Category Archives: Ramblings

17
Jun
2010

Arctic Pilots

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Posted in Arctic, Best Bits, Ramblings, Video
Integral to all Arctic expeditions are the brave, skilled, humble pilots who drop off and collect most teams from the sea ice. Here is a very short interview I snatched with Troy while he was loading up the plane. DON’T MISS A THING – FREE MONTHLY UPDATE BY EMAIL: Have you read Alastair’s books? Also [...]

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03
Jun
2010

Every day is a school day

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Posted in Ramblings
I am often struck by how many skills I need to learn in this “job”. The era of learning how to light a stove or keep a sleeping bag dry is long gone. Now I am running my own business there are so many new things to get my head around. Accounting, marketing, web design, [...]

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02
Jun
2010

What I’m listening to on my iPod

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Posted in Lists, Ramblings
Trying to choose my favourite ten pieces of music is impossible.
02
Jun
2010

How to build an igloo

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Posted in Arctic, Best Bits, Ramblings, Travel, Video
A short video I made about building an igloo in the Arctic.
20
May
2010

Flying in a Fighter Jet

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Posted in Best Bits, Ramblings, Writing
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of— wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, [...]

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22
Apr
2010

Living in a multi media age

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Posted in Best Bits, Expeditions, Ramblings
I am like the old lady who swallowed a fly. I write this blog to build a readership. I build a readership to buy my books. I sell my books to spread the word to generate more speaking engagements. I do talks to earn money. I earn money to fund the next expedition. I go [...]

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21
Apr
2010

The fine line between foolishness and bravery

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Posted in Best Bits, Expeditions, Ramblings
I recently climbed the Three Peaks with Phil Packer and Kate Silverton. The event proved far more difficult than we had anticipated and at one time we had to discuss whether to give up or continue. It was a fascinating discussion and one relevant to many people who have taken on challenging expeditions. Before I [...]

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20
Apr
2010

The Hemingway Code Hero

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Posted in Motivation, Ramblings
Ernest Hemingway is one of my favourite writers, For Whom the Bell Tolls perhaps my favourite novel. I read an article recently which examines Hemingway’s hero characters. A love of life, the ceaseless quest for grace under pressure, the need for testing and for living intensely. You may disagree and think it’s all claptrap; have [...]

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13
Apr
2010

Someday, all this will be a memory

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Posted in Cycling, Expeditions, Ramblings, Travel
A piece of writing from long time friends of this blog that completely nails what the last few years of my life have been trying to live up to. Do follow these guys on the last leg of their journey round the world… “Someday, all of this will come to an end; the sleeping rough, [...]

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06
Apr
2010

Climb every mountain, taste the salt of risk

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Posted in Ramblings
Libby Purves has some wise words about youth and risk: “The current risk to adventure training, scraped knees and general exhilaration is a theme plenty of us have covered in recent years: cotton-wool kids, fears of litigation, an erroneous belief that spending hours hunched over a computer game or in a supervised gym is always [...]

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20
Mar
2010

How much money is your time worth?

12 comments
Posted in Ramblings, Speaking
“I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.” - WH Henley I have just been offered more money than ever before to give one single talk. I am flattered. I need the cash. It would be great for my speaking profile. But the date of the event is right in the middle of [...]

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11
Mar
2010

Finish the sentence

17 comments
Posted in Lists, Polls, Ramblings
One of my most popular blog posts was when I asked you what books you were reading at the moment. Today I thought I’d canvas your opinion again. All I’m asking you to do is to copy and paste these four sentences in the comments section and finish them off: I am inspired by I [...]

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03
Mar
2010

Top 10 memories from my adventures

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Posted in Best Bits, Photography, Ramblings
And I hope when I get old I don’t sit around thinking about it but I probably will, Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture a little of the glory. Well time slips away and leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of glory days… - Bruce Springsteen One of the pleasures of adventure [...]

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18
Feb
2010

How Google changed my life

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Posted in Best Bits, Ramblings
My desk-bound work has evolved over the last couple of years until it is now almost entirely dependent on Google products. That they are not only suberb, simple and ubiquitous, but also free, is quite amazing! I thought it may be of interest to give you an insight into how Google has transformed the way [...]

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07
Jan
2010

What I learned from Innocent Smoothies

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Posted in Books, Motivation, Ramblings
I really enjoyed reading Innocent Smoothies’ latest book, the account of their development and some of the lessons they have learned along the way. I met some of the Innocent team at last year’s Do Lectures and was very impressed with their ethos. It taught me lots about ethical business, and gave me stacks of [...]

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05
Jan
2010

I lived a full life and one that was my own choice

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Posted in Best Bits, Expeditions, MicroAdventure, Poetry, Ramblings
Go as a pilgrim and seek out danger far from the comfort and the well lit avenues of life. Pit your every soul against the unknown and seek stimulation in the comfort of the brave. Experience cold, hunger, heat and thirst and survive to see another challenge and another dawn. Only then will you be [...]

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31
Dec
2009

How was your year?

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Posted in Photography, Ramblings
How was your year? How did 2009 treat you? How did you treat it? It’s important today to look forwards, to aim bigger and better for 2010. But my New Year’s resolution this time last year was to take a photograph every day in 2009. Looking back through my pictures I am amazed that I [...]

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21
Dec
2009

Make a resolution today, for the rest of the year

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Posted in Best Bits, Motivation, Ramblings
There are now only 10 days to go until the end of 2009. Did you keep your New Year’s resolution? Did you keep your End of Year resolution? Today, don’t worry if you failed them all! Today, set yourself a resolution that you will stick to for the rest of the year. A resolution that [...]

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17
Dec
2009

Please Stand on the Right (if you are a loser)

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Posted in Best Bits, Health and Fitness, Humour, Ramblings, Uncategorized
Everyone is allowed to have one or two petty pet hates. Trivial things, unnoticed to all but you. Things that rile you so much that they turn you to Pub Bore, re-telling your rants to disinterested friends and colleagues in futile attempts to vent your spleen. Well, here is one of mine… But first, a [...]

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15
Dec
2009

Advice on Seeking Advice

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Posted in Best Bits, Expeditions, Motivation, Ramblings
‘Tis the season of goodwill. It is also Ebeneezer Scrooge’s time in the limelight. So I’m going to play the grumpy old man part for a couple of posts. Too much Christmas cheer becomes a bit galling after a while. Before I went on my first expedition I had so much to learn. I needed [...]

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