Now the heat is really on

DRAWING A CROWD The sight of the team has prompted interest in the cyclists' journey

A quarter of the way into a 26,000km cycle along the Pan-American Highway, Ben Cunningham and his team-mates are battling with dehydration as they travel through the desert of Mexico

EARLIER THIS MONTH, after more than eight weeks on the road, we moved into the built-up surroundings of California. The urban sprawl of Los Angeles was a huge contrast to the barren never-ending roads of northern Canada. The beachside cycle routes through Malibu and Newport Beach and into San Diego are fun ways to see these areas. During our time in the US the days were easier than before, with petrol stations and services at every turn.

The sight of 12 of us passing through towns with our support vehicle has got many people interested in our journey and charities in Kenya.

Weaving our way down the coast, we arrived on time in San Diego and prepared to cross the border into Mexico. We had plenty of space in our friend Trip's house to reorganise our gear and repair our equipment. As has been customary with this journey so far, people come and go. Tom and Anthony have left, but we are joined by Rob, who is set to go the distance to the finish line in Tierra del Fuego.

We crossed into Tijuana on August 31st, 7,200km and two months from Alaska. Crossing into Mexico marked the end of the western developed world for the Pan American Cycle Test. Taking into account the difference in culture, landscape and language, the journey from Mexico onwards can be considered a completely separate challenge.

The border is an indication of this difference. Cars queue for kilometres on the Mexican side, to get into the US, but there is no border control going the other way.

In Tijuana we met our security detail, from Irish entrepreneur Kieran O'Connor's Freight Watch Group. They have been helping us out with traffic, too. With them behind us, trucks have been forced to take a wider berth as they pass us out.

The first part of Mexico, the Baja California peninsula, is 1,600km long and comprises mostly arid desert. A road zigzags down the peninsula, veering from the Pacific coast to inland desert. For such a narrow area of land there is a huge disparity in temperature. Inland temperatures have exceeded 43 degrees, while the coastal roads have been a more comfortable 32 to 37 degrees.

The heat means we have to get out and cycle much earlier than before, in order to shelter from the relentless midday sun.

Dehydration is now an everyday concern. Water in the desert can only be come by in the shops and restaurants that are dotted only every 50km or 60km along the road. These facilities are extremely basic, yet the service and response of the people who own them has been great.

The journey has changed, as no longer are campsites readily available at arrival points. We now have to negotiate with local farmers to allow us to camp on their land at the end of each day.

For updates and to donate to Aidlink, see www.pacycletest.com

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times