Alastair Humphreys » Lists

Travel advice from Dervla Murphy

Al Humphreys — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:55:47 +0000

A wonderful list from the opinionated (but cool) travel writer Dervla Murphy. Click here to read it in full.

The individual traveller’s “age of adventure” has long since been ended by “S&T” (science and technology: an abbreviation that dates me). Now our planet’s few remaining undeveloped expanses are accessible only to well-funded expeditions protected by mobile phones and helicopters – enterprises unattractive to the temperamental descendants of Mungo Park, Mary Kingsley et al. Happily, it’s still possible for such individuals to embark on solo journeys through little-known regions where they can imagine how real explorers used to feel.

Reviewers tend to describe my most exhilarating journeys as “adventures”, though to me they are a form of escapism – a concept unfairly tainted with negative connotations. If journeys are designed as alternatives to one’s everyday routine, why shouldn’t they be escapist? Why not move in time as well as space, and live for a few weeks or months at the slow pace enjoyed by our ancestors? In recent decades everything has become quicker and easier: transport, communications, heating, cooking, cleaning, dressing, shopping, entertaining. “S&T” have reduced physical effort to the minimum – but are we genetically equipped to cope with our effortless new world? The stats show increasing numbers of us developing ulcers, having nervous breakdowns, eating too much or too little, taking to drink and/or drugs, retreating from our own reality in plastic surgery clinics. It’s surely time to promote the therapeutic value of slow travel.

There is, of course, a certain irony here: technology has rendered the traditional simple journey somewhat artificial. Previously, those who roamed far and wide had to be isolated for long periods; now isolation is a deliberately chosen luxury. Had I died of a burst appendix in the Hindu Kush or the Simiens or the Andes, it would have been my own fault (no two-way radio) rather than a sad misfortune. Therefore, in one sense, escapist travelling has become a game – but only in one sense. The actual journey is for real: whatever happens, you can’t chicken out. You’re alone where you’ve chosen to be, and must take the consequences. (I prefer to forget that nowadays one is never quite alone. With all those satellites, the solitary traveller may be observed picking her nose in the middle of the Great Karoo.)

To facilitate escapism, I offer the following tips …

1. Choose your country, use guidebooks to identify the areas most frequented by foreigners – and then go in the opposite direction.
2. Mug up on history.
3. Travel alone, or with just one prepubescent child.
4. Don’t overplan.
5. Be self-propelling: walk or cycle.
6. If assisted by a pack animal, take detailed local advice about the terrain ahead.
7. Cyberspace intercourse vitiates genuine escapism.
8. Don’t be inhibited by the language barrier.
9. Be cautious – cautious as distinct from timid.
10. Invest in the best-available maps.

4×9 List

Al Humphreys — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:48:45 +0000

A quirky little idea to blast out on a blog post. Here’s my list:

Four jobs I’ve had in my life
- Ice cream seller
- Sandwich board wearer
- Teacher
- Motivational speaker

Four Movies I can watch over and over
- Top Gun
- Austin Powers
- Into the Wild
- When we were Kings

Four places I have lived
- Yorkshire Dales
- Jane Furse, South Africa
- London
- Kent

Four TV programmes I love to watch
- Match of the Day
- BBC nature programmes
- You’ve been Framed (guilty pleasure)
- Total Wipeout (guilty pleasure 2)

Four places I have been on holiday
- Spain
- France
- Tunisia
- Italy

Four websites I visit daily
- Google
- BBC Sport
- Twitter
- Flickr

Four of my favourite foods
- Chinese
- Indian
- Mexican
- Pizza

Four places I would rather be right now
- San Francisco
- Cape Town
- Istanbul
- On top of a mountain

What is the best expedition backpack?

Al Humphreys — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:00:10 +0000

During my preparation for next month’s expedition to Iceland I did a lot of research into what was the best large pack out there.

Here are some of the good ones I found.

What is your favourite pack? What have I forgotten?

Have your say in the comments.

Top 10 bits of kit for a long walk

Al Humphreys — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:20:59 +0000

10 of the best bits of kit that I took to India.

1. Orthotic insoles and trainers
Profeet and Mizuno Wave Inspire 5
£149 (insoles and fitting), £68 / 252 grams (shoe)
I used to associate long distance running and walking with inevitable injuries and pain. No longer. Since I began using Profeet’s orthotic insoles I have had no more shin splints or knee or hip pain.

2. Lightweight Pack
Raidlight Evolution II (19 + 5 litres)
£99.99 / 690 grams
A backpack designed for ultramarathons. Outer pouches and mesh pockets come in really useful, as does the 5 litre pack on the front. It is so small that it forces you to be ruthless with your packing.

