This winter, on the other side of the world, you might spot a couple of hardy figures pedaling their way between New Zealand ski fields. One of them is Laurence Mote, riding a Kona Unit X and towing a ski trailer loaded with gear. He and fellow adventurer Huw Kingston are taking on a wild and worthy mission to visit 24 ski areas across Aotearoa (New Zealand), traveling by bike, on skis, and occasionally by ferry, all to raise funds for climate-resilient classrooms in Vanuatu.
The project is called Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa, and it’s a big one: 4,000 km, 90 days, and all of it in the dead of winter. Starting at Cape Reinga (today the 24th June!) and finishing at Slope Point at the bottom of the South Island, the route will wind its way across both islands, linking up ski areas by bike and touring skis, with a few crossings that might get creative (hello, Cook Strait).
Laurence isn’t just riding a Kona, he’s also a living example of resilience. A former international-level MTB racer, he suffered a life-threatening brain injury in 2013 after going into anaphylactic shock from a bee sting. It left him legally blind, and he had to relearn how to walk, talk, and live from the ground up. Today, he’s combining his love of skiing and riding in one of the most ambitious and physical projects we’ve heard of in years.
With skis, bikes, and camping gear strapped to their trailers, the pair will be moving mostly under their own power. Laurence jokes that he’ll be following Huw’s lead, and often his back wheel, while sneaking in the odd lesson in te reo Māori along the way.
And while the mission is steep, so is the cause. They’re aiming to raise $75,000 for Save the Children, specifically for a pilot project in Vanuatu focused on building climate-resilient classrooms in communities hit hard by cyclones and rising sea levels.
So if you see Laurence and Huw rolling through your town, maybe offer them a cuppa. Or a warm bed. Or even just a high five and a cheer.
Follow along with their progress HERE or donate to the mission at alpineodysseyaotearoa.nz
