Martín Echegaray Davies is an Argentine from the city of Trelew, in Patagonia, who, on October 31, 2017, set off on an adventure that can only be called heroic: walk from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska.
He started off on a solitary journey lasting almost 18,000 mi or 30,000 km, all while draging a cart that he prepared himself to carry the essentials: 400 lb or 180 kg that he’s brought with him almost the whole length of the Americas.
After two years and five months, and almost 14,200 mi or 22,850 km walked, he found an obstacle at the US/Canadian border that he’d never planned for, and which has stopped him from finishing his run: the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, this 63-year-old Argentine has had to abandon his epic journey. We hope he’ll be able to do that last bit when things get back to normal.
We’re bringing you his story for a few reasons.
The first reason is due to his first surname, which undoubtedly links him to the Basque community in that part of the world.
The second, because among the flags that he’s carried with him in his cart on this long journey is the ikurriña.
Also, we can’t help but being reminded of another Argentine of Basque origin who, in the 1930s and ’40s, had some similar characteristics. We’re referring to the “Basque with a Cart“.
And finally, the fact that this Argentine also celebrates his Welsh roots is something that is close to our hearts, and not just because of his first surname. Between the Basques and the Welsh, there has been a deep and beautiful historical relationship; we’ve brought you a few examples here on the blog.
We send our warmest and most admiring regards to this man forged in “Welsh coal and Basque iron”. We also wish him the best luck so that he can finish this incredible journey soon.
We’ll leave you with two articles about this unexpected (and hopefully temporary) end to his journey. If our readers would like to know more, check out his personal blog, or his Facebook.
The Guardian – 24/3/2020
How coronavirus stopped a 23,000km American odyssey
Nothing on his 23,000km (14,000-mile) walk across desert, jungle and mountains was going to stop Martín Echegaray Davies, 62, in his determination to walk from the southernmost tip of South America to Alaska. Nothing, that is, except for the closure of the US border with Canada amid efforts to contain the coronavirus
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INFOBAE – 1/4/2020 -Argentina
Caminó durante dos años para unir Ushuaia y Alaska, pero el coronavirus le puso fin a su travesía al llegar a Canadá
El chubutense Martín Echegaray Davies emprendió el desafío de recorrer a pie el continente americano en octubre de 2017. Descendiente de galeses, su propósito fue dejar un gran legado como lo hicieron sus antepasados cuando poblaron el sur argentino. La pandemia frustró su plan a poco de arribar a destino y hoy está en la ciudad estadounidense de Fargo a la espera de tomar un vuelo para regresar al país
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Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country