What makes an Adventure Traveller?

"At last weekendsAdventure Travel Film Festival, I spent a brilliant few days hanging out with fellow adventurous spirits from far and wide. Some were high-profile adventurers like Tim Cope, Jon Muir, Lois Pryce and Austin Vince.

But many were unknown explorers, trekkers, mountaineers, motorcyclists, rock-climbers, off-roaders, overlanders, kayakers ordinary people with an insatiable hunger to see the world or experience the great outdoors in its broadest sense. It struck me what a diverse group we all were. No type, no particular age, height or build. Adventurers, it seems, come in all shapes and sizes. Some are super-fit athletes for whom physical endeavour and achievement is a huge part of what drives them. For others, its the compulsive desire to break away from the nine to five and propel themselves into unknown places and cultures to learn in some way about the world and the people that inhabit it. For others still, its the need to get back to basics, to live off the grid and escape the stresses and trappings of modern civilised life to experience life in the raw. In fact, the more time I spent talking to people at the festival, the more reasons I heard as to why certain individuals give up the safety of the sofa, whether for a weekend or a lifetime.

But there was, I think, a uniting theme.In their own unique ways, most of these people had gone out there and DONE IT. Not just talked about an adventure, but actually given it a go.I met one couple in their 50's just back from a week motorcycling in Morocco's Atlas Mountains they'd always wanted to do it but weren't sure they'd be up to the long days of gruelling off-road riding in desert heat. Now they have the photos to prove they did it, and boy do they look good! At the other end of the scale, adventurer Jon Muir talked about his solo trek across Australia it took him FOUR attempts, but he said failure was all part of the adventure and it was something he just had to do. (This from the guy whose first thought when he arrived at the top of Everest was that he desperately needed a piss and a cigarette!). And I'd say to anyone that thinks they're too unfit, too old, too cash-strapped, too tied-down, or too scared for adventure think again!

People like you are out there dreaming up and then pursuing their own challenges great and small. You don't have to break a world record or be the first to do something (although if you do, big respect to you!). Your adventure is unique to you, so own it then get out there and do it!It was an inspiring weekend and I certainly came back with renewed vigour to keep pursuing my own adventures whenever and wherever I can (Im cooking up another one now......yeeha!). You wont regret it, I certainly haven't."

Sea Kayak Around Ireland

In June 2012 I will be attempting to kayak solo around Ireland in under 35 days. The journey of over 1,000 miles takes in some of the biggest sea cliffs in Europe and massive Atlantic swells.

www.mikejones.ie

What should go in an Outdoors First Aid Kit?

When we are working or playing in the outdoors, the remote environments presents certain complications that would compound an otherwise simple injury in an urban environment: A greater likelihood of injury A greater severity of injury Longer term care for the casualty because of our distance from definitive care.

We are in the habit now of attending specialised First Aid training courses for remote environments which help us prepare for these complications. Similarly our First Aid kits should also be adapted. The contents of a First Aid kit should be determined by its intended use. To that end it is usually better to make up your own kit rather than to buy an 'off-the-shelf' product. To decide what is to go in your first aid kit you must ask yourself the following questions: Who is this intended to treat? How you treat yourself may be very different to how you treat colleagues or people in your care. As a rule medications should never be given to anyone but yourself. Are there many people in your care or do you work with small groups? What am I likely to encounter?

The most common injuries are often the simplest: cuts, grazes, sprains and strains. Stock your kit accordingly. In the outdoors the injuries can be more 'environmentally specific'; Walkers will invariably get blisters. Paddlers are likely to catch sunburn. Cavers are likely to encounter grit and foreign bodies in their eye and open wounds. What is the environment I am in? In hot environments you want to be prepared for heat stroke and dehydration. In the cold you will need to prepare for hypothermia. Abroad you may consider stomach upset to be the most likely ailment. Will your kit need to be waterproof or crush-proof? The Bare Minimum Simply by being in a remote or industrial environment, the probability of a serious injury is increased as is the severity of that injury. As a bare minimum always have at decent sized trauma dressing and a pair of 'Tuff Cut' EMT shears to hand, be they in the glove box, buoyancy aid, jacket pocket or rucksack lid. In terms of life-threatening-injuries, Serious Bleeding is the most significant risk in industry and in the outdoors. The First Care Israeli type trauma dressings are ideal for these environments: Double shrink wrapped, they will last much longer languishing in the bottom of your rucksack or kit bag than conventional plastic wrapped dressings. They are purposefully designed for significant blood loss, much larger than traditional First Aid dressings.

