Stories

On June 14 2021, after 97 days at sea, Mark Delstanche became the first person to row solo from New York to London.

Expedition Foods (EF): Tell us a bit about your campaign, why row an ocean? And why New York to London?

Mark Delstanche (MD): I've been a rower since the age of 13 and it's about the only sport I've ever been good at, having no aptitude for anything with a ball whatsoever. The idea to row an ocean came about whilst acclimatising at Everest base camp in 2011 when, as is often the case with too much time on my hands, the question of 'what next' sprung to mind.

Upon returning from the Himalayas I started to plan and train for a crossing from the Canaries to the Caribbean but got involved in a project to row to the Magnetic North Pole instead which gave me the taste for doing a 'world first' row. I'm originally from London, learned to row on the Thames and served as a firefighter there so it felt right to be finishing there.

Talking to other rowers, it became clear that the North Atlantic was considered one of the holy grails of ocean rowing in terms of difficulty and the idea of linking two of the worlds most iconic cities had real appeal for me rather than using arbitrary points on the coast of each continent so, the idea of New York to London was born.

EF: Where did you start and finish?

MD: I started at Liberty Landing Marina, a stones throw form the Statue of Liberty and finished at Tower Bridge in London

EF: How did you train for the crossing?

MD: About two years before the start, I started putting in some serious mileage on the rowing machine, 5 days a week. However, with a year to go, I was introduced to a personal trainer/ multiple ocean rower, Gus Barton who put the emphasis on strength building to get my body ready for the kind of torture that I was going to have to put it through. He absolutely beasted me for an entire year before the start, to the point that I was pushing out better times on the ergo than I did when I was at my peak, back in my 20's. What's more, I was really pleased to get in my boat and disappear over the horizon by the time he had finished with me, because it meant that I didn't have to train anymore.

EF: What did you eat and drink during the crossing? Did you have a daily menu?

MD: I had four compartments on deck that I'd packed randomly with all different varieties of Expedition Food meals. One for Breakfasts, one for Desserts and two for main meals. I'd pick out one from each compartment every day to see what I ended up with and packed enough for 150 days of rations.

After about 3 weeks it was apparent that I was both making great progress and would need more calories so I doubled my intake to a double breakfast, a pudding at first break, a main meal at lunchtime and a main meal and pudding for dinner. This was supplemented with a lot of Polish dried sausage called "cabanas" (which I love), pre-packed trail mix in snack bags, and biltong.

I mainly drank water and the occasional morning cuppa, but I probably only used about 20 tea bags over the 97 days I was at sea. I did take isotonic drink sachets but they went largely untouched.

EF: From the equipment that you took, what was the most useful item?

MD: The spare solar panel. Both of my main panels gave up on day 3, so I had to ration electricity thereafter, which left me with just enough for my desalinator and navigation/communications equipment. I'd have been totally stuffed without it.

EF: Did you take anything that you didn't need?

MD: I've got 480 green tea bags, and 500 ginger and lemon ones if anybody wants them!

EF: What was the best part about the row?

MD: On a few occasions, the ocean was absolutely mirror calm. The sense of peace, tranquillity and being at one with the world was amazing and taking a swim at those times was an incredible experience. That, and of course arriving at Tower Bridge to see so many people who had come to support me as well as being able to hug my family again.

EF: What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced?

MD: There were quite a few!

Apparently, the weather was the worst summer for storms for over forty years. I was hit by 8 major gales with waves the size of a two-storey house travelling towards me at 20 miles an hour or more, and I suffered 7 capsizes. 

The physical effort of rowing for 12-14 hours a day on average was hard enough, however, due to the weather, I had to push hard for the last 4 days before reaching the shelter of the UK shores, as there was a large system of easterly winds coming in that threatened to push me back out in to the Atlantic. I slept for a total of 4 hours in that four days and at one stage, rowed for 27 hours pretty much non-stop and went to places in my head and body that I'd rather not have to revisit ever again.

The south coast of England also presented a huge challenge with the option of just drifting on the ocean to rest no longer a possibility. I averaged 18 hours a day of hard rowing at the oars until the final leg up the Thames which really took its toll.

Other than the sheer physical challenge, the isolation and feeling of helplessness at times was difficult to deal with, particularly given the weather forecasts which I came to dread opening. I was getting in-depth 4-day forecasts, and over the course of the 97 days, there was not a single one with wholly positive news. It would always be tainted with at least a few days of 'sub optimal' conditions which really grated after a while. 

EF: How have you settled back in following such an epic journey? And have you got another expedition in mind?

