Alasdair Fraser gears up for epic road trip to aid Ukraine with plans to cycle 1000 miles from Gdansk in Poland to the UK before finally enjoying a pint in Highland pub The Gellions to toast boost for charity War Child
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A HIGHLAND journalist is gearing up for an epic road trip this month to help Ukraine.
Alasdair Fraser, who is 51, will set off from Gdansk in Poland on Tuesday.
He will then pedal for 1000 miles through Germany, the Netherlands and the UK before enjoying a well-earned pint at The Gellions in the Highland capital.
Mr Fraser – whose work regularly appears in the Ross-shire Journal and sister paper North Star – said it would take a day or two to assemble the bike after he arrives in Poland because that would make the journey in a box.
The distance between Gdansk and Amsterdam is around 800 miles and Mr Fraser said he would make up the remaining 200 miles between North Shields, in the north-east of England and the Highlands.
He said that, while it was classed as a solo and unassisted trip, he would be joined by a number of friends and relatives along various sections of the journey.
“Before I thought of it as a charity event I saw how cheap the flights were from Aberdeen, it was as simple as that,” he said.
“So I got a flight for just over £30 and the bike cost more than me to take over so I added that on but it was still a pretty cheap flight.”
However, when the situation in Ukraine escalated following the Russian invasion, he decided to make it a charity fundraiser.
He said: “When I hatched the idea back in March I’d hoped, probably foolishly, that the war in Ukraine would be over by the time I set off and it would be all about reconstruction. Sadly, we’re still seeing the horrors daily.
“Gdansk, where I leave from, is one of the cities that has led the way as Poland gives refuge to millions of displaced women and children.
“War Child was a charity that appealed because it is not only working on the ground in Ukraine but also reacts with equal urgency to similar crises all over the world.”
He said it was 10 years since his last long-distance charity ride between Amsterdam and Copenhagen and part of this trip would follow the same route. He said: “In a way it’s quite a nice anniversary by retreading my steps.”
• To find out more and make a donation, visit his Just Giving fundraising page.
