Great Britain Bicycle Ride 2012

INFORMATION & REGISTRATIONDOCKET

THE GREAT BRITAIN BICYCLE RIDEENGLAND TO SCOTLAND1 JUN - 22 JUN, 2012

INME LEARNING PVT LTD

new delhi4671 4663

bengaluru4155 4663

mumbai99200 64414

www.inme.inwww.facebook.com/inme.in

The Great Britain Bicycle Ride is a 19-day long cycling adventure offered by inme learning. There are only 15 seats available on the program.

Inme is the leading outdoor and adventure based program for 9-17 year olds in India. Last summer, inme successfuly ran the Great American Bicycle Ride program (Seattle to San Francisco on the west coast in the US) that was conducted on similar lines.

Visit our website www.inme.in for more about us.

vaibhav nijhowneVaibhav holds a professional degree in IT but gave up a successful stint in the software industry to pursue his passion for mountain biking and motorcycling. This stemmed from his upbringing in a family that is fond of nature and the outdoors, not to mention a love for all things two-wheeled! He has worked with inme since its inception as a course leader for the tough mountain biking program in the summer.

Apart from that, he also leads cycle and motorcycle tours in Rajasthan, Himachal, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and Ladakh. In his free time, he has organized and conducted multi-day MTB stage races in Himachal, Sikkim and Delhi NCR and has also built mountain bike parks in Mohali and Gujarat.

abhimanyu sharmaAn ardent biker and photographer in addition to being an IT whiz, Abhumanyu, a former IT Engineer, was bitten by the outdoor bug early in life. He is a part of the inme marketing team and also leads the mountain biking prorams at the inme summer programs. He has cycled and motorbiked extensively in the Garhwal Himalayas and is often spotted on the toughest dirt tracks in facing nature at its fiercest.

He helps in scouting new adventure routes and tracks and recently was on a high altitude trek to Chandrashila Peak at 13500 ft. He has been preparing extensively for the cycling trip in UK and is preparing to run the half marathon in early 2012.

nishwath hassanAn avid trekker, Nishwath looks after the inme operations in South India out of the Bengaluru office. She has led trek groups in the Western ghats, in the Himalayas and on the beaches of the eastern coast of India. She has cycled solo and in groups around the Colorado Mountains and in Cotwolds and Lake districts in England. She was also part of a team that designed a leadership expedition in Australia for 14-20 year olds around the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Nish has ben on outdoor and other learning programs with over 5000 children. She completed her National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Mountaineering course in 2010 and is a certified wilderness and First Aid Respondent from NOLS. She is also a certified potter and loves music and dance.

alina cren pripisAlina is originally from Romania, now settled in Scotland. A cycling enthusiast, trekker and a motorcyclist, she is a fitness freak who is preparing to participate in the Ironman Triathlon to be held in Norway in July 2012. She is looking forward to this GBBR trip as part of her preparation and practice. Based in Edinburgh, she has been key in designing and planning for the Great Britain Bike Ride and knows the area well.

Alina has travelled many countries was on a biking expedition to India in 2010. She has worked extensively in the field of outdoor education in Venezuela, Peru and other Latin American countries. She has been on a few trekking expeditions that have been over 2 months long, so living out of a rucksack comes easily to her!

inme – Great Britain Bicycle Ride 2012

trip overview Welcome to inme’s Great Britain Bicycle Ride (GBBR) - a remarkable journey through the plains of England to the highlands of Scotland. Expectedly, it is a journey marked by embracing history, enjoying bright sunshine, fighting the unpredictable UK rains and winds, admiring awe inspiring castles, and basking in the beautiful countryside rolling. The adventure will open in Brampton, England. This town near Carlisle was founded in the 7th century and is well known for the Hadrian’s Wall, often described as the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. Your first day on the program will give you an opportunity to immerse in the local culture – be it visiting the St. Martin’s church, the octagonal Moot Hall where you can learn about the history of the place, or grabbing a cup of coffee with the locals in one of the many historic buildings built with the local red sandstone. Your cycle ride unleashes with a 50 kilometer run to Langholm, Dumfires where you will stay at the Ewes Water Caravan and Camping park in serene surroundings ideally suited to relax in after your first day of cycling. The initial phase of your adventure will be spent riding through Innerleithen, Edinburgh, Stirling, Callander, Crian larich, and Glen Coe over a challenging but exhilarating 310 kilometers over five days. Interestingly, Edinburgh is the place where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The layout of Hogwarts was inspired by both Edinburg and Stirling castles. As you gradually increase the distance travelled each day, you will get acclimatized to the physical exertion of cycling, the road rules, and the daily program schedule. And then it is time to head to Fort William, the mecca of downhill mountain biking! In fact, the world down hill championship is held here every year so you would be testing your skills at the site of champions. We will also use this as our rest day to explore the largest town in Scotland which is also known as the “Outdoor Capital of the UK” due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. The next part of our adventure will commence with a speedy 52 kilometers to Fort Augustus followed by something you can tell your grand children one day – your ride along the banks of the legendary Loch Ness! Who knows, you may just see “Nessie” (what the locals affectionately call the crptozoolgical Loch Ness monster) pop up his head for a look at the soon to be legendary inme adventurers from India? The ride of a lifetime continues to Balconie, St. Evanton followed by Lairg Sutherland, and Melvich, near the mouth of the River Halladale. Your trip will finish with an exciting and breezy 62 kilometer push to John o’ Groats in Scotland where you will interact with “Groatsers” (the local people) telling them about your amazing cycle adventure. A fitting destination, John o’ Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland, popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain. From here we transfer to Inverness airport and catch our flight back to London. We spend the day celebrating our 800 kilometer ride, saying hello to Big Ben, eating some chicken tikka masala (the most popular dish in the UK!), shopping for souvenirs, and taking photos to capture the last leg of our wonderful memories with our cycling team.


