After a few days riding north in Norway, McCutchen headed back to Germany for a couple of motorbike festivals. The first involved a flight back to the UK for Adventure Bike Rider festival before she flew back to Germany for Kawasaki Days.

From there, it was back to her record attempt. With friend Kiva, she drove down into the Black Forest and into the Swiss Alps. “Aside from in Patagonia, I've never seen such stunning mountains, rivers, and waterfalls,” McCutchen wrote.

With another friend, Kiva and McCutchen rode the Colle del Sommelier, one of the highest off-road passes in the Alps at almost 3,000m (just under 10,000ft). They camped in beautiful alpine scenery and then parted ways, with Kiva and McCutchen continuing into Italy and then the Balkans.

Their next major stop came in Bulgaria for another motorbike festival: Motocamp Bulgaria. The festival gave McCutchen a chance to pick other long-distance riders brains about her upcoming route. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made her original route through Russia impossible. Instead she’ll need to head through Turkey and then Central Asia. The new route will come with fresh issues and increased costs, including for a “Carnet de Passage, ferry/visa/guide for Iran, and airfreight over Myanmar.”