The Next Challenge

This Is What I Think About Adventurers

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by

Tim Moss
in

I recently sorted through some of my Opinion articles from over the years and drew out a few themes about expeditions and adventure. Here is a summary of my ethos with plenty of links…

I Don't Want To Be A Professional Adventurer (Photo: David Tett)

My strong view is that adventure need not require time, money or expertise.

I don’t have a major beef with celebrity expeditions (even if they sometimes undermine the efforts of others) but I do believe that TV makes expeditions seem unnecessarily scary and that “adventurers” often unhelpfully exaggerate their stories.

In fact, I think that adventurers frequently patronise by implying that going on expeditions is a better way to use your life than working a 9-to-5 but, in my view, completing a great expedition doesn’t make you a great person. That’s part of the reason why I don’t want to be a professional adventurer.

That said, I feel that expeditions are a great way to create challenge in your life, manifest self-belief and even overcome prejudice. However, I don’t think that expeditions should be taken too seriously or that they should be used to prove how tough you are.

I prefer original adventure ideas but will always help anyone that gets in touch, as I have done with every person that has contacted me in the ten years since I was first approached for help.

Your thoughts?

Comments

2 responses to “This Is What I Think About Adventurers”

  1. Neill Wylie avatar
    Neill Wylie

    I love Alistair Humphreys take on it. This article reminds me of it. I recently gave up my job as an adventure leader for the scouts because of the money situation. I’m nothing like your level at all but I was lucky enough to get the kids excited enough to step up and give things a go. Funny enough I was looking at accountancy courses online and then you popped up. I’ll be looking into your journey through life a lot more now. Well done man. You seem to have merged the two worlds of adventure and civilization successfully. Something I’m struggling forwards with.

    Reply
    1. Tim Moss avatar
      Tim Moss

      Thanks Neill. I hope you manage to reach the right balance.

      Reply

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