“Adventurers” are always writing articles/stories and giving talks with the ostensible aim of motivating people to get out and do stuff for themselves. But the problems raised in response are often the same: people don’t where to start and they don’t have the time/money/expertise to get going. These are the real hurdles that any credible motivator needs to work to overcome.
Here are four simple ideas for anyone who’s interested in going on an expedition or little adventure but who isn’t sure where or how to start.
(These ideas are taken from the Get Inspired page of the new and improved Resources section of my website)
1. Squeeze in an “Everyday Adventure” after work
Adventure need not require time, money, expertise or sweat. You can do it on your lunch break or after work. I ran a campaign throughout 2010 with ten different ideas for squeezing some adventure into your daily routine. These are ideas that are genuinely open to everybody (my mum got involved).
If you like these then you may also like our Berghaus 2014 Microadventures and my MidWeek Missions.
2. Have a weekend “MicroAdventure”
I view these as one step up from Everyday Adventures. Al Humphreys spent a year conducting a new miniature adventure every month – sleeping on a hill, entering a race, swimming in a river. They are a great place to start for inspiration. So good, in fact, that he was made a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for his efforts and recently published a very successful book on the topic.
3. Join the 100 Club
Money really need not be a barrier to adventure. I tried to “prove” this in 2010 by hitch-hiking around the UK with the £100 my mum gave me for Christmas. I got as far as Dublin and back home to London with £35 change.
Obviously I am not the only person to have undertaken a budget adventure so I collected a heap of adventures conducted for less than £100. Take a look at the ideas for inspiration.
(More recently, my friend Tom cycled across England without spending any money at all).
4. Save your pennies for Adventure 1000
People always ask me about sponsorship. It’s natural, and I had the same focus when I started out, but now I often encourage people to ask if they really need a sponsor and whether they might be better without.
Al Humphreys’ latest project, Adventure 1000, fits this idea perfectly. Instead of pitching endless PDFs to anonymous email addresses, why not just ssave £20 a week. By the end of the year you’ll have a £1000 and more than enough for a serious expedition. Follow the link for a load of example expeditions (including one from me).
Next Challenge Resources
These adventure ideas are taken from the Inspiration section of my Resources Page.
Other topics include sponsorship, polar travel, cycle touring and wild swimming.
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