MD: I was surprised by just how quickly I adapted back in to real life. I think that I'd hankered for so many aspects of my normal home life for so long that I found myself up and about at 5 in the morning as usual, blissfully happy, emptying the dishwasher, taking the bin out and picking dog poo off of the lawn! 

Given what I've put my family through, my main focus now is to spend as much time as possible with them. I've never felt so content with regard to a sense of achievement and I feel that I've pushed the boundaries of my own and human endeavour far enough to sit back and enjoy the ride for a bit.

My wife has had a long held ambition to sail the South Pacific and the kids love being on boats, so that'll probably be the next big project.

EF: What would you say to aspiring ocean rowers?

MD: First, ask yourself why you want to do it and have a really good think about whether your motives will be enough to get you across the finish line. If the answer is still a resounding "YES", set a date and let everybody that you know about your plans, that way, you'll have the pressure of not being seen as a failure to others to spur you on. Sounds a bit masochistic but it worked for me!!

It's a massive outlay in terms of time and money so give yourself a couple of years (unless you're really fit and have loads of spare cash) to build up to it. You'll get disheartened at just how many rejections you'll get from potential sponsors but keep plugging away and they will come in eventually.

Get your boat sooner rather than later and get to know it and your routines inside out. I didn't and it took me over a month to figure out how to carry out the simplest of tasks in the most effective way. Sounds stupid but just figuring how to get in and out of the cabin in a big sea whilst keeping the cabin as dry as possible is an art form in itself!

Reinhold Hugo from Switzerland joined RacingThePlanet in Georgia 2021 for his debut RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon. Reinhold completed his first multi-stage run in Oman 2016 and the following year competed in the Marathon des Sables Morocco and Peru.

At RacingThePlanet: Georgia, Reinhold completed the 6-stage, 250 kilometer, self-support footrace in FIRST place.

Reinhold talked to Expedition Foods about his experience in Georgia (the country):

EF: What is your running background, where did it all start?

I am polysportive and like to do different sports like cycling and running in summer and cross-country skiing and ski touring in winter. I used to run street marathons like New York, Boston etc., but for some time now I run almost only off-road because it is nicer for me.

EF: When did you decide to take part in RacingThePlanet: Georgia?

RH: After no events took place at all last year, I started looking for a new adventure in the spring after events could take place again. I have often followed RacingThePlanet and I have many friends who have communicated only positive feedback about these events. Originally I signed up for the race in Namibia because I like to run in the desert. For me, such runs are also a kind of sightseeing to get to know new countries.

EF: When did you start training for the race, and how did you structure your training? 

RH: As I said, I'm always active throughout the year, building up a good base. What I paid a lot of attention this time is the training with the backpack and 3-4kg weight. For this I have completed a few weekend-long stage runs.

EF: How important is nutrition in a stage race? What did you eat and drink throughout the race?

RH: Nutrition for stage runs is very important. On the one hand, the weight of the food must not be too heavy and on the other hand, it must be balanced and must make you full.

On my first stage run in Oman, I had chilli con carne for dinner on the 4th day and was unwell. I learned a lot from that experience. The food must definitely be tasted beforehand during training. In my eyes, the food is almost the most important thing in a stage race.

During the race in Georgia I drank mainly water and supplemented it with electrolytes. In the morning I ate Expedition Foods Chicken Tikka Rice with 450 calories and a bar with 200 calories. After the run I took a recovery shake and in the evening I made myself another warm meal like Spaghetti Carbonara with 800 calories. In between I had a bag of nuts.

EF: How much gear did you bring? Was there anything you felt you were missing, or anything that you'd leave behind next time?

RH: For me, an important part of stage racing is the preparation with the material. I try to be as light as possible on the road. My motto is: every gram counts and I take only the mandatory material with me. I was lucky this time and everything fit great. Although the weather had changed from very hot to cold and wet.

EF: Your performance was incredible, finishing first in every stage, what was the key to your success?

RH: My goal in Georgia was three things:

• to get to know a new country
• to reach the finish line (this was only my third stage race over 250km and once I had to give up)
• to enjoy and learn

I tried to enjoy the area as much as I could and run easy. Without pressure on time and positioning. This flexibility was certainly a key to success.

EF: What races do you have planned for the rest of the year and for 2022? 

RH: At the moment I have a few smaller runs planned until November and then I hope for a lot of snow so I can go ski touring in the mountains again.

For 2022 I would like to run in England at Dragons Back Race and after that I plan to run RacingThePlanet's Atacama Crossing. In between I'm sure there will be some nice runs or trainings. It doesn't always have to be a competition!

