<strong>Frozen road: </strong>In 2014, 22-year-old Ben Page set off on a round-the-world adventure by bike. The pinnacle of the trip was cycling through the Canadian Arctic in winter. Here he rides on the frozen McKenzie river.
Frozen road: In 2014, 22-year-old Ben Page set off on a round-the-world adventure by bike. The pinnacle of the trip was cycling through the Canadian Arctic in winter. Here he rides on the frozen McKenzie river.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Ice mustache:</strong> Temperatures dipped as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius during his journey through the Canadian Arctic.
Ice mustache: Temperatures dipped as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius during his journey through the Canadian Arctic.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Northern Lights:</strong> Page carried a tent with him, camping most nights apart from the rare occasions he found a cabin to take shelter in. Here, he pitched his tent under the Northern lights in Canada.
Northern Lights: Page carried a tent with him, camping most nights apart from the rare occasions he found a cabin to take shelter in. Here, he pitched his tent under the Northern lights in Canada.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Solitude:</strong> Page climbs through the Richardson Mountains, a range of the Canadian Rockies that sits near the border between Yukon and Northwest Territories. Being alone in the vast, spectacular landscape was a humbling experience for Page. You realize "how tiny you are, how enormous and beautiful the world is, and how finite your life is," he says.
Solitude: Page climbs through the Richardson Mountains, a range of the Canadian Rockies that sits near the border between Yukon and Northwest Territories. Being alone in the vast, spectacular landscape was a humbling experience for Page. You realize "how tiny you are, how enormous and beautiful the world is, and how finite your life is," he says.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Arctic push:</strong> Page caught his arduous journey through the Arctic on film, producing a documentary, "<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.benpagefilms.com%2Ffilms%2Fthe-frozen-road%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">The Frozen Road</a>." Despite having barely used a camera before his trip, the film headlined the Banff Mountain Film Festival, won "best adventure film" at the New York Wild Film Festival 2018 and "best director" at the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival.<br />
Arctic push: Page caught his arduous journey through the Arctic on film, producing a documentary, "The Frozen Road." Despite having barely used a camera before his trip, the film headlined the Banff Mountain Film Festival, won "best adventure film" at the New York Wild Film Festival 2018 and "best director" at the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Blizzard: </strong>Page cycles through a snowstorm on the Dempster highway, Canada's first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle. He had to contend with severe weather conditions during the Arctic leg, and as the storms set him back he feared his carefully rationed food may not last.
Blizzard: Page cycles through a snowstorm on the Dempster highway, Canada's first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle. He had to contend with severe weather conditions during the Arctic leg, and as the storms set him back he feared his carefully rationed food may not last.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Patagonia: </strong>Page started his trip at the tip of South America. He cycled up the Andes, camping one night beneath Mount Fitzroy, Patagonia.
Patagonia: Page started his trip at the tip of South America. He cycled up the Andes, camping one night beneath Mount Fitzroy, Patagonia.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Volcano vistas:</strong> Page watches the sunset over Volcan Villarica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, 470 miles south of Santiago. Cycling the Andes was one of Page's favorite sections: "I'm a physical geographer, I love my mountains and my glaciers," he says.
Volcano vistas: Page watches the sunset over Volcan Villarica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, 470 miles south of Santiago. Cycling the Andes was one of Page's favorite sections: "I'm a physical geographer, I love my mountains and my glaciers," he says.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Georgia:</strong> After the Americas, Page moved on to Asia, Africa and finally Europe, taking planes between continents. Here, he rides through the Georgian Caucasus, a mountainous region on the border between Asia and Europe.
Georgia: After the Americas, Page moved on to Asia, Africa and finally Europe, taking planes between continents. Here, he rides through the Georgian Caucasus, a mountainous region on the border between Asia and Europe.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Mongolia:</strong> Throughout the trip, Page had a fond relationship with locals. He says that arriving in places by bike, rather than "some expensive SUV," broke down barriers immediately. "You're approachable," he says, "people would come over and talk to me."<br />
Mongolia: Throughout the trip, Page had a fond relationship with locals. He says that arriving in places by bike, rather than "some expensive SUV," broke down barriers immediately. "You're approachable," he says, "people would come over and talk to me."
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Uzbekistan: </strong>Page rode through all kinds of landscapes, from desert plains to mountains and forests. The Arctic was the coldest, with temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius, but the hottest he experienced was 55 degrees Celsius in the Sudanese Sahara. Here, Page sets up camp for a night in the Karakalpakstan desert, Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan: Page rode through all kinds of landscapes, from desert plains to mountains and forests. The Arctic was the coldest, with temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius, but the hottest he experienced was 55 degrees Celsius in the Sudanese Sahara. Here, Page sets up camp for a night in the Karakalpakstan desert, Uzbekistan.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>African Christmas: </strong>Page spent Christmas day in South Africa. Despite his love for adventure, Page did miss home. "A lot of the time I just wanted to be whisked to London, to wherever my friends were, and spend a night in the pub," he says.
African Christmas: Page spent Christmas day in South Africa. Despite his love for adventure, Page did miss home. "A lot of the time I just wanted to be whisked to London, to wherever my friends were, and spend a night in the pub," he says.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Fatbike:</strong> Page cycles along a gravel track at sunset, in South Africa. He rode a "fatbike," an off-road bicycle with oversized tires, designed to handle the roughest of surfaces. <br />
Fatbike: Page cycles along a gravel track at sunset, in South Africa. He rode a "fatbike," an off-road bicycle with oversized tires, designed to handle the roughest of surfaces.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Off-road:</strong> Page would try to follow off-road routes in the countries he traveled through. Here, he rides on a narrow mountainous track in the southern African country Lesotho.
Off-road: Page would try to follow off-road routes in the countries he traveled through. Here, he rides on a narrow mountainous track in the southern African country Lesotho.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Lesotho: </strong>Page rides past the 192-meter-high Maletsunyane Falls in Lesotho. He has film footage of the whole trip, but has so far only documented the Arctic leg. Page's master plan is to produce a 90-minute film of the journey, but he estimates this will take at least six months to make. <br />
Lesotho: Page rides past the 192-meter-high Maletsunyane Falls in Lesotho. He has film footage of the whole trip, but has so far only documented the Arctic leg. Page's master plan is to produce a 90-minute film of the journey, but he estimates this will take at least six months to make.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Sleeping rough: </strong>Page finds shelter in a Maasai cave in southern Kenya. <br />
Sleeping rough: Page finds shelter in a Maasai cave in southern Kenya.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>The Italian Alps: </strong>Page had saved about £9,000 ($12,200) for the three-year trip, but he didn't spend it all. He budgeted just £3 ($4) a day, and the remainder was for additional costs, such as flights and repairs.
The Italian Alps: Page had saved about £9,000 ($12,200) for the three-year trip, but he didn't spend it all. He budgeted just £3 ($4) a day, and the remainder was for additional costs, such as flights and repairs.
Courtesy of Ben Page
<strong>Homecoming: </strong>All in all, the trip was about 40,000 miles. In 2017, Page finally made it back home, and was reunited with his parents.
Homecoming: All in all, the trip was about 40,000 miles. In 2017, Page finally made it back home, and was reunited with his parents.
Courtesy of Ben Page