First published in the UK in August 2021 by
Bradt Guides Ltd
31a High Street, Chesham, HP5 1BW, England
www.bradtguides.com
Print edition published in the USA by The Globe Pequot Press Inc,
PO Box 480, Guilford, Connecticut 06437-0480
Text copyright 2021 Bex Band
Edited by Samantha Cook
Maps copyright 2021 Bradt Guides Ltd; includes map data OpenStreetMap contributors
Cover design by Ollie Davis Illustration; www.olliedavisillustration.com
Layout and typesetting by Ian Spick, Bradt Guides & www.dataworks.co.in
Map by David McCutcheon FBCart.S
Production managed by Sue Cooper, Bradt Guides & Zenith Media
The right of Bex Band to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior consent of the publishers. Requests for permission should be addressed to Bradt Guides Ltd in the UK.
ISBN: 9781784778385
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Digital conversion by www.dataworks.co.in
Printed in the UK by Zenith Media
About the author
Bex Band inspires others to go on outdoor adventures through writing, speaking and leading expeditions. Her passion for adventure began when, despite being both unfit and inexperienced, she decided to hike the length of Israel, a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres.
Noticing a gender imbalance in outdoor sports, Bex launched Love Her Wild, a womens adventure community. Providing support and opportunities, the community has taken thousands of women on adventures around the world.
Bex has been recognised by Business Leaderas one of the UKs top thirty inspirational entrepreneurs and was awarded a Next Generation Award by Enterprise Nation. She has been shortlisted for a National Diversity Award for her work advocating for women in adventure and was given Legacy Maker status on San Miguels alternative Rich List.
Acknowledgements
Juggling a newborn, a global pandemic and a book deal was only made possible thanks to my wonderful adventure and life partner, Gil. I am forever grateful for your support and determination to co-parent so that neither of us should have to sacrifice our dreams.
I wondered if I was taking on too much as a new parent, but I have been blessed with the most relaxed daughter you never complained as I typed one-handed while nursing you or balanced a laptop on my knees while you slept on me. Thank you Rivi for bringing so much joy and inspiration into my life. Im very proud to be your mum!
Thank you to my own mum (Barbara Band) for filling my life with books and words. To my author friends, Emma Rosen and Emily Hunt, for helping me through the publishing process. To my writing group Iona, Thys, Soraya, Emma, Alison, Ruth and Catherine for keeping me accountable through lockdowns. To Jennifer Barclay and the team at Bradt for making this book a reality. And last, but not least, my blog readers, followers and all the amazing women in the Love Her Wild community: thank you for the ongoing support. I never take it for granted.
Chapter 1
Is there anything more reliable in life than a toilet cubicle? Locked in a familiar cocoon of white walls, knowing this space is, temporarily, only for you, you are offered a few moments of uninterrupted peace to do as you please. You can simply sit there looking dishevelled without needing to care, give yourself the headspace to conjure up an internal pep talk or waste time on your phone away from judgemental stares.
It was in a toilet cubicle that I found myself trying to calm my nerves after a noisy flight and the chaotic mayhem that is Israeli airport arrivals. Id had to answer a dozen questions on who I was and where Id come from to get through. When I eventually received the stamp of approval, saying that I was granted entry, my stress levels increased even more. The reason for my being in the country suddenly felt very real and I had the overwhelming feeling I was spinning downhill out of control, past the point of being able to slam on the brakes.