EF: The last 18 months have inspired many people to take on amazing challenges. What would you say to those aspiring to do a multi-day race?

Try it out! It is a life experience and you will come back a different person. You will push your limits and realize that you are capable of a lot.

Having spent 5 days walking and unsuccessfully wild camping in Scotland last October, I was ready to correct all my mistakes on my planned 5 day North Wales adventure in May.

With my updated wet weather gear and even fancier new ultralight tent in my backpack I was hopeful I would at least stay dry this time. The plan was, as always, to prove to myself that I can walk lots of miles with a heavy backpack while staying self sufficient with my food, water and means of shelter and warmth.

The journey started with multiple buses over hours to get to Penmaenmawr so I was eager to get stuck into walking. The sudden steep hill to walk out of town exhausted me within minutes. Slightly disheartened I stopped early to have lunch and rearrange my bag telling myself not to be so precious about sweating and walking up a bit of a hill. Unusually the weather in Wales on that day was sunny and warm, not quite what I had prepared for. When I finally hit the moors I decided to go completely off trail from the North Wales Path and just float in the sort of direction I had planned for my second day. Floating is the word I use because I was walking in no particular way or trail, on top of spongy heather and moss which was bouncy in weather that was very dreamy.

I walked up and down small peaks that were actually the remnants of disused quarries now overgrown with moss and I rested by ancient stone settlements scattered on the hillside. As time headed towards sundown I began to think of where I would sleep. Reviewing the map I decided to begin my traverse of the Carneddau, a range of mountains in Snowdonia. Of course the higher you ascend the stronger the winds, one side of the mountain range was windy enough to make me put all my layers on, while the other side was slightly calmer. Before I found my spot for the night on the calmer side, I summited Carnedd y Ddelw and Carnedd Penyborth-Goch (Drum), a warm up for the next day.

I spent the first evening joyfully pitching my tent in dry weather, rehydrating my meal in dry weather and just sitting and admiring the views in dry weather. I had learnt from my Scottish trip that I needed to consume more calories but carry less food weight so I chose Expedition Foods for every evening meal of this trip. Surprisingly I had phone reception and was notified of rain arriving 10 minutes later. Watching the storm clouds surround me while hearing the wind rattle around from the shelter of my tent was really comforting although I was wide awake by 5am and very ready to pack up...

Read the rest of Emily's Wales adventure and lots more hiking awesomeness on her website...

How time flies when you are having fun, by Julie De Leeuw

I have always been an outdoorsy person and growing up I was often mistaken for a boy; perhaps it was because I was always halfway up a tree or tearing around the village on my bike? Another reason why I love the outdoors is because my dad was always late, so it was easier to cycle or walk to a hockey match or my friend's house to ensure I was there on time! We also lived on a hill, so cycling uphill was and still is the norm. I am a country girl at heart and still live in the beautiful Cotswolds. I get great pleasure out of walking our four dogs each morning in the woods and roaming the hills.

As I have mentioned, cycling up hills is a way of life so when I started mountain biking I was not phased by them on courses. I used to enjoy racing up the hills and then not letting the technically better riders overtake me on the downhills - it used to drive them crazy! Nonetheless, over time I got better at the technical bits and moved up the ranks, finally becoming a sponsored rider in the elite category.

I will never forget one year at the National Champs. The course was perfect for me as the race started on a long, steep, technical climb. After discussing race tactics with the team, it was decided that I should just give it everything on the first climb to gain a lead. This sounded logical until I saw Caroline Alexandra on the start line who was ranked in the top 10 in the world and was renowned for being the best climber in the world. Oh well, what's the worst that can happen?! I tore off from the start and found myself in the lead which I managed to keep to the top of the climb - I could not believe it, I was beating Caroline! Caroline was not number one for nothing. As we cycled over the brow of the hill into the descent my body decided it had had enough. BANG! I felt instantly fatigued, my coordination had gone and I could not turn the pedals. One by one, all the racers started overtaking me. I had gone from first to last in a matter of minutes.

Anyone who has experienced "bonking" before will know how I felt and how quickly it can take over your whole body. I walked my bike down the hill, determined not to give up. The crowd was shouting for me to get back on my bike but when I did, I wobbled and fell off so I chose to walk and eat as much sugar as I could. Luckily, I respond well to sugar so after a few minutes (that felt like hours) I got back on my bike and slowly started riding. I managed to work my way back up the field and took every sugary snack that was offered to me by my team and others who helped me. The mountain bike community is amazing. As time went on, I felt my strength return but boy, oh boy it was mentally and physically tough. This was, and still is, my proudest race as I managed to go from first place to last, and on to win a bronze medal. (Though I was sick for a week after due to it taking every ounce of my energy to finish the race.)

