Cycling the Pacific Rim of Fire

The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival is in town this week.  Tonight's presentation was "Cycling the Pacific Rim of Fire - Part 3".  I wasn't really sure what to expect, so sat on the aisle in case I needed to escape.

The presentation was by a couple who cycled the around the entire Pacific Rim on a volcano expedition.  Pierre Bouchard and Janick Lemieux took about 10 years, and rode 70,000 kilometres visiting volcanoes around the Pacific Rim. Their story is amazing and the things they saw unbelievable.  I can't even imagine the logistical challenges of obtaining travel visas for Russia, navigating desolate landscapes to reach remote volcanoes, losing a passport in Indonesia and day after day on the road.  The stories about numerous boat crossings between islands in S. E. Asia are both daunting and funny.  How they did all this with language barriers is hard to comprehend?

Tonight's presentation was just about the third leg of their journey from Jakarta to Vancouver.  Here's the teaser for their presentation.



The adventure is thrilling, but for me the inspiration lies in the passion.  How do you love one single thing so much, that your entire life is lived around it? How does doing something all day, everyday for that many days still continue to be fund?  When you're a million miles from home with only your gear and your riding partner with you, how do you get through the lows? What keeps you going when you're cold and hungry and tired?

The talk about their relationship and how close they are, even after spending all that time together.  As if the wonder of such passion isn't enough, they have each other to share it with.  They celebrate their anniversaries in the number of years they've ridden together. What sort of bond is created by life experiences such as these?

Here are links to more on their adventures

A World of Beauty and Diversity - which talks about the first two legs of their Pacific Rim adventure, and
Pierre & Janick's Excellent Adventure - which is a short overview of the entire trip.

I am in awe.