FILM : RIDE FOR THE WILD

In September 2021, Josh and Sarah, otherwise known as the Veggie Vagabonds, realised that despite many adventures around the world they had visited less than half of the UK’s national parks. They set out to put that right by cycling a route that took them through every national park in the UK, a journey of around 2000 miles… a Ride for the Wild. And they only had 30 days off work in which to complete the challenge…

This meant they would have to ride their fully laden bikes for at least 60 miles a day over varied (and often very hilly) terrain. They carried with them everything they would need to be entirely self supported, including camping gear and clothes for all that the UK’s weather might throw at them. They spent the summer training, planning, and whittling down their bikepacking gear as far as they dared, before setting off in September to ride from England to Scotland, Wales and back into England.

‘Ride for the Wild’ follows their adventure, through the highs of epic landscapes and sunshine, and the lows of challenging weather, exhaustion and injury. But the goal of completing had another major driver. “We wanted to use this challenge to do some good. We were raising money for Trees for Life, an awesome rewilding charity in the Scottish Highlands, and had spent the whole summer fundraising for them. The more time we spent riding through these landscapes, the more inspired we were to protect them. Our answer was to ride hard, and hopefully get as many donations as possible.”

The couple have so far raised well over £2000 for the charity. Trees for Life‘s vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Highlands of Scotland, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive. You can still donate to this fantastic cause and support the challenge here.