Tower to Tower 2018

Tower to Tower 2018 – Paris to London by bikes, boats and boots

Tower to Tower is a unique and gruelling challenge starting in the shadow of The Eiffel Tower in Paris and ending, 350 miles and 4 long days later, at the iconic Tower Bridge in London.

Team Tower to Tower will be the first to take on this epic challenge. With the help of bikes, boats and boots, the team of 12 “ordinary people” will travel 350 miles following the River Seine, traversing the busiest shipping channel in the world and then trekking their way to London and the finish line – non-stop for 4 days.

All this for a Good Cause – The Donna Louise – hospice for children and young adults

Tower to Tower aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children and young people with shortened life expectancy and their families, including severe sleep deprivation. Many children and young people with life threatening conditions require round-the-clock care and sleep can become a challenge for the parents and carers who look after them.

The Donna Louise provides a vital helping hand in the form of respite stays so that families can get the rest they desperately need, safe in the knowledge that their child is well cared for.

During this challenge, Team Tower to Tower will be facing severe fatigue and sleep deprivation in an attempt to raise awareness of how hard it is to function physically, emotionally and psychologically on limited sleep. In addition, they will be dealing with sea sickness, rough seas, blisters, and aching muscles – for 4 very, very long days.

The team aims to raise £100,000 to support the work of Nurses at the Hospice who can provide specialist care and support and ensure they get the vital respite care they need.

The Challenge

The first leg of the journey sees the team take to their bikes to cycle from The Eiffel Tower to the port of Le Havre, following the famous River Seine as it meanders its way to the sea. With just a few short rest stops along the way to grab some refreshments and make any necessary repairs to bikes and bodies, the team will push through the estimated 18-hour ride reaching the port of Le Havre in the middle of the night.

After a short rest stop, the team will embark on what is set to be the longest and most challenging section of the journey. After little or no sleep, the team takes to the seas in a wooden rowing boat, braving tides, sea sickness, blisters and strong winds to row the 100 miles across the channel to Brighton. A 2 hour on 2 hours off relay format enables the boat to keep moving at all times but means that, for around 40 hours, team members will have just 2 hours at a time to change out of wet clothes, grab some sustenance and a few moments sleep before getting back in the rowing boat for their next 2 hour rowing shift.

The final leg of the journey starts at Brighton Marina and takes the team on a 60 mile, 24-hour trek to London, navigating all sorts of terrain including fields, canal tow paths, walking paths and busy roads, facing many of these obstacles during night time hours. This last big push to London comes after travelling around 300 miles, deprived of sleep, and pushing bodies and minds to the limit!

After 350 miles and a non-stop 4 days of travelling by bikes, boats and boots, Team Tower to Tower will arrive in London, taking their final steps over the iconic Tower Bridge to the finish line in the shadow of this historic landmark.