We’re Chillo and Milla.

We packed up our lives in London, jumped on some bicycles and set out from Peru to cycle to the southern tip of South America. Neither of us had cycled much before, but we figured it was a perfectly normal and sensible thing to do.

Spoiler alert: we made it! After pedalling over 8,500 km, we reached Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, in February this year. You can read about how we managed that in our blog, from crossing salt lakes and mountain passes, to negotiating mass protests and even…a whipping..!?

We’ve come back home to the UK and the world is suddenly looking pretty different. So while we rub our eyes and begin to make sense of it all, we’ll check in here from time to time. We plan to add more stories and information about our trip as we look back on the past year, and we might even continue to write about what we do next.

My name is actually Charlie, but ever since primary school I’ve been known as Chilly, Chills, Chillo – the variations go on.

I’ve always been interested in all things Spanish and Latin American. I’ve lived in Costa Rica, Colombia and northern Spain, and most recently worked for a Latin America tour operator in London.

Over the years I’ve poured over books telling tales of round-the-world cycling trips, epic hikes, ambitious swims and other adventures big and small. While I’ve gone on plenty of short adventures of my own, this trip was always at the back of my mind and I’m so excited that we’re making it a reality.

Chillo

Before setting out on this trip, I worked in the arts for six years, as a publicist for theatre and dance companies like The Royal Ballet and Rambert.

The idea of exercise and sleeping outdoors used to completely baffle me, but while living in the city I began craving escapes to the countryside and somehow Chillo managed to convert me to hiking. I’ve since walked the coast of Cornwall and hiked 90 miles on my own through the Yorkshire Dales, as well as several other hair-brained adventures.

Having backpacked round South America ten years ago I’m looking forward to rediscovering it in a new light and getting acquainted with all things bicycle!

Milla