#BikepackingArmenia: The Big Fundraising Ride Begins Today!


Heads up, people! Stop what you’re doing and tune into the #BikepackingArmenia social media hashtag to follow the team’s live progress as we attempt to traverse Armenia, off-road and unsupported, over the next two weeks!

From now until September 22nd, I will be live-sharing the story of the first attempt to bikepack the Transcaucasian Trail long-distance offroad route across the country, through which we aim to raise $10,000 in charitable donations to fund the waymarking of the trail.

This – the first group ride I’ve ever organised – is the outcome of four years of route research in the little-visited but utterly spectacular Republic of Armenia. In many ways, it’s the fulfilment of a long-standing life ambition, and the cause could not be dearer to my heart. You can read in more depth about my motivations right here.

Rather than attempt to write a daily blog from my tent in a semi-comatose state, I will be using the far more practical media of Instagram and Facebook to share live video stories and daily photo posts.

In case you prefer to wait until the dust settles and follow stories like this in retrospect, there will of course be a series of blog posts (and perhaps a short film) about the inevitable misadventures to come, which you’ll find right here on TomsBikeTrip.com.

And last but not least… because requests for charitable donations can be tiresome, I will ask only once on this blog between the start and the end of the ride:

If you’ve been following my work out here and you believe in what I’m doing, making a donation right now through the secure fundraising page is the single best way to help.

Wish us luck, and feel free to send us words of encouragement in the comments below!