After years of trying to get various local authorities to build a road to the area, one spring morning, Calum took out his wheelbarrow, a pick, an axe, a shovel and a do-it-yourself guide to road construction and started building a road himself. It took him 20 years to complete his work. The Road has since been adopted and is now recognised as a public road. It is called 'Calum's Road', and the author, Roger Hutchinson has written an award winning book of the same name about it.
The villages near Kuntaur in the Gambia are cut off from civilization for 6 months of the year because the dirt track they call a road is flooded. The Gambian Government don't have the funds to supply a road in the area, so the locals have been inspired by Calum MacLeod and are now building their own road, supported by The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust. The materials required to build their road, are expected to cost in the region of £140,000... When completed, it will be called Calum's Road, in memory of the Scotish Crofter, who inspired it's building.
So, in January 2010, there should be two Calum's Roads.... One in Raasay, Scotland and one in the Gambia, Africa.
It is my intention, with some of my biking friends, to each raise £2000 towards the cost of materials. Then, when the locals have completed their DIY road, we intend to ride from the original Calum's Road in the Hebridean island of Raasay, to the new Calum's Road in The Gambia. I Intend to ride my motorcycle from my home to Calum's Road Gambia.... Via Calum's Road Scotland. Door to door, this is in the region of 4000 miles. The ride takes me from Northern Ireland, through Scotland, England, France, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, (The disputed) Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and then Gambia. Basicly following the route of the Dakar Rally
I will fund my trip myself and all donations will go directly to the building of the new "Calum's Road"
OK folks, a bit of a late update....... The British Foreign Office have advised against all travel to parts of Mauritania... parts I will be unable to avoid during the trip.
This, in simple terms means, I have no travel insurance cover through these areas.. The warnings come as a result of several kidnappings in recent weeks..... The kidnappers have not put me off the trip, but I do have serious concerns about being involved in an accident or taking ill and not having the relevant cover to get me home. So, after a year of planning and getting excited about the trip, I have decided to follow the Government warnings and not go. As you can imagine, I am gutted. However, from the outset I have always stated I was raising money for Calum's Road Gambia, not my trip.... also, I stated that I 'intended' to ride my bike to visit the new road in January.
.........Folks.... I know I have exceeded the amount I inteneded to raise... for that a big thank you. Half of my group of mates did make the trip to Gambia as planned...... here is a link to their exploits
http://www.gambiahorseanddonkey.org.uk/
I now plan to ride my bike from Ireland to Africa, but will settle for a week or so, exploring the relatively safe Country of Morocco. January, as was my planned departure date, would be my least chosen time for such a visit, so I am putting things off till Spring of 2010, when the snow and frost should have left the lower mountain passes.
Thanks to all who donated and helped me exceed my target of £2000..... I am leaving the page open for a couple more days, just in case anyone wants to donate a last minute pound!