Fundraising - Attempting to cycle solo through Africa

comlag said:
Fantastic challenge! Have you posted to reddit also? Good chance you can drum up even more support there and you might even find people who can help you on your route, or with the technology side of things if you're setting up a gps tracking app online to show you're route in real time. Could try posting on r/reddevils

Good luck i'll definately be following you and donating once you get started.
Click to expand...

I'm really sorry comlag, I missed your post. I've never used reddit before so I'm not too sure how they would react to somebody with one post trying to fundraise. Would they be ok with it? The man who gave me a lot of advice and inspiration for the trip posted and I know it was very popular (nohangingaround.com) - I think a lot of members wanted him to take a GPS, which I will be taking, so maybe they will be interested.

Only 30 days to go now!! :nervous:
 
Klaas said:
I'm really sorry comlag, I missed your post. I've never used reddit before so I'm not too sure how they would react to somebody with one post trying to fundraise. Would they be ok with it? The man who gave me a lot of advice and inspiration for the trip posted and I know it was very popular (nohangingaround.com) - I think a lot of members wanted him to take a GPS, which I will be taking, so maybe they will be interested.

Only 30 days to go now!! :nervous:
Click to expand...

Post it man, much stupider stuff on Reddit goes viral all the time. The worst they can do is down vote you, which is completely harmless. Post it to r/self I'd say.
 
I did try to post on reddit but it seems I'm not allowed to until I've built up a number of posts, which is fair enough. Saying that, maybe it's for the best I don't post on there - As much as I want to raise awareness, I don't want to be updating a number of forums of my progress as that will be quite time consuming on an African internet connection. I'm happy enough posting here and on my website/social media accounts.
 
Klaas said:
Alone. Having a support car would take away the adventure and cost a fortune.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but also safer.

Klaas said:
More concerned of Giraffes & Elephants! More likely to see them...
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you don't have to 'worry' about them. When I was in the Masai Mara we walked in a middle of a huge Zebra herd. About 1000+ animals and we were there outside the jeep in the middle of them. Absolutely awesome.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Yeah, but also safer.
Click to expand...

I completely understand where you are coming from and I don't want people to think I am reckless or stupid for taking on such a trip. The fact is, I spent the majority of my teenage years worrying about things (depression & anxiety) that might happen, yet probably wouldn't. No matter what we do in life, they'll always been an element of risk.

Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Yeah, but you don't have to 'worry' about them. When I was in the Masai Mara we walked in a middle of a huge Zebra herd. About 1000+ animals and we were there outside the jeep in the middle of them. Absolutely awesome.
Click to expand...

I'll definitely be worrying if I unintentionally spook giraffes or elephants! - Do you have any photos from your trip to the Masai Mara?
 
Just a quick update. Due to the Ethiopian embassy taking longer than scheduled to issue my visa, I've had to change my flights, so I will now be departing two weeks later than scheduled (9th June). The issue was, Ethiopian visas start from the date of issue rather than entry, so I had to apply as late as possible to make sure I had enough time to travel through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia before the visa expired. Now they aren't expected to post it this week, meaning there was a high probability I wouldn't receive it in time for my flight on Tuesday.

I don't mind emailing the admin/mods my flight reservation if you need proof (particularly to the people who have donated)

Apologies for the delay.
 
Klaas said:
Hi all,

I've just been promoted from the newbies, so sorry in advance for being cheeky and posting this straight away.

I need your help. I don’t post here much any more but I lurk on a regular basis. Over the years I’ve seen numerous posts from people seeking help with mental health or just generally having a shit time in life. As you are all in the mains, you probably have an idea of the threads I am on about.

You lot have always been sympathetic and helpful, which is not something you expect from a bunch of football fans. It made me realise that many of us have suffered from mental health issues, such as depression. For most of my teenage years I suffered from depression and anxiety, but I never felt comfortable opening up about it. The beauty of the Caf is were all strangers, and we can discuss these things without being judged by friends & family. I'm now back to my normal self and enjoying life.

For a while now it’s been my dream to travel across Africa, so on the 26th May I will fly to Africa, to attempt cycling solo from Cairo to Cape Town. I will cycle around 12,000km through over ten countries, sleeping in local villages and also in the wilderness. It’s going to be one of the biggest challenges I have taken on and will be mentally and physically demanding, but it’s something I have to at least try or I will regret it in later life.

So yeah, you probably think I am on a wum, but I’m not. I will be fundraising for Warchild & Rethink Mental Illness.

This is where I need your help. If you would like to donate (it really doesn’t matter whether it’s £1, £10 or £100, it all adds up) then please click donate on my website. If you like the idea of the trip I would really appreciate it if you linked the website/facebook page to friends & family - I’m also looking into getting a GPS tracking system so people can watch my progress. I’ll be turning it off in the evenings so I don’t receive any unexpected visitors, but if I’m cycling, it’ll be on.

