Into the Remote Places

Into the Remote Places by Ian Hibell. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780722145388.

Ian Hibell, possibly Britains most outstanding touring cyclist, has been honored by the Cyclists Touring Club for his important contributions to the sport. He gained the taste for adventure during his RAF service in the 1950’s -- a factory job seemed dull by comparison, and in 1963 Hibell left Brixham in Devon determined to see more of the world. Since then he has ridden, pushed or carried a bike more than a quarter of a million miles in some of the most inaccessible of places, narrowly missing death on more than one occasion. Into The Remote Places takes the reader with him on three of his most exciting the crossing of Colombias Atrato Swamp during his two-and-a-half year journey from Cape Horn to Alaska; the African section of his other end-to-end continental trip, which began at Norways North Cape and ended at the Cape of Good Hope (Hibell is the first person to have made both these overland tours by bike), and the west-east traversing of the South American continent at its widest point -- from Lima in Peru to Recife in Brazil. The book is illustrated with his own photographs. But the story Hibell tells is more than one of courage, determination and physical endurance. While some officials enjoyed saying no, most of the people he met -- of many races -- offered help and encouragement. The often difficult circumstances tested friendships, bringing out the heroic on occasion, and even allowing love to blossom. Into The Remote Places is a classic story of hardships endured, difficulties overcome and impossibilities transformed into accomplishments.