The Next Challenge Expedition Grant

The Next Challenge Expedition Grant is a 400 bursary for adventure.It is open for anyone to apply but the focus is on smaller, self-organised expeditions on a budget from those who have not done much of this sort of thing before.

The 2015 application deadline is July 19th.Read more and apply online at: www.thenextchallenge.org/grant

Looking for advice on getting into the Expedition industry

Good morning everybody!

My names William, 21 years of age and a bit of young gun but dying to get into the expedition scene and I'm currently backpacking Cambodia. I'll be here for another week to pick up my visa for Vietnam so I can spend a month motorbiking through the country. Anyways, I have till august to decide if I want to attend university this fall which I will if I'm unable to work something out in the mean time. I'm quite bored of the backpacking life style. I could care less about sitting on beaches, night life and tourist attractions. I almost feel like there's something wrong with me. People dream of backpacking the world and so did I. I worked for two years to be able to do this. But I'm already bored of it.

Sure I could spend money on pre-packaged excursions but I think they are ridiculous and not that exciting. Those tours are designed for nothing to go wrong and I hate that.I grew up in Utah, surrounded by sports and the out doors. For me every weekend was an injury. I've dabbled in Boxing, MMA, Football, snowboarding, wakeboarding, longboarding, skateboarding, dirt bikes, four wheelers, street bikes,mountain biking, rock climbing, cliff jumping, kayaking, rafting,repelling, raced through the sand dunes, I even used to climb up the mountain I lived on in a T shirt and shorts and tennis shoes just to see how far i could make it when you'd still be sinking up to your waist in snow. I'm recently PADI certified, CPR and CERT certified but could probably use a refresher.I used to run 16 miles a day when i didn't have a carto see my girlfriend, rain or snow. And have a reputation of pushing myself to do things most sane people wouldn't do. Getting the shit beat out of me, literally puts a smile on my face.The more uncomfortable the situation, the more comfortable I am.

I love being knee deep in a shit situation that freaks other people out. Its not so much that I'm an adrenaline junkie either, because I don't feel like I am. I just enjoy pushing myself and understand the cause and effects of situations.I have big aspirations for my life like most and i don't want to waste my time. I'm putting this out there as a call for help, I've looked and asked around for about a year now. I've realised the backpacking lifestyle isn't for me. I need something a bit more rough. Something that involves brother hood. I want to be put in situations where each others survival lies completely in one another hands and all we have is each others trust in the middle of god damn nowhere.I don't have a lot of money, but I don't need much. I'm currently down to a single T shirt and have been showering in my clothes for the last month to keep them clean.If there's anyone out there, I'll work and earn my keep in the remotest places on the planet. Scorching sun to killer blizzards I'm your man. I might not be as experience as others my age, but I love to learn and I'll put everything I have into making sure the teams taken care of.

Cheers, from Cambia-William

wstowse@gmail.com