Alaska to Ushuaia then Africa!! BRUM BRUM!

[Pheebs]

Hehehe! I think in one of the videos I filmed off roading I manage to get air and you can hear a muffled "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" in the background Sam flew LOTS that day!

Kitten - fankoo! Toying with new camera so not quite used to it's settings but getting used to it slowly!

[Pheebs]

Meet Fluffy, the most STUPENDOUS awesome mega of boots in the whole entire universe.

WARNING: Do NOT look at picture below should you be epileptic.



Oh and meet my cookie monster pants (well their my mans but I nicked them as I love them too). God Damn It. I am one mega fashion guru!

We've just had new akrapovic exhausts fitted which sound like BOOOM! Feel free to follow our trip here: Chasing Horizons Bookface or read here: http://www.chasinghorizons.co.uk

Today's getting a bit too much for me. I'm overloading on joy it's like Christmas. Exhausts, Fluffy, Scala Headset, new sprockets, screen and new episode of The Walking Dead on Steam to download... I may just explode.

[Pheebs]

Some more updates for you!

Lady love bits causing delays!

Sam and I have had a bit of a set back but nothing we cannot get past! From a recent smear test... (why do they call it this?! They should make it sound more fluffy! Foof test. That'd be better!)... I had some results back flagging up some cellular changes. Due to the level of change it is looking like I will have to have a minor op which despite being a day in-and-out experience will mean we cannot travel for 4-6 weeks after (it invalidates our travel health insurance)! This then easily drifts past our leaving date of the 20th August 2012!

Despite this being a bit of a pain in the nether regions (excuse the pun), we're glad it's something that has been spotted now and can be easily resolved! It just means a little bit of fudging with routes and leaving dates!

For all ladies out there may I big up foof checks once in a while in case things like this do crop up! Please please make sure you or your partners make these appointments... as manky as they are it's always an excuse for a glass/bottle of wine and some pampering afterwards and saves on any problems at a later date!

New Route:
Right. So due to the above our route is needing a little bit of a rework. If we were to leave in September / October time to Canada and then Alaska we’re looking at minus 20’s if not colder (it’s already snowing apparently in Alaska! Haha!). Naturally this means it will be at the most barely passable on bikes!

With a good excuse for a bottle of wine and some good om nom food Sam and I sat down with our world map and various annual climate charts and had a ponder. We’re now thinking if it is… worse case scenario… November / December time East and West is out… but Australia and Asia isn’t! Our current musings (only rough estimations on worse case scenarios!):

November / December : Australia
December / January / February / March: Australia and Asia island hopping (perhaps Japan)
April / May: New Zealand
June / July / Mid August: Alaska / Canada – Toronto / Back via top end of America
August / September / October: West Coast America / Central America
November / December / January: West Coast South America to tip then to Buenos Aires
February / March: South Africa
April / May / June: East Coast of Africa
July / August: Middle East and Europe
September: Europe - Home

If anyone has any ideas or thinks of a different route (which includes South America and Africa as it’s where our charities have projects) for a start date of November / December then let us know your thoughts! 

Bike News:

Things are going stupendously with the bikes! With a big thanks to Fowlers Sams KTM has been replaced with a new one which means no more throttle body popping off! We are upgrading the bikes in the next few weeks which is super exciting we're just awaiting some quotes and time scales!

Riding wise, we are certainly getting much practice in! As above we had a day with Wheeldon Off Road school who not only helped tweak Sams riding but managed to get me going sideways and catching air! The basics are slowly sinking in and even though lately a few Green Laning expeditions have meant I have felt the need to hug the Earth a fair few times after sliding through mud, grass and ruts, we are loving every moment of it!



Events and Fun:

As it's now looking like we'll be kicking around for a few extra months it means we can attend more events and do promotional work all round! Let us know if there's anything we can join in and help out with!

[LeperousDust]

I won't lie, I haven't read a single thing you've said in this post, BUT I did watch the video . It looks super amazing fun!

[lostkat]

Haha, brilliant video!! Perfect music too.

Sounds like you are definitely doing the right thing by delaying your plans and changing your route. Hope everything goes well with the foof op Clare xxx

[volospian]

Originally Posted by Pheebs

November / December : Australia
December / January / February / March: Australia and Asia island hopping (perhaps Japan)
April / May: New Zealand
June / July / Mid August: Alaska / Canada – Toronto / Back via top end of America
August / September / October: West Coast America / Central America
November / December / January: West Coast South America to tip then to Buenos Aires
February / March: South Africa
April / May / June: East Coast of Africa
July / August: Middle East and Europe
September: Europe - Home

If anyone has any ideas or thinks of a different route (which includes South America and Africa as it’s where our charities have projects) for a start date of November / December then let us know your thoughts! 

Won't Japan be bad as well in early spring? It's fairly high in the northern hemisphere. Also, why go to australia, head up to japan, then go back down to New Zealand and back up to alaska and canada? Wouldn't it be better to start in NZ, then go to Australia, island hop onto the asian mainland, head up the east coast of asia, across into Japan and then cross into Alaska from there?

[Pheebs]

Originally Posted by LeperousDust

I won't lie, I haven't read a single thing you've said in this post, BUT I did watch the video . It looks super amazing fun!

