Andreas Graf lived without screens and no idea of the date or time. The conditions were often brutal – but he found kindness and friendship as he rode

Graf, too, was “hungry for an adventure”. “I wanted to chase some mountains and meet people. And I’ve always felt drawn to self-propelled ways of travel. I wanted to be independent and free,” he says. He considered walking, inspired by The Longest Walk by George Meegan, who trekked across the Americas in the late 70s. He settled on cycling so he could cover more distance while still travelling slowly.