Cycle Completed

The journey is complete

Our MD, Davie Gowans, has just completed his charity cycle in Malawi! Although Davie doesn't have access to the internet at the moment he has been in touch and given an update on the group's progress. Everyone involved agreed that the trip was an amazing experience and they are all now relaxing with cold beer prior to a special dinner tonight to celebrate their achievements.

The scenery was out of this world at Mulanje Mountain and is something that will live long in the memory of Davie and the others. Tomorrow the group will visit a local school before a long transfer back to Lilongwe where they will stay overnight before flying to Nairobi on Sunday for the return flight to Heathrow.

Today and tomorrow's official itinerary are as follows:

Friday 22 July - Blantyre to Mulanje
The final day of cycling!!

• Cycling east towards Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve, a vast isolated granite massif rising sharply above the plains. The last 2km are steep uphill!
• Known as the ‘Island in the Sky’, it consists of numerous plateaus, peaks & basins interspersed with deep ravines.
• Overnight stay at Kara O Mula Lodge. This evening we will enjoy a special meal to celebrate our achievements.

Saturday 23 July - Mulanje School Project Visit

• This morning we visit Thawale Primary School, a school that LINK is working with in Mulanje and you will have the opportunity to see a community School Performance Appraisal Meeting in action.
• In the afternoon we transfer back to Lilongwe where we will overnight in our hotel.

Davie will be updating his blog with more details when he and his beloved iPad are reconnected with the internet.

Congratulations to Davie and the rest of the group from IQA for completing this cycle for a great cause!!

Greetings from Malawi

I am now in Malawi and am having a brilliant time. On the second day we covered approx. 100 kms and yesterday we did 70 kms to the Zomba Plateau which is a mountain higher than Ben Nevis. My friend Paul and I dressed up as Batman and Robin for the cycle yesterday which was a great laugh but very warm, it amused the Malawian people greatly too.

I am feeling really good, cycling with a good bunch of people and enjoying the beautiful scenery and the Malawi people are amazing and very friendly. We visited one school where we met lots of children and if we pass them on the road they always wave to us.

Every morning we wake up at 6am, enjoy a buffet breakfast and prepare for the cycle ahead by completing a warm up before we leave at 8am. We arrive at our overnight stops between 4pm-5pm where we eat dinner together and are briefed for the next day’s cycle.

We are now heading south to Blantyre and I have taken lots of photos and videos however, you’ll probably have to wait till I get back before you can see them as the internet connection is very poor out here.

Hope you are all keeping well.

Davie

Davie's Cafe Malawi

On Monday 11th July David Gowans, MD of IQA turned tea boy for the morning. He set up a table in reception serving pain au chocolate, croissants, sweets and hot drinks for a donation which went directly to LINK Community Development. This was not only a great treat for the staff on a Monday morning, but he managed to raise over £60.

A big thanks to everyone for your support.

Less than two weeks...

With less than 2 weeks to go until the Malawi cycle, there was a lot more training at the weekend. It was also very nice to get some sunshine for a change in Glasgow! I was out both days at the weekend with the highlight being Sunday’s cycle to Loch Lomond and back. Another highlight was the pint of Cider in the sunshine at Balloch! In terms of fitness, I’m feeling great and ready for the 370km challenge. More training is arranged this week before more of a rest in the final days before I leave.

Practice Run to Falkirk Wheel

On Saturday 25th I had another great training session for the build-up to Malawi. I cycled just under 50 miles from Glasgow to the Falkirk Wheel, and back again. It was a great run along the canal path and a decent day for it. The way back was a bit tougher and yet again in good old Scottish fashion, the rain came on! Still, it was good training and not too difficult. It’s now under 3 weeks until I fly to Malawi and the excitement is building up. It’s going to be a great feeling knowing that the money raised is helping the communities and schools in Malawi. 

Edinburgh to St Andrews

Saturday 18th June

This has got to be the most difficult cycling event I have ever endured. It was the longest at 68 miles but it was the weather that made it a lot worse than any other. I joined fellow participants of the forthcoming Malawi trip in Edinburgh where we set off at 8:45am. There was over a thousand riders and we started at the back as we only just arrived on time. The first part if the trip was through the busy roads in Edinburgh as we headed to South Queensferry.

One of the most iconic parts was our journey over the Forth road bridge before travelling through Fife. The route didn’t take us up the scenic coastal road, but instead through the countryside. This is where the weather turned worse with heavy rainfall. There was also a difficult climb up some large hills into some dense woodlands. It looked great but felt cold and wet, and we were greeted by the most bizarre scene of an ice cream van parked up there in the wilderness. It didn’t stop a few of us grabbing a 99-er cone to celebrate our achievement thus far! There was a good downhill from here and then we had a proper rest stop at Kinross where the organisers had set up a community hall with food and hot drinks.

The weather then turned better as we travelled through the beautiful Fife countryside and things felt better. There were some excellent climbs along the way which were good from a training perspective, although it didn’t feel like that at the time! We travelled another 20 miles before the final stop and had a cup of tea and cake from the local Kirk. The last 20 miles to St Andrews was fun. Rain, wind, hills, more rain, stronger wind, and a sore knee. It was a great test of mental attitude and will power. It was after 5pm that I arrived at the beach road in St Andrews and it was a great feeling. Soaked, tired and sore but still with a smile on the face as I entered the pub for a well deserved pint!

The Last Stretch

Friday 17th June

With only 4 weeks until the Malawi trip, training has not been as intense as it should be. However, tomorrow I am taking part in my biggest cycling challenge so far, by joining the charity ride from Edinburgh to St Andrews. All 68 miles of it. The weather forecast is cloudy with scattered showers so hopefully the rain and wind stays away! I will be joined by several other participants who are going on the Malawi trip, and a big thank you to Evans Halshaw who have donated a minibus for the weekend to get us to Edinburgh and back. I’ll write more on Monday and tell you about the trip.

Wish me luck!

Davie