Whilst there are so many benefits to travelling by bicycle, there is one down-side as I have discovered: the inability to completely detach oneself from the trappings of modern life for any extended period of time. Sure, you can take the odd oof road train here or there, perhaps even for a couple of days – but you’re never really far from civilisation and t can be almost impossible to really get out into nature and amongst the forests, lake and mountains that often surround.

I thus made a first attempt at combining the two when I went to Scotland in 2022: I packed inside my panniers some hiking gear and a small rucksack – enough gear for a day hike or two at the very least. I would cycle into the back and beyond as far as the track would take me, lock up my bike and pitch my tent and take to the hills for a few hours. Although I enjoyed doing this, it was really quite difficult to stay focused – what with all my world possessions being ripe for plunder back at my campsite. Thus in 2022, I decided to ditch the bike entirely and instead, try a long distance hike for the first time in my life. For this, I decided on the Tour Mont du Blanc: not the most difficult hike  might say but it was a good introduction into this strange new world nonetheless.

Now, I’m hooked!