'I’m growing way more on this trip than I ever would in an office' - One man’s 1500km bike ride from Madrid to Glastonbury on the trail of Neil Young

It’s raining hard against the Devonshire countryside when I speak to Ollie White. He’s calling me from the shelter of a bus stop framed by patchwork hills and angry grey clouds - but Ollie is all delight. It’s his last full day of cycling from Madrid to the Glastonbury Festival.

This, Ollie’s first ever multi-day adventure, started five weeks ago in sunny Madrid. In a whirl of house moves, job terminations and frenzied farewells to friends, he packed his essentials onto his Kona Rove gravel bike and set off on his first stretch out of the city North-East to Guadalajara.

Ollie White is a man who isn’t afraid of doing scary things. He carries with him a signature calm, and openness that has led to friendships formed on the road, and the mental fortitude to push through beating hot days on the bike, Neil Young's ‘Old Man’ a rootsy soundtrack throughout.

“I’ve seen some really amazing nature, and wildlife,” the 25 year-old told me, in a thick Sligo accent, a smile fringing every word.

“But the best moments have been when I’ve connected with the local people. In all the little Spanish pueblos that I ended up cycling through, people would show me so much generosity. I'd arrive in a town, tell them what I was doing, and they’d be really intrigued and buy me beers or dinner.”

When he arrived into a town in Aragón, he struck up a conversation with the local mayor. Ollie hadn’t planned to stay for more than a quick refuel, but soon dinner turned into beers in a pub packed full of locals. Ollie spent that night camping in the town hall, courtesy of the mayor.

Other places have coloured his journey, too. In the desert-like landscape of Realles in Navarro, he stayed in an old cabin, waking to the sound of a shepherd and flock of 1700 sheep. They were walking to the Pyrenees, a route Ollie would follow too, crossing over the mountains from Biescas and into France via the ski town of Formigal. That mountain pass marked the last of the sunshine of that day's ride, as he dropped down the mountain, the clouds rolling in.

What marks Ollie’s trip from other bike pack adventures, is that he has meticulously documented every day, amassing thousands of views across Instagram and TikTok.

“I wanted to use this trip as a way to push myself as a filmmaker, because it’s challenging to do daily video content, and edit it in the tent after a long day of cycling. And I can’t predict what happens in a day, I just have to come up with a story at the end of the day and try and hope that it’s one that people will engage with.

“One of the beautiful things about bike packing is that everything is a process.

"You wake up in the morning in your tent, and pack up all your stuff. It takes ages. You’re using your hands, you’re organising your stuff, you’re thinking on your feet. You have to remember everything you have, where it goes and how you’re going to get to your next destination. And it’s all such good practice for the real world. Even though this seems like a bit of a holiday for me, I’m growing way more on this trip than I ever would in an office.”

Now, as he rides the final stretch into Glastonbury, you might catch a glimpse of the bike packer in the crowds for Kneecap, the Ezra Collective and - of course - screaming along to Neil Young.

Ollie is raising money for Doctors Without Borders, and a charity close to his home in Sligo, the North West Hospice. You can donate here.