Everything was ready to go for the second leg of our long-anticipated challenge: money saved, prepping done and training complete. Our bikes were modified, kit list scrutinised, route finalised and camp stove meals tested (a few times over). I’d even decided this was the trip for sponsorship.

The challenge? Cycle from England to India and bike, hike, swim and climb in every country along the way. A long-term mission to help promote human-powered adventures and show the potential of lower-impact expeditions. My partner and I had already completed the first 1,000 miles from England to the French Alps, where we waited out the winter. Stage two would take us across the Alps into Northern Italy, through Eastern Europe and finally onto Turkey. A previous attempt to reach India had failed two years prior, so combined with the winter hiatus meant we were raring to go – that feeling of anticipation so hard to beat.

Our ambitious second-leg plans were announced in mid-January, with April 25th 2020 set as the departure date. Even with a distant rumbling on the eastern horizon, we were naive to what the future would bring. Life was already in our panniers and India in our sights.

Two months after making it official, everything came crashing down. We were sat on a train back to the UK, gear and disassembled bikes being shipped back by courier, along with our expedition dreams. The Coronavirus had put a temporary end to our challenge just weeks before it was due to begin. It would be postponed until international borders might open again – now it was time to return to base camp.