Journey to the East: An Epic Bicycle Expedition from London to Hong Kong

Two friends. Two bikes. One audacious challenge. Fresh out of the University of Cambridge, Nick Codrington and Lobby Gribble set off to cycle unsupported from London to Hong Kong, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK.They’re not elite athletes or professional adventurers, just determined, inexperienced graduates chasing an idea that quickly proves far bigger than either of them could have imagined. From sodden campsites in rural France to the vast deserts of Central Asia, their journey is shaped as much by human kindness as by hardship.In Turkey, two men with rifles confront them in a dark field, then invite them for tea.In Azerbaijan, a retired welder sings love stories over toasts to the Soviet Union.In Afghanistan, their host keeps watch for intruders while they sleep.As they journey east, illness, political tensions and increasingly urgent warnings begin to shadow every border crossing. Winter closes in and the real test looms: the Pamir Mountains, where temperatures plummet to -35