I am hoping that I am able to demonstrate as much resilience when I tackle the Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR) with my husband Anton in August 2021. The SRMR is known as being one of the toughest cycle races in the world due to the altitude, extreme temperatures, terrain and lack of facilities available during the race. I do know that we will have the support of Expedition Foods who will enable us to fuel our bodies with the right number of calories and nutrients to provide an optimal nutritional balance. Thanks to the range of choices available, we will not have to rely on local food sources for supplies. Riders have failed before having struggled with stomach problems due to not being used to the local foods available. Logistically, carrying 14 days’ food each will be heavy (there is no outside assistance allowed) but Expedition Foods provide 1000 calorie meals suitable for two which will lighten the load. Although I am not a vegetarian, I prefer the taste of vegetarian food and was delighted to see the choices available to me so far. My favourite is Vegetable Tikka but I am munching my way through all of them.

Although I am quickly saying goodbye to the forties, I feel that I will never stop challenging myself and will always be an outdoors person. On our list of competitions this year is the SRMR and the Adventure Racing World Championships. Notwithstanding our own challenges we set ourselves on route to these events, life is about getting outdoors and having fun. 

Check out Julie's website at www.antonandjulie.com. 

The Plan

It's Friday and I crave adventure. 

It's time to get all my gear out of storage and take a little exploratory trip to the Basque Country. The availability of time and the physical fitness of each person may be different, but the harshness of the Basque topography is constant.

I have one goal: To unite the three "Hiru Hiriburuak" capitals (Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián) of the provinces (Bizkaia, Alaba and Guipuzkoa) of Euskadi by gravel bike, creating a route that facilitates tourism in the area and is accessible to all.

It would be a route that people could complete in one go, divide into several stages, or even spread over a number of weekends, taking advantage of the different means of public transport that connect the main cities.

Equipment

The route is 90% off road. My preferred mode of travel is gravel bike. I'm 100% self-sufficient, and my kit is quite ultralight. Bikepacking means I don't have to depend on any facilities and can travel long distances.

My chosen configuration:

• Orbea Terra M20i bicycle - light and capable.
• Shimano GRX DI2 2x1 groupset - delivers precision and efficiency on all terrains.
• Fulcrum Rapis Red 900 DB wheels - robust and reliable.
• 40mm tires - perfect for the tracks (in good condition) without penalizing the asphalt sections.

Necessary kit and material distribution:

• Apidura 17L saddlebag
• Spare clothes
• Sleeping bag
• Stove, gas cylinder, cup

• Apidura 9L handlebar bag
• Large tent
• Hinged Carpet

• Pocket for apidura handlebar accessories 
• Expedition Foods freeze-dried meals
• Power bars

• Apidura 4.5L frame bag 
• Wash kit
• Electronic elements
• Mini padlock

The Result

I travelled 380km in 48 hours and the route was almost finished, my body was tired but my mind was restored.

I leave you with this advice: Organise your time, sometimes just a weekend is enough, for an exploration trip by bike and an escape from routine. Know your environment and its history. 

Pack up and dare!

Ibai Fradejas

We've come up with our top ten ways that Expedition Foods meals can improve your camping experience and make a great time even better.

You’re out of breath, you feel like you could drink a gallon of water, your legs are burning, and your feet are screaming at you. You’ve just started training for that 250km ultramarathon, and right now completing it probably seems impossible, maybe even ridiculous.

Life is all about setting yourself goals and working towards them. RacingThePlanet are there for you every step of the way to help you prepare yourself mentally and physically and achieve that incredible goal.

There's nothing we'd rather listen to than two awesome explorers discussing food.

Alex Mason, 38 year old British adventurer, has been well and truly on our radar since her incredible row across the Atlantic Ocean with Monkey Fist Adventures in 2020. She recently started her Hungry for Adventure podcast, talking to her fellow adventurers about food (and all things adventure), and having listened to an episode - we're already huge fans! 

For the third episode, Alex talked to Wendy Searle. If you haven't heard of Wendy, then you should have! In January 2020, Wendy completed her epic solo crossing of Antarctica, becoming the 7th woman in history to complete Hercules Inlet to South Pole, solo and unsupported.

This podcast is brilliant - funny, interesting, surprising and full of useful information for current/aspiring explorers. Thanks, Wendy for the shout out (approx. half way through) - we love working with you!

You can listen to the podcast by searching 'Hungry for Adventure' on your podcast player, or clicking this link.