I don’t want the idea of “microadventure” to become formulaic. So long as people are getting out into the wild – hiking, climbing, riding, swimming, running, sleeping – then that’s all that really matters.
Having said that, one of the main aspect of microadventures is making it easier for people to get out of their routines and into the wild.
For many people, being able to ask someone’s advice (where to go, what to take), seek a little encouragement, or even find other like-minded people to meet up with, could be very useful. And local knowledge, local friends beats everything else.
Therefore I have been encouraging keen microadventure folk to start Facebook Groups for microadventures in their area.
These will be a place where you can ask for advice, share your stories and hatch plans apart from the main Facebook Microadventures page. There’s nothing “official” about them – other than encouraging them they are nothing to do with me. (Mind you, what’s “official” about heading into the wild anyway?!)
So people can make them work however is best for them.
As always with community projects, success depends upon participation and engagement.
So, if you enjoy microadventures, and particularly if you are going to have a go at the Year of Microadventure Challenge, please can I ask you to join a group if there is one local to you?
If you use Meetup then there are plenty of microadventure groups on there too.
[apologies for ugly links: this list is evolving quickly so this is the simplest way for me to keep on top of it for now]
- Argyll and Bute https://t.co/kPPqqpBAKZ
- Berkshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/422744207901521/
- Brighton and Sussex https://www.facebook.com/groups/832936413418766/?ref=br_rs
- Bristol https://www.facebook.com/groups/1450610725198861/?ref=br_rs
- Cardiff https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542243369394839/?ref=br_rs
- Cornwall https://www.facebook.com/groups/771040002964114/
- Derbyshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/1386780311631842/
- Dorset & New Forest https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsetandnewforestmicroadventures/
- East Midlands https://www.facebook.com/groups/eastmidlandsmicroadventures/
- Edinburgh https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415329672093249/?fref=ts
- Essex (Thanet) https://www.facebook.com/thanetadventures
- Glasgow https://www.facebook.com/groups/940424449331448/
- Gloucester https://www.facebook.com/groups/715596938521889/
- Hampshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/hampshiremicro/
- Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/326808647518055/
- Highlands https://www.facebook.com/groups/732078453573757/
- Kent https://facebook.com/groups/1775989222714815/?hc_location=ufi
- Lancashire https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597705503776764/
- London https://www.facebook.com/AdventureArmy
- Manchester https://t.co/moTEtA3Vwj
- Norfolk https://www.facebook.com/groups/1535364250064576/
- Nottinghamshire https://m.facebook.com/groups/1606305876268648
- Oxford https://www.facebook.com/groups/1522995207989109/
- Pembrokeshire – https://www.facebook.com/groups/601286250000105/
- Somerset https://www.facebook.com/groups/MicroadventureSomerset/
- South Yorkshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/357368051115901/?ref=br_rs
- Suffolk https://www.facebook.com/groups/1584253665145219/?fref=ts
- Surrey https://www.facebook.com/groups/1474714396084464/
- Wales https://www.facebook.com/groups/369684176547595/
- West Midlands https://www.facebook.com/groups/Westmidlandsmicroadventures/?ref=br_rs
- West Yorkshire https://t.co/34SwclT4Gg
- Wiltshire https://www.facebook.com/groups/434908670010134/
Family Microadventures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/357214174480551/
Groups not in the UK
- Austria https://www.facebook.com/mikroabenteuer
- Berlin https://www.facebook.com/groups/1709266736030574/?hc_location=ufi
- Bulgaria https://www.facebook.com/groups/microadventuresbg/?ref=br_rs
- Denmark https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095019063864673/
- Kerry https://t.co/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FvKk6e24Jwz%3Fcn%3DbWVzc2FnZQ%253D%253D&t=1&cn=bWVzc2FnZQ%3D%3D&sig=3cdcbfb4f02ef9fe1d75e75ff1cac5f68bb699e4&iid=c204ee92-0327-4811-a6de-779c3d07b4de&uid=14186089&nid=22+394
- Netherlands https://www.facebook.com/groups/618050844987601/?ref=br_rs
- New York State https://t.co/ZAVMPEFh7X
- New Zealand https://www.facebook.com/microadventuresnz?fref=ts
- Oregon https://www.facebook.com/groups/341247339397684/
- North Rhine-Westphalia https://www.facebook.com/groups/766995933389921/
If there is not a group for the area you live in, would you consider starting one for where you are?
You do not need to be an expert at all – that does not matter one bit. We just need to make spaces (virtual ones) in which similar people can gather. That’s all there is to it.
It’s easy to do. You can engage as much or as little as you like. You can run it however you like – or not do anything at all once you’ve set it up. In other words, it’s not a big hassle. So please do consider doing it!
Here’s how to do it:
- Start a new Facebook Group for your area (here’s how to do that) – it’s very quick to do.
- Add a description – area covered, what you think the group’s purpose might be etc.
- Tell all your local friends who might be interested in joining.
- Share a link on the Microadventures main Facebook page. Stick it on Twitter, if you use that. Be sure to add the #microadventure hashtag. Add it to the comments on this blog too, if you like.
- I’mll then see it online and will help you share it to a wider audience.
- Do fun stuff.
That’s it!
These groups have come about by people telling me what would be helpful to make it easier for them to get out into the wild. Please do let me know in the comments below anything else I could do to make this all work better.
Then get out there and do something fun!
I’m still utterly delighted with the whole idea of microadventuring. Thanks for bringing it to the masses!
Thank you!
Hi, Ive just added a new group covering West Berkshire and the surrounding areas (as were close to the hants / wilts and Oxon borders)
Thanks! Can you share the URL please?
Join the Somerset one here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MicroadventureSomerset/
Captivating photo, where was it taken?
in Kent.
Hi Alastair – after your talk at RGS in Hong Kong a year ago, I started a Hong Kong Microadventures Meetup group. There have since been 52 meetups (everything from camping, hiking, running, swimming) and there are over 1500 members. It’s a great concept! Link: http://www.meetup.com/Microadventures-Hong-Kong/
That is brilliant! Wow!
Hi, I just created Perthshire Microadventure group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/383504718499736/
Exciting 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/832336316856249/
Hamburg, Germany 🙂
Hi Alastair,
We are a group of students who created a Microadventure facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/microadventurers?fref=ts)
in Lausanne, Switzerland. We have been camping 20 minutes away from our school to go to class in the morning since February (Igloo, snowstorm, we’ve had it all !) we now have a microadventure at least twice a month, trying to bring new people aboard every time. Thank you so much for the inspiration !!
Jules
Brilliant!
Ayrshire FB group created
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1588009144817879/
Greetings, fellow Microadventurers;) Really ejoy reading this blog. We’ve set up a local Microadventures group for Poland. https://www.facebook.com/groups/microadventurespoland/
Denmark Microadventures on Facebook 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095019063864673/
After you talk in the tiny village of Torphins (you may remember it) an I spotted local set up the North East Microadventures page. It’s not much used but wonder if it should be amalgamated into the Highlands one? What do you suggest? https://www.facebook.com/NorthEastMicroadventures/
Hello! I think you can do whatever you prefer – totally whatever woks best for you!