Thanks for reading through the post anyway. I know the majority of you don’t like long posts so I’ve tried not to write too much. If anyone is interested, I'll be more than happy to make regular updates to the thread once I am in Africa.

www.making-it-count.com
www.facebook.com/makingitcountafrica

If you have any tips/criticism of the website, just let me know.

Many thanks to Niall & Raoul allowing me to post, and also promoting me. Much appreciated.
Click to expand...
That was Cecil Rhodes' dream. Amazing idea! All the best of luck. I hope you enjoy thw adventure and, like others, will definitely look forward to your updates.
 
Thanks Edgar!

Just another quick update. Although I purchased a GPS tracker, which I was assured was perfect for what I wanted it for, I struggled to implement in onto the website so other people could see my movements. When I queried about it, I was told they would have to contact the developer at an added cost (which would not have been cheap) - I sent it back and looked at other trackers, but I'm having the same problem everywhere else with regards to just having one personal login, and being unable to put the map on my website. I realise it is extremely sort notice, and I have been trying all week, but if anybody knows a lot about GPS trackers and how to implement it through another website, please send me a PM.

As for the rest of the trip. I leave on Tuesday and will spend a few days in Cairo before I begin cycling. The Manchester Evening News will be interviewing me on Monday morning, so hopefully that raises some awareness for Rethink Mental Illness & War Child.

I know the tracker is disappointing news, but I am genuinely trying my best to sort it out.
 
Good luck sounds far too puny for what I want to say..
But still, all the best, have a great adventure, get home safe and sound.
 
jojojo said:
Good luck sounds far too puny for what I want to say..
But still, all the best, have a great adventure, get home safe and sound.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jo. As much as I want to make it Cape Town, I know when enough is enough and don't have any problems with returning home if I'm not enjoying it or find myself in a dangerous place. I haven't come here to make it to Cape Town at all costs.

I will begin cycling on Friday morning!
 
Yesterday I finally set off. At 6am I cycled my hotel in Garden City to Giza Pyramid, a journey of around 8 miles. My spirits were pretty high, it had taken a lot of effort to get this far and now I was stood overlooking Giza Pyramid.

After taking a few photos I headed South down a small road which passed Saqqara & the Pyramids of Dahsur. I decided to visit the latter and spent an hour relaxing in the shade. I had noticed a city to the east, Helwan and decided to head there to stay the night. After searching high and low for a place to stay I asked a few locals where was the nearest hotel/hostel/guesthouse - they said Giza, which is effectively Cairo. Not wanting to go back to Cairo, I asked if I could stay with them, but there non-existent english and my non-existent Arabic lead to lots of confusion. In the end I admitted defeat and headed back to Cairo - direct, the journey was only 17 miles (I had already done around 30 miles exploring), but having cycled all day my legs were beginning to tire.

Unfortuently on the way back a group of young lads tried to steal the contents of my pannier from a tuk tuk - Fortunutely there wasn't a great deal to rob, as only clothes and toiletries are at the top.

The attention I have received outside of Cairo has probably been the worst I have experienced anywhere else in the world. I know it's only going to get tougher, but yesterday was hard for many reasons.

Tomorrow I will attempt to cycle from Cairo to Beni Suef, which is then nearest confirmed place with a hotel. I do have a tent, but it's near impossible to camp in Egypt with the amount of attention/intimidation.

 
Good luck with that. Find a safe haven for tonight! Looking forward to read more updates.
 
Arruda said:
Good luck with that. Find a safe haven for tonight! Looking forward to read more updates.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

For anyone who is interested, the Manchester Evening News published an article on the trip in today's newspaper. I'm not sure if they will be publishing it online.

 
Hi all,

The past few days have been incredibly tough for a number of reasons.

On Saturday I had a few issues that gradually got on top of me before a group of young lads tried to steal the contents of my pannier. As there was nowhere else to stay, I decided to go back to Cairo and start again. I started to feel unsure if the trip was for me due to a number of problems.

Yesterday I set off, cycling over 80 miles on 37c heat. I was hoping Saturday was just a bad day and I would rekindle the passion for my trip. In truth it made things much worse and just like Saturday, things started to get on top of me.

I know many of you are probably thinking what did he expect. I knew the trip was going to be extremely hard, but I was unsure how I would deal with it. Most of my time in Africa has been spent volunteering where it's easier to 'hide' behind other volunteers for ten minutes and have a break from all the attention.

I always said I will continue until I'm not happy here anymore. The truth is I haven't been happy since Saturday, and my two major issues are only going to get worse in Sudan & Ethiopia.

I've decided that I am going to return home. I'm sorry if you are disappointed, I am too. I'm proud I gave it a go, and don't have any regrets calling it a day.

If you have donated and want your money back, feel free to PM me and I will try to sort it out when I am home.

Thanks to Raoul/Damien and the rest of the RedCafe team for there support, I appreciate everything you have done for me.
 
Sorry about your problems Klaas, still an incredible effort for you to pursue this sincerely. Good luck in the future.
 
Klaas, you're better than most people. You got off your arse and gave it a real go.

