Life on the edge

With end-of-year festivities a distant memory and the bleak weather showing few signs of easing, it’s unsurprising that February is one of the most popular months for planning summer trips to sunnier climes. With flights to far-flung locations and trips along lesser-beaten tracks becoming more readily available, many of us no longer see a week lying prostrate on the Costa Del Sol as a sufficiently exciting escape from the pressures of everyday life – enter Edge Expeditions, a Bristol-based travel company that are more white-knuckle than white sand.

Set up by two fearless globetrotters in September of last year, Edge organises group expeditions to some of the most naturally beautiful and culturally rich locations around the world, and specialises in exploring these regions via a method of transport they believe allows them to get a feel for a place unlike any other – motorcycling. 

Directors Antonia and Kerry have an impressive adventuring past between them – including a world record for a 12,500-mile tuk tuk journey and a gruelling trip across Turkey via fire engine – and their expeditions aim to give travellers a unique experience of the local culture, food and natural surroundings in their unusual locations of choice. The pair has been checking out potential routes since 2014, and their first official expedition is set to take a group along the Pamir Highway of Central Asia in June of this year.

“We want to take time to really appreciate where we are; to stop and drink in the view, talk to people and really learn about the places we travel through,” says the pair. “Yes, the odd bit of luxury is great, but we prefer staying with families, on farms, in homestays. We want to hear people’s stories and learn about their lives.”

With expeditions starting from around £2,000 excluding international flights, travellers can expect a full itinerary of outdoor activities and cultural visits complete with the rental of a fully-insured motorbike. Upcoming trips in 2016 include biking through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, a ride around the lakes and forests of Siberia and a Georgian adventure on foot, bike and horse in the Caucasus. 

Following the completion of their first few expeditions, Edge hope to organise a wider range of trips that incorporate new ways to explore exciting regions, such as trekking and mountain-biking.

If you fancy a holiday that’s a little more active, exhilarating and educational than your average, it might be time to think about getting that bike licence you always toyed with. Life’s too short not to see the world, and what better way to see it than on two wheels with the wind in your hair.

For more information, visit www.edge-expeditions.com.