Their wide, elasticated bandage also provide enough support to protect a wrist, ankle, elbow or possibly knee injury. The Ouch Pouch On most occasions there is little need to carry a full first aid kit considering the likelihood of an injury and the type of injuries one can expect to sustain. In many situations a small, lightweight 'Ouch Pouch' is preferable to an large, cumbersome or complicated kit. This type of kit is intended to stop serious bleeding, protect minor bone/joint injuries and provide a few extras to manage longer term wound care. This style of kit is favoured by Bushcrafters who encounter frequent nicks and grazes and Adventure Racers who are happy to sacrifice the luxuries in order to move lightly and quickly. Antiseptic solution- 25ml sachet Cleaning wipesx 4 Cohesive bandage- 6cm minimum Gauze swabsx 5 Non-adherent dressings( e.g. Melonin)5cm x 5cmx 2 Non-adherent dressings 10cm x 10cmx 2 Plasters- assorted Saline solution -25ml sachet x 2 Steri-strips - 6mmx 2 packets Tincture of Benzoin(also known as Friars Balsam, a sticky brown resin with antiseptic properties that is applied to the skin before steri-strips to help their adherence. Especially useful in hot, sweaty environments). Transpore tape- Stronger and easier to use than Micropore Zinc Oxide tape The Personal Kit We are frequently asked what should be in a generic First Aid Kit for outdoor activities.

This recommended list was produced and tested in consultation with a Mountain Rescue Team member, an Accident Emergency trauma specialist, a Mountain Guide and a Level 5 Sea Kayak Coach. It is a versatile combination of small and light yet functional and practical. Everything inside has been thought out and tested. It has been designed to cope with as much as possible using as little as possible. But remember - practicality must dictate. It is unlikely that any first aid kit will be able to deal with every possible situation and even more unlikely that you would be able to carry such a first aid kit!

Accident Casualty Cards Antiseptic solution -25ml sachetx 4 Burns dressing- at least 10cm x 10cm Cleaning wipesx 4 Cohesive bandage -6cm minimum Duck tape Tuff Cut Shears Gauze swabs- 5cm x 5cm x 5 Gloves Iodine dressings ( e.g.Inodine) -10cm x 10cm x 2 Light stick Needle Syringe- A wide bore, blunt needle (i.e. 18G 'Pink' Mixing Needle) and a 20ml syringe is used for wound irrigation. Non-adherent dressing -5cm x 5cm x 5 Non-adherent dressing -10cm x 10cm x 5 Plasters -assorted Saline solution- 25ml sachets x 2 Blunt/ Sharp Scissors- 'Nurses scissors' with one blunt and one sharp tip. Steri-strips -6mm x 2 packets Steri Strips -3mm x 2 packets Surgical blade -#20 is a usable size and shape. Tegaderm- 2 (Tegaderm is an advanced dressing; it is a thin, stretchy, flexible and low-adherent plastic film which is ideal for covering wounds on traditionally awkward places such as knuckles, jawline, elbow or places which experience constant movement. Being transparent it is ideal for monitoring wounds without having to repeatedly expose them.) Tincture of Benzoin x 2 Transpore tape Triangular bandage Tweezers Waterproof pen Wound dressing -Trauma bandage as above. Zinc Oxide tape Group First Aid Kit If you are responsible for a group the Personal Kit would not be suitable given that it is designed for one person and may contain medication. With large groups you need to prepare for serious bleeds and bone / joint injuries. The emphasis is on practicality so stock up on cheap, absorbent dressings and bandages for immobilising injuries. Accident / Casualty Cards Antiseptic wipes Cling film Conforming bandages Gloves Non adherent dressings Tuff Cut Shears Triangular bandages Wound dressings Zinc Oxide tape Waterproof Containers For watersports, a waterproof container is essential. There are a few options. BDH containers are relatively cheap and can be made more water resistant by using a wide rubber seal that is available, however they are not waterproof and the small, transparent, ones do crack. The larger, black containers are much more durable. Roll top bags are more expensive but much more waterproof and being soft they are easy to stow in bumbags or in kayak cockpits. Pelicases and Otter Boxesare the gold standard. They are completely waterproof and very strong but they are significantly more expensive. We have recently discovered Aloksaks and have since been testing our First Aid kits in these bags. They look like standard resealable plastic bags but are much more durable and about as water tight as they come. These are our thoughts. What are yours?

