Alastair Humphreys » Polls

New Year’s poll

Al Humphreys — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:29:05 +0000

Every year I make New Year’s Resolutions. At the end of the year I look back to see how many of them I have managed to stick to. I rarely manage to keep them up all year (although last year I did successfully take a photo every day). But I still believe that they are worth setting, and worth attempting. It makes sense to me to at least begin the year as I mean to go on.

So here’s my question for this month.
Did you set a New Year’s Resolution? Or have you not set one / already lapsed?

Why not share your resolution in the comments. Once it is out in the public domain you will be forced to try harder to keep it up!

Poll: vital character traits for expeditions

Al Humphreys — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:01:15 +0000

On a recent TV interview Sir Ranulph Fiennes continued his outrageous racist discrimination against people from Yorkshire by daring to suggest that they were not good people to take on expeditions.

Clearly he is wrong.

But I would be interested to see what you consider to be the single most vital character trait when choosing an expedition partner.
I appreciate that this is nigh-impossible to narrow down to just one option, but it’s my game and these are my rules!

Feel free to add your disclaimers, caveats and defence of Yorkshiremen in the comments…

Results of my Mark Beaumont dilemma poll

Al Humphreys — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:28:39 +0000

A few weeks ago I ran a poll on this site in response to Mark Beaumont bypassing Colombia on his ride down the Americas. I loved cycling through Colombia and I thought it a real shame that the Health and Safety Fun Police at the BBC deemed it too dangerous for Mark.

So I asked myself what would I rather have:

a. – the freedom to cycle through wonderful Colombia .
b. – a BBC TV series and a best-selling book

My answer: I wish that I would choose option ‘a’. But, as I grow older, more and more of me wants to pick ‘b’…

It seems that the people who voted in the poll were divided as well over whether they would prefer impoverished freedom or a bit of a compromise. The results are currently split exactly 50-50.

If you haven’t voted yet you can have your say here. There was lots of interesting debate in the comments section too.

(If you like a poll you can also vote on James Cracknell v Ben Fogle, Scott v Amundsen or let me know what you would like to see more of on this blog).

Poll: impoverished freedom or a bit of a compromise?

Al Humphreys — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:13 +0000

My friend Mark Beaumont announced yesterday on Twitter that his journey down the Americas will now bypass Colombia. He’s going to take a boat from Panama to Ecuador. (I took a yacht from Colombia to Panama, skipping the Darien Gap which was too scary for me). This is a pity for him as Colombia is an amazing, if slightly crazy place to ride through.
I am assuming this decision has come from the Health & Safety powers at the BBC (who are filming his latest trip). Yawn, yawn, yawn.

This has raised an interesting question in my mind and I thought I would get your opinion on it too.

Mark’s a good guy and I have watched his progress with interest ever since he came to chat with me after one of my talks when he was planning his record-breaking dash round the world. I would be really happy to go on an expedition with him one day.

However, I must be honest and confess that I have also watched his stellar rise to TV star, best-selling author and Orange mobile phone poster boy with less-than-noble feelings of envy. I have been working really hard since 2001 to get in a position where I can make my living from my expeditions. Mark nailed it in 6 months (or 194 days, to be precise)!

So when I saw that Mark will not be riding through Colombia I asked myself what would I rather have:

a. – the freedom to cycle through wonderful Colombia
b. – a BBC TV series and a best-selling book

My answer: I wish that I would choose option ‘a’. But, as I grow older, more and more of me wants to pick ‘b’…

So I thought I would ask you your opinion. Unlike me though you are not allowed to sit on the fence!

Who do you fancy: Fogle or Cracknell?

Al Humphreys — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:28:14 +0000

What was your thinking on this? Were you surprised at the outcome? Have your say in the comments.