London to London, via the World
Sarah Outen’s four-and-a-half-year adventure
Sarah Outen MBE is known for her London2London: Via the World adventure. This expedition saw Sarah loop the northern hemisphere using a rowing boat, bike and kayak, journeying some 25,000 miles for over four and a half years. She cycled from the UK to China, paddled to Japan, rowed solo for much of the stretch between Japan and Canada, kayaked from Alaska to Massachusetts and rowed for over four months between Cape Cod and the UK. The final stretch saw her biking with all her friends and family to Oxford, before winding her way up the Thames by kayak. Her book Dare To Do, which recounts the trip, was shortlisted this year for the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year Award.
Here she is on her best and worst wild eats for the adventure:
Best: “Fresh-caught rock bass roasted over a fire on a deserted beach in Alaska. I sat by a roaring stream, looking across at the volcanic islands jutting out of the ocean. It’s one of my favourite memories because I love the wholesomeness of catching and eating your food, and saying thank you to the animal for its life.”
Worst: “As I rowed across the Indian Ocean, I discovered that the strawberry milkshake I’d brought along for protein made me sick, so I emptied the sachets overboard. But the wind was strong and the sickly powder blew right back in my face, coating the whole boat. The wretched stuff was around for days.”