Sure Travel Journey Vol 5.1 Summer 2019 | Page 58

TOUCH DOWN // SUMMER 2019
© VAN GYSEN
Left: All told, Kayden has cycled around
the world one and a half times to date.
Pictured here on a brief stop back home
in Cape Town.
are there any important things you
have noticed?
Greed and plastic will be the death of
this planet, there’s no two ways about
it. I recall reaching Khardung La in the
Himalayas at the height of Everest base
camp and thinking on the way up this
huge mountain pass that I’d have some
kind of profound moment at the summit
– hopefully one like I’d had in the Sahara;
unfortunately not. Even the most remote
places in India, previously hard to reach,
are now littered with single-use plastic
wrappers and broken glass.
What keeps you going when the road
gets tough?
By streamlining our lives,
we create space – space
creates time, and time is
essentially our most
sought-after treasure
wedding and am now the godfather of his
three beautiful children.
How far have you travelled up to
this point?
Just shy of one and a half revolutions
around the world. The Earth at its
widest elliptical point is 44 000 km, and
I’m currently sitting on 62 000 solo,
unsupported kilometres on a bike.
Where to next for you?
I’m piecing together an expedition called
the “Mekong Meander”, following the
contours of the Mekong River from its
source in the Tibetan plateau to the
Dragon with Nine Tails (more commonly
known as the Mekong Delta) in southern
Vietnam.
What has been the biggest learning
curve or challenge?
The road and thousands of days in
solitude have probably been my biggest
58 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
teacher to date; it’s hard to choose one
lesson in particular. One that stands out
for me is minimalism in its multiple forms:
choosing not to collect too much stuff,
hoard and store objects or clutter the
mind with trivial thoughts, ideas, concepts
or projected worries that don’t serve
you. By streamlining our lives, we create
space – space creates time, and time is
essentially our most sought-after treasure.
With minimalism, we’re richer, less
distracted and more present.
Any favourite parts of the journey?
There are a few chart toppers that spring
to mind, but one night in particular I was
cycling along the Dakhla Peninsula in
Western Sahara. I was flanked by ocean
and Saharan sand dunes to the left and,
to the right, cycling straight towards the
biggest low-lying full moon I had ever
seen. Hundreds of kilometres from the
nearest human, I broke into tears of joy
– quite possibly the happiest I’ve ever
been – alone and hungry in the middle of
nowhere, but experiencing the furthest
sensation from feeling lost you could
possibly imagine.
As you document or observe
the effects of climate change on
communities you pass through,
Whiskey and a solid steel-frame Surly bike!
Do you have an end goal for your
adventure, or is this something you
anticipate continuing with until you’re
old and grey?
The project has morphed over the
years from telling stories in a written
format to moving a little more into film
and television. There are currently two
seasons of the Global Wheeling television
series airing globally on various networks,
from Outside TV in the US to Discovery
Channel in Europe, so the platform for
sharing this carbon-free pilgrimage has
grown a little. I’m constantly looking for
new and exciting routes to tackle on a
bicycle, to immerse myself in different
cultures while trying to capture the
essence of pedal-powered travel. I guide
micro-group expeditions and do some
motivational talks, too. I believe if there
are unchartered roads, people to meet
and stories to tell, Global Wheeling will
continue to be relevant.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Follow Global Wheeling’s latest
adventures on social media or, even
better, book Kayden for a micro-tour
or to speak at your next event. Visit
globalwheeling.org for more info.