Join me as I travel the world and give regular insights into what it is really like being a solo backpacker and tips to help you plan your own adventures
Day 6 - Thursday 27 July The ice reminded us who is boss this morning. After an early breakfast we hit the water fairly promptly having packed up camp. A large glacier calving had caused intense waves so getting off the beach out of the swell was quite a challenge. I almost capsized before managing... Continue Reading →
January is off to a flying start. My swim buddy Lance is raising money for St Mungo's charity by swimming the distance of the channel crossing (22 miles) in January. Despite needing to get extra time out hiking I want to swim with him to keep him company. To meet his target it means swimming... Continue Reading →
I don't know about you, but watching other people "climb their own mountains" is one of the biggest sources of inspiration and motivation for me. Usually I am referring to "striving toward their own goals" but this time I really mean mountains. I watched 14 Peaks on Netflix and it was just mind-blowing. My brain... Continue Reading →
I started "late November" with pretty epic DOMS after checking whether I was fit enough to climb and then swim, in that order. Turns out that I can, but that doesn't mean I should! And then Couch to 5k (C25K) - Run 5.3 is a warm up then 20 minutes running.. a massive step up.... Continue Reading →
I've got some exciting news! I submitted an application to become an Astronaut with the European Space Agency and I made it through the initial application sift! Back in around February, the official timeline was released for the European Space Agency to once again invite applications from across Europe for 6 people to join the... Continue Reading →
To me that sounds more like an electronic music album than a blog post. Seb and I arrived at the train station in Tbilisi 10 minutes before the train and weren't sure which platform to go to, but then I remembered that our train would definitely already be there waiting and that it was probably... Continue Reading →
This morning I found a blog that mentioned a direct bus to the David Gareji Monastery complex so we've walked to Pushkin Park next to Freedom Square to check with the tourist information centre. I didn't twig that the bus was more of a tour, it's a return journey for 25 Lari (£7.30), but that's... Continue Reading →
Hiking in the Svaneti Region of Georgia is an absolute treat. It's one of the main areas that is easily accessible from Kutaisi so it's a well-trodden route to get to Mestia from Kutaisi. Getting to Mestia We discovered just how cheap Georgian taxis are when a 10 minute ride to the bus station from... Continue Reading →
I just got back to Puerto Natales after an amazing 9-day hiking trip in Torres del Paine National Park. What a place!! I decided to join a G Adventures group tour almost entirely due to the ridiculous shambles of an online booking system the companies have managed to create! But that issue is fairly well-known... Continue Reading →
The bus journey from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas is approximately twelve hours and takes in a great sweeping road around Tierra del Fuego. It's worth taking the bus and it's a single-decker so it's not too important what seat you get. Bus-Sur have decent departure times and air-conditioning.The scenery changed throughout the journey and I... Continue Reading →
I am now at el fin del mundo - the end of the world. Coming in to land in Tierra del Fuego was an incredible experience. Stunning beauty all around. Ushuaia, the world's Southernmost city, is surrounded by the Martial mountain range and the Beagle Channel, leading to its phenomenal vistas. I've never seen snowcapped... Continue Reading →
At the end of my last post I arrived at around 9:30pm in a village called Uspallata. I only intended to stay overnight and leave early the next morning but I loved it so much I stayed for the weekend. Close enough to the Andes for them to dominate the horizon, and at an altitude... Continue Reading →
Today, 15th December, I caught the bus from Mendoza to a national park and hiked to Aconcagua base camp and back. It was a really long day but it was fantastic! I decided to catch the 10:15 bus (more details about the practicalities later) and it takes you almost all the way back to the... Continue Reading →
We passed through the Christ the Redeemer tunnel deep in the Andes and crossed the land border into Argentina, with cars and buses beeping their horns as they passed the flags. This cool metallic pod houses immigration! It was such a nice shelter from the scorching sun. The border guards were really friendly and we... Continue Reading →