On this epic adventure, you will average 50 kilometers per day, with a total of 800 kilometers throughout the trip. Although you will travel self-supported, carrying everything you need, a road support vehicle will travel with you throughout your journey.

To add to the physical challenge of the trip, you will also be given an opportunity to

interact with the local population and practice your planning, budgeting and creative skills. You will stop at local markets and grocery stores everyday to purchase daily rations for organizing six meals a day for the group – delectable enough to tempt everyone’s appetite, nutritious enough to keep everyone well fueled and energized for loads of fun, and quick enough to leave time for relaxation!

You will be staying in various beautiful and well-maintained camping grounds and inns in

England and Scotland. After you pitch tents or settle in your lodging for the day, you will check out the historic towns, play games, and cook a delicious dinner before heading to bed to be well rested for what is in store for you the next day.


eligibility · You are born between 1 Jan 1995 and 31 Dec 1998

· You are at least 5 ft in height

· You are able to mount and dismount a bicycle without assistance

· You are confident and comfortable cycling both on and off road

More importantly, you must be a willing participant who can physically stretch to walk/cycle for 4-5 hours in a day. Though the selected route has been successfully covered by the suggested age group many times and will be filled with fun and adventure, this is not a joy ride. Instructors and trip leaders will not be able to help you physically. You must also be willing to maintain a high level of discipline, adherence to group leader instructions, and commitment to the group.

visa requirement · A valid tourist visa to travel to the UK.

If you do not have a valid UK visa, you will need to arrange an interview with the UK High Commission to obtain the visa. Inme will provide assistance with relevant documents and information. Please note that obtaining a UK tourist visa is a long process - it could take between 30 to 60 days beginning from the interview at the embassy until the final procurement of the visa.

application In order to complete your registration, you need to provide

A detailed application filled by you

A consent form signed by your parent/ legal guardian

A detailed health form duly filled by your parent/legal guardian and a physician. This includes a physical fitness certificate attesting that you are free of any ailment or disability that could hamper your participation and safety.

Payment of program fee

Once enrolled we will be in touch with you via email regarding the preparation for the trip. We will send you a fitness plan that you should follow. This will start 8 weeks before the program to make sure you have the physical ability to overcome all challenges thrown at you in this trip.

The program is not recommended for people with history of severe asthma, heart related issues, epilepsy or highly impaired vision.


program fee The program fee is Rs 1,50,000 + GBP 1250 for estimated expenses in the UK.

This fee and estimated expenses will cover:

The whole program coordination from England to Scotland

Inme Course Leaders to escort and take care of the group - both ways

All meals and food supplies as planned for this self-sustaining trip

Accommodation (England and Scotland in inns/ hotels and other places on organized camping grounds)

Transfers to and from airports

The bike is yours! It will be a great souvenir to cherish. The cost of getting the bike back is included in the fee.

DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Cost of air travel. We have an attractive deal with our chosen airlines that is valid up to a certain date. Please ask for specific details.

Visa fee and related expenses.

Personal clothing and equipment for the trip (sleeping bag, clothes, helmet etc). We can guide you or have this arranged for you at cost.

(see kit list in this docket).

travel The trip is planned as a biking adventure trip with the flights worked out for New Delhi – London – New Delhi. The travel dates are fixed. We leave New Delhi on June 1, 2012 and arrive back from London on June 22, 2012.The trip has been planned in great detail with our instructors having scouted the route in advance.

