Joining the Dots: The Highland Trail 550 Journal

by Lee Craigie in Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

We did it
On 22nd November 2016 we successfully raised £10,736 with 461 supporters in 28 days

We are producing a 100-page high-quality journal, consisting of words and emotive images, to tell the tale of The Highland Trail 550.

by Lee Craigie in Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

Owing to the massive and unexpected success of our Crowdfunder in its first week, we're extending our stretch target to £10,000.

£5,390 of this will cover the cost of printing our journal, and posting it out to all those who've so generously pledged. £50 will cover Crowdfunder's fee.

The other £4,560 we'll spend on getting our message to as many women and girls as possible - focussing on the people we think we can help most: those who aren't already part of the cycling scene, who've never heard of the Highland Trail 550, who've never ridden a mountain bike - who are most in need of being inspired, encouraged and enabled to believe they are capable of more.

  • An extra £2,560 will pay for 8 school workshops, anywhere in the UK. (These cost £320 each, covering preparation, travel and a speaker's fee. Please get in touch if you know a school who might be interested.)
  • An extra £1,000 will subsidise 20 free places on our 'Women & Bicycles' weekends in Oxford and Nottingham, enabling even more women to be part of the action.
  • Another £1,000 will part-fund a bikepacking course in Swanage, enabling women who might not otherwise have been able to afford it to discover the simplicity and excitement of getting outside on their bikes (and in their bivvy bags), and build their skills and confidence for future expeditions.

We're already bowled over by the amount of support we've received, and we're extremely excited about the opportunity this gives us to extend our work to those who need it most, and to keep the Syndicate going into 2017 and beyond. Thank you.


Limited Edition prints have now been added as  rewards! You can choose from the three images below (from left to right; A, B, C) :

The Highland Trail 550  is a fully self-supported individual mountain bike time trial in the Scottish Highlands. Riders depart from Tyndrum and race 550 miles off-road in as fast a time as possible. They can eat and sleep when they like but the clock doesn't stop. 

Joining The Dots is Lee Craigie's narrative supported by James Robertson's images spliced with the stories of others riders. 

With the foreword by race founder Alan Goldsmith and the main narrative by Adventure Syndicate athlete Lee Craigie, the story is supported by the words of competitiors Ian Fitz, Javi Simon, Liam Glen and Philip Addyman. Lee's sister Kim offers a fascinating insight from a "dot-watcher's" point of view, having watched the five-day race unfold on Trackleaders (a website where riders are represented as coloured dots on a map via live GPS tracking).

These voices, together with the haunting photography of James Robertson, tell the gripping, life-changing, euphoric tale of this unique adventure in the Scottish Highlands. 

This crowdfunding appeal aims to cover the print run costs of a beautiful 100-page limited-edition journal telling the story of 2017's Highland Trail 550, and encourages supporters to make a pledge to undertake something they are not quite sure they are capable of in 2017. Just like Lee did. 

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£5 or more

£5 Reward

Your name will be listed at the back of the journal in the supporters pages to thank you publicly for your support.

£15 or more

£15 Reward

You will receive: - a copy of the journal posted ANYWHERE IN THE UK - the opportunity to submit a thumbnail shot of yourself / image of your choosing together with your 22 word pledge for 2017 (adventurous or otherwise), to be printed in the supporters' pages at the back.

£20 or more

£20 Reward

You will receive: - a copy of the journal posted ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD - the opportunity to submit a thumbnail shot of yourself / image of your choosing together with your 22 word pledge for 2017 (adventurous or otherwise), to be printed in the supporters' pages at the back.

£50 or more

£50 Reward

You / your brand will receive: - 2 copies of the journal delivered to the same address anywhere in the world - the opportunity to submit a thumbnail shot of yourself / image of your choosing together with your 22 word pledge for 2017 (adventurous or otherwise), to be printed in the supporters' pages at the back - direct email correspondence and support from The Adventure Syndicate to help prepare you for your 2017 challenge - a shout-out on social media.

£100 or more

£100 Reward

You / your brand will receive: - 4 copies of the journal posted to the same address anywhere in the world - the opportunity to submit a larger shot of yourself / image of your choosing / your brand logo together with your / your brand's 44 word pledge for 2017 (adventurous or otherwise) to be printed in the supporters' pages at the back. - Direct, ongoing email correspondence with a member of The Adventure Syndicate to help prepare you for your 2017 challenge - public thanks to you / your brand for its support via social media

£100 or more

1 of 10 claimed

£100 Reward

You will receive: -11 x 14" limited edition print delivered anywhere in the UK. - a copy of the journal posted ANYWHERE IN THE UK - the opportunity to submit a thumbnail shot of yourself / image of your choosing together with your 22 word pledge for 2017 (adventurous or otherwise), to be printed in the supporters' pages at the back. Printed on Hahnemuhle Museum Etching paper each print will come with a limited edition certificate and only 10 copies of each will be available. Actual image size will be 8 x 12"

£200 or more

£200 Reward

ONLY 6 OF THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE You / your brand will receive: - 6 copies of the journal delivered anywhere in the world - half a supporters' page to host an image of your choosing / your brand logo together with your / your brand's 2017 pledge (adventurous or otherwise) in as many words as you choose - The opportunity to attend an Adventure Syndicate training event / talk FOC and ongoing direct email correspondence with Syndicate athletes to help prepare you for your 2017 challenge - a public thanks to you / your brand for its support via social media

£500 or more

£500 Reward

ONLY TWO OF THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE You / your brand will receive: - 8 copies of the journal hand delivered by Lee (within the UK!) or by post to the same address anywhere in the world - a whole supporters' page to host an image of your choosing / your brand logo together with your / your brand's 2017 pledge (adventurous or otherwise) in as many words as you choose - private delivery of The Highland Trail 550 talk to your workplace (UK only) or via Skype internationally - direct email correspondence with Lee to help prepare you for your 2017 challenge - public thanks to your brand for its support via social media

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