3. Lightweight Pan
MSR Titan Kettle
£42.99 / 118 grams
This tiny, lightweight pan takes up barely any space in your pack. It holds .85 litres and comes with a tight-fitting lid for faster cooking times. You may have to cook two portions though if you are really hungry!

4. Water Carrier
Ortlieb 10 litre water bag
£25.50 / 160 grams
I take this bag with me on all my trips. It is very strong and packs down to virtually nothing. Also makes a very comfortable pillow at night.

5. Inflatable mattress
NeoAir Therm-a-rest
£109.99 / 260 grams
A mattress that is as small as a 1 litre water bottle and as comfy as your bed at home. Comfortable, warm and stronger than you fear they may be. One of the first things into my pack on any journey.

6. Audio Recorder
Edirol R-09HR
£216 / 200 grams
Taking an audio recorder on an expedition forced me to really listen for the first time, opening up a whole new aspect to the experience. High quality recordings onto an SD card using just AAA batteries. Consider adding an external microphone if you really embrace audio recording.

7. Digital Camera
Olympus mju Tough 6010
£229 / 165 grams
At last – a camera that is as tough as your expedition. Waterproof, shockproof, freezable. A normal, decent compact digital camera, but one without the worry of having it break just when things are getting interesting.

8. Silk Sleeping Bag
Gelert Silk Sleeping Bag Liner
£34.99 / 55 grams
Sometimes it is too hot to need to carry even a small sleeping bag. A silk bag is tiny and keeps you cool. It is also nice to have when you are sleeping in a hotel where the sheets have not been washed for years.

9. Walking trousers
Mountain Equipment Stretchlite Guide Pant
£60 / 360 grams
If you are going to wear the same pair of trousers every day for weeks on end then they have to be comfortable. These are strong, quick-drying and look quite ‘normal’. Also has a useful zipped security pocket in the rear.

10. Torch
Petzl Tikka Plus Headtorch
£39.99 / 78 grams
A headtorch will always come in useful. You will appreciate this whether you are writing your diary under a mosquito net, fumbling round a hotel room in a power cut or cranking out some late night miles down the road. Powerful, lightweight and the LED bulbs means that the batteries last for ages.

Don’t forget…
…to take an old fashioned diary to record your experiences. Decades from now you will not want to re-listen to your multimedia podcast, but a fireside reminiscing back to your glory days will certainly still be in fashion.

This article first appeared, in a similar form, in Geographical magazine.

What I’m listening to on my iPod

Al Humphreys — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:29:43 +0000

Trying to choose my favourite ten pieces of music is, like choosing favourite books, deliciously impossible. In order to save myself many, many hours of deliberation I decided to look at the 10 most played tracks on my new-ish iPod. Here they are:

Restless – Danny & the Champions of the World

“All we wanted was everything. We wanted to see the world in widescreen. We were the Kerouacs on the road…” Enough said!

Sometime Around Midnight – The Airborne Toxic Event

I love the tortured anguish of this song. I spend too much of my time metaphorically prowling late night streets, frustrated at time and life passing me by. It’s good to wallow in it occasionally though!

My Lucky Day – Bruce Springsteen

The song I couldn’t stop whistling to myself as I walked across India. I discovered Bruce when on a long, long ride through America and have been a big fan ever since. Life is hard, grab your girl, hit the road in search of glory…

The ‘59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem

My training songs come and go. This is the latest one to inspire me to sprint uphills till I puke at the top, then go down to the bottom and do it all again.

Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Every time I hear the opening bars of this song my mind leaps back to some extraordinary experiences and memories. This song will always remind me of my Glory Days.

Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone

The highlight of running the Marathon des Sables (a 150 mile footrace through the Sahara desert) was the unforgettable last night. 700 sweat-crusted and near broken bodies lying under a canopy of stars, stuffing our faces on boil-in-the-bag food and listening to a string orchestra who had flown in from France to play for us. Beautiful music to soothe my broken body, impossibly clean and wonderful-looking female musicians in elegant black dresses, and a universe of stars overhead…

Thunder on the Mountain – Bob Dylan

You can’t sit down to write a book without a bellyful of strong coffee and Bob Dylan’s punchy poetry playing in the background. This song is my favourite of his new stuff.

The Road – Frank Turner

My time is running out. Ever since my childhood I’ve been scared of being trapped by circumstance and staying in one place. I’ve driven across deserts driven by the irony that only being shackled to the the road could ever I be free.

Rise – Eddie Vedder

I found the film Into the Wild uncomfortable viewing. Partly inspirational idealism and wanderlust, partly immature self-indulgence. I saw so much (too much?) of myself in Alexander Supertramp. This is my favourite track from a really good soundtrack.

Abet Wubet – Gigi

Ethiopian music is fantastic, even if I have no idea what they are singing about. It is good too to remind myself that there is so much world out there, out beyond the narrowness of England or even English-language music.