I had forgotten how difficult it can be to be a dog owner in Cyprus. Having previously lived here from 2013-2015, you would have thought that I would have a good idea of the limitations that Cyprus has for dog owners. It turns out I had forgotten the negatives and only remembered the good times. […]
WHY I AM NOT GOING ON ANY BIG ADVENTURES THIS SUMMER
I have just started my summer break from work. Normally when I have three weeks off I am busy planning an adventure. This summer will be different as I am staying at home. As I wrote in my previous post, home is now Cyprus where I live with my Mrs and our dog Cleo (who […]
I’VE JUST MOVED TO A NEW COUNTRY!
Once again, I am on the move. I’m starting to realise that I don’t tend to stay in one place for too long. For some, this lifestyle could sound like a nightmare but this is one of the reasons I decided to have a career in the military. To travel, explore and see the world. […]
CANOEING WITH DOGS – TOP TIPS
Going on an adventure with your dog is always a rewarding experience. Not only will you further develop a bond with your pet, they will get lots of exercise and fresh air. Being in the wild is mentally stimulating for your pooch. New surroundings bring about mental stimulation that your pet craves. Canoeing is not […]
FINDING TIME FOR ADVENTURE
“Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to used during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such […]
WHY I TRAVEL
I first travelled overseas when I was 16. Landing in Gibraltar was like entering a new but also familiar world. The road signs all looked the same. People were speaking English. There were even red post and phone boxes. But the landscape was like nothing I had ever seen in the UK. An ever-present rock […]
LIVING A LIFE OF ADVENTURE WHILST MAINTAINING A RELATIONSHIP
This is can be one of the toughest balancing acts in this tricky game of life. On one hand being single provides freedom. Being able to do and go where you want, when you want. You can spend money on irresponsible things like a new mountain bike or that fancy new GoPro. You can spend months, […]
ADVENTURE GRANTS 2017
Most adventures will have some cost (although it is possible to go on a brilliant adventure for free). There are many different ways to get the money needed to fund your expeditions. Grants are just one of the methods of getting funding. I was surprised to discover so many grants were available. There are a […]
THE ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO AN 18 YEAR OLD ADAM
“If I could turn back time…if I could find a way”. Cher 1989 Have you ever thought about what you would do differently if you were given the chance? What advice do you wish you had received when you were 18? So where was I 10 years ago? Here I am in the middle with […]
HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON A SOLO TREKKING EXPEDITION
To trek, hike, plod, march, trudge, tab, yomp. Whatever label you choose to use, put simply it is walking (throughout this post I will refer to it as trekking, purely for continuity). Something humans have done for 200,000 years. It is the purest form of human powered transport. Requiring minimal equipment and little formal lessons […]
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN GIVE A FALSE SENSE OF REALITY
June 8th 2007. The day I joined Facebook. It’s been 10 years to the day since I first logged onto the site that has become a regular part of day to day life. To mark this moment, here is a post reflecting on my views of the current state of social media. The days of […]
PART THREE – TREKKING IN DOLPA – LOST PORTERS, BLIZZARD AND SLEEPING IN A SCHOOL
After five days of trekking through epic valleys, pine tree covered mountains and fast-flowing rivers, we split into two groups. The group of 12 climbers were to stay in the town of Kakkot and attempt to climb the mountain of Putha Hiunchuli at 7,246 metres. We were to continue trekking and aim to complete a […]
HOW TO ADJUST BACK TO REALITY AFTER AN ADVENTURE
Adventures can be life changing experiences. Travelling and pushing yourself physically, culturally and socially can make everyday life seem that little bit more interesting. Your self-perceived boundaries increase as you achieve feats that you previously did not think were possible. I get restless if I don’t have an upcoming project or an adventure planned. It’s pretty […]
PART TWO TREKKING IN DOLPA – RIVER SWIMS, REMOTE PLACES AND MEETING ANOTHER WESTERNER
The weather couldn’t be any better for the first few days of the trek. We had the pleasure of clear skies and strong sunshine, accompanied by a cool, refreshing breeze. I wore shorts for the first two days and couldn’t quite believe that I was above 2000 metres. Sun cream was needed to protect ourselves […]
