• Challenging Expeditions
    Challenging Convention
    Challenging Ourselves

    • Mind: stories and ideas; books and talks
    • Body: swim in rivers, escape the office, surprise yourself
    • Soul: inspiring expeditions, large and small

    You can't start a fire without a spark...

    One of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year for 2012
  • Sea kayaking in Wales
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  • Alastair is currently rowing the Atlantic Ocean. Click here for daily updates.

01
Dec
2011

Mountain Microadventure Video

5 comments
Posted in MicroAdventure, Video
So here is the video for the 10th microadventure of the year. I hope you like it.
30
Nov
2011

Mountain Microadventure

4 comments
Posted in MicroAdventure, Writing
A knife-edge ridge with an overhanging and infinite drop on one side, and a drop on the other side even steeper and longer...
28
Nov
2011

The World According to… Me!

2 comments
Posted in Best Bits, Ramblings, Travel
A short-fire travel Q&A with Wanderlust.
26
Nov
2011

Top Trumps by Firelight

1 comment
Posted in MicroAdventure
Receiving emails like this make my whole Year of Microadventure experiment feel massively worthwhile. So every year when me and the family drive from home to the in-laws, we hit 140 miles I churn out, “Hey we’ve just covered an Ironman, I could have run, swam then cycled to here.” “Yes, dear, we know….” OK, [...]

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25
Nov
2011

What is a “Mappazine”? And Why Do I Love Them?

4 comments
Posted in Books, Writing
If I've piqued your curiosity you can have a preview of the look here. Bear in mind though that the real thing is 130cm across...
25
Nov
2011

Dipping into the November archives

0 comments
Posted in Uncategorized
The best bits from a year ago
24
Nov
2011

The Fine Line Between Tribute and Plagiarism

7 comments
Posted in Books, Writing
It's interesting to see things from a different perspective. I've learned a lesson ready for next time.
23
Nov
2011

Why I Have Returned To Self-Publishing

21 comments
Posted in Books
This book will not be for sale in any bookshops.
22
Nov
2011

What This Book Is Not

4 comments
Posted in Books, India
A book about India. An epic adventure tale.
21
Nov
2011

My Two New Books Are Available Now!

0 comments
Posted in Books
I’m delighted that my latest two books are now available to buy here and on Kindle. The Boy Who Biked The World is a children’s book about a boy called Tom who sets off to cycle round the world, on a route suspiciously similar to my own… More information and a sample of the text [...]

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18
Nov
2011

Microadventure Reading List

10 comments
Posted in Books, MicroAdventure
For anyone who is seeking out the extra-ordinary in the ordinary, here are a few books that may appeal.
15
Nov
2011

Microadventure #9: Close Your Eyes, Point, Go

3 comments
Posted in MicroAdventure, Video
I wanted to explode some excuses with my year of microadventure. Here’s a few of them: You need a lot of time for adventures You need a lot of skill to be able to do them You need a lot of money You need sunshine You need to have great ideas for your quests to [...]

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11
Nov
2011

Adventurer of the Year

18 comments
Posted in Expeditions
I'm proud to have been named as one of the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year.
11
Nov
2011

Learning to Fly

2 comments
Posted in Best Bits, Video, Writing
After take off there is a great surge of relief and exhiliration. The hardest part is over. I am actually flying!
09
Nov
2011

Roman Road Roaming

2 comments
Posted in Best Bits, MicroAdventure, Video, Writing
A microadventure along a Roman Road.
08
Nov
2011

In The Footsteps of Scott and Amundsen

0 comments
Posted in Expeditions, South Pole
One of this season's most interesting polar projects is the Scott-Amundsen Race.
08
Nov
2011

The Ten Best Places I Have Never Been To

8 comments
Posted in Lists, Travel
We all have those exotic places we yearn for, our own personal Timbuktus. Here are mine.
06
Nov
2011

Microadventure Competition Winners

9 comments
Posted in MicroAdventure
Congratulations to everyone who took part.
04
Nov
2011

Photo Friday essay: A Canine Ride Through Romania

7 comments
Posted in Cycling, Photo Friday, Travel
Once upon a time, my husband and I (writes Tara) cycled through Romania. Along the way, we fell in love with the remoteness of its mountains… …and the generosity of the kind folk who lived in its small villages. Perhaps most of all, we adored the stray dogs that roamed the streets in droves. Many [...]

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02
Nov
2011

On Van Gogh and Backing Yourself

7 comments
Posted in Motivation
I believe more and more that to work for the sake of the work is the principle of all great artists: not to be discouraged even though almost starving...