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The challenge: 

Starting in January 2020, a friend (Tessa Scott-Bell)  and I plan to cycle 6,500 km ( 4100 miles) up the western side of South America from Puerto Montt in Chile to Lima in Peru. During the trip we will be ascending over 4000m ( 4 x the height of Ben Nevis!) as we cross the Andes mountains. This will be both a physical and cultural challenge as we will be relying on local people for knowledge about their area and the upcoming road conditions.  

The route we are planning to follow will take us up the Pacific coast of the Chileian lake district before crossing the Andes into Northern Argentina. After,  cycling through vineyards of the  Argentinian region of Salta we plan to cross the border into Boliva. In Bolivia we will traverse the  worlds largest salt flats and face some of our most challenging climbs as we weave through the mining region of Potosi. We intend to enter Peru along the western shore of lake Titicaca then head north into the historic Inca region of Cusco. Finally, we will then turn back West and descend into Lima to rejoin the Pacific and complete our journey in late May. 

In preparation for this trip, Tessa and I will be doing a series of much shorter rides in preparation for this challenge. We will keep you updated on our training and plans as they develop.

Why?

September 2020 is the tenth anniversary of my late mother's  ( Susan Hayward) death. I am raising money for Epilepsy Research UK in memory of her as she suffered from the illness in the later stages of her life. As a child growing up with a mother with epilepsy, I am acutely aware of the limitations it places on the sufferer and their family living an ordinary life. 

ERUK fund ground-breaking independent research into the causes, treatment and prevention of epilepsy with the aim of identifying new means to control the condition, improve treatment and quality of life for those with epilepsy and perhaps ultimately to find a cure. They work in six key areas: 

1. Minimising the side effects of anti-epileptic drugs 
2. Prevention of memory loss in temporal lobe epilepsy
   
3. Identifying patients who will benefit from surgical intervention
4. The use of immuno-therapy as an effective treatment for some types of seizure
5. The recovery of intellectual abilities following surgery in children

These key areas all resonate closely with me and I would like your help in helping ERUK to decrease the limitations epilepsy places on other sufferers and there families. 

Please also visit Tessa's page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cycle-south-america

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