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Taking Bigger Steps: Following Walk for Aoife

March 26, 2018

Since going on my life changing journey, Walk for Aoife two years ago - where I hiked 600km and kayaked 100km across the Irish sea - I had the opportunity to train to become a nature connection guide. My professional background is in the food and farming industry which is closely linked with the outdoors and an appreciation for how nature enables our survival.

However, the training with Way of Nature UK was far more challenging than I had expected - it really pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Knowing all I had to do was accept this challenge and keep saying Yes to it, was what kept me going throughout.

After visiting friends in Tuscany in October 2017, I decided to say Yes to moving to Italy with my family - as if a change of career wasn't enough! This was a big life change because I had lived in the UK for 20 years in roughly the same area, and my wife Beth had lived in the UK her entire life. However, the excitement and mystery of the move helped my family and I (Beth, our daughter Rae and Suzie the dog) make the big push to get our house packed up and rented out - doing all the DIY jobs I had been avoiding - so we could step into the unknown.

While preparation for the move was going on I began my nature guide training. The process involved many opportunities to be alone in nature. This was a new challenge. Sure, I had walked alone for 600km during Walk for Aoife, where I had the company of audiobooks, plenty of music and even the sound of my own beautiful singing voice, serenading passing fields of cows and sheep as I walked with painful blisters, my own inner questions and working through the grief of my sister's death.

A big part of the nature training was going to be about sitting with my 'stuff', the kind of experiential learning that, even as I began it, made me think this is going to be difficult and maybe even pointless; and I'm going to have to resist from looking at my watch too much if it feels as though time is passing slowly. In truth, it was at times very difficult but it definitely was not pointless.

The training involved an exploration of ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ nature - a kind of ‘cleaning the glass’ exercise in seeing where I was, both how I related to my own inner mind state and my place in the wider world - using nature as the base for this exploration. Part of it involved learning nature connection techniques which fostered a state of presence and the other part involved spending a lot of time alone in nature. I had two ‘Vision Quest’ experiences during this training.

A vision quest is based on Native American rites of passage. It’s not so easy to explain but when I spent three days and nights alone in nature without food, on more than one occasion - just sitting with my own busy head - clarity started to emerge in a mindblowing way.

For example, even just the realisation that my thoughts were ruling my life and decisions and often in a negative way was a huge revelation and I was learning how to pull what I needed from the clutter of thoughts. This was a great skill for me to learn.

These tools took me on a journey that has impacted every area of my life and brought me more in line with my own beliefs, and strengthered my confidence. The clarity has helped me appreciate the people around me more deeply and really helped me hold personal issues in a lighter way, freeing me up to be kinder and more accepting of others. This work also showed a new way of being, and I don’t think I would ever have found this if I hadn't taken on the Walk for Aoife challenge.

Living in Tuscany, Italy - a wild place that feels like a massive nature playground - means I can spend plenty of time outdoors, being in nature, exploring and practising the nature connection tools I learned on the guide training. Now, I feel ready to share the tools I have learned, so they can benefit others as much as they have me.

All of these new things in my life - country, training, people, environment – were challenging initially. The upheaval and unfamiliarity took some time for my family and I to adjust to. But I was convinced it would all be worth it and that challenge brings nourishing experiences that help you grow, in yourself and in the other roles you play. So it has not been hard to commit and embrace the changes.

I know that if I keep saying Yes that even more challenges will present themselves, and the journey of expansion and adventure will continue.

Your invitation to the Endless River retreat - May 2018

Come and explore the beautiful permaculture farm in the rolling mountains and forests of southern Tuscany. I will be guiding people alongside fellow nature connection guide Jez Le Fevre. We will set up camp next to the gently flowing river, far from the well-trodden tourist path, and immerse ourselves in the peace and tranquillity of nature, supported by nature herself. Being, listening, exploring and relaxing.

Running this retreat is really a dream come true for me – it means I can share all the nature connection practices I have learned, and hopefully help others experience the transformative powers of just being in nature, solo (always in an expertly held supportive space) and as a small group.

The retreat is May 22-26. See here for more details.

Fill in the contact form if you have any queries or call me on 07568 577 062 (free to call as I have a roaming deal).

My blog is here if you'd like to read more about me.

Alan

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And so it began

October 19, 2017

by Rolfe Oostra

“pass world, I am the dreamer that remains, the man clear cut against the horizon” Roy Campbell.

