Damon I'Anson
Damon I’Anson has been working with bikes for over 20 years, as despatch rider, mechanic, track-based riding instructor and, for the past decade, a motorcycle journalist. Damon’s career in journalism began on RiDE magazine, where he became deputy editor, before moving to the editorship of Performance Bikes magazine in 1999. After two years at PB, he left to pursue a freelance career.
Last year (2005) Damon arrived in Delhi, hired a 150cc indigenous motorcycle and went for a 10,000-mile ride. This trip, extending from the Himalaya to the southern tip of India, was serialised in Bike Magazine over 11 installments. It was during this venture that Damon hatched the plot to travel overland to the mountains...
- A journalist of some experience, he will be able to provide a high quality record of the expedition.
- A qualified motorcycle engineer, he will be able to take care of the mechanicals.
- An experienced photographer, he will be able to supply high-quality images for publication.
- An ex-outdoor pursuits instructor, he has considerable experience of challenging environments.
- Damon has ridden motorcycles independently in many countries, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica.
- Earlier this year, he took a hired 150cc road bike up to the Himalayan spring (April) snowline at over 4000m. Alone.
Pankaj Trivedi
Pankaj Trivedi is the co-owner of India’s biggest outdoor pursuits and corporate training company: India Outdoors. He has been responsible for addressing the training needs of over 250 companies, both large Indian corporations and global organisations.
Pankaj is a qualified expedition leader having graduated from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and has led some very tough and technical Himalayan expeditions to over 22,000 feet. In 2002 he was the leader of an Indo-British expedition that traversed the high Himalaya in 45 days. And so it goes on: four-day 1200m cliff climbs, leading rafting expeditions down some of the planet’s wildest water – Pankaj has all the adventure qualifications you could ask for.
He is also a hugely experienced motorcyclist and the owner of three bikes. Pankaj has been riding for 17 years and has crossed the Indian sub-continent many times. He brings many skills and talents to the mix.
- His experience as a mountaineer brings with it a great addition to the expedition’s safety and high-level technical expertise.
- With many Himalayan contacts he is able to source advice on terrain and conditions.
- Speaking fluent English, plus Hindi, some Arabic and many India dialects will be a massive boost to local communications.
- An able and experienced photographer, who has had exhibitions in Mumbai, Pankaj will be able to contribute much to the photographic side of things.
- An experienced video cameraman, who has contributed to several adventure TV programmes, he will be able to gather clips for websites.
- Also with a degree in electronic engineering, Pankaj can take care of our IT needs.