You really should be so proud of it. You still raised money for a good cause and that will make a big difference.

Hard luck on not being able to finish but well done on the fund raising and doing the bit of the cycle that you did
 
Sorry to hear that it hasn't gone as you hoped. But congrats on all you've achieved to get as far as you have.
 
Hope you're alright, Klaas.

Sounds like you've had a thoroughly unpleasant experience all in all. I do think you massively misjudged the temperature issue though before traveling out, with temperatures double what they are here in summer.

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Cairo-weather-averages/Al-Qahirah/EG.aspx
http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Khartoum-weather-averages/Al-Khartum/SD.aspx

Might have been better to go outside a peak month and if you had continued you probably would have had serious health problems. Still, I echo the sentiments of Lars, Art and jojojo. All the best.
 
Klaas said:
Thank you for the comments, even yesterday I had issues that backed up my decision to go.



I already know that.
Click to expand...

The journey is often the destination. The fact that you tried speaks volumes, as most wouldn't have even got off the planning phase.
 
Klaas said:
Hi all,

The past few days have been incredibly tough for a number of reasons.

On Saturday I had a few issues that gradually got on top of me before a group of young lads tried to steal the contents of my pannier. As there was nowhere else to stay, I decided to go back to Cairo and start again. I started to feel unsure if the trip was for me due to a number of problems.

Yesterday I set off, cycling over 80 miles on 37c heat. I was hoping Saturday was just a bad day and I would rekindle the passion for my trip. In truth it made things much worse and just like Saturday, things started to get on top of me.

I know many of you are probably thinking what did he expect. I knew the trip was going to be extremely hard, but I was unsure how I would deal with it. Most of my time in Africa has been spent volunteering where it's easier to 'hide' behind other volunteers for ten minutes and have a break from all the attention.

I always said I will continue until I'm not happy here anymore. The truth is I haven't been happy since Saturday, and my two major issues are only going to get worse in Sudan & Ethiopia.

I've decided that I am going to return home. I'm sorry if you are disappointed, I am too. I'm proud I gave it a go, and don't have any regrets calling it a day.

If you have donated and want your money back, feel free to PM me and I will try to sort it out when I am home.

Thanks to Raoul/Damien and the rest of the RedCafe team for there support, I appreciate everything you have done for me.
Click to expand...

Takes a lot of balls to try something as difficult as what you did, well done.

Anyone wanting their money back needs to have a word with themselves.
 
Klaas said:
I know many of you are probably thinking what did he expect.
Click to expand...
Probably way fewer than you believe right now. I think it's fantastic that you tried and that you've already done volunteering before. I hope a few weeks from now you won't feel disappointed anymore about how the trip went down and maybe come up with a new idea. It's amazing to follow people on journeys like yours, no matter if they reach their goal or not. And the message still got out there for a while, that's more important than anything else.
 
Damien said:
Hope you're alright, Klaas.

Sounds like you've had a thoroughly unpleasant experience all in all. I do think you massively misjudged the temperature issue though before traveling out, with temperatures double what they are here in summer.

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Cairo-weather-averages/Al-Qahirah/EG.aspx
http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Khartoum-weather-averages/Al-Khartum/SD.aspx

Might have been better to go outside a peak month and if you had continued you probably would have had serious health problems. Still, I echo the sentiments of Lars, Art and jojojo. All the best.
Click to expand...

Hi Damien - I wouldn't say I misjudged the temperatures, I always knew how extreme they were going to be (Sudan for example) but I was hoping I would be able to deal with them a little better than I did. The heat played a big problem with how I dealt with people and there constant attention/intimidation - I started to clash more with the Egyptians (which is never a good thing) and became more pissed off by the day. Every passing car/bus/tuk-tuk shouted something as they passed - it wasn't always positive either. When I stopped for a break I would have 2-3 people approach me and stare at me from feet away without saying a single word. Again, the reasons sound so trivial, but it's a constant mind feck wondering what they are saying, what do they want etc. I tried my best to ignore it, and in large parts did, but to ignore it completely was impossible.

Raoul said:
The journey is often the destination. The fact that you tried speaks volumes, as most wouldn't have even got off the planning phase.
Click to expand...

Mciahel Goodman said:
Takes a lot of balls to try something as difficult as what you did, well done.

Anyone wanting their money back needs to have a word with themselves.
Click to expand...

Balu said:
Probably way fewer than you believe right now. I think it's fantastic that you tried and that you've already done volunteering before. I hope a few weeks from now you won't feel disappointed anymore about how the trip went down and maybe come up with a new idea. It's amazing to follow people on journeys like yours, no matter if they reach their goal or not. And the message still got out there for a while, that's more important than anything else.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your kind words. For me the trip is not yet over despite returning to the UK - For now I will stay fit and enter the Great North Run to make sure those who have donated feel like there donation has been worthwhile, then I will return to Africa in the winter to finish off the trip I started.

I will post some videos/photos shortly for those who are interested. Thanks again for the support you have all given me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.