Dr. Stephen Fabes started his journey at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, where he worked as a doctor. By the time he's done, he'll have cycled the length of six of the Earth's continents and raised more than 20,000 pounds for a medical organization. (Stephen Fabes/cyclingthe6.com)

Dr. Stephen Fabes set out six years ago with little more than a bike and a few basic supplies. He left his job at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, where he was a doctor, to reach out to communities across all six continents and to raise money for charity, hitting all kinds of weather along the way.

As he prepares to return home on February 19, Fabes can say he's accomplished his mission. In his travels through Europe, Africa, South America, Central America, North America, Australia and Asia, he's reached countless lives and raised more than £20,000 (over $28,500) for the Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin).

When he returns to the pub where he formed this big idea, Fabes will have many amazing stories to tell. He's endured extreme weather in a variety of landscapes, taking in some of the most beautiful sights the Earth has to offer.

(MORE: )

Even from the outset, Fabes had to deal with weather curveballs.

"I left the UK on 5th Jan 2010, on the 6th and 7th heavy snow began to fall, schools were closed all over the south of the UK and as I cycled through Kent I was attacked by large groups of children with snowballs, for roughly 100 miles - a memorable start!" Fabes tells weather.com. "Weather forecasters at the time were talking of the coldest winter for 30 years in western Europe."

The worst of the cold was camping in -31 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in Mongolia and China, Fabes says.

(MORE: )

"Fortunately it was one of the warmest winters (apparently for 75 years) - it didn't feel it!" Fabes says. "I slept with three sleeping bags [and] two sleeping mats. Keeping my drinking water unfrozen was a constant battle, as daytime temp peaked at minus 12 Celsius. I cycled as far north as Deadhorse on the arctic ocean. I was there in summer, mid-August, and it was snowing."

Fabes also encountered his fair share of heat, making his way through Turkey, where the heat was sweltering day and night. In Ethiopia, he encountered days when it was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the shade.

Then there were the winds, which could be helpful or dangerous.

(MORE: )

Fabes said tailwinds helped him cycle in the Sahara. "My highest distance in one day was achieved with the help of a string tailwind in Namibia," he said. "I cycled 209 km (130 miles) in six hours without really trying, often freewheeling at 40km/hr (25 mph) on the flat."

In Patagonia, it was a different story. Fabes said the gale force winds blew him off his bike. Using his Kestrel weather meter, he regularly tracked winds gusting over 60 mph.

He cycled through many a storm, including the January 2014 Tropical Storm June in New Caledonia, and, more recently, in Holland.

And that wasn't the worst of it.

"I was riding the Annapurna circuit when and heavy snow fell in the Himalayas," Fabes recalls. "Sadly, 49 people died on the pass. There were no weather warning communicated to hikers. I passed dead bodies on the trail."

(PHOTOS: )

Even something as simple as rain caused complications along the way. A 9-month trek through Asia during the rainy season caused his bike and belongings to rust and mold.

"In Myanmar, the problems of the rainfall came in the form of leeches which dropped onto me from the trees, and landslides, and I had one close shave," Fabes says. "The wet season also brought mosquitoes and I got dengue fever in Malaysia."

Even through it all, Fabes maintains a positive attitude. "Some of these problems were my own doing, as I messed up the timings or felt like the challenge of cycling through cold places, so I can't really complain," he says.

Sure, he cycled through an ash cloud as a volcano erupted in Argentina, but it was all worth it. He has assisted marginalized groups with their health problems and continues his effort to promote awareness to eradicate neglected tropical diseases, like dengue and leprosy,that most affect the most impoverished citizens of the world.

You can read about his travels on Fabes' blog, . You can also follow him on .