The Expedition Journals

It began at 04:30. The low morning light rising on the calm waters of Bembridge Harbour. Sat eating a bowl of porridge the size of Jupiter, I have a thousand thoughts running through my mind: did I check that? did I charge that? what if…? The arrival of my support boat crew — two lifelong friends that will accompany my parents aboard the escort yacht, snaps me back to reality. I finish my pint sized mug of coffee, and crack on. 06:00 and the boat is in the water. I position myself into the tiny seat that I have modified to try and make comfortable for what will be a minimum of twelve hours seated in this little capsule — that in itself is a challenge, for someone that is normally jumping in and out of a saddle, or climbing up mountains. Sealed in. Watch started. I paddle quietly out of the harbour. My route from Bembridge cuts close inshore, around the lifeboat station and over the ledge. Despite being high water, there is no way the support boat can follow me here; they nee...

Last November, I rekindled a past passion of mine—sea kayaking. I purchased a 17.5 foot expedition level sea kayak and began paddling; reacquainting myself with the freedom of skimming along the surface of the water, using just your own willpower and strength for propulsion. There was one objective, one thought, which lay in the back of my mind from the moment the first paddle stroke cut through the water… how far can I go ? Much as my bike expeditions have previously taken me over many new horizons, I wanted to see where this new horizon would lead. I set myself an objective… to kayak non-stop around the Isle of Wight during the summer of 2019. I have cycled and sailed round the Island more times than I can count, but the 95 kilometre route by kayak would be a whole new challenge, and the first of many new all-day horizon explorations. I began training in the depths of winter; layered up like an onion, using a rag-tag bunch of cycling kit and sailing kit to try and provide pr...

Life is nothing if not a series of challenges. Challenge keeps you alive and kicking: pushing boundaries and training hard, so you can kick down doors that would otherwise be left firmly shut. One of the hardest parts of a challenge though, is gauging where to set the bar. Too high, and you will not achieve. Too low, and it is not truly a challenge. The #WildWight was an adventure challenge of a new kind; for both myself, and for my trek buddy Fraser. It was ambitious… 114 kilometres of fast hiking over two days, with a lot of elevation. I have done long treks, but nothing quite to this level. It was achievable, but unfortunately on this attempt it proved to be a bar too high… We began at 06:30 at Ryde Pier. The sun was coming up, and a strong westerly wind was immediately in our faces as we turned onto the Coastal Path that we would follow for the duration of the day. Past Quarr Abbey, through Wootton, and onwards to East Cowes. The time passed quickly as we chatted about a...