Arctic to Antarctica by Motorcycle

ExpeditionTrips’ clients, Wade Stubbs and Philip Atkinson of Bergalia County, Australia, are on an extraordinary motorcycle journey from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle, raising money to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The Bergalia Boys aim to cover over 38,000 miles by motorbike in eight months, and will conclude with an Antarctic Circle Crossing trip aboard the Expedition, arranged by ExpeditionTrips.

As one of the Bergalia Boys’ sponsors, ExpeditionTrips’ President Ashton Palmer said, “We are proud to be supporting the Bergalia Boys’ incredible Circle to Circle expedition and their quest to turn miles into wishes. Their desire for adventure and to help others is both admirable and consistent with our company’s core values.”

The ExpeditionTrips’ team welcomed the Bergalia Boys to Alki Beach in West Seattle this July. Some of us even got a brief taste of what it feels like aboard their BMW motorbikes!

Salty’s on Alki was the backdrop for drinks, food and sharing travel stories from the Bergalia Boys first month on the road, and their plans for the seven months ahead.

The Bergalia Boys are taking their time on the journey to fully experience the places they visit, whether it’s going on a hike up Mt. Cecil in Alaska, volunteering at a wildlife recovery center, or taking a less direct but more scenic path along the way. From the United States, they will cross the border into Mexico, explore from Guatemala to Panama, and then their adventure will take them along the west coast of South America before embarking the Expedition in Ushuaia, Argentina in February 2012.

Wade Stubbs and Philip Atkinson said, “Initially, ‘Circle to Circle’ was to be something special for us. An achievement we could look back on for the rest of our lives and smile, to feel proud of. We wanted the kind of experience that in years to come will make our old eyes sparkle as we tell stories and re-live adventures from an age ago. As plans developed, it made us aware how fortunate we are to experience such a trip. It made us think that as we follow our dreams it would be fantastic to help others achieve theirs.”

The Bergalia Boys chose to dedicate their ride to charity by supporting the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The Circle to Circle journey has raised more than $13,000. When the Bergalia Boys embark the Expedition for the Antarctic Circle, they hope to have raised $100,000. “It has become more than just an adventure. We now have a purpose, traveling from Circle to Circle turning Miles into Wishes,” said Stubbs and Atkinson.

Since the Bergalia Boys rode through Seattle, they’ve visited Hood River in Oregon, hiked through Glacier National Park in Montana, watched geysers in Yellowstone National Park, discovered Yosemite National Park in California, and explored Zion National Park in Utah.

For more information, visit www.bergaliaboys.com.