My first venture as a mountain guide could not have been better conceived. The backdrop was Africa, the mountain sat nicely balanced on the equator, and my paying client was a good buddy. I had just turned 20 and survived some bad craziness in the New Zealand Alps and needed to escape the gloom and doom that followed. Researching for a back-door, I found a black and white photo of a striking mountain in an old book by Eric Shipton. That mountain beckoned like a wonderful dream which you don’t want to wake up from - the Mountain was Mount Kenya. It set the stage for what was to come; years of shoe-string travelling and dirt-bag climbing.

I had little money; no dirt-bag climber worth his salt does. Working as a farmhand I’d scraped together enough cash to buy a one-way ticket to Nairobi, and I had accepted my client's offer to bankroll the expedition. My plans for Africa didn’t extend beyond the mountain. I had borrowed the guide book and determined a route but had thought no further. Faith and Providence landed us on the porch of a Polish Lady called Mamma Roche. This huge utterly crazy vodka swilling lady possessed angel wings and a heart of solid gold. If ever I found a true home from home, her ramshackle house jettisoned in the roughest part of Nairobi was it; the tropical gardens complete with monkeys and chameleons eventually served as our HQ for three years.

The mountain is 200 kms north of Nairobi and the villages at its foot are conveniently linked to the city by tarmac roads. Excitedly, we jumped on a local bus (a matatu) and headed the wrong way. We quickly learned to phrase things Africa style. The question “does this bus go to Mount Kenya?” will always be answered by “Yes”. The question “Where does this bus go?” goes a long way in getting you to your destination and not Lake Victoria where we first ended up. Days later, having found the right matatu, we loaded our stuff on the roof and headed north.

The park entry fees, although in Africa always open to negotiation, were well beyond our meagre budget and forced us to try diversionary tactics by going bush. This plan, from the onset a fine balance between adventure and stupidity, had its foundation in the bushland excursions we made in our native Australia when we were kids. That we’d be more likely to encounter a leopard than a wallaby we gave no thought to as we rambled up a steep bank and waltzed into the trees. Since we were trying to avoid park rangers we struck a course through the equatorial forest running parallel to the dirt road which our guidebook showed lead to the first camp.

The going was tough; thick stands of bamboo, thorns and spiky jungle vines caused endless delay. Clothes, hair, skin and rucksacks were each in turn grabbed, scratched and stabbed by millions of barbs and spines. The equatorial nightfall pounced on us with the suddenness of a wild beast. We had long lost the road and were well short of our designated camp. Camping where we stood had become necessary. We scratched out a level bit from the leafy forest floor and nervously struck our tent.

Night in these jungles have a curious rhythm to it. There is always a background noise your brain does it’s best to explain away with what is familiar; cicadas, mosquitos, horn-bills and frogs set up a wall of white-noise through which blared the occasional unfamiliar hoot and grunt. I tried putting on a brave face as we were going about the camping routine but the realisation that I had no idea what was out there was hard to disguise. As soon as the tent was up we leapt in and tried to sleep. “Are you still awake mate?” became my client’s catchphrase as each hour he’d illuminate the tent with the light of his watch.

At 3am we heard a loud crash outside the tent; the noise was not a noise made by an insect or an animal but sounded like something ripping a branch from a tree. I turned on my petzl headtorch and shone it into the startled face of my client. “Did you hear that, mate?” he whispered. I opened the tent fly and beamed my light into the dark jungle night. I could see nothing until another loud snap about ten meters away revealed the outline of an enormous arse. Standing with its backside towards us was an African elephant merrily tearing down a tree; branch by branch. “What is it, mate?” came a voice whispering behind me. The guidebook and prior experience had no way to explain how to react to seeing an elephant tearing down a tree only metres from our tent. So I did what that other African creature does and stuck my head in the sand. “It’s nothing, mate. Go back to sleep”.

Once we broke out of the forest we entered broad moorland and climbed steadily up to the edge of a huge canyon. This seldom trodden path to the base of our wall took us four days to complete. It led us through an enchanted landscape of tarns, pinnacles and weird plants that suggested both Tolkien and Planet of the Apes. Perhaps because this was my first mountain expedition I have developed a bias but I will always hold up Mount Kenya as a yardstick to some of the many stunning wilderness landscapes I have climbed in since. These days passed too quickly.