For this I heart you More vids to come!

Originally Posted by lostkat

Haha, brilliant video!! Perfect music too.

Sounds like you are definitely doing the right thing by delaying your plans and changing your route. Hope everything goes well with the foof op Clare xxx

Fankoo! All will be mega!

Originally Posted by volospian

Won't Japan be bad as well in early spring? It's fairly high in the northern hemisphere. Also, why go to australia, head up to japan, then go back down to New Zealand and back up to alaska and canada? Wouldn't it be better to start in NZ, then go to Australia, island hop onto the asian mainland, head up the east coast of asia, across into Japan and then cross into Alaska from there?

Ignore me, I didn't have my map in front of me and my idea of the world is a bit upside down! We would do it the way you have said Sam laughed at me when I read the route out! Haha!

/Muppet

[vix]

Great vid, that corner looked really hard. But you do fall rather gracefully, that's important.

Hope all goes ok with the op, at least it gives you more time to play with the bikes and stuff.

[Pheebs]

Wee update from us here in... kinda sunny UK!

Medical:

Good news AHOY! After a few more meetings with the Docs we finally had a letter come through confirming that I have the all clear and do not require an op! Despite the fact it was only a minor op I was still not looking forward to the potential of it so am SUPER happy at this news!! I’m still sad we had to delay things because of all the above shenanigans but it’s best to be safe than sorry. Big thank you to my lovely hubby to be for being super supportive

Bad news though... we need to have pretty much every jab going for where we’re heading!! BOO HISS! Lists to be posted on the webby soon

Route:

After talking through various routes and looking closely at time scales, our route has changed for the last time! We’ve decided to chase the weather... always a plan batman!

So leaving around 20th - 24th November (date to be confirmed in next 2 weeks!) here goes:



EUROPE (November 2012)

UK – FRANCE – SWITZERLAND - ITALY


NORTH AFRICA (December 2013)

TUNISIA – LIBIYA – EGYPT


EAST AFRICA (January - March 2013)

SUDAN – ETHIOPIA – KENYA - TANZANIA – MALAWI


SOUTHERN AFRICA (March - May 2013)

ZAMBIA – BOTSWANA – NAMIBIA – SOUTH AFRICA (CAPE L’AGULHAS)


NORTH AMERICA (May - September 2013)

CANADA (TRANSLABRADOR HIGHWAY) – ALASKA (PRUDOE BAY) – U.S.A – MEXICO


CENTRAL AMERICA (September - October 2013)

BELIZE – GUATEMALA – HONDURAS – NICARAGUA – COSTA RICA - PANAMA (DARIEN GAP)


SOUTH AMERICA (October 2013 - January 2014)

COLUMBIA – EQUADOR – PERU – BOLIVIA – CHILE – ARGENTINA (USHUAIA)

Depending on monies and times, we are then considering routing back through Australia, Asia, Middle East, Europe and Home!

Training and Riding:
I recently had the absolute pleasure to do some more off road training with Black Desert in Wales (Tamsin and Craig). There’s a video coming soon of this and a write up... (lots of falling off, skidding, laughing and general fun!) I will post back when it’s up!


Tamsin Demonstrating AWESOME riding skills!

Kitting out the bikes:
Having spent months researching kits and tanks and upgrades for the bikes we finally found a kit that ticked all those boxes and made Sam go weak in the knees! In 2 weeks time we’re heading out to Switzerland to have both our kits decked out by KTM Basel with the below:



BEAUTIES! Watch out on our website / facebook and here for updates on how it goes

Sorting out Visas and Documents:
Good grief, nothings simple when it comes to the world of paperwork! It’s almost been a full time job juggling it all with forms coming out of my ears for Carnets, Vaccinations, Visas, Duplicate Passports, House Sale etc!
So far, so good! For details on what Visas you need for North and East Africa, prices and how to obtain them then take a look at our recent post here.

The only trouble we’re having is acquiring one for Libya... after calling through to their embassy I managed to be directed to a mobile number for details on how to obtain a Visa but unfortunately it’s always an answer phone message. I have a couple of friends looking things up for me so when I know more I will post!

Carnet wise it’s all a bit of a battle. Originally we were going to go through the insurance route as we were renting out our house and didn’t have a large enough deposit to put down to cover Egypts 800% carnet rates!! Now that we’re selling the house we can save a few bob by obtaining a carnet on a bank guarantee... but my good grief what a pain in the backside is it to get one! The RAC Carnet people are superb... but the banks are a nightmare! Trying to explain Carnets over the phone and also bank guarantees (which I have done before and been put through to the right department) I have had so many varied responses but mostly “We don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve asked my supervisor and they don’t know, the screen isn’t showing anything so I guess we don’t do that service”!!



ArrGgh! I’ve managed to finally have some success though by going straight to my bank manager although I am still awaiting details on monthly costs! Currently with HSBC and normally they’re fantastic but right now... they’re being ditsy as can be!

[LeperousDust]

I can appreciate the vast amount of paperwork involved in house/visa/passport/everything jesus, I weep a little thinking about making sure that's all lined up =/ Good luck