There are not many people with such adventurous soul. 41 years old Frenchman Gwenael Breton is a former soldier in French special forces who had to quit the army after a military injury 9 years ago. He started to organize and participate in extreme adventures then. The most visible was his rowboat crossing of the Atlantic ocean in 2017/2018. His main goal is to raise awareness of soldiers injured in military operations.

Circumnavigating the northern hemisphere on his own is his current project. He set off from France and despite all the issues with Covid, he manages to cross Europe into Asia and is pedaling through frozen Siberia right now. His closest goal is Vladivostok, Russia. He plans to cross the Pacific ocean in his rowboat and land in San Francisco. Later, his voyage will continue by pedaling over the USA and he hopes other veterans will join him on his ride. Another ocean, the Atlantic one, and a rowboat again. 6.000 km / 3,7000 miles solo. He plans to cover all 33.000 km / 20,500 miles in just one year.

He is riding a custom-built AZUB Ti-FLY 26 recumbent trike with an electric motor in a rear wheel which is partly powered by solar panels. This 116 kg / 256 lbs heavy beast is special also because he can transform it into a tent. β€œI sleep in my bike, so no one can steal it,” Gwenael said. By using this eco-friendly bike, he wants to promote environmentally-friendly mobility.

I share three of his videos here that show an amazing dedication and the challenging conditions in which Gwenael is riding. You can follow him through his Facebook, Instagram or web page. It is for sure one of the craziest recumbent adventures you can read about right now.

map of gwenael barout trike rowboat adventure