PART ONE TREKKING IN DOLPA – ROUTE STATS, KATHMANDU AND A CRAZY FLIGHT
Dolpa is one of the most remote regions of the Himalaya. Only open to foreigners from 1989, it is far away from the standard tourist routes in Nepal. Throughout the expedition, I was stunned by the beauty of the mountains, the kindness of the local people and the amount of wildlife thriving in this often […]
WILD CAMPING WITH A DOG
Having a dog doesn’t mean that you can no longer go on adventures. If anything, taking your dog along can make your adventures more worthwhile and fun. This post will give you some tips and advice to plan your own wild camping adventure with your pet pooch. Last month, I went on a family wild […]
KIT LIST FOR THE HIMALAYAS
Next week I will be setting off on a three-week trekking expedition to the remote Dolpo area of Western Nepal. The aim of the expedition is to trek from Juphal to Jomson, passing over 3 peaks above 5500m. I will be trekking with 12 other members of the Army Mountaineering association (AMA) to celebrate the […]
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE ON AN ADVENTURE
When planning an adventure I usually set off from point A and finish at point B. This is the simplest and easiest to measure method of travelling. Often my adventures are in remote places, with little reliable mapping and sketchy internet coverage. Even so, I need to be able to reliably get to my final destination. […]
TOP 8 FOODS FOR ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Nothing quite beats a hard day on the road than finishing it with a stomach load of delicious food. When travelling on an adventure, you are going to be burning lots of calories. One of my favourite things about adventures is that I get to try different foods from around the world and pretty much […]
YOU DON’T HAVE TO QUIT YOUR JOB TO LIVE A LIFE OF ADVENTURE
I come across countless posts and articles giving the advice to quit your job and head off on epic adventures. This can be brilliant advice for some. If you are not happy with your job and the life you live, a change of environment and a new career direction could be just what you need. […]
RELEASING THE HOUND
Two years ago, the Mrs and I rescued a five-year-old white pointer/labrador cross called Cleo. Cleo had been passed around from owner to owner before we saw a post on a Cyprus expat facebook page that said Cleo was about to go into kennels unless a new owner could be found. Being the soft English […]
A MIDWEEK WILD CAMP IN LONDON
We all have routines. The average British worker will head off to start work early in the morning and return home in the evening. Then make some dinner, watch mind numbing TV then go to bed. It doesn’t always have to be this boring, though… A few months ago, I was at a presentation by […]
STRANDED IN THE SINAI DESERT
A tremendous bang abruptly wakes me from a deep sleep. There is panic on the coach. People are shouting in Arabic, a baby is screaming. It’s 1 am and I’m stranded in the Sinai desert on the outskirts of the port town Suez. I’m not supposed to be here. In this area, there is a […]
WALKING OR CYCLING: WHICH IS BEST FOR ADVENTURE?
WALKING OR CYCLING: WHICH IS BEST FOR ADVENTURE? 1 The time was 8:23 pm on a grim, pitch-black winter night in the North of England. My back is aching. There are blisters between my toes and Storm Barbera is battering the UK. The relentless gale force winds were blowing the rain horizontally into my face […]
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WILD CAMPING IN THE UK
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WILD CAMPING IN THE UK 1 It is completely normal to have some fears and questions before heading out to go wild camping. We get used to sleeping in a cosy bed, surrounded by walls in a warm and safe environment. Why would anybody in their right mind want to head […]
ENRICH YOUR LIFE BY READING THESE 8 SUPERB BOOKS
ENRICH YOUR LIFE BY READING THESE 8 SUPERB BOOKS 1 Books have the ability to transport us to another land. One of the world’s greatest feelings is to be so engrossed in a book that we forget who we are and become enthralled in somebody else’s story. Recently I have started listening to audio books. […]
SUPER QUICK GUIDE TO INTERRAILING IN EUROPE
SUPER QUICK GIDE TO INTERRAILING IN EUROPE 1 Interrailing is one of the most popular methods of travelling through Europe during a summer holiday or extended break. It is considered to be cheap, provide freedom and due to the excellent rail network in Europe, you can pretty much travel to any European country via train. I […]
WHAT IS ADVENTURE?
