Those spending their time conquering the Seven Summits or riding the Divide might ask “What is Aleppo?”

Aleppo has been the worst hit city in the Syrian Civil War, with massive destruction and loss of life putting one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world at the center of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Judging life on the run better than death at home, well over half a million people have abandoned Aleppo as they seek safety elsewhere in Syria and abroad.

We in the West dodge potholes and the occasional mad motorist while riding our bikes, while our Syrian brethren dodge barrel bombs and SCUD missiles.