ACE 2 - Patagonia Cycle Challenge

40 years ago, we (Craig Swan, Sophie Trafford and Rona Hulbert ) cycled unsupported 17,000 miles from Punta Arenas in Chile to Anchorage in Alaska on mountain bikes. It took us a year and we raised £70,000 for Breast Cancer research.
We were called the Americas Cycling expedition or ACE, and for our efforts were voted BBC Scotlands’ Scots of the year for 1985/86.

It was a journey of discovery and resilience, wild camping every night, encountering war in Nicaragua and El Salvador, illness, wild dogs, earthquakes, robbers, the Atacama desert, galeforce headwinds in Patagonia, huge black flies in the Yukon, and endless rain in Alaska. None of us have been on a bike since…

40 years ago there was no road through a remote section of Patagonia in southern Chile and we had to take a ferry. We couldn’t deviate through Argentina as the Falklands conflict prevented visas. Now there is a rudimentary gravel road called the Carretera Austral, covering the 1200km we missed.

Each of us over the last 40 years of our working lives have had challenges. Craig qualified as a lawyer but then joined the BBC as a journalist and has reported from over 60 countries over the last 34 years. After a career in corporate finance Sophie and her husband sailed from the Uk to Antarctica and back, while I had a career in retail both in South Africa and the UK.

With our own families raised and flown the nest, and having all been pensioned off, we wondered if we could get the old team back together, get back on our bikes and complete the journey and find some purpose and make a difference with the newly found time on our hands. We are not young, we are not fit, and we are not cyclists so this will be a huge challange for all of us!

So on October 11th 2025, on the 40th anniversary of our original trip, Craig, Sophie and Rona will set off from Puerto Montt in Chile, accompanied by Rona’s husband Mat and Craig’s wife Bernie who will be providing the essential back-up to keep the cyclists on the road.

We will cycle the 1200kms south along the whole length of the Carretera Austral to the very end of the gravel road at Villa O’Higgins, crossing mountain passes, rivers, peaks and valleys, in the wettest and windiest part of the world, And we’ll be camping…

The motivation behind this is to fundraise for two charities. The Maggies Centre in Forth Valley, Scotland, a team who supported Rona and her family through her breast cancer journey, and for Epilepsy research institute UK in memory of Sophie’s son Hector who tragically died at the age of 13 as a result of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy).

We are all in our 60s and we are not in peak form! We haven’t been back on bikes in 40 years, Southern Patagonia in October will be cold, wet, and windy and the idea of camping for 5 weeks while we cycle the 1200km of gravel is daunting, but we want to see if we still have it, if we can still make a difference and give us completion.

Donations will be split evenly between both charities. Any donation will make a difference and will be hugely appreciated.

“On behalf of the Epilepsy Research Institute, I want to sincerely thank Sophie, Rona and Craig for dedicating this extraordinary challenge to raising vital funds and awareness for epilepsy. Sophie and her son Hector’s story are a powerful reminder of the urgent need for research into epilepsy and SUDEP, which we know is the top priority of the epilepsy community. Sophie, Rona and Craig’s courage in taking on such a demanding journey across the Americas, after so many years off their bikes, is truly incredible. Their commitment will help drive forward the science that can change futures for people affected by epilepsy and their families. This amazing group of friends are a true inspiration to us all.”
- Rosemarie Pardington
Chief Executive, Epilepsy Research Institute

“We are delighted that Rona and her team have decided to finish the long cycle that they undertook 40 years ago to support Maggie’s in Forth Valley.

Rona came to the centre to get some support in navigating the challenges of a cancer diagnosis, and we are thrilled now to see Rona and her team taking on this new challenge which we will be following closely.

Please support Rona and the team with their fundraising challenge, so that we can continue to be there for people who have a cancer diagnosis and for their families.

The centre is here for support Monday to Friday for anyone to just come in.

You are all amazing”
Yvonne Macintosh
Maggies Forth Valley