Tag: children in need

Ever fancied yourself as an early evening chat-show host? No? Well even so there is a chance to ride in the honourable tracks of the One Show’s Matt Baker who recently completed an epic rickshaw challenge, peddling from Scotland, through York and Cambridge before finishing in London, all in aid of the Children in Need charity. Expedition specialists Across the Divide (who organised and oversaw Baker’s original adventure) have put together a near identical route for tackling between July 4 and 8, 2012; the challenge, which totals 474miles, will pass through: “…the rugged fells of Cumbria to one of Britain’s best loved national park, the Yorkshire Dales, and onto the flat land of Lincolnshire and quaint villages of Cambridgeshire. Each day brings new sights and experiences as well as exciting cycling ranging from testing climbs to fast descents.” The finishing point is the London Olympic Stadium – just a couple of weeks before things get underway for the 2012 Games. Important to note that this challenge involves the rather more traditional bike than the rickshaw that Baker used – but it still looks like an incredible challenge to us…

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Edinburgh to Carlisle.  92 miles

Day 2 – Carlisle to Harrogate. 111 miles

Day 3 – Harrogate to Lincoln.  103 miles

Day 4 – Lincoln to Cambridge.  106 miles

Day 5 – Cambridge to London.  62 miles

Further details available from: www.acrossthedivide.com

The One Show’s Matt Baker will be taking to three wheels this year to raise money for the annual Children in Need campaign; attempting to ride a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London over 8 days whilst picking up a series of ‘surprise’ guests along the way. The challenge is being overseen by adventure travel specialists Across the Divide (www.acrossthedivide.com) whose itinerates include the Euro Cities Cycle and the classic London to Paris.

Baker will embark on his arduous journey on the morning of Friday November 11from Edinburgh Castle Esplanade and will attempt to complete the 484 mile journey to the BBC Centre in London, finishing live on The One Show’s Children in Need special on Friday November 18. His route will comprise: Day 1 Edinburgh to Hawick (53.5miles), Day 2 Hawick to Hexham (59.2miles), Day 3 Hexham to Barnard Castle (49miles), Day 4 Barnard Castle to York (70.6miles), Day 5 York to Lincoln (78miles), Day 6 Lincoln to Peterborough (73.2miles), Day 7 Peterborough to Cambridge (41miles) and Day 8 Cambridge to London (59.3miles). As if all the miles weren’t enough it’s also estimated that he will climb almost the equivalent height of Mount Everest during the ride.

Further details and for ways of donating visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey