ONE - Arctic to Argentina A2A

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The Mission: One – Arctic 2 Argentina Expedition. I am preparing for a 32,000km charity-focused, non-profit, human-powered expedition from north of the Arctic Circle to the southern end of Patagonia, Argentina beginning in the spring of 2012.

I am riding 32,000km to supporting the Crohn’s and Colitis communities through the non-profit foundation IDEAS -Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society.

IDEAS founder and CCFC activist Robert Hill, a “Triathlete, adventure racer, climber, mountaineer, ostomate and Crohn’s sufferer” founded IDEAS – Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society and his non-profit foundation will be instrumental in coordinating my mission with the people/activists across Canada.

IBD Adventures, led by Robert Hill, and his team of dedicated volunteer IBD-activists are currently campaigning through expedition to summit Kilimanjaro in September 2009, their work supports fund-raising efforts and an effort to raise awareness about Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) in an effort for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada to continue community outreach and research to discover the cure for this incurable, painful and debilitating gastrointestinal diseases that affects more than 200,000 Canadians, 1,400,000 Americans, and millions more IBD-patients around the world, all living to their fullest without a cure.

My partnership with IDEAS will be instrumental for fund-raising activities coordinated amongst 80 local chapters of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada. My non-profit charity mission will only be a success when I join activists across North America.

The self-supported, ultra-marathon, cycling expedition continues through Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then sailing to Colombia and continuing to ride through South America, with a route through Colombia, Equador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and finally Argentina on the long final stretch to Patagonia and Urshuaia as the final destination.

I like traveling alone, self-supported, with camping equipment and will implement adventure living as a means daily survival. It will be the toughest challenge of my life, the happiest donation in support of a worthy charity that will assist millions of people affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) who need the community support and chance to find a cure. It’s out there, I will be on an expedition to find it.

Brian Perich, Adventure Cyclist, Father, Teacher  (Updated, May 2011).

IDEAS – Intestinal Disease Education & Awareness Society, Canada.

ETE – Education Through Expeditions, U.K.

I will be teaming up with several foundations to promote ecologically-sound travel; educational outreach through the U.K. non-profit, Education Through Expeditions (ETE), and several charities supporting the communities of people suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. My ONE – Arctic2Argentina Expedition will be featured on Education Through Expeditions (ETE) founded by Polar Explorer – AntonyJinman.com My support for the school outreach program in the UK and participating countries will help bring the expedition into the classrooms, as well as, reach a broader audience in foreign educational markets.

I am currently promoting an informal Facebook group Cycling in Korea, which is a community resource for Ex-pat and Korean cyclists networking along roads in South Korea. As an administrator for the Facebook group, I promote popular routes and affordable means of acquiring bicycles and have been joined by others on tours across the country since 2007. South Korea is currently my training base for the A2A 2012, the geographical terrain is suited for global training, it’s intense in both the urban and mountainous rural areas to explore here. Certainly, a great place to train for global expeditions or just for the love of cycling alone, I recommend it to everyone.

The Route:  The expedition will begin in early spring 2012 from Anchorage, Alaska, USA towards the Arctic Circle [65 degrees north latitude] in the Northwest Territories of Canada before turning south to the Yukon and British Columbia landing in Vancouver/Victoria to commence the Cross-Canada portion of the expedition. Cycling across Canada, 8000km, coast-to-coast arriving in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Further, crossing the Canadian/American border to New York. From the U.S. Eastern seaboard south, then southwest across to Brownsville, Texas at Matamotoros, Mexico where I will leave the continental United States.

The Pan-American Highway crosses the following countries: Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

Then sailing will be the method of travel reaching South America. From Colombia continuing to ride through Equador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and finally Argentina on the long final stretch to Patagonia and Urshuaia as the final destination [near the 55 degrees south latitude].

Method/team: I will likely be traveling alone or at times with family (this is planned for the Canada coast-to-coast ride, two children, 2.5 bicycles and Trek’s Go-Bug Trailer and Tag-a-long bicycle, 8000km. There is still room for friends and enthusiasts to join too. The journey itself is self-supported, with camping equipment and adventure outdoor living used as a daily means of survival on the expedition. There will be extensive periods of travel where I will be alone in the wild camp, mountains, deserts, and formidable cold climates in the arctic, as well as, within the highly elevated, challenging terrain of the Andes Mountains throughout the Cordillera Occidental in Peru, Equator, Peru, Bolivia, Chila and Argentina of South America.

It will be the toughest challenge of my life, the happiest donation in support of a worthy charities such as those affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) who need the community support and chance to find a cure. It’s out there, I will be on an expedition to find it.

More about the expedition: http://arctic2argentina.com

More on training: http://korean-world.blogspot.com and http://arctic2argentina.blogspot.com

Brian Perich, Adventure Cyclist, Activist.

The 3 international charity, non-profit foundations currently earmarked as partners with A2A 2012 Expedition are as follows:

IDEAS – Intestinal Disease Education & Awareness Society -supporting IBD research & community development. Mr. Hill recently completed the Seven Summits Campaign for IBD, as an ostomate Founded by Explorer/Mountaineer – Robert Hill

Education Through Expeditions (ETE-UK), Supporting Educational Outreach Programs Through Expeditions, founded by Polar Explorer – Antony Jinman

Thank you for taking an interest in the One – Arctic 2 Argentina Expedition.

Sincerely,

Brian Perich, Adventure Cyclist.

Related articles

• What is ulcerative colitis? (guardian.co.uk)
• First Annual Observance of World IBD Day Draws Awareness to Growing Global Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (prweb.com)