The Summer Solstice Microadventure Challenge is 3 years old, and this year we’ve had more entries than ever! Hundreds of people headed for the hills for their very own microadventure.
Thank you, and congratulations, to everyone who got involved. I really hope you enjoyed it or – at the very least – that it was “character building”..!

If you want to keep an eye on what other people have been up to, the simplest way is to follow the #microadventure tagboard.

Clearly it’s hard to choose whose microadventure is “the best”. We’ve got some super prizes from Kammok, Mountain Equipment, Osprey, Harper Collins (and me), but I hope everyone enjoyed their experience regardless of prizes.

Here are a sample of some of the things people got up over the solstice weeks, followed at the bottom of the post by the winners.

(Please do share / retweet any that you particularly like – this is how we’ll get more new people trying microadventures. I hope you’ll all keep getting out on microadventures and persuading other new folk to give them a try!)

From my desk to watching the sun go down over the English Channel. #Essex #microadventure. (Shuuuu uppppp). pic.twitter.com/ihb8zEHJmt

‘” Anna McNuff (@AnnaMcNuff) June 18, 2014

Bike & bivy around Montreal, just awesome! #microadventure thank you @Al_Humphreys for your inspiration! pic.twitter.com/IwjHt5rxCd

‘” myvelolifestyle (@myvelolifestyle) June 17, 2014

Yes! This is how I felt this morning. My #microadventure buddy David, photo by https://t.co/LP11g21P8I #winning pic.twitter.com/21LMQw7ale

‘” Adam Wilson (@AdomasW) June 19, 2014

Even during the working week, any night can be an adventure #dirtystopout #microadventure #Chilterns ‘sleeping out’ pic.twitter.com/il7sZpM6DE

‘” Mike Simpson (@mrlsimo) June 20, 2014

River Etive peeking through the clod this morning #microadventure pic.twitter.com/oFVgR23cIq

‘” Mark Canning (@mark_canning) June 22, 2014

Four days rowing down the Thames sleeping by open fires on the river bank #microadventure inspired by @Al_Humphreys pic.twitter.com/YhTQrW7F7u

‘” Giles Harvey (@G_Harve) June 20, 2014

Grab your daughters scooter and head in to #Mountains for a #SummerSolstice #wildcamp @Al_Humphreys #Microadventure pic.twitter.com/JKXsWw8LNg

‘” karl wait (@karlwait) June 22, 2014

First nights bivvy done overlooking the great ridge, loved it! @Al_Humphreys @Alpkit #microadventure pic.twitter.com/3yw1wOj3Lw

‘” Mark Tofton (@ToftM) June 29, 2014

Off exploring #microadventure pic.twitter.com/Xmufdhy3Jw

‘” Martin Knudsgaard (@M_Knudsgaard) June 29, 2014

There’s also been some nice blogs about microadventures:

• A polka dot microadventure beginning with a pretty wedding frock and ending in a field.
• A father/son microadventure involving a light sabre.
• A mountain biking microadventure.
• Chasing stars in Mexico.
• A Cairngorm bivvy on a school night.
• A sea to summit mountain bike microadventure.
• A Scottish microadventure involving imagination, giant letters, and forward planning.
• A birthday microadventure.

And finally…

I hope you can tell that the entries above make a bit of a mockery of having to pick “the best” entry.
However, I have picked the winners of the 2014 Summer Solstice Microadventure Challenge. I’mm not ranking them, so here are the three winners, in no particular order.

• Gregor Hogg

A lovely photo essay about how Gregor “stopped moping around on Sidetracked complaining to the empty room that ‘˜I could do that if I had 6 months off work, unlimited funds and unrivaled technical ability’.” Instead, Gregor persuaded his reluctant girlfriend to join him on a microadventure. See Gregor’s photo story here.

• Dan and Leo Knapp

Admirably defending their 2013 title, the father/son duo is back again. Leo’s a year older, and this phone-filmed video is just as fantastic as last year’s.

• Anna McNuff

Anna used this challenge as an opportunity to explore the counties around London. She writes on her blog,

“For the next seven weeks I’md go on a mission to prove just how easy London Microadventur-er-ing is. I’md do one trip per week in each of the six counties that surround London: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent and Surrey (Yes, I had to Google what those counties were, please don’t judge me). And I’md drag as many people as I could along for the ride. For the final week we’d all find a way to sleep out in Greater London itself.”

I think this is a fantastic idea – I wish I’md had it myself!
It’s not too late to join Anna’s quest. Say hi to her over on Twitter and get involved…

Well on our way here in #Hertfordshire. Looking for a good spot for a picnic. Splendid. What What. #Microadventure pic.twitter.com/OJsjLKnzaa

‘” Anna McNuff (@AnnaMcNuff) July 2, 2014

Congratulations to everyone who took part!
See you next year. (And maybe in December too…)