TOUR DE FORCE
Gorey cyclist’s epic 27,000km pan-American journey the feature of new book
THE stories and images from Ian Lacey’s epic 27,000km pan-American cycle from Alaska to Argentina have now been put together in a new book which will be launched in Gorey Library on Saturday, November 19, at 3 p.m.
The 30-year-old Gorey man cycled unsupported from Deadhorse, Alaska – the northernmost town accessible by road in the Americas – to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina – the southernmost city in the world – between July 2011 and October 2012, raising funds for the Carers Association of Ireland along the way.
The book, titled ‘Half the World Away’, recounts Ian’s experiences through 15 countries in North and South America.
Ian was inspired to take on the journey after years of reading tales of exploration and discovery, and in the book, he describes the wondrous landscapes and incredible people he encountered from the saddle.
He writes about the days of isolation in the wilderness of Alaska and Canada, the silent beauty of the Mexican desert, the awe-inspiring Andes Mountains, and Patagonia in Chile and Argentina – his favourite leg of the journey.
He initially began the trip with his friend Lee Saville from Denver in the US. After a split in Seattle, they both decided to continue the trip alone and explore the Americas at their own pace. Ian slept outside in his tent for the majority of the journey, and experienced the warmth of pure strangers throughout.
‘In places often considered hostile – such as Mexico and Colombia – I was welcomed the most warmly,’ he said. ‘Our perceptions of supposedly “dangerous” places are often skewed heavily towards the negative by the media and what we read online, but I experienced the complete opposite and so it was important for me to convey those moments in the book.’
Ian said he is delighted to be finally releasing it after several years of writing and editing it. ‘So many people ask me to describe the entire experience and often short conversations don’t do it justice,’ he said. ‘But the book goes into far more detail and with pictures and original journal entries included, it gives a great sense of what it’s like to travel by human power alone for so long.”’
Ian said it was also important to write about some of the more important things he’s learned from the trip since he’s returned. ‘I wanted to use Half the World Away to reflect a little on what it all meant to me, especially a few years on,’ he commented. ‘So I look at the periods of loneliness, my own personal relationships, how pure strangers often treated me like a family member, and the need to conserve some of the most special places I had the privilege to ride through.’
During his travels, over €30,000 was raised for the Carers Association of Ireland through various events.
The book, priced at €15 will be available at the launch and also in Zozimus Bookshop, Gorey, and in paperback and ebook on www.ianlacey.com.