Expedition 360
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Expedition 360 is an ongoing attempt by Briton Jason Lewis to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe using only human power. It was begun by Lewis and Stevie Smith in 1994 and will cover at least 40,000 kilometres when it finishes.
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[edit] Underlying definition
A basic definition of a world circumnavigation would be a route which covers at least a great circle, and in particular one which passes through at least one pair of points antipodal to each other. In practice, different definitions of world circumnavigation are used, in order to accommodate practical constraints depending on the method of circumnavigation.
[edit] History
A human powered circumnavigation of the Northern hemisphere has been accomplished by the Canadian explorer Colin Angus but Expedition 360 is currently on track to become the first global circumnavigation, according to the generally-accepted definition. This unique concept first came as a wild idea to Stevie Smith as he worked in his office in Paris. He soon set about making the idea a reality and got the help of his friend Jason Lewis who agreed to come with him. The pair set about spreading the idea, and began to raise money for a pedal boat. The specially-built boat was named Moksha, Sanskrit for freedom. To raise cash Stevie cycled to Marrakesh, Morocco. The pair had no formal training in either cycling or riding pedal boats.
[edit] The Expedition
[edit] European leg
Smith and Lewis set off on bicycles from Greenwich, London at midday on 12 July 1994. They cycled south-east across Britain to the coast at Rye, then pedalled across the English Channel, and then cycled south again across France through major cities including Paris and Orleans. The pair split up for a short while, meeting back up in Spain. They then travelled through Madrid, across Portugal and through Lisbon, finally arriving at Lagos on 29 September 1994. According to Smith, they slept illegally, taking their sleeping bags into open places and sleeping under the stars.
[edit] The Atlantic Ocean
The trip across the Atlantic took 111 days, pedaling in two-hour day and four-hour night shifts. It ended in Miami.
[edit] North America
They crossed the North American continent on bicycles and skates
[edit] Pacific
They completed the journey across the Pacific in the Moksha.
[edit] Australasia
The most recently completed leg was Australia and Indonesia. The journey north used pedal boats, kayaks and bicycle. This leg of the circumnavigation in Australia was especially noteworthy, as Jason reached the antipode to his Atlantic crossing path.
[edit] Future legs
The second half of Jason's human powered circumnavigation journey is currently continuing through Southestern Asia and India. A crossing of the Arabian Sea will take Jason to the African shores, where he will aim north toward the Middle East and Europe to eventually reach his starting point back in England.
In 2006 Smith published a book about the adventure called Pedalling To Hawaii about the adventure to date (the western hemisphere). The UK patron of the adventure is HRH The Duke of Gloucester.
[edit] Further reading
Smith, Stevie, Pedaling To Hawaii: A Human-Powered Odyssey, US: Countryman; UK Summersdale Publishers Ltd (2006) forward by the Dalai Lama.
