Expedition 360
Encyclopedia
Expedition 360 is the name of a successful attempt by Briton Jason Lewis
to be the first person to circumnavigate
the globe, passing through two opposing points on the Earth's surface and crossing the equator, using only human power. It was begun by Lewis and Stevie Smith in 1994 and ended at 12:24 pm on 6 October 2007, when Lewis crossed the meridian
at Greenwich, London, having travelled an estimated 74842 km (46,504.8 mi).
would be a route which covers at least a great circle
, and in particular one which passes through at least one pair of points antipodal
to each other. In practice, different definitions of world circumnavigation are used, in order to accommodate practical constraints depending on the method of circumnavigation.
honored Canadian Colin Angus
for the first human powered circumnavigation of the world, however, his journey did not cross the equator as stipulated by the rules of Guinness World Records
. Expedition 360 does not conform to the rules of Guinness Records either, however it does comply with the more relaxed rules of Explorer's Web. To this day no one has completed a proper circumnavigation of the world according the rules of Guinness Records.
This unique concept of going around the world by human power first came as a wild idea to Stevie Smith as he worked in his office in Paris. He soon set about making the idea a reality and got the help of his friend Jason Lewis who agreed to come with him. The pair set about spreading the idea, and began to raise money for a pedal boat built by Chris Tipper and Hugo Burnham. The specially-built boat was named Moksha, Sanskrit for freedom. To raise cash Stevie cycled to Marrakesh, Morocco
. The pair had no formal training in either cycling or riding pedal boats.
, London at midday on 12 July 1994. They cycled south-east across Britain to the coast at Rye
, then pedalled across the English Channel
, and then cycled south again across France through major cities including Paris and Orléans
. The pair split up for a short while, meeting back up in Spain. They then travelled through Madrid
, across Portugal and through Lisbon
, finally arriving at Lagos
on 29 September 1994. According to Smith, they slept illegally, taking their sleeping bags into open places and sleeping under the stars.
in Australia was especially noteworthy, as Jason reached the antipode
to his Atlantic crossing path.
journey continued through Southeastern Asia and India before crossing the Arabian Sea to the African shores, from where he aimed north toward the Middle East and Europe, eventually returning to his starting point in England.
In 2006 Smith published a book about the adventure called Pedalling To Hawaii about the adventure to date (the western hemisphere). The UK patron of the adventure is HRH The Duke of Gloucester
.
.
Jason Lewis (adventurer)
Jason Lewis is a self-powered English circumnavigator accredited with being the first person to circumnavigate the globe by human power....
to be the first person to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
the globe, passing through two opposing points on the Earth's surface and crossing the equator, using only human power. It was begun by Lewis and Stevie Smith in 1994 and ended at 12:24 pm on 6 October 2007, when Lewis crossed the meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
at Greenwich, London, having travelled an estimated 74842 km (46,504.8 mi).
Underlying definition
A basic definition of a world circumnavigationCircumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
would be a route which covers at least a great circle
Great circle
A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...
, and in particular one which passes through at least one pair of points antipodal
Antipodes
In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth....
to each other. In practice, different definitions of world circumnavigation are used, in order to accommodate practical constraints depending on the method of circumnavigation.
History
In 2006, the National Geographic SocietyNational Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
honored Canadian Colin Angus
Colin Angus (explorer)
Colin Angus is a Canadian author and adventurer who is the first person to make a self-propelled global circumnavigation. Due to varying definitions of the term "circumnavigation," debate has arisen as to whether or not the route travelled fulfilled the strictest criteria...
for the first human powered circumnavigation of the world, however, his journey did not cross the equator as stipulated by the rules of Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. Expedition 360 does not conform to the rules of Guinness Records either, however it does comply with the more relaxed rules of Explorer's Web. To this day no one has completed a proper circumnavigation of the world according the rules of Guinness Records.
This unique concept of going around the world by human power first came as a wild idea to Stevie Smith as he worked in his office in Paris. He soon set about making the idea a reality and got the help of his friend Jason Lewis who agreed to come with him. The pair set about spreading the idea, and began to raise money for a pedal boat built by Chris Tipper and Hugo Burnham. The specially-built boat was named Moksha, Sanskrit for freedom. To raise cash Stevie cycled to Marrakesh, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The pair had no formal training in either cycling or riding pedal boats.
European leg
Smith and Lewis set off on bicycles from GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, London at midday on 12 July 1994. They cycled south-east across Britain to the coast at Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
, then pedalled across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, and then cycled south again across France through major cities including Paris and Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
. The pair split up for a short while, meeting back up in Spain. They then travelled through Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, across Portugal and through Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, finally arriving at Lagos
Lagos, Portugal
Lagos is a municipality at the mouth of Bensafrim River and along the Atlantic Ocean, in the Barlavento region of the Algarve, in southern Portugal....
on 29 September 1994. According to Smith, they slept illegally, taking their sleeping bags into open places and sleeping under the stars.
The Atlantic Ocean
The trip across the Atlantic took 111 days, pedaling in two-hour day and four-hour night shifts. It ended in Miami.Pacific
Lewis completed the journey across the Pacific in the Moksha. Smith quit the project in Hawaii.Australasia
The next leg to be completed was Australia and Indonesia. The journey north used pedal boats, kayaks and bicycle. This leg of the circumnavigationCircumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
in Australia was especially noteworthy, as Jason reached the antipode
Antipode
Antipode, Antipodes, or Antipodeans may refer to:* Antipodal point, the diametrically opposite point on a sphere* Antipodes Water Company, a premium bottled water brand...
to his Atlantic crossing path.
Final legs
The second half of Jason's human powered circumnavigationCircumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
journey continued through Southeastern Asia and India before crossing the Arabian Sea to the African shores, from where he aimed north toward the Middle East and Europe, eventually returning to his starting point in England.
In 2006 Smith published a book about the adventure called Pedalling To Hawaii about the adventure to date (the western hemisphere). The UK patron of the adventure is HRH The Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
.
Further reading
Smith, Stevie, Pedaling To Hawaii: A Human-Powered Odyssey, US: Countryman; UK Summersdale Publishers Ltd (2006) foreword by the Dalai LamaDalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
.
External links
- Expedition 360 home page
- iBooks feature
- Definition of human powered circumnavigation by Erden EruçErden EruçErden Eruç is a Turkish adventurer attempting a human-powered circumnavigation which is to include summitting the tallest mountains on six continents....
- Angus Adventures, web site of Colin Angus who completed a similar epic journey in 2006.