Long Way... Home?

They’re off again! The team behind Long Way Round, Down and Up - Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin, David Alexanian - are putting together a fourth season of the hit show. One involving travelling the long way from McGregor’s house in Scotland to Boorman’s in England, with 10,000 miles of Scandinavia, the Balkans, and a little bit of Europe in between. In other words, it's another trip of a lifetime. 

Long Way Up

In their official announcement Apple described the new trip as:

an adventure that will take them to more than fifteen countries, through spectacular scenery and along some of the greatest driving roads in the world. Along the way they'll immerse themselves in each country's culture, meet the locals, and try their hand at unique and eclectic activities.

While McGregor was a little more brief:

Rusty old bikes and 10,000 miles of Scandinavia, and Eastern and Central Europe. A big loop from my house in Scotland to Charley’s house in England. Long way home…magic.

Hilariously, according to McGregor, he and Boorman came up with the idea for this trip during their last incredible Long Way adventure:

On a rather tricky, sand bit of Long Way Up, Charley and I started to dream about another trip to keep our minds off the scary road at hand!

Long Way Down

This new trip, the second backed by Apple, will last approximately 2 months, or ten episodes to you and me. Only, where before the guys would be riding flashy, new BMW GS Adventures or Harley Davidson’s not yet released electric motorbikes, this time McGregor and Boorman will be riding some lovingly restored classics. Will this require some out-of-the-box thinking in terms of maintenance and repairs along the way? Quite possibly. But more importantly; what motorised transport will they choose for Claudio and the support team? Another vintage motorcycle and a couple of old Land Rovers, maybe?

I have to say that as a big fan of the Long Way road trips, I’m excited to hear that there is a fourth series on the horizon. This new adventure actually sounds better than the last one, to me anyway. The idea behind Long Way 4 feels more in keeping with the show’s humble beginnings, and more about the journey than the fuel. 

I think the whole ‘going electric’ idea for Long Way Up hurt the show to a degree. In fact, there were times when it felt like more of a priority than the adventure itself. Going electric meant that the support team had two extra trucks following them around. One with a giant solar panel and the other a diesel generator, for charging the electric bikes and trucks. So even before they started, the idea of a road trip utilising electric vehicles is shown to be troublesome at best, maybe even pointless. It also sort of broke the format in that the show is supposed to be about three bikes and two trucks getting the team where they need to go, not three bikes, two trucks, and the other two (half off camera) trucks you need to make a road trip with electric vehicles appear possible. 

The other thing that hurt Long Way Up, and it isn’t electric vehicle related, is that after a rather entertaining first half, the trip seemed to become more about getting the bikes somewhere rather than riding them there. Granted, part of that was due to one of the electric bikes requiring maintenance. However, seeing the boys skip large chunks of the route by flying, sailing and even taking the bus did dull that sense of excitement and adventure that the show is known for. I know that a lot of this was due to either security or logistical issues, and that utilising other modes of transport is not a new concept for the show, but the circumstances felt very different in Long Way Up, with much greater parts of the journey being almost skipped over, or at least feeling like they were.

Long Way Round

And yet, as I write this I’m also considering rewatching Long Way Up - along with Round and Down - because despite its flaws, it immerses you in this epic adventure, in much the same way as its predecessors. All three seasons are uniquely fascinating, featuring beautiful places, incredible people and crazy occurrences. Each one represents the trip of a lifetime. A road trip is definitely my kind of holiday, albeit in a car. But I can only dream about going on a road trip quite as adventurous as Long Way - you never know, maybe one day. Until then I’m quite happy experiencing these incredible trips through this fantastic show, and the people that make them. So yes, as shocking as it might seem, in spite of all my criticism of the latest season, I am very excited to hear that there is a fourth season in development. I love the idea behind it, the fact that it’s back to being about the journey rather than the fuel, and I can't wait to see it.

What are your thoughts on another Long Way adventure? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.