Moon regan transantarctic crossing

I was part of this ground breaking crossing, representing Imperial College London as science partner. Primary goal was to take wheeled vehicles coast to coast and back, this was achieved using two modified Ford econoline 6 wheel drive trucks.

The additional task was to take a Bio-fuelled vehicle to the South Pole this was achieved with the Winston Wong BIV (Bio Inspired Vehicle) this was driven from Union Glacier to the South Pole using E85 bio fuel. Additional science tasksincluded heart/cortisole monitoring , Weather data collection. In 2011 I had the honor of taking the BIV to Taiwan and installing it in an environmental museum in Tianan city, lecturing to students on the expedition and getting to meet the President. I have also had the pleasure of recounting this expedition to many hundreds of school children and college students.

In November 2013 on the third anniversary of the expedition I have Installed the BIV at the RAC club in London for ten days, and have the pleasure of giving my lecture on the evening of Monday the 18th of November, to club members and guests. Additional video is on youtube, user LVADMAKER"

The Last Explorers

That is the exploration that awaits you! Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence. Leonard Spock Nimoy A new show on BBC has left me with a sour feeling.

It is not really that the show is bad, or that the host is annoying. It is not that the topic is stupid nor that the episodes are not interesting. It is rather the title that is raising a red flag in my unconscious explorer mind. Neil Olivers new show The Last Explorers tags itself as a series on the golden age of exploration, charting the routes of contact that drew together the farthest reaches of the world. They could have called the show The First Explorers, The Great Explorers, or simply The Golden Age of Exploration. Instead they chose to epitomize these men as the last of their kind, placing them in the same category as any other extinct species. Unfortunately, and sadly, that knot in my stomach, that needle in my brain, is there because I sadly agree with this statement. A little bit more than a year ago, I attended the Royal Geographical Societys Explore weekend and was enchanted by the speech of Arita Baaijens. As she described her journey through the desert with its violent sand storms, she concluded with one of the most sincere and refreshing types of advice I had heard in a very long time: theres a tendency to cover up expeditions and journeys with noble aims. Either to attract sponsors or to give the expedition a sexy or good feel.

But most first timers GO without knowing why they want to follow the Amazon River or reach the North Pole, or cross the biggest desert. Its an inner drive, and its quite a normal thing to do that is why there are so many legends, myths, fairy tales about the Journey of the Hero (Joseph Campbell). Young people want to test their strength, find out who they are, and what their place in he world is. Those journeys are directed towards your inner world, about WHO am I and WHAT is my place in the world, see Tomsons words. And when you have learned more about yourself, your motives, your prejudices and opinions, your place in the world, you are better equipped for another type of expedition, journeys of discovery directed towards the outside world, characterized by WHY HOW.

I think what The Last Explorers means is that the spirit of exploration has changed tremendously in the last decades, and for some, including myself, it is more of a loss than a gain. And nothing could be more evident to support this fact, than what is happening at the Explorers Club in New York at this moment. During my first visit to this historical club with legendary members such as Roald Amundsen, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Neil Armstrong, I was struck with disbelief when at the entrance to the main saloon, I saw a scale model of the ultra luxurious cruise ship The World. Was I at the right place? In the right building? Or had I mistakenly entered an Upper East Side travel agency for wealthy retirees? The latest events that have unfolded in the media seem to be zeroing in precisely on this existential issue. What is exploration? On one side are the New School Explorers, to whom exploration is a blend of commercial adventures surrounded by rich people that can pay their way. R.L. (his name is obviously not revealed) precisely embodies this new genre. He is a hedge fund manager from London who made good money and now can afford to collect exploration badges, making him an explorer. The man, who is more at home in Michelin star restaurants then in a bivouac, pays ridiculous sums to be taken into the wilderness by experts, then claiming the credit for himself. His latest adventure was in Antarctica, where he dished out close to 100,000 to get up and supposedly baptised an unnamed peak (needless to say, with a lot of help). His brashness goes so far, that he now gives talks to children on how to be an explorer! For this type of person, the Club is doing really well, befitting these modern times.

