Leaving Tirana I headed once again for the coast; the lure of simple navigation, keeping the ocean to the right hand side, the relative ease of camping on the beach; the guarantee of a swim morning, noon and evening and the promise of boundless sunsets made for an easy choice.
Tag Archives: wild camping
Making Hay While The Sun Shines
Having crossed the Alps in some pretty cold weather Kyle and I agreed to spend a few days at Lake Bled to rest our legs and enjoy the scenery. Slovenia is a very beautiful country and Lake Bled is the centre of attention, popular with tourists from across the globe. We arrived on Friday evening to a busy lake and expensive campsite. Chatting with a few folks on the grass down by the water we learned that the hostel over in town would cost less and provide much more. So with our new friends Lauren and Kendall we set off to check in at the Castle 1004 hostel. Continue reading
Into The Clouds
Living with the weather is as much a part of the challenge as any other aspect of a world cycle. Your waking hours are spent in it, your movements can be determenined by it and your sleep can be disturbed by it. The weather is your everything. Obvious as this may sound, the last few days have been a stark reminder that on a long trip you really need to be prepared for the worst and ready for anything.
In The Beginning
At length, I finally made it to the boat. What a week. Since leaving the family home from the Village in sleepy rural Staffordshire on a fully laden bicycle it feels more like I’ve been riding a rollercoaster than a bike. I’ve toasted friends’ birthdays, drank endless cups of tea with Grandmothers and conversed with World cyclists. I’ve not even left the country and I’ve already been gifted numerous meals, stayed with a wonderful couple in Rawdon (thanks Dave & Sue) and been loaded up with more cake than you can shake a stick at. People are lovely. I feel blessed.
Microadventure #1: London To Chichester By Bike
To kick things off for our year of microadventure Fabian & I decided to head out to the South Downs for a night of wild camping and a brisk cycle to the Roman town of Chichester. Our initial plan was to cycle to Winchester and camp out in the National Forest but let’s just say that Google Maps’ beta cycling maps are less than ideal (we spent an hour navigating Guildford Research Park going around in circles following the robotic directions of the charming Googlebot lady). Continue reading
A Year Of Microadventure
Late last year the inspirational Al Humphreys threw down the gauntlet to all aspiring adventurers and desk jockeys – to commit to twelve microadventures in twelve months. The simple premise of the ‘microadventure’ is to do something out of the ordinary and to have fun doing it, to break the daily routine and step outside for a breath of fresh air and rejuvenation. We love this idea, as did the Royal Geographic Society (Al won Adventurer of the Year for this in 2012), so we’ve taken the bait and are absolutely chomping at the bit to take part. Continue reading
Stairway To Devon
It’s the first week in April, a season notorious for rain but capable of any kind of weather. The destination – Devon, famed for it’s spectacular coast line, picturesque cottages and bad ass cream teas. The perfect way to kick off 2012. Continue reading
Part 1: Bye Bye Blighty!
Finally the time has come to set sail and leave Blighty. Heading out from Nottingham with a crew of seven destined for Sherwood Forest and our first night of wild camping, the sense of relief was palpable after what had been a frantic week of final preparations for both of us. A week that included moving house, collecting last minute equipment and a brief appearance in the local paper. Talk about last minute. Continue reading