Stories from winners of The Next Challenge Grant and my own adventures…
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Our first deadline had been met – the ferry across the fjord – but another loomed large: another ferry departing in two days´time. This one was south across a lake that was difficult to get round without crossing borders and…
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Journey to the Coast
We always knew it would take a long time to get there. It was a tiny, remote port wedged between the sea, the Argentinian border and two ice caps. It took us three planes, five buses, four hitch hikes and…
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Patagonia Plan
In a few hours’ time, Laura and I will be boarding a flight to the start of an expedition. The plan is to walk across Patagonia. We will begin our trip in South America by spending New Year’s Eve on…
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Couch Surfing
I suspect that many of you will already be aware of the website CouchSurfing.org or can at least guess at the principle. It’s a network of people all over the world who are willing to offer cups of tea, showers…
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Great Expeditions Don’t Make Great People
Just because someone has achieved great expedition feats it does not automatically make them a great person. It is quite common to describe someone who has completed a great expedition as “an amazing person” or similar. I would dispute that…
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Wild Swimming Is Not A Sport
‘My friend does that’, shouted down the lady from the side of her boat as my now wife and I swam past in the river below. ‘It’s that “Wild Swimming” thing, isn’t it?’. I smiled and said Yes but something…
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Kit List For A Wild Swim
I am no expert outdoor swimmer – I’m not sure such a thing exists – but I’ve jumped in my fair share of cold puddles and ditches in recent years. Presented below is my personal view of the necessary…
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The Natural Navigator
Last month I attended a course on natural navigation – learning to find your orientation without map, compass GPS or any other instructions, relying instead on cues from nature. Tristan Gooley wrote a book called The Natural Navigator – which…
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Writing a Book is Like Revising for Finals
I need to submit my book to the publishers by Christmas. The majority of the content is down already and has been for some time. Unfortunately, it’s the remaining 10% and the subsequent polishing which seems to be taking the…
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Patagonia
In three weeks’ time I will be flying to Buenos Aires to walk across South America. Three weeks! Time has flown by. The broad plan is for Laura and I to travel halfway down Patagonia to the narrow bit of…
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Uninspired
Ever since I started running The Next Challenge, I have been planning a South Pole expedition to coincide with the London 2012 Olympics. I’ve been pretty sure for some time that it was not going to happen and now that…
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