In this episode I catch up with Graham Coult and Charles Henderson who recently completed a bikepacking trip on the escape route taken by Graham's grandfather from a WWII POW camp - Stalag 18a.
The idea for this route came to Graham when he discovered the original map his Grandfather used to escape from the prison camp in Austria. The thin blue line traced on the map formed the basis of the 2000km route, and Graham and Charles set out to see what this experience would entail. It should be pointed out that Charles is not a cyclist - he only got the bicycle he would use for the trip just a few days before setting off!
It was the first time either of them had taken on a multi-day bikepacking adventure and as they discovered during the trip, this route would test them in ways they hadn't considered. Busy roads and cold, wet weather meant they had to grit through some grim conditions on this reflective journey. It became apparent that teamwork camaraderie were the elements which would get them to the finish in Thessaloniki.
I really enjoyed chatting with both Graham and Charles who also used this trip as a fundraiser. You can learn more and donate to their charities here.
Read about the route in more detail on their dedicated website - Ride for Mental Health and also follow them on social media - Instagram.
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