A SEDBERGH man is preparing for a potential world first which will see him cycle 13,500 miles and scale 40 peaks, visiting all 42 countries in Europe on the way.

In March Joss Livesey will leave his job at Wheelbase, Staveley, and set off on a unique solo expedition for eight months, raising money for Alzheimers Research in the process.

The 25-year-old has been seeking a huge physical and personal challenge, and came up with the idea of ‘Pedals2Pinnacles’ to combine his passions of cycling and mountaineering.

Joss will set off from Porto, Portugal, on a bicycle, travelling to the very farthest corners of Europe and reaching the highest point within each border, either by bike or on foot.

Joss is currently crowdfunding for the trip, saying: “I've scrimped, saved and liquidated all my earthly possessions on eBay trying to raise money for this trip but I need a little help.

“I'm looking to raise £2,000 that will go towards making my trip possible, helping to fund visas, food, equipment and travel expenses.

“Once the £2,000 mark has been reached, all additional donations raised will go towards my charity campaign for Alzheimer's Research UK.”

Since Joss's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2015, he said he has come to realise the vital need to find a cure, or at least a way to alleviate the devastating consequences to families.

“I know how horrible it can be and I want to do something to help,” he said.

On his personal ‘peaks’ during the trip, Joss said he is looking forward to getting to northern Scandinavia, above the Arctic Circle – the most remote and wild area he will get to.

On the downside, he said: “At times it could be extremely lonely and the daily challenge of finding somewhere to sleep will be difficult – I’ll check into hostels now and again but there’ll be a lot of wild camping.

“I’m massively excited about the challenge and I can’t wait to get going. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for long time so I’m really keen to crack on.”

To sponsor Joss go to https://www.gofundme.com/pedals2pinnacles.