Going Global
Going Global pair reach Istanbul
Going Global riders Clarisse von Wunschheim and Mark Dembitz have completed their 16,000km journey from Beijing to Istanbul. The pair rode to the Turkish capital aboard BMW F 650 GS motorcycles to experience new cultures on their epic once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Swiss citizens also found time to help generate awareness of climate change, promote sustainable motor travel and raise funds for SCCF, a new international foundation formed to combat global warming.
Clarisse and Mark met in Switzerland five years ago through a mutual friend and soon struck up a close friendship. By coincidence, the acquaintances soon found themselves working in Beijing and after enjoying the delights of life in China, they decided to head back to Europe. Rather than booking a ticket on a plane, they decided to travel by motorcycle, using the opportunity to raise awareness of climate change along the way. The Going Global adventure was born.
Having packed their motorcycles and planned the journey, Clarisse and Mark departed Beijing on 4 May on a route which included China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbijan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. Clarisse knew that they had to arrive in Istanbul by the end of July in order to catch a flight back to Switzerland where she was due to complete her PhD studies. However, there was still time in the itinerary for the pair to enjoy the ride and to indulge in different cultures.
With barely two years’ riding experience between them, the project was ambitious. “Mark and I didn’t have vast experience on a bike,” admits Clarisse. “He passed his bike test last year and has only ever ridden BMW motorcycles, so he was familiar with the F 650 GS Dakar. I have one year’s motorcycling experience but hadn’t ridden motorcycles for around six years and hadn’t done any adventure motorcycling before the Going Global project.”
Despite their lack of experience, Clarisse and Mark completed their life-changing journey on 27 July – 82 days after leaving Beijing.
“I feel privileged to have been able to go on the journey,” Clarisse reflects. “I had the time and money to go and had no commitments holding me back. However, it takes guts to decide to put your life on hold for two months and tour the world. You need to have the confidence to grab the opportunity while it’s there. Many people would make excuses and ignore their desire to go touring, just because they are scared of the unknown, but really there’s nothing to be scared of!”
Climate change has become an ever-present issue in modern society, with governments throughout the world acknowledging its implications. Yet in the face of growing awareness of the issue, Clarisse and Mark felt more needed to be done. Keen to play their part in raising the profile of environmental issues, they decided to make their trip carbon neutral.
“We kept an accurate log of daily time and distance travelled as well as fuel usage and the quantity and quality of petrol,” says Mark. “Based on this data, we were able to approximate the quantity of carbon dioxide we emitted during the trip. We then secured credits [one credit is equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide] to offset our carbon emissions.”
So, after over two months, eight countries and 16,000km, does Clarisse believe the trip was a success? “I think the tour was a huge success!” she confirms. “We arrived in Istanbul without injury or damage to our bikes and we were on schedule
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“It’s difficult to say whether we’ve been successful in spreading the message of climate change and sustainability – I think we have been affected by the journey more than anybody else! During the trip we travelled through some beautiful countries and were struck by how breathtaking our surroundings were. Seeing the diversity of nature along the way reaffirmed that the planet is fragile and we must look after it.”
Away from the pressing matter of environmental issues, Clarisse and Mark were able to make the most of the freedom offered by their bikes and the open road. Clarisse believes that work commitments and her recent engagement mean that she is unlikely to be able complete a trip on this scale again. Nevertheless, the Going Global journey provided her with a sense of perspective and some cherished memories.
“I enjoyed every second of the trip, but there were some highlights,” she concludes. “The landscape and scenery in Kyrgyzstan were phenomenal and provided some excellent riding. The people in Uzbekistan and Georgia were generous and invited us for lunch, offered us drinks and a place to park our bikes in the evening.
“What struck me throughout the journey was despite what you may see in the media about these ‘unknown’ lands, human beings are the same wherever you go in the world. It proves that you should never have preconceived ideas about somewhere until you visit, as what you find might surprise you.”
Visit www.gglobal.org for more information on Clarisse and Mark’s journey and the Going Global adventure.