WHAT IS ADVENTURE? 1 Having an adventure is sometimes just a matter of going out and allowing things to happen in a strange and amazing new environment – not so much a physical challenge as a psychic one. -Rolf Potts, Vagabonding What classes as an Adventure? The term Adventure is overused. We live in a […]
The most effective ways to charge your gadgets in the great outdoors
Charging phones, cameras, GPS and any other fancy gadgets you bring on an adventure can be a pain. Our devices batteries are seemingly lasting less and less time so the need to charge on the go is even more of a challenge than ever. Here are a few methods you can use to have power […]
My First Adventure – Cycling from London to Paris
I joined the Army with the sole intention of deploying on operations and leading soldiers into combat. My opportunity to deploy on operations came in 2014 when I was deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan. In 2014, the large-scale combat operations the British Army had been conducting were coming to an end and the government […]
Solo Adventure – the Pros and Cons
When you start to plan an adventure most people will look to travel with a companion. Humans are naturally social creatures and are used to working in groups. There are many benefits to travelling with a buddy but there are also lots of advantages to travelling solo. This post will explore the pros and cons […]
6 STEPS TO PLAN YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
6 STEPS TO PLAN YOUR FIRST ADVENTURE 1 It is easy to make excuses and think that having a full-time job stops you from living a life of adventure. Since 2010 I have had a full-time job as an Army Officer. I am really lucky that this job gives me the opportunity to travel and […]
The Rise of the Adventure Stag Do
After a long and painful drive from London to the Brecon Beacons in Wales, I arrived at the cottage. After spending 5 hours in Friday rush hour traffic, M25 and M4 misery and long, winding country roads, I was well and truly ready for a beer. The weekend was organised for a fellow Army Officers stag […]
Walking Home for Christmas
Walking with the wounded (WWTW) are a charity that raises funds to retrain and re-skill wounded veterans and support them in finding new careers outside the military. Over Christmas, they run a campaign called ‘Walking Home for Christmas’. People are encouraged to walk home from their place of work, in groups or as individuals, to […]
Charity Adventures. A generous act or a free ride to somewhere exotic?
The charity sector is trying harder and harder to get your cash and is becoming ever more competitive each year. Charities are constantly looking for inventive ways of attracting people to fundraise on their behalf. We have all seen requests on our facebook and twitter asking us to donate to one cause or another. Often […]
Busking to Belfast Video
I have finally bothered to edit the footage I took from last summers Busking to Belfast adventure. Your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!
Learning to Ski in Val d’Isère
I have spent the last week in the French ski resort of Val d’Isère with the Army learning to ski. I have always wanted to learn how to ski properly. At university, I took lessons at my local ski slope in Castleford with the aim of going on a skiing holiday with friends. One of […]
The Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a beautiful country with bags to see, eat and do. It is also crazy at times and can be frustrating to the traveller not used to the African way of life. In this post, I will write about my experience after spending four days in Ethiopia. I will write about some of the brilliant things […]
Busking to Belfast – Part Two
This was my first real solo adventure. I usually have a Platoon of men to command or a friend to travel with. This time my partner was the bicycle and a ukulele. Cycling through Yorkshire was a real unexpected highlight of the trip. As a Yorkshire man, I almost take the beauty of my home […]
The End of a Journey
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end” Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness I often spend my days dreaming up ideas for new adventures. One of my favourite parts of a new adventure is the planning phase. Checking routes […]
Busking to Belfast – Part One
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” Sherlock Holmes author, Arthur Conan Doyle, Scientific American, 1896 After spending the […]
Three Months in Egypt
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did” T.E. Lawrence, […]