© 180 Degrees
Dear Friends and Supporters of 180Degrees
On Thursday 31st January we completed 11,000 miles on the bicycles from New York and finally arrived in Punta Arenas at the bottom of South America. We spent a couple of weeks cycling through Argentinian Patagonia and it starkly contrasted the pre-conceptions we held about it. Expecting green and very wet, highland scenery it came as a surprise to find ourselves in a very familiar environment... Desert! Perhaps it is because we have journeyed through the area at the height of the Southern Summer, but unlike the harsh cold Patagonia is famous for, we´ve experienced Mediterranean warmth until only a day or two before we arrived. In fact, since we left Panama at the start of November we have had no more than 3 hours of rain.
We had to dig deep for the final 500 miles, mentally it became tougher the closer we got, but we were also increasingly affected by the strong changeable winds which all too often came from the front. The road was poor in patches, and during one section it was so bad we were forced to walk our bikes for a few kilometers. In the final two days along the Magellan Straits, famous as a route for shipping to avoid Cape Horn, the wind became so strong it was practically impossible to cycle in it, short of seeking shelter alongside the support vehicle. The wind speeds were recorded at reaching over 65 miles per hour. It was a huge relief to reach the Plaza here in Punta Arenas, and it could have been quite an emotional moment had we not been swamped by a pack of homeless dogs!
We have had a busy few days since, constructing a piece for ESPN and conducting a big fund raising campaign. We are now fully prepared to set sail across the worlds roughest Ocean, battling extreme cold to reach the Magnetic South Pole. The Skipper of Blizzard has decided on a route passing through the Kergeulen Islands, where we will stop to get more water on board, before dipping down to 64.5 degrees South. Communication from Blizzard will be much more limited, and we will have to rely on basic satellite technology to keep in touch while we are at sea.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us to reach this position where we are now ready to set off on the final leg of our natural powered journey.
With best wishes and so many thanks.
James and Rob
