TV Series in the Making Riding South America Solo with No GPS
Intrepid explorer Spencer Conway rides South America in gritty new series.
On the face of it, adventure riding veteran Spencer Conway is having the time of his life. Best known for his previous circumnavigation of Africa aired by the Travel Channel, Conway currently finds himself about four months into a year-long circumnavigation of South America. And yes, Conway has confirmed his newest adventure will also air as a TV Series.
True to his spirit of adventure, Spencer is traveling solo with no support trucks, no film crew and on a tight budget. To make things even more interesting, he is doing the whole 31,000-mile expedition with no GPS. “I just want to get lost,” -Spencer explains. For him, what ‘makes the trip’ is experiencing out-of-the-way regions of countries and meeting people who live in these remote parts.
Judging by Conway’s promo video from his current journey, we are in for a candid TV Series where the grit and perseverance of an extreme traveler are constantly tested. The reality is that Conway has been dealing with a host of challenges. “I’ve had food poisoning once, altitude sickness twice, torn my shoulder, broken a rib, ruptured a knee, been stung by a bullet ant, and have been lost all the time,” -says Conway. And yet, through these trials and tribulations that would have many quit, Conway rides on, beaming “a thousand smiles because I’ve loved every minute,” -he says.
It helps that Conway is a born optimist who takes in his stride the good and the bad. He has no support, forcing him to rely on local help and his wits to repair the bike, negotiate a cheap bed or send a message to his family in the UK. Yet he is aiming to ride the most dangerous roads in each of the 13 countries he’ll be crossing during his circumnavigation of South America. All while he is struggling to keep his trusty but now very tired Yamaha XT660Z Tenere on the road; the same bike used to complete his 34,000-mile circumnavigation of Africa back in 2010. This by choice, as Conway actually turned down two sponsorship deals from bike manufacturers.
Conway is more or less on track at the moment, despite a frustrating three-week delay at the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia due to a high-speed crash. As has come to be expected of Conway he continues on truly inspired by his journey and with the ability to make light of the mishaps that pepper an adventure of this kind. “I’m sitting in Ushuaia, Argentina with a big grin on my face.” -Conway recently reported.
Stay tuned for more details on Conway’s South America TV Series. For more on Spencer Conway visit spencer-conway.com
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It doesn´t look he is by himself. Somebody is filming him!!
I’ve been following his expedition. He is filming with his tripod, handheld camera and GoPro except for a few days that his life partner Cathy met up with him. The Travel Channel even offered to send a film crew to help him out but he declined the offer. Nice rugged adventure for sure!
No GPS isn’t that big of a deal, c’mon. That ADVPulse treats it like a big deal is pretty weak. Just because you’re married to your precious GPS doesn’t mean everyone is.
Hey Rob. It’s not a big deal riding without GPS if you’ve got paper maps. What’s more interesting about Spencer Conway’s extensive solo expeditions, is that he purposely tries to get lost just to see where the adventure takes him.