I’m planning to make 2015 my most adventurous year to date. Plain and simple.
Now, I’m not talking about heading off to some far-flung corner of the globe or attempting some kind of epic expedition. Rather, I’m looking to extend my outdoor activities right here on my doorstep. That, after all, is the spirit of microadventure.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m based in the south of England. And whilst the area doesn’t boast the vast swathes of mountainous terrain you’d see in places like Scotland, Wales or the Lake District, I am very fortunate to have the South Downs right on my doorstep.
You may well find there’s a theme running through some of my posts this year, along the lines of the South Downs being a very underrated (100 mile) stretch of land. One of my little gripes within the outdoors world is that it just doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
That’s where my activities surrounding photography and microadventure come in. It’s my goal to use the South Downs as my playground – the backdrop to many written features, photographs collaborations and more.
So where do I start?
Take a look at the graphic at the top of this post and click on it to view bigger and/or save to your computer.
I’ve borrowed it from this page on Alastair Humphreys’ website, which acts as a fantastic, simple source of inspiration for anyone looking to get their outdoor year well and truly under way.
Although we’re already fast approaching the end of January (where do the weeks go, eh?!), I have already made plans to spend a night or two under the stars before the month is through. Details will follow, but for now I can tell you that I’m going to be teaming up with a certain young adventurer for a spot of wild-camping-meets-photo-shoot action. It’s been a while coming, but should be well worth the wait for everyone.
True to my plans for the year ahead, we’ll be shooting some behind-the-scenes video along the way, as well as recording audio for the podcast. Throw in a smattering of Test/Review gear and, well, there’s my template for sharing my adventures with you in 2015.
I’ll be making regular use of the #microadventure hashtag, too – so if you haven’t already, hop on over to see what other likeminded photographers, writers and outdoors enthusiasts are up to.
Just remember with all of this, don’t feel you need to copy what other people are doing. Your preference might be for landscapes, location portraits, sailing boats, whatever; by all means borrow ideas and be inspired, but think creatively so that you can tweak and tailor these to suit your own activities.
