no time limit!
During my stay there, I discovered to my horror I have put on 5lbs since being in France. I am fed so well! On my first day in France I was advised to eat as much as I could, when offered, as I didn’t know where my next meal would be coming from – true words – however, I have been exceptionally lucky and had amazing meals most nights we have stopped, hence the weight gain. Whoops…
The caravan will take us through Europe and once we reach Turkey I intend to saddle up and ride again. The problem with riding at the moment is that we consistantly find ourselves on roads, as the signage for Grand Randonnee’s (bridlepaths) is appauling and nigh on impossible to follow. I have mapped out a quiet and picturesque route through the rest of Europe for us which will keep us off road but on vehicle-friendly tracks. The cart will also enable us to pick up the pace a bit, so we might actually get out of France before the end of the year!!
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- Daily Bike News Roundup covering ultra, touring and endurance cycling
- Eccentric British expedition crosses Sahara by sky car
- Inspirational British Female Cyclist on Round the World Bike ride Aged 59
- An intelligent travellers adventure as he cycles around the world
It’s so easy when traveling to rush to the next destination, hardly seeing the people or places between each “hot – must see destination”. Becky’s trip is the direct opposite. Her first couple of months of diary entries are packed full of chance meetings with local people, the help they give her and the enthusiasm she is greeted with really lifts the spirit. This really is the way to travel.