We arrived at the wall feeling strong and acclimatised. And as an additional bonus we had not been challenged by officialdom. The only people we had seen had been a large group of porters carrying down the body of a South African man who’d abseiled off the end of his rope. His young wife in utter shock trudged numbly behind the group. They explained that they’d sent a runner down to organise a chopper to evacuate the couple as soon as they’d been alerted of the accident but it had never made an appearance. The two climbers had made a successful ascent of the Shipton route but he had made the rookie error of not tying a knot in the end of his rope for abseiling. After he’d fallen his wife had continued down alone until she reached the glacier where she’d bumped into the porters bringing up loads for a group coming up the regular trekking route. We introduced ourselves and tried to offer assistance but she was in another world entirely. I knew how she felt and we left her to descend to the dark world below; another life shattered by the thing we loved the most.

Being dirt-bags, we camped well away from the hut right against the base of the wall. Although we could see the hut across the glacier and watched several people moving around, we revelled in our independence. I had settled on repeating the line of the original first ascent; the Halford Mackinder route. (Alpine grade D, 700 meters.). Mount Kenya is the original twin peaks. Both its summits are named after Massai chiefs with Batian (5199m) being only a fraction higher than its twin Nelion. Separating the brothers is the Gate of Mist; a sharp notch often cloaked by streaming mists.

This choice of route was equally adventurous and naïve. The more often climbed Shipton route offers some great rock-climbing and is usually ice-free. By attempting the original route we’d be traversing onto the very steep diamond glacier and climbing into the Gates of Mist before reaching Batian. I had brought two ice-screws and we each carried crampons and an ice-tool on top of all our rock-climbing equipment. Still, we blustered that if fat boy Halford could climb the route in breeches and studded leather boots then today’s space-age kids would have no problems; naturally we were about to be impressed. Our tights, camera action moments reduced to insignificance by a singular monochrome image of a pipe smoking, bespectacled fat man.

“Halford might have had a fat arse but he sure had some balls too” puffed my client. We had just finished the first half of the climb to the South ridge. The initial pitches had not been too stiff and we even simu-climbed for a while.

But as the outline of the ridge grew sharper the climbing had become increasingly tricky; enough to make me think that we had gone off route. I re-checked the guidebook and found that my client was bang on; old Halford really did have some balls. When we popped over the ridge we were confronted with a huge drop. Below us stretched the serious diamond couloir and the mighty south face. We scrambled over the ridge and crabbed our way to the couloir which linked up to the Gate of Mist. We climbed some way on ice and then a short rock step lead to the summit.

We had done it! The route was in the bag! Eagerly we lifted the camera from the bag to take those irreplaceable Kodak moments. The views were non-existent; we’d been so focused on the climbing that the rudimentary weather checks had gone unheeded; the Gates of Mist were living up to their name. We took a summit shot that could have been taken in a steam room and began the descent to Nelion and the abseil route down its eastern flank.

When we got there the weather turned for the worst; hail began to bounce all around us and loud thunder claps were growling up the valleys. Luckily for us a tiny coffin shaped structure has been built on the summit by the enterprising Kenyan climber Ian Howell. This largely unsung local Alpinist soloed the Shipton route thirteen times carrying sheets of tin and mattresses to create this unusual summit post. Still, we were grateful to be able to escape the weather and scrambled inside. “It’s just like being in a coffin mate” said my client again. He was right; the last few people who had spent the night here had been the couple we’d bumped into on the way up.

The sun always shines again. And it did so the very next day. Stiffly we crawled out of the coffin and began the long process of rigging up nineteen abseils to reach the glacier at the base of the mountain. Once down we began the long walk back to civilisation.

There is not much more to add to the story except to mention that Mount Kenya had the last laugh. A mountain like anything else is nothing more than a sum of all its parts and on this mountain this includes a zoo worth of strange beasts. Having so far represented dirtbag climbers around the world by displaying exemplary resourcefulness in not paying park fees, we felt the need to maintain form; it was back into the bush for us.

We followed the most popular path down until we reached the forest and reluctantly tried the “sticking to the road whilst scraping through the forest” routine again. This time the going was easier and as we drew nearer to the gate and the noisy ranger hut, we began to feel optimistic about passing by unnoticed. It was all going so well; the forest was relatively open and there were many tiny paths created by local people foraging the forest. We could hear the activity at the gate but the forest was dense enough to camouflage our presence. Fortunately the forest was not so impassable as to disguise the dozen buffalo blocking our path. “F**k mate!” began my client.

