Cass Gilbert is cycling from Sydney to London – the Ericsson I888
is reliable and works worldwide
UK cyclist Cass Gilbert is cycling the world raising money for
the Children With AIDS Charity (CWAC). Raising £21,000 on his
21,000Km solo cycle trek from Sydney to London, Cass relies on
Ericsson to keep in touch and to make himself heard on the charity
close to his heart.
Cass Gilbert's Sydney to London journey is a staggering 21,000Km
long and aims to raise £21,000 for Children With AIDS Charity - a
substantial part of which has already been pledged. The appeal is
designed to help fund holidays for children infected and affected
by AIDS, and their families, allowing them to escape from the
stresses of their everyday lives. Cass' bike ride is a way of
creating public awareness and raising funds for this small charity.
During his trek, Cass depends on cutting edge technology like his
dual band Ericsson I888 World mobile phone, for use on GSM 900 and
1900 networks - not only as a primary mode of communication but as
a safety precaution as well. Additionally, in conjunction with a
digital camera, he can also send and receive digital imagery over
the mobile network, enabling him to send photos of his travels to
friends, family, the charity and for posting on his website. The
I888 World has become a "one-stop shop" for Cass, which answers all
his communications needs.The planned route spans three continents.
Beginning in Sydney, Australia, and ending some fifteen months
later in London, England, the journey will be made over land
entirely by pedal power where possible. "Keeping in touch whilst on
the move is crucially important to the mission and to my welfare;
it's therefore important that my communication system be as light
as possible. After much consideration, I have chosen a Psion Series
5 palmtop computer linked by infra red to an Ericsson I888 World
mobile GSM phone, with built in modem for voice and data. Being
constantly on the move, I have no time to assemble complicated
connections, so the wireless I888 World is ideal. The Psion will
also allow me to write my diary articles and send pictures for
Cycling Plus features and
RoughGuides books,"
explains Cass.Cass will also rely on the Internet to update a
website allowing him to stay in touch with sponsors, friends and
family. Despite cycling in some of the more remote parts of the
world and the nomadic nature of the journey, the World Wide Web
will form an integral part of the trip - and will be called upon
for information as diverse as crossing borders, weather conditions
and political stability.On November 1st 1998, Cass left Sydney and
followed Australia's East Coast to Townsville. From here he cut
west across the Tanami desert to Darwin. Crossing the Arafura Sea
by boat into Timor, Indonesia, the expedition headed west across
the islands, through Jakarta and Sumatra to the port of Medan.
Georgetown in Malaysia will be the first stop in mainland Asia.From
here, Cass headed north through Thailand via Bangkok, across to
Hanoi, Vietnam, and into China, continuing north into the capital
of the Sichuan Province. Thereafter, the route will enter more
remote territory, veering north to Golmud before circling south to
Lhasa, Tibet, across the Himalayan Mountains. Cass will then travel
to Kathmandu, Delhi, Central Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy,
France and finally home to London. He hopes to be back in London
soon after the turn of the Millennium, approximately 21,000Km
later.
John Sabine