The Clubs supporters defend their position by illustrating how the revenues have increased by adding new members like him money much needed to renovate the crumbling building, suitably located between Madison and Park streets, on the chic Upper East Side, rather than funding new, real adventures. On the other side are the Old School Explorers, who care more about the Spirit of Exploration It is not what you do, but how and why you do it. The debate is surprisingly similar to what went on in the wine industry old world wines which were generally subtle and complex, versus the new world wines, usually described as bold, sweet, simple, and with great emphasis on the packaging. At the end of the line, the core of the issue, whether it is exploration or food, is quite the same: Quality versus Quantity. Local or Global? Small or Big? Does exploration have a Spirit or is it an industry? And if it is an industry, then how can we commercialise it, make it grow and become more profitable? Herein lies the core of the question: Is bigger really better?

Which brings me back to Aritas statement. Present day exploration could be divided into three categories: A rich pastime A personal ego-trip the desire to break a record or make an environmental statement A vague, virtual idea of discovering the planet from behind ones computer (see Nature is not in your computer). It is no longer about wanting to disconnect from overbearing city-life to experience the unknown. It is no more about wanting to escape the crazy modern world to seek true, pristine wilderness. It is no more about a journey to discovering your inner self. What it is today, is a business! The magic of new discoveries has given place to self-centred claims of saving the planet.

I explore because for me, the world makes more sense out there, than here. I explore because nature humbles me. I explore because it reminds me that there is something bigger in life, something sacred and mysterious. I explore because it makes me a better person. And, I really wish we would hear the same narrative from other explorers more often. I just hope I am not part of a dying species! The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

Marcel Proust By Daniel Fox. 

1 Peak 1 Week Ethiopia - ladies needed for trek!

Join one of Africas best short hikes across the Rift Valley plateaus to Ras Dashen (4,620m). This is a challenging adventure through the Simien Mountains in support of women and girls in Ethiopia. We are looking for 10 more ladies to join this trek! 

www.peaksfoundation.org

Paraglide Tajikistan 2012

In the late summer of 2012, William Palmer and Simon Vacher together withtheir paragliders plan to make a crossing through some of the most remote and highest mountain landscapes in a bold journey across Tajikistan. The route has never been attempted before and will demand great skill and persistence but in the eyes of these dreamers represents the ultimate playground.Will Palmer at the time will only recently have returned from the Afghanistan's Secret Peaks expedition. He has in recent years proved himself to be one of the most accomplished pilots in the world of cross country vol bivouac flying.

In 2010-2011 he pioneered flying sites throughout Tajikistan, Krygyzstan and Afghanistan. Whilst in Pakistan he set new routes through the biggest mountains on earth flying up to 23,000ft and in excess of 100km a day. Simon Vacher, a film maker from the UK also shown himself an invaluable team member with his passion for flight expressed worldwide. His pedigree is proven in recent flying in Nepal and twinned with his film skills should allow for unprecedented perspective in this exciting expedition.Starting at Panjakent near the Uzbek border the pair will fly east in to the bigger mountains.

Moving many kilometers each day and sleeping high in the mountains they will progress towards, and fly the length of the 77km Fedchenko glacier nestled among many 6000m peaks and overlooked by the imposing 7134m Peak Lenin. Far from any support with all they require on their backs they will eventually finish their journey near the Chinese border, away from any form of civilisation, and after over 800km of flying.This part of Central Asia is often overlooked by the paragliding world because of its remoteness, but the pair recognise great potential in the area. The expedition represents a great challenge, one which may prove a bridge too far, but is sure to be a truly great adventure.

Outward Bound Oman Salalah-Muscat expedition photographs

Here is a short showreel of images from my time spent as expedition photographer for Outward Bound Oman.

In January, I covered the last thirty days of the trip which took in desert, mountains, and the last ten days by sea, arriving in Muscat on the 5th February.

Click on the link here - vimeo.com/37111333 Now looking for the next adventure!

Adventure trip with hot air ballooning

Join me on this new exciting hot air ballooning (no previous flyingexperience required) and adventure tour to Georgia and Armenia!

Within Georgia we shall self-drive our locally hired landcruisers, fly up by helicopter or aeroplane to the highest inhabited villages in Europe situated in the high Caucasus mountains and visit ancient Christian culture and heritage in Armenia. Included in the package are a number of hot air balloon flights in various locations throughout the tour. Anybody welcome! A few spaces left. Tour dates are: 16.9.-2.10.2012. Full package price excluding international flights2200. contact: balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk or call 07776202731. Or join us for next year's repeat of our very successful balloon adventure tour around Mongolia running from the 31.7.-15.8.2013.

A tour that will show you the real Mongolia with flights in the mountains of the Tsenker valley, the Gobi desert and the ancient capital of Karakorum! Anybody welcome!