As mentioned, this is a popular biking adventure and has been attempted by many participants in the recommended age group. There are sections that have specified cycling routes and camping spots at appropriate distances.


equipment list This list will assist you in knowing what to bring. Please pay close attention to this list as, on a self sustained biking program both the quantity and quality of equipment matter a great deal.

Do not treat this process like packing for a summer program as there is no campus and fixed tents where a little extra stuff does not matter. Every little item that you carry must fit into your panniers (saddle bags). We will carry all of our gear on our bikes, so the lighter the better!

Please bring only the items on this list. The list below is in accordance with the expected cold & wet weather. Please pack everything into a duffle bag (soft, foldable), no rucksacks or suitcases.

We cannot stress enough on the point of not carrying extra stuff. Do remember that other than your personal items you will be responsible for carrying group gear on your bikes as well, i.e. tent, cooking stove and utensils, food, etc. You need all the space and weight you can spare!

Upper Body Layers ITEMS REMARKS2 biking t-shirts Quick drying material, NOT COTTON1 shirt to wear around camp 1 warm full-sleeved woolen upper Warm, NOT COTTON1 warm full-sleeved fleece Warm1 rain jacket NO PONCHOS! You could be biking the entire day in rain

Lower Body Layer

2 padded biking shorts They must be padded biking shorts1 pair of camp shorts Quick drying material1 pair of camp pants Warm track pants / fleece bottoms, Not Jeans 4 pairs of undergarments 1 pair rain pants

Head, Neck and Hand layers

Warm cap A warm hat made of wool or fleece.Ear band To covers ears in cold weather. Not needed if your cap does this Gloves Warm fleece or woolen gloves, not leather

Footwear

1 pair shoes Sturdy shoes for biking (like running shoes)4 pairs of biking socks 1 pair of floaters/sandals Something that can be wornaround camp and in water

Assorted items

Biking Helmet Make sure its a good fitBiking Gloves Swimsuit / trunks Water will be cold but there will be days when we step in for swimSunglasses Torch / head lamp Small, extra batteriesBottles / Hydration pack 2 one litre bottles and/or a camelback with a 2-litre capacity 1 plastic bowl 1 knife, fork, spoon Preferably plasticLarge ziplock bags 5-6 bags for wet items


Toiletries Toothbrush & toothpaste Travel size pasteBar of soap In a plastic soap container and zip lockShampoo/conditioner Small bottle Deodorant SmallSunscreen SPF 30 or higherLip balm / cold cream SmallBug spray Quick drying towel Medium size

Sleeping Gear

Sleeping Bag 0˚C or lowerSleeping bag compression sack Good quality compression sack to reduce the volume Sleeping Mat Thermarest or other inflatable matsSleeping Mat compression sack Good quality compression sack to reduce the volume

Optional Items

Camera Batteries or charger with converter plugBook Something to read in your free timeDairy / Journal Highly recommended Money Maximum of GBP 150 (cash/ prepaid card / traveler cheques)International calling card To call home when possible

Do Not Carry

Mobile phone No signal most of the time, little to no chance of charging. iPods or similar devices Absolutely not allowed when on your bike, no ease of charging

Tips:

1. Wear the track pants in your list during your flight to and from UK, it will save one additional item to carry.

2. Wear floaters on the flight, you’ll find them more comfortable.

3. If your wear contact-lenses, we would strongly suggest carrying a pair of prescription glasses as well. For the ones who prefer glasses please carry an extra pair.

Please ensure you buy equipment as specified and rated. We will be glad to guide you with your purchasing. Write to [email protected]


preparing for the trip

This summer you will be bicycling 800 kilometers. With a little effort you can prepare yourself physically and be ready to rock out while we ride the coast! If you follow the recommendations below you will have no problem completing the trip. We expect everybody to show up with a reasonable level of fitness and be ready to ride.

Biking is the best way to prepare for biking. If you have access to a bike - ride it. If not, substitute some other form of cardiovascular exercise: running, football, swimming, etc. The workout below is for a bike.

While you can miss out a session or two in a week due to homework, family commitments and life in general, we recommend you maintain your fitness so that we have a smooth ride once we start off in England!

This program begins 8 weeks before the trip and guides you through daily workouts all the way to the week before we meet you in England!

Once you register, we will be in touch with you during the 8 weeks before the trip to keep track of your progress.