We were far enough away for the herd to have noticed our presence but not to be alarmed. Or so we guessed. “We need to get around them mate” whispered my client. I was glad he had begun to catch on. On tiptoes we began a journey off the paths into some dense undergrowth. We scrabbled through bushes, bent around trees and shuffled amongst branches in an ever-widening arc. Eventually, we were far enough away from the herd to make a run for it. And this we did at breakneck speed. It wasn’t long before we broke out of the forest and bounced into a neatly ordered banana plantation. A grizzled old man wearing a neat jacket and a pair of shorts was tending to his trees. He did not seem alarmed by our sudden appearance and smiled knowingly as he pointed out the direction to the road that led out of the forest and into a very crazy future.

Who is Rolfe Oostra?!

Rolfe is Co-Founder of 360-expeditions and has been travelling the globe on raw and exciting expeditions since he was 18 - the early years with his thumb stuck out and the later years always with a gaggle of excited trekkers and climbers. Since setting up 360-expeditions, Rolfe has taken clients all over the world on exciting, fast paced and often extreme expeditions, including summiting Everest! He is a Berghaus and Stubai athlete and lives life to the full.

If you want to join Rolfe or 360 and MAKE LIFE MEMORABLE check them out here.

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GET INVOLVED and say YES! The Yes Tribe is off to Jordan and you can come too!

SayYesMore has partnered with 360 Expeditions and are offering an incredible opportunity: a huge campout in Jordan.

Emma Taylor from SayYesMore will be leading the expedition in May 2018 for 10 days. This magical adventure in the heart of Jordan will see you trek through canyons filled with lush clear water and desert plains while camping out under the stars with the Bedouins before reaching the magical awe inspiring Petra. Thereafter it will be time to enjoy your hard earned treat - two nights at the Dead Sea.

Find out more here.

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The Matriarch Adventure

March 25, 2017

by Catherine Edsell, Expedition Leader

"10 days, 10 women in the Namibian wilderness, tracking elusive desert elephants (the most iconic matriarchs there are), having an adventure, dawn yoga under huge flame-red skies, group coaching round a camp fire, sleeping out under a myriad of stars, meeting with Namibian women and hearing their story and all else that expedition life has to offer…..”

I was writing a heartfelt letter to my friends, conveying my wish to open up my world of expeditions to women, like them, who had never done anything like this before (or at least not for a very long time), either because they had been rearing children, or were bogged down with work, or just hadn’t taken the plunge…yet.

I could relate to how they felt, because I had recognised the need in me, and explained how, as a woman and a mother I had noticed the limitations around what we allow ourselves to do. “We are always compromising”, I explained,” multi-tasking, taking the slack, holding the fort, and this is all great, except when we do this ALL the time, and don’t give ourselves even a few days to go off on our own, to re-connect with ourselves, to challenge ourselves physically, to marvel at the wonders of nature, to learn, to grow, and also to strip away, to get back to basics, to clear our thinking, and to change, where necessary, our mindset. When we even THINK about doing this we meet amazing resistance – particularly from ourselves, even if its what we actually really need.”

I was offering them an adventure to explore not only the wonders of the world, but their innermost selves. I took a deep breath, and pressed ‘SEND’. It was out there, and now I had a responsibility to myself and to those who read my words to make ‘The Matriarch Adventure’ a reality. That was my YES moment!

Eight years ago, my life couldn’t have been more different; I had received a birthday card from my brother with the words, “I wanted to go out and change the world but I couldn’t find a babysitter” written in kids plastic alphabet letters. He meant it to be funny but, actually, it was so painfully true that it physically hurt. I laughed – and then cried. I felt stuck: I had two clingy children, no childcare, and I realised that instead of being ‘an expedition leader’ (my profession before having children), I was a frustrated housewife who had big dreams but no way of making them a reality. The card got lost, packed away, forgotten.

Two years later I discovered that very same card in a drawer and was instantly hit by that familiar wave of pain and disappointment. My situation was pretty much the same: still two rather clingy children and no babysitter. But something stirred in me that day, and I stuck the card to the breadmaker (that I never used), and looked at it long and hard. “Stop making excuses!” I thought to myself.

That was the start of a new chapter of my life, and of our life as a family. First I took the kids on an adventure to Thailand, working in an elephant sanctuary; they loved the hands-on contact with these massive beasts, and I loved being out there, in the heat away from the humdrum of everyday life. Shortly after my return, