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Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: A unique climbing and cycling adventure to the summit of Ecuador
His cheeks are as tender as raw meat on a butcher’s block. And those are just the cheeks of his face. As he slumps in the saddle, watching the road disappear into the distance, he aches in parts of his body that he’s only just discovering he has…
When Mark travels to Ecuador to go hiking and climbing, he discovers a land of dramatic volcanoes rising through the clouds and wide-open horizons rich in history.
But when his partner Edita suggests a return visit, she has a very different adventure in mind: to cycle across the Andes and complete a unique sea-to-summit challenge by climbing the highest mountain starting from sea level.
It will be an intrepid world first (or so they think). But there’s just one problem – Mark can barely cycle over a road bridge without getting off to push.
With a month to train, they rent some bikes and head to Scotland to cycle the North Coast 500. Will this be enough to prepare them for an epic adventure to climb a mountain that in one respect is the highest in the world?
When Mark travels to Ecuador to go hiking and climbing, he discovers a land of dramatic volcanoes rising through the clouds and wide-open horizons rich in history.
But when his partner Edita suggests a return visit, she has a very different adventure in mind: to cycle across the Andes and complete a unique sea-to-summit challenge by climbing the highest mountain starting from sea level.
It will be an intrepid world first (or so they think). But there’s just one problem – Mark can barely cycle over a road bridge without getting off to push.
With a month to train, they rent some bikes and head to Scotland to cycle the North Coast 500. Will this be enough to prepare them for an epic adventure to climb a mountain that in one respect is the highest in the world?
- GenresNonfiction
376 pages, ebook
Published July 15, 2019
8 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Mark Horrell
25 books38 followersFor many years Mark Horrell has been writing what has been described as one of the most credible Everest opinion blogs out there. He writes about trekking and mountaineering from the often silent perspective of the commercial client.
For nearly 20 years he has been exploring the world’s greater mountain ranges and keeping a diary of his travels. As a writer he strives to do for mountain history what Bill Bryson did for long-distance hiking.
Several of his expedition diaries are available from the major online bookstores. He has published two full-length books: Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest (2015), about his ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber, and Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo (2019), about an expedition to cycle and climb from sea level to the furthest point from the centre of the earth.
His favourite mountaineering book is The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.
For nearly 20 years he has been exploring the world’s greater mountain ranges and keeping a diary of his travels. As a writer he strives to do for mountain history what Bill Bryson did for long-distance hiking.
Several of his expedition diaries are available from the major online bookstores. He has published two full-length books: Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest (2015), about his ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber, and Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo (2019), about an expedition to cycle and climb from sea level to the furthest point from the centre of the earth.
His favourite mountaineering book is The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 28, 2019
An excellent adventure book for the modern armchair reader
I really enjoyed this book. Mark’s writing is pitched at a level where you think you might just about be able to do some of the things that he talks about and it sets you thinking as to what you might aspire to if you could be bothered to get up from your armchair.
This is his second full length book and I think he shows a significantly increased maturity as a writer from his first book (Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest). In his first book I felt that many of the jokes were quite forced and he had a habit of explaining the joke and them milking it. In Feet and Wheels the humour presents much more naturally and is really funny. There are lots of laugh out loud moments!
For me, this book is a better read than the Everest book. I think the Everest book had more interesting subject material but the quality of writing in this book is better.
Mark is self deprecating throughout. The inclusion of Edita, his girlfriend, worked well. Often introducing another character can detract from a book like this, especially a love interest. However, Edita acts as the tough one where Mark backs off, especially on the cycling, leading to some pretty funny events.
Hopefully this book lands well with others too. After the Everest book I wondered where he might go next but using the Feet and Wheels type approach could lead to many more good reads!
I really enjoyed this book. Mark’s writing is pitched at a level where you think you might just about be able to do some of the things that he talks about and it sets you thinking as to what you might aspire to if you could be bothered to get up from your armchair.
This is his second full length book and I think he shows a significantly increased maturity as a writer from his first book (Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest). In his first book I felt that many of the jokes were quite forced and he had a habit of explaining the joke and them milking it. In Feet and Wheels the humour presents much more naturally and is really funny. There are lots of laugh out loud moments!
For me, this book is a better read than the Everest book. I think the Everest book had more interesting subject material but the quality of writing in this book is better.
Mark is self deprecating throughout. The inclusion of Edita, his girlfriend, worked well. Often introducing another character can detract from a book like this, especially a love interest. However, Edita acts as the tough one where Mark backs off, especially on the cycling, leading to some pretty funny events.
Hopefully this book lands well with others too. After the Everest book I wondered where he might go next but using the Feet and Wheels type approach could lead to many more good reads!
November 16, 2019
Best one yet!!
I've read all of Mark's books and especially enjoyed this one! His sense of humor really shines and I found myself laughing out loud often!
I've read all of Mark's books and especially enjoyed this one! His sense of humor really shines and I found myself laughing out loud often!
May 8, 2025
A great follow up from Mark Horrell, who manages to paint pictures of the places he visits so beautifully that I spend the following weeks searching for mountains to climb. Funny, likeable, another solid book.
October 14, 2022
This book is structured in three parts, and each part gave me a different reading experience. The first part is about the ascent of various volcanoes in Ecuador by foot. Not just the experiences of the writer are described, but also the adventures of the English mountaineer Edward Whymper (late 19th century). This part of the book didn't appeal to me that much, apparently I'm not that excited of mountaineering and Whymper is not for me either.
I really liked the second part of the book, this is a fun and humorous description about the two weeks of training for the sea-to-summit challenge in Ecuador, by cycling the NC500.
In the third part of the book, the actual sea-to-summit challenge takes place, of which I liked the part by bike, but the part on foot again less so. (The style also changes once they climb on foot, it gets slightly know-it-all.)
All in all a nice read about an endurance challenge in Ecuador.
I really liked the second part of the book, this is a fun and humorous description about the two weeks of training for the sea-to-summit challenge in Ecuador, by cycling the NC500.
In the third part of the book, the actual sea-to-summit challenge takes place, of which I liked the part by bike, but the part on foot again less so. (The style also changes once they climb on foot, it gets slightly know-it-all.)
All in all a nice read about an endurance challenge in Ecuador.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews