With almost 6000 miles of his 15, 000 solo cycle down the length of the American Cordillera behind him, Mark Beaumont has crossed the border into Mexico earlier this month.

This second epic journey started back in May, when Mark set out to cycle down the longest mountain range on the planet, stopping off along the way to climb the continent’s two highest peaks, Mount McKinley in Alaska and Aconcagua in Argentina.

So far Mark has endured extreme temperatures, from the freezing summitt of McKinley to the the 42 degree heat of Washington state, encountered his first Grizzly Bear in the Yukon, and cycled as high as 8, 500 ft on the New Mexico border.

After a low-key entry into Mexico, where Mark was accompanied for a week by a local guide due to the high risks of travelling alone through the Chihuahua border region, Mark finally reached the Pacific Coast a few days ago. He is now following the hilly and very humid coast-line of South Mexico, drinking 8-10 litres of water a day in an attempt to keep hydrated.

The next stage of the trip will take Mark through Central America where he will face more safety issues due to the political instability in Columbia and Honduras.

With a relatively small weather window through which to make it through the Andes, Mark needs to cycle between 70-80 miles per day to be on target to reach Argentina by Christmas.

Mark is filming his expedition for a ground-breaking BBC1 documentary, Cycling the Americas, due to air next year. This means that as well as carrying all his own equipment (tent, sleeping bag, repair kit, first aid, satellite phone) he also has to fit in a couple of cameras and a laptop!

With more than half the journey and the 22,841 ft peak of Aconcagua still to go, Mark’s expedition is a testament to his tremendous endurance and self-motivation. As well as the physical impact on his body (Mark will be using an average of 6000kcal per day - more than twice the normal intake of a typical active man) he faces the emotional challenge of spending nine months alone on the road.

You can keep up to date with Mark’s progress on the BBC’s interactive website here and listen to his regular live chats with BBC Radio 1’s Greg James.

We will be keeping track of Mark’s progress every month. While he is on the road, Speakers from the Edge is working hard planning Mark’s 37-date tour of UK theatres coming to a venue near you next March-May. Dates and venues to be announced soon.