Jean-Philippe Soule

At age seven I was already deeply inspired by Jacques Cousteau’s adventures and decided I wanted to travel and live with indigenous people in remote places. When I discovered extreme and ultra-endurance sports, they became the perfect complement to my plans to thoroughly experience the whole planet: I was off and running—or mountaineering or cycling or skiing or kayaking! In 1993 during a jungle expedition on the Indonesian island of Siberut, the most traditional Mentawai clan invited me to stay and live with them. I spent seven months sharing the daily lives of these deeply spiritual people and was adopted as a family member. Having Mentawai family changed my vision of life and inspired me to found Native Planet, (www.nativeplanet.org) a humanitarian non-profit that defends the rights and culture of indigenous peoples worldwide. I got hooked on cycling while living in Hokkaido, Japan, where roads bordering the pristine coastline snake their way through deep forest to active volcanoes filled with countless hot springs. It was in this wilderness that I realized how much beauty I could see on a bicycle while getting the great workout I was addicted to, all in a reasonable amount of time. I've been looking for the absolute best in travel, culture and cycling—together—ever since! After all those years of adventuring, guiding and taking professional photographs while I roamed (www.jpsviewfinder.com), I’ve finally come home to the Pyrenees. By designing custom itineraries and leading personal tours (www.velotopo.com), I can still pursue my passion for sports and adventure here while helping other people discover the natural and cultural environments that delight me. I love sharing my enthusiasm with people by guiding them on cycling routes that I’ve designed to challenge and encourage them to accomplish their dreams in the unique beauty of the Pyrenees, IMHO the best cycling venue in the world! I’ve also written an E-Guidebook “Best Cycling Routes of the Pyrenees” (www.bestofthepyrenees.com) that will help avid cyclists plan their trip and let armchair cyclists discover the multitude of Pyrenees delights in the comfort of their own home. Do we share some of the same passions? Let’s connect!