17th November 2005

This is where it the story begins! I have just made the final decision to go ahead with this trip so now the work really starts. There's a lot to organise before I can even consider cycling half way around the world even with the best intentions. I have already been in touch with a few people who are either on or have recently been on similar expeditions to try and get some ideas and feedback.

My first job was to decide at least roughly what route I would take. Simply from looking at the small atlas in the back of my diary it seems to me that the most direct route would be to cycle across Europe ending up in the Ukraine then to cross the edge of Russia into Kazakhstan before entering China for the last stretch. This has the advantage of missing the particularly volatile areas of the Middle East and also minimising the number of countries through which I will be travelling and so reducing visa hassle. This of course may well change but it is at least a start!

The other pressing issues are visas and sponsorship. For the most part Europe is not a problem for visas as I have a British passport however other countries are different. The most difficult will probably be the Russian and Kazakhstan visas as they usually require invitation letters. I’m investigating whether it will be possible to organise these myself but if not then there are a number of companies on the web who can organise them for a fee. I’m hoping to cover the distance in 3 months which will be quite quick to cover about 8000 miles but should be possible. Most business visas can be for 3 months so if I can keep it within that time it will certainly help with the organisation.

I am now also beginning to seek sponsorship. I am doing this in a number of ways, firstly I will be looking for financial sponsorship for friends and family (and anyone else who would like to give), and this money will go directly to Crossroads to help with their work. Secondly I will be approaching companies to see if anyone would be able to sponsor me in kind with equipment or services which I will need for trip.