Week Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

8 45 min off 30 min off 45 min off 90 min 7 45 min off 30 min off 45 min off off 6 90 min 45 min off 30 min off off 90 min 5 90 min 45 min off 30 min 30 min off 2 hours 4 90 min 30 min off 45 min off off 2 hours 3 90 min 45 min 45 min 45 min 45 min 90 min 2 hours 2 2 hours 45 min 45 min 30 min 30 min off 2 hours 1 60 min 60 min 60 min 60 min 60 min off off

Visualize yourself on this trip.

Think of the fun moments and the tough parts. Imagine not giving up when you are tired and really stretching yourself.

Imagine yourself atop the Scottish highlands posing with you cycle for a group snap!


trip leaders, safety and support

This adventure has been planned in great detail. Additionally, we have recently been on a scouting trip on the exact route to detail the logistics. As mentioned, this is a popular biking route and has been attempted by many participants in the recommended age group. There are sections that have specified cycling routes and camping spots at appropriate distances.

• The accompanying Instructors include qualified first aiders. • The UK has reliable emergency services. • All participants will be insured for the trip (part of the program fee). Please note that this insurance covers certain aspects of medical emergencies and conditions so please read the terms of coverage carefully.

We have 4 program leaders to take care of the group’s safety. Abhimanyu and Nishwath will accompany the group to and from India and Vaibhav and Alina will join the group in London.

To give you an idea about the kind of leaders inme proudly works with, a short profile of each of them appears on the next page.

vaibhav nijhowneVaibhav holds a professional degree in IT but gave up a successful stint in the software industry to pursue his passion for mountain biking and motorcycling. This stemmed from his upbringing in a family that is fond of nature and the outdoors, not to mention a love for all things two-wheeled! He has worked with inme since its inception as a course leader for the tough mountain biking program in the summer.

Apart from that, he also leads cycle and motorcycle tours in Rajasthan, Himachal, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and Ladakh. In his free time, he has organized and conducted multi-day MTB stage races in Himachal, Sikkim and Delhi NCR and has also built mountain bike parks in Mohali and Gujarat.

abhimanyu sharmaAn ardent biker and photographer in addition to being an IT whiz, Abhumanyu, a former IT Engineer, was bitten by the outdoor bug early in life. He is a part of the inme marketing team and also leads the mountain biking prorams at the inme summer programs. He has cycled and motorbiked extensively in the Garhwal Himalayas and is often spotted on the toughest dirt tracks in facing nature at its fiercest.

He helps in scouting new adventure routes and tracks and recently was on a high altitude trek to Chandrashila Peak at 13500 ft. He has been preparing extensively for the cycling trip in UK and is preparing to run the half marathon in early 2012.

nishwath hassanAn avid trekker, Nishwath looks after the inme operations in South India out of the Bengaluru office. She has led trek groups in the Western ghats, in the Himalayas and on the beaches of the eastern coast of India. She has cycled solo and in groups around the Colorado Mountains and in Cotwolds and Lake districts in England. She was also part of a team that designed a leadership expedition in Australia for 14-20 year olds around the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Nish has ben on outdoor and other learning programs with over 5000 children. She completed her National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Mountaineering course in 2010 and is a certified wilderness and First Aid Respondent from NOLS. She is also a certified potter and loves music and dance.

alina cren pripisAlina is originally from Romania, now settled in Scotland. A cycling enthusiast, trekker and a motorcyclist, she is a fitness freak who is preparing to participate in the Ironman Triathlon to be held in Norway in July 2012. She is looking forward to this GBBR trip as part of her preparation and practice. Based in Edinburgh, she has been key in designing and planning for the Great Britain Bike Ride and knows the area well.

Alina has travelled many countries was on a biking expedition to India in 2010. She has worked extensively in the field of outdoor education in Venezuela, Peru and other Latin American countries. She has been on a few trekking expeditions that have been over 2 months long, so living out of a rucksack comes easily to her!

INFORMATION & REGISTRATIONDOCKET

THE GREAT BRITAIN BICYCLE RIDEENGLAND TO SCOTLAND1 JUN - 22 JUN, 2012

INME LEARNING PVT LTD

new delhi4671 4663

bengaluru4155 4663

mumbai99200 64414

www.inme.inwww.facebook.com/inme.in

The Great Britain Bicycle Ride is a 19-day long cycling adventure offered by inme learning. There are only 15 seats available on the program.

Inme is the leading outdoor and adventure based program for 9-17 year olds in India. Last summer, inme successfuly ran the Great American Bicycle Ride program (Seattle to San Francisco on the west coast in the US) that was conducted on similar lines.

Visit our website www.inme.in for more about us.

Documents

Great Britain Bicycle Ride 2012