When I was planning to cycle round the world there was so much that I did not know. I was really thankful when a veteran long-distance cyclist agreed to meet me in a pub one evening and answer my questions. Above all else, he gave me the confidence to believe that my dream was achievable.
For the last two years I have organised an evening to try to help other people who are planning their own expedition. Lots of people have turned up to them both. And what was really great about the evening was that so many people came who had already done big expeditions of their own and were able to share their own experience.
So I have decided to repeat the event. It will be on September 13th from 6.30pm to 9pm at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Entry will be £5 to cover venue costs. Sign up now on the form (the ‘send’ button is top-right, by the way…) Nobody is making any money out of the evening: it’s just a chance for people to meet each other and be encouraged that they are not alone in their mad scheming. That it is being held at the birthplace of many a great expedition is a real bonus. I’mm very grateful to the RGS for hosting us for the evening.
The evening is deliberately unstructured: there is nothing on offer except a bar and a big room full of people who have done, or are planning, interesting stuff. That’s it. Come along, have a drink or two, and talk to people. Ask questions, answer questions, be inspired.
So if you think I can help you with anything you may be planning or if you want to meet people in a similar stage of planning/dreaming then do come along. I will do my best to answer them or, more likely, point you towards someone who can.
Also if you have done an expedition, ultramarathon, big journey or anything similar yourself then perhaps you would like to come along as well to share your own knowledge with people? It would be fantastic to gather together a few seasoned expeditioners as well as a few people getting ready to head off for the first time. I would really appreciate that.
If you are coming along please sign up on the form here.
And please do share this event with anyone you know who may be interested: post it on Facebook, Twitter etc. That would be very helpful. You can just Retweet this post (also embedded below for instant Retweet-ability).
Hopefully I’mll see a few people (it’s first-come-first-served to a max of 150 in the venue) at 6.30pm on September 13th. But I’mll bring a book to read just in case nobody turns up!
Planning an expedition? Been on one and willing to share your expertise? Then please come along to this on Sept 13: rgs.org/OurWork/Fieldw
— Alastair Humphreys (@Al_Humphreys) September 4, 2012
Hi Al, Amazing timing. I’m off on a multi year bike ride in a few weeks time.
A 3 month trip from Liverpool to Istanbul last year made my mind up.
Partly inspired by you, Mark Beaumont, Thomas Stevens and a mad biking birder I rescued from the snow a few Januarys ago. See you there.
I posted it on the Thorn Cycles Forum too 🙂
Hi Alastair,
You have already helped and inspired me. How? In times of economical crisis there is now budget for educational reforms and innovation projects. A few years ago we did al kind of big projects for our costumers (schools and companies in the Netherlands). This summer I reread your blogs on MicroAdventures and I tranformed your idea of microadventures to a new business model in consulting: microprojects. In autumn we start to develop this idea together with a few of our costumers into a new service. Thanks for your inspirational ideas and I wil mention you and your website when we launche our new service later this year. From adventure to business.
Nico van Rooij at Nehem KMC The Netherlands
Hi Nico,
That is fantastic!!
Wish you’d bring this to Edinburgh sometime!
I attended this event last year before beginning my bike ride around the world. I found it very helpful and reassuring that there were lots of other people planning things as mad or much more mad than my adventure.
Unfortunately I cannot attend this time around but I would be more than happy for people to get in touch if they have any questions they think I may be able to help them with. Particularly anyone planning a trip through central asia/the pamir highway in winter.
twriley11@yahoo.co.uk
Hi friend, so I took another step to my trip to India. Ticket is purchased, the leisure work I have promised for two months. Fifty years of my life in this world I will celebrate walking pilgrimages along your footsteps. I believe and hope that the Kaveri river will just as hospitable to me as it was to you. Perhaps only one question. Did you have antimalarial profilaxi? Or had the pills themselves for stand-by treatment?
Thanks for the reply. Don Fohler
Hi Don
all the very best to you on your great adventure!
I did not take malaria pills – but it is best to check with your doctor according to the time of year you are travelling.
With all good luck for your trip,
Alastair
How does one plan an expedition? There are a lot of things I don’t know and sure could use some tips on how to start with them. I don’t want to if myself up by doing something stupid or forgetting the necessities when out on the trip.