A COCKERMOUTH woman plans to run from her home, across Europe and into Asia in a bid to highlight the climate crisis.

Rosie Watson, 24, will set off later this month from her parents home near Lorton and hopes to make it as far as Mongolia.

Along the way, the experienced runner will be meeting people from projects who are creating a new, more sustainable, way of living, and are dedicated to tackling the climate crisis and its related issues.

"I'll be telling their tales through photographs, interviews and writing on my website - creating a portfolio of 'new stories' from across the world," said Rosie, who has been training for six months and aims to run between 20km and 40km a day.

"I'll also be posting updates of my own triumphs and struggles of running such a long way."

Rosie will be heading off on Saturday, August 17, and plans to be away for at least a year.

"I'm doing this on my own, will be carrying all of my stuff, wild camping as much as possible, including in winter, as I am on a limited budget, and probably living off porridge, pasta and peanut butter," she said.

"I will be running to Newcastle, getting the ferry to the Netherlands, then running across Europe, heading for Asia - aiming for Mongolia eventually."

The journey will be entirely on foot, apart from some ferries across bodies of water.

"I may use public transport to get around ‘stopping points’, but will always start running again from the point I left off," said Rosie, a member of Cumberland Fell Runners.

"I will absolutely not fly, even to get back home at the end of it."

And she won't be favouring the easiest route options.

"I will also cross as many mountain ranges and areas of wilderness, remoteness and natural beauty as I can, and communicate these experiences alongside the ‘new stories’," said Rosie.

"By exploring the climate crisis and it’s solutions through a story of adventure, I aim to explore these issues in a fresh and personal way."

She is well aware of the problems of the modern world.

"We are living in a climate crisis and urgently need to re-address how we live, work, and meet our needs," said Rosie, who graduated from Leeds University last summer before working for the 2050 Climate Group in Edinburgh, a charity which aims to educate and empower Scotland’s young people to take action on climate change.

"The impacts are already being felt, often by those with limited resources to adapt, and/or who have contributed little to the problem itself. We are plagued by inaction, a sense of apathy, and a culture where we waste time by trying to blame each other, without taking responsibility ourselves.

"As with tackling the climate crisis, I don’t know for sure how far I’ll get, or if I’ll make it all the way to Mongolia – but I am prepared to try."

To follow Rosie's adventure go to: https://newstoryrun.wordpress.com.