4- year bicycle tour

In 2010 Charlie set out on a bicycle journey that was to last over 4 years and cover 43,000+ miles through 60 countries. This was his first long journey. He was young and naive but propelled by curiosity and wanderlust.

The route took Charlie from home to home via the furthest point in each of Europe, Asia and Africa (Nordkapp, Singapore and the Cape of Good Hope). Some of the more challenging stretches included crossing the Sahara twice (once in summer), pedalling illegally across Tibet in winter, and battling with churned mud roads in Central Africa during the monsoon.

Charlie's main takeaways from this adventure were the surprising reserves of resilience he located when pushed to the extremes, and the array people encountered along the way. He was invited into mud huts and monasteries, lonely yurts and lavish embassies, and is now lucky to have a mosaic of friends spread across continents.  He was shown countless kindnesses by complete strangers who generously provided glimpses into their varied lives. The characters Charlie befriended and the stories he heard ignited a curiosity in world history and foreign affairs that burns brighter with each passing year. 

The story of this journey is recounted in the books Through Sand & Snow and On Roads That Echo