Last night, Marco and I attended the Tour Divide pre-race barbeque in Banff. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the riders, especially the race organiser, Matthew. He invited us to join after reading about our adventure on this site, and even gave us a SPOT tracking device. This device will allow you to track our progress throughout our ride. More details will follow - we’re still getting it all set up correctly.

This morning, we went along to see the riders set off on the trail, and it was inspirational to say the least. Possibly the most striking thing was how little equipment the racers were all taking with them. There were a few panniers in sight, but definitely no trailers as all the riders try to take as little as possible with them. This means that they rely on making it to towns to spend the night in hotels or motels, removing the need for a tent, sleeping bag, stove and fuel. You can follow the race via the Tour Divide web site.

This afternoon, Marco and I put in ...

Every year, a race takes place along the Great Divide route. This year, the race will be starting just one week before we begin our attempt. This means that as well as getting to watch some of the racers, we might also be able to get some expert advice on the route, gear and all kinds of other Divide-related stuff.

The organisers have put together a great website with loads of pictures and useful links - have a look here http://tourdivide.org/ and check back during the event for real time updates.