Challenge successfully completed!

The Challenge:

Cycled from my home in Asturias, Spain to Porto, Portugal -  7200m elevation gain. I wild-camped most of the days and did everything as low-carbon as I could. My bicycle and most gear were second-hand, and I ate a predominantly plant-based diet on the journey. 

This was a real challenge for me physically and mentally. First of all, the elevation was not easy, given that I did not training prior to the trip and did it with the cheap (slightly broken) bike. Second, although I'm a generally active person, cycling brings up some fears. As some of you will know, this time last year, as I was preparing for a long-distance cycle trip in the UK, I had an accident on the bike and broke my clavicle. It was a complicated injury and took more than twice the normal length of time to heal. But luckily, I didn't need surgery, and even more lucky - I am now almost fully healed (some minor shoulder weakness remain) and this adventure just marked my healing journey.. Third, wild camping isn't easy...as a woman, travelling alone in this way and for so many days is not easy, but wild camping too made it all so much harder. Bearing in mind that it's not legal to wild camp in Spain or Portugal. However, wild camping is a beautiful way to connect not only with nature, but also with oneself - allowing us to understand what truly matters. I explored this and other topics on my Instagram account. 

I cycled over 10 days (approximately 60km a day) but in between I gave myself two days for a little hiking and lake adventure, to take a pause and really experience my surroundings. The journey started on the 10th and I got to Porto on the 22nd.

Why Carbon Literacy:

I became Carbon Literate myself back in 2017, before we even reached 6000 learners (we've now reached over 40k learners!). For the last 2 years I have been involved with the Carbon Literacy Project either as a volunteer or in a freelancer capacity. The work of CLP is very close to my heart. I care about the planet and its people. And education is a key way to inspire action against climate change. My trip will be an example of how we can 1. Seek happiness with little money. 2. Choose active travel and the co-benefits that come with it. 3. Adventure green, less flights. 

About the fundraiser: 

It's an exciting year at The Carbon Literacy Project, as 2022 sees in our 10 year anniversary!Since 2012, a massive 25,000 citizens have gained their Carbon Literacy certificates, and we're continuing to grow at an unprecedented rate. That being said, we know that the science demands so much of us in the race against climate change, and we can only work with, and expand into new sectors at the rate at which we are funded, and despite having aspirations to support and execute much greater roll-out of Carbon Literacy, we just need the financial backing to do so...So, what better way to commemorate our 10th year than by raising £250,00, which equates to just £10 per certified learner (25,000) - the same cost as a certificate. This fund is not to keep us going, nor is it for the same old its a launch-pad to far greater action on climate change. Can you help us achieve our goal?