On a bicycle made for two

Oldham’s intrepid traveller takes two years to ride the Americas . . .

AN OLDHAM explorer who travelled the length of the Americas on a tandem is back in the UK after more than two years on the road.

Dominic Gill (26) travelled 18,500 miles through 15 countries — from Alaska to Argentina —to raise more than £5,000 for the charity Hope and Homes for children.

Dominic shared his bike with more than 500 strangers, who jumped aboard his tandem —nicknamed Achilles —for anything from a quick ride to a six- week journey.

And, from being chased by a machete-wielding Mexican to being tossed around like a cork on a boat trip during a tropical storm, the intrepid Oldhamer has experienced his fair share of hairy moments.

He said: “I was overwhelmed by the friendship and the genuine kindness of everyone I met.

“I am quite sad my trip has come to an end and am bewildered as to what to do next. The biggest focus for the last few years has been taken away.

“I have been getting up every morning for two years and two months with the sole responsibility of carrying on cycling. It’s unnerving not knowing what to do next.”

Former environmental consultant Dominic, set off from his home in Lune Street, Coppice, in June 2006, weighed down by the heavy camping gear that he was to carry with him on his bike for the next 26 months.

Without any support, he undertook his one-man mission which would take him through forests and jungles, over mountains and across deserts.

From the sweltering 40°C heat of Mexico to the shivering -20°C of Bolivia, Dominic braved the elements — sometimes having to push on through thick snow.

“I once had to climb halfway up a mountain, carrying my bike, to bypass a huge mudslide in Peru,” he said.

“The Mexico machete incident was also quite scary.

“I was taken in by an old man who told me I could camp near his house, but his son had other ideas. He turned up drunk and told me to leave, but I didn’t understand his Spanish, so he started waving a machete in my face. I got the message.

“But just one bad experience in such a long trip is good going.

“In general, the people were curious, kind and incredibly generous. People who have virtually nothing themselves, would often give me food and shelter.”

Dominic also sampled a few interesting local delicacies along the way, including dried locusts, sheep’s head, frog’s tongue and donkey meat.

“The solitude was probably the hardest thing” he said. “I almost gave up very early on, when I was travelling through Alaska on my own for long periods and didn’t see another person for days, but my travelling companions helped me along when they got on board. They were hard to carry, but they were welcome company.”

Dominic’s next challenge is to persuade a TV station to pick up his video record of his adventure and share it with the viewing nation. And he plans to be working with a production company in London for the foreseeable future.

A natural explorer, for his next trip, he is hoping to travel by kayak from Alaska to Russia.

He said: “The journey has taught me a lot about not judging a book by its cover and my faith in people has increased 1,000 times over.

“I think people are taught to be wary of strangers and we are almost encouraged to fear other nations and people who are not like us.

“We don’t even speak to our next-door neighbours any more because we fear so many things, but sometimes it’s worth taking a risk and for the rare time your suspicions might have been right, there are so many more times when you will gain so much. Isn’t it worth giving people the benefit of the doubt?”