At the age of 22 Laura Bingham set off to cycle through South America from Ecuador to Argentina, a journey of 7000 kilometres. Hard enough, but she did it alone and without any money. The cycle ride was to raise awareness of charity Operation South America. This book describes her journey through Ecuador and is part of the fund-raising effort. Laura’s story will inspire young readers and conveys the enormity of the challenge, as well as a sense of freedom and adventure. The love of her family kept Laura going through the hardest times, and she had help from strangers she met along the way. The beauty of the countryside and its wildlife inspired her too and all these things are captured in the story. Her journey across Peru will be told in another book, while she finishes with advice for young people planning their own adventure – persevere like Laura, and almost anything is possible.
Laura loves adventure and has a big dream. But is her plan to cycle 7,000 kilometres across South America without any money – relying on the kindness and goodwill of the people she meets – too much, even for her? Laura's incredible journey begins in Ecuador where she faces tough climbs, hunger and homesickness. Can her determination and resilience help her to achieve her dream?
Mountains of Dreams, the first book in the Spirit of Adventure series, follows the challenges and experiences Laura had in Ecuador, the first of the five countries she cycled through. Laura’s wish is that the story of her own extraordinary adventure, illustrated in Laura Wall’s bold and evocative style, will inspire children worldwide to seek their own adventures and to always follow their dreams.
Laura Bingham is a British adventurer who, in 2014 and with no experience whatsoever, joined a two-man crew and sailed a 38ft trimaran across the Atlantic. In 2016 she cycled across South America, raising both money and awareness for Operation South America. In 2018 she led the first ever crew to navigate South America’s Essequibo river from source to sea. A natural-born adventurer, she is married to fellow adventurer and survivalist, Ed Stafford, with whom she has a young son, and a host of animals!
