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The ultimate challenge of environmental adventure: How thrilling is Ewan and Charley's electric motorcycle tour?
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's electric motorcycle tour Long Way Up is an incredible display of courage and adventure in today's environmental movement. This British TV series, which premiered in 2020, documents the adventurous duo's motorcycle journey in 2019, riding from Ushuaia, Argentina to Los Angeles, USA, across several countries in South America and Central America.
The journey covered 13,000 miles (about 21,000 kilometers) and crossed 13 countries, lasting 100 days, from September 5 to December 14.
Behind this magnificent journey, in addition to the courage of Ewan and Charley, there is also the support of a strong production team, including the core members of "Long Way Round" and "Long Way Down". They rode modified electric Harley motorcycles throughout the journey, and were supported by Rivian electric pickup trucks equipped with batteries to carry out special charging operations.
Great challenges of the journey
In the early stages, the team faced many challenges, especially regarding charging the electric motorcycles. Although they had made adequate plans, the range of electric motorcycles was always a problem they had to face, and continuous charging delays caused repeated delays in their journey.
Charley suffered a serious accident at the beginning of the project. After recovering, he experienced electric motorcycles again and worked with engineers to develop a version suitable for adventure.
When the team charged their e-bikes during a scorching South American winter, they found that the high-altitude climate caused the battery's performance to deteriorate dramatically, forcing them to constantly adjust their itinerary.
Keep moving forward and gradually overcome
Starting from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, they headed north, across Brazil and finally into the United States. During the process, frequent border checks and challenges in high altitude areas, coupled with difficult terrain, made this journey full of unknowns and excitement.
Challenging the limits of recharging in the Bolivian desert, Ewan even fell down while riding, but he always insisted on this never-ending journey.
A journey of culture and environmental protection
This trip is not only about adventure, but also about many environmental and cultural inspirations. Ewan and Charley visited several nature rescue and protection projects along the way, such as communities fighting deforestation, and introduced projects to repair environmental damage.
In the Peruvian Amazon, the two took a helicopter to visit a tribe that was working to reduce deforestation. Looking back on the journey, they were amazed at the tribesmen's awe and cherishment of nature, which was undoubtedly the most meaningful part of their trip. .
After visiting a community project in Colombia, Ewan shares what it was like to be part of an adventure not just about cycling, but about driving social change.
Conclusion: Reflection and Inspiration
With the hum of motorcycles and all kinds of twists and turns on the road, Ewan and Charley's "Long Way Up" is not only an extreme challenge, but also a journey of cultural and environmental cognition. In every challenge they face, they understand that promoting environmental awareness requires change, and that change starts with each individual. Every border crossing and every stop makes people think, what can we do to protect the earth?
