Scottish adventurer riding a horse all over Europe

(CNN) — Scottish adventurer Louis Hall has crossed Europe for almost three months, but the final point of his estimated 2,800 kilometers is almost visible.

Hall was originally from Edinburgh and departed from Siena, Italy on March 24th with the horse Sasha. After that, they went through Tuscany, through the Ligurian Mountains, and to the Basque Country in France.

They will complete a great ride at Cape Finisterre in Spain in the first week of July.

Hall’s latest riding adventure is for Afghan refugees through the fundraising organization Big Hoof, two years after riding the length of England and just months after riding Devon from Cornwall in southwest England. I raised money. Task.

An adventurer who doubles as an actor, he started riding as a kid, but visited Mongolia in 2014 to help a friend suffering from mental health problems and solidify his passion for horses.

They would buy three horses to reach a particular tribe, and Hall says the experience caused him something.

“The whole journey re-educated me on equestrian,” he told CNN Travel. “It wasn’t a competition, riding for speed or jumping.

Ride hard

“It has become a very, very spiritual and grounded relationship. I stayed connected with them. [horses] From that moment. “

After returning from Mongolia, Hall spent time with horses, seized the opportunity to ride horses, and soon began working in the stables in London. He founded Big Hoof in 2020.

To commemorate his friend Leo, Hall raised thousands of pounds for the UK-based national charity Cystic Fibrosis Trust during his first big charity ride.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic began shortly thereafter, blocking much of the world. As things begin to resume, Hall says he noticed a change in the way people around him see the world and their own adventurous abilities.

“Especially in the UK, we found that people’s imagination was a bit magical, and that the possibilities of what you thought you could and what you could do were very different before and after the pandemic.” He says.

“Especially in conversations with people of the same generation and in the beliefs of older generations, everything seemed to shrink.”

“The idea of ​​going on an adventure, being free, meeting strangers, and living in an optimistic world didn’t seem feasible.”

Deciding to prove that “the world still has magic,” Hall decided it was time for a bigger ride and came up with the idea of ​​traveling on horseback from Italy to Spain.

His goal was simple: to raise awareness of mental health and “probably encourage people to believe in a world that still exists.”

Russia invaded Ukraine while he was carrying out the plan, and Hall was “ridiculous” given the unfolding idea of ​​”riding horses over several hills”. As I saw it, I admit that I considered stopping everything.

Raise awareness

“Hopefully by message aggressiveness and by putting myself in as many unusual scenarios as I can, others say,” If this fool of horses can do this, I’ll do something in my backyard. You can do it, “he says. We emphasize that mental health is the “core of the vehicle.”

Hall has so far focused on riding within Europe as “very suitable for off-road vehicles”.

“There are many pilgrimage routes throughout Europe,” he explains. “It’s not difficult to get over it.”

But, of course, traveling on horseback poses many challenges. Especially when it comes to basic requirements such as food, water and shelter.

To keep him and Sasha from running out of food, Hall’s sister and some of her friends unload supplies as needed and travel the route by car.

He also has few clothes with him-his sleeping bag consists of a poncho and a thin sleeping bag that he uses as a tent.

However, Hall usually says he is much more worried about Sasha, an Anglo-Arab horse obtained from an endurance center in northern Italy. Than myself.

“You’re not worried about your two legs,” he explains. “You are worried about the six legs, and you are worried about the whole animal that requires much more attention and care than you.”

He plans to go to water, hay and grassy areas at least a few days in advance to meet Sasha’s needs.

The possibility of wolves should also be taken into account when running through the mountains. You should also take into account the possibility of superficial cuts and scratches on the horse during long rides.

“There are a lot of things that go wrong,” he says.

Build a connection

However, Hall claimed it was all worth it and grew up with a great attachment to his “companion”.

“You have this companion with you to share this experience,” he says. “And the happiness it brings to you and others is far superior to any challenge.”

He is often impressed by the thrilling reactions he receives while riding in Sasha’s villages and towns, and the conversations that sometimes spark.

“When traveling so easily, it’s amazing to see the culture you stir up with this animal that has endured the challenges of time,” he says.

But their journey was not without its setbacks.Hall found a task to cross the mountains of Liguria via the Altavia Damonti Ligurian walking route It was particularly difficult, and he said it was particularly difficult due to the combination of bad weather and high climbs.

In this section of the route he was unable to ride Sasha for at least 20 days.

“That is, walking was hard, but riding a horse is really hard,” he added, taking on him before detailing the physical tolls for a 15-day mountain ride. ..

“The only way to move forward was to just keep going, so we never stopped. When I looked back at the route, I did. [the equivalent of] 12 Marathon and mountaineering [UK mountain] Ben Nevis mountain 9 times. “

Hall, which records his Instagram trip, has received messages from people all over the world, some of whom want to join him.

In fact, a young woman named Kiki from Amsterdam had already done so and arrived with her horse in the middle of a quarter of the trip.

Thankfully, her arrival came after the most difficult part of the route, and Hall says things have been “quite manageable” ever since.

He recommends meeting others in the final week of the ride. This could be after June 20th if everything went according to plan.

Final push

“I want people to come out really comfortably so that they can enjoy the ride, even in the last step,” he says.

When asked how he intends to celebrate after the ride, Hall says he wasn’t thinking too much ahead, but jokes, “Something alcohol would be nice.”

He wants to rest for a few days, but Hall is eager to return to the saddle as soon as possible and aims to go to another vehicle to “decompress”.

“I have the idea of ​​going down the west coast of Portugal, but I think it’s really nice,” he says.

The focus was on raising awareness about a particular charity, but Hall says Big Hoof has evolved into something bigger than he could have imagined.

“I think it’s a way for others to find a fulfilling source of hope,” he says. “For people to find something and probably use it to leave something behind or create something new.”

In October, the latest release of The Wee Big Hoof, a challenge for riders of all levels and abilities, will be held to raise funds for bowel cancer charity.

For now, Hall is focusing on the next stage of his journey. Cross the Pyrenees, a mountain range that straddles the French-Spanish border, to the famous Camino de Santiago Trail, ending at Cape Finisterre west. The coast of Galicia in Spain.

As he progresses, the messages of support he receives regularly from those inspired by his journey have helped him and Sasha move forward.

“The main purpose is to inspire people’s imagination,” he says. “To show that things are still possible. The ridiculous thing is still there.”