Sean's 12,000 Km Journey from Waterford to Asia on His Bike

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey

Sean’s 12,000 Km Journey from Waterford to Asia on His Bike

We’ve all read stories about young people wanting to travel when they finish school and often we think it’s off to enjoy the beaches and night clubs and night life of the med.  But one Waterford 18 year old, Sean Hobin wanted to travel and currently he’s in Kyrgyzstan.
Nothing too strange about that except he travelled all of 12,000 kilometres ON HIS BIKE.
Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Check out a video of Sean leaving Waterford HERE.
Leaving Waterford in September 2018 Sean headed for Rosslare and so his journey began.  Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, that’s an impressive 17 countries.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Camping at 4000m is a cold affair. — in Murghab, Tajikistan.

Check out some of Sean’s photos on the start of his journey HERE.
Wind, rain, snow, ice and all the weathers that you can imagine were not enough to stop Sean on his journey on his fully loaded bike. Remember he has to carry all he needs with him, including tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, water and a lot more.  But his posts on Facebook are always cheerful and positive even though he may be sleeping and cooking in a tent in the freezing cold surrounded by camels and yaks.
Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Common sight along the border. 4 Tajik youngfellas, not older than myself. Walking along the roads with their AK-47s — in Tajikistan.

Yesterday Sean announced that he had reached his goal,

Via his Facebook page Sean posted, “Two days ago I arrived in the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan. This marks the end of the M41 Pamir Highway, and what marks the finish line of my trip”.
“My original goals that I set for my journey were to:

  1. Cycle from Ireland to Asia.
  2. Cycle the Pamir Highway.

Last week I reached the Chinese border and arriving in Osh fulfils the goals I have set out to accomplish”.
“So  from here on out I am homebound. Originally it was my plan to fly home. I still have a month left of time and budget, so the plan now is to hitchhike home. I’ll be crossing the Caspian and Black Seas by ferry and make my way back to Cherbourg, to get the ferry home”.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Huge wall faces!! — at Pamir Highway.

I am really excited to get home and I am looking forward to travelling back across the continent in a different form! I’ll be leaving Osh in a couple of days for the Caspian Sea. I reckon I will be home in one month”.
We asked Sean on how he was feeling on reaching his destination and his achievement,
“I am feeling fantastic now! Really is just an amazing feeling to accomplish the goals I set out for myself. The last 10 months have been just wild! I’ve experienced so much and met some seriously amazing people on the way. I’m so excited to get home now though! Looking forward to seeing all my family and friends again, and my dog!!”.
Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Snow, ice, wind and sandstorm were some of the weathers Sean had to travel through.

Sean continued to tell us that  he couldn’tt thank everyone at home enough. “The support from home and online has been so amazing!! Big thanks to Altitude, Columbia, Alpkit, Rebike, Forristal Repairs, Laurence Walsh Gardening Services, Gary’s Cycles and Suirdzign for all there help”.
Safe journey home Sean. Looking forward to seeing you when you return to Waterford!
Follow Sean on Facebook HERE 
Twitter HERE
Instagram HERE
Below are some photo’s of Sean’s amazing journey.
Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Mines laid by the Russians in the 90s to protect parts of the border.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
On the 10th of May I successfully cycled through the Anzob Tunnel also known as the “Tunnel of Death.”
The 5km long tunnel was constructed to avoid a 3500m pass, but the tunnel was never fully completed. Only one side goes completely through.
The tunnel has no functioning lights or ventilation. Pot holes and flooding effect the entire length of the tunnel. It truly is a 5km gateway to hell that is unsuitable for trucks and cars, let alone a bicycle.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Sean’s face after the tunnel. Pretty black from the fumes inside

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Most of the shepards about Uzbekistan use donkeys while herding their sheep/cows/horses — in Samarkand.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Cyclists often talk about the 5 minute rule. If you stop your bike in a village for more than 5 minutes you are pretty much guaranteed to draw a big crowd. — in Samarkand.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Myself with the Tower of Death. It is legend that criminals were thrown off this tower as a form of execution!
Also a tower admired by Genghis Khan, who besieged the city in 1220. He liked it so much he decided not to destroy it! I’m glad he didn’t…

ean's 12,000 Km Journey
Cheetah warning 😨 — in Mashhad, Iran.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Trade in the bike?? — in Tehran, Iran.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Military museum park. — in Tehran, Iran.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Bobby Sands Road, Tehran, Iran.

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Learnt to wash my clothes by hand (and feet) in Tehran!

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
We have been staying with Amin and his family in the city of Rasht, Iran. We met Amin through Couchsurfing and him and his family have welcomed us into their home.  Amin’s cousin got married and Amin and his family were going to celebrate. They invited us without hesitation

Sean's 12,000 Km Journey
Writing my journal. Do it every night. Cool to have a record of every day on the road! — in Iran.