Humphreys - Microadventures: local discoveries for great escapes

Thank you to all my friends who have accompanied me on the stories in this book. Thank you to everyone in the online #microadventure tribe who has enjoyed, shared and evangelised the idea of microadventures over the last few years.

The following people and companies have all helped either with this book or with the growth of microadventures: Tomo Thompson, Rob Bushby, Joanna Penn, Leon McCarron, Paul Deegan, Tom Allen, Rob Symington, Dom Jackman, Richard Bannister, David Hieatt, howies, Trek Bikes, Osprey Packs, Alpkit and Mountain Equipment.

Thank you to Ben for convincing HarperCollins to take a punt on me, and to Myles Archibald, Julia Koppitz, Kate Tolley, Myfanwy Vernon-Hunt and Steve Boggs for turning my vague ideas about mucking around in the hills into a proper book, and for making me actually sit behind a computer for long enough to write it.

Alastair Humphreys is a British adventurer, author and blogger. He spent over four years cycling round the world, a journey of 46,000 miles through 60 countries and five continents. More recently, Alastair has walked across southern India, rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, run six marathons through the Sahara desert, completed a crossing of Iceland, and participated in an expedition in the Arctic, close to the magnetic North Pole. He has trekked 1,000 miles across the Empty Quarter desert and 120 miles round the M25 one of his pioneering microadventures. He has written six books and was named as one of National Geographics Adventurers of the Year.

Adventure is all around us, at all times. Even during hard financial times such as these. Times when getting out into the wild is more enjoyable, invigorating and important than ever.

It is in this inspirational spirit that Alastair Humphreys introduces us to the exciting world of microadventures adventures that are close to home, cheap, simple, short, and yet very effective. A microadventure has the spirit (and therefore the benefits) of a big adventure. Its just all condensed into a weekend away, or even a midweek escape from the office. Even people living in big cities are not very far away from small pockets of wilderness.

One day Id like to do a big adventure. I hear this all the time: at parties, at events I speak at, by email from strangers. But I dont have the time / money / fitness / shiny kit.

The excuses vary occasionally, but the essence remains the same: One day I want adventure in my life, but, unfortunately, it cant be right now.

Waiting for all your stars to align is a guaranteed way to ensure that the adventure you crave will never happen. Waiting until you somehow, suddenly and simultaneously, have both loads of money and plenty of time is daft (if youll excuse me being a bit direct before we have got to know one another properly).

One day? What rubbish!

If this applies to you, listen! You do not need a winning lottery ticket to have an adventure. What you need is a polite kick up the backside! A push. I want this book to give you the tiny bit of momentum needed to get started. This is a book for people who want adventure in their life but find that real life has got in the way.

One day is just an excuse. Its lazy, self-deluding and worst of all completely unnecessary. So if you are procrastinating and dithering about committing to adventure, why dont you begin with a one day adventure, something so tiny that it can barely be called an adventure? Lets call it a microadventure. Now go and do it as soon as you can, not one day Tomorrow would be a good time to start. Or this weekend at the very latest. Start small. But do start.

The concept is simple: Pick up your wallet. Youre ready. Open the door. Step out and begin. (This sentence, by the way, is the hardest thing you will read in this entire book.) Then jump on a train. Id suggest doing this microadventure by bike, because you can explore so much more new ground that way, but going by foot is a simple alternative. Hell, take a canoe if you like.

Anyway, choose a station, almost at random, thats about 30 miles away from your home. Buy a one-way ticket. I say 30 miles because its a distance long enough to be challenging on a bike, but achievable in one day, even if you are pretty unfit. (If youre on foot or if you cant manage 30 miles then do a shorter trip. But dont just duck out and do no trip! This approach applies throughout this book: if something I suggest is too difficult, do an easier version. If something is too easy, make it harder. Mould it and adapt it to your own situation. Just make sure you do something.)

When you arrive at your destination, hop on your bike and cycle home. Travelling 30 miles away from your home should guarantee that youll begin the adventure in lovely countryside. I suggest you navigate homewards using a compass (see for instructions), or the Crowsflight app on your smartphone, rather than a map. A compass (or the app) wont tell you what route to take, it will only point you in the right direction. The twists and turns and decisions that crop up along the way are therefore down to your instinct and serendipity. It becomes far more of a journey into the unknown than merely following the clearly prescribed route back home that a map would give you. If that feels a bit daunting, by all means use a map or even a Sat Nav. Dont let any of the ideas in this book put you off. Just modify them to what appeals to you.

I once spent four years cycling back home. Within the single day ahead of you will lie most of the challenges, hurdles and rewards of a multi-year ride although maybe fewer bears. But I mean this seriously. You will have to navigate your way, youll become wildly hungry and relish the joy of stopping at a cafe and eating cake, guilt-free. You will see things you have never seen before. If you travel slowly and with a smile on your face then you will meet different people, have interesting conversations and learn something new about the world and about yourself.

When you eventually make it back to your front door you will be tired, aching and hungry. But you will have had an unusual and rewarding day and I sincerely hope you will have realised that you are capable of more and are thus eager for more.

You have opened the door to adventure.

Let us know how you get on: share your experiences online using the hashtag #microadventure

OTHER IDEAS TO GET YOU OUT OF THE FRONT DOOR

Cycle to the biggest cathedral or sports stadium in your county, or the newest restaurant or the oldest museum.

Ride to a friends house and arrive unannounced for lunch.

Cycle a marathon in world-record running pace. At the time of writing that means 2 hours 3 minutes for the boys, 2 hours 15 for the girls.

Make a pilgrimage to perhaps the oldest tree in Scotland (The 2,000-year-old Fortingall Yew), Wales (The Llangernyw Yew) or England (The Ankerwycke Yew). Or search online for a list of Britains 50 greatest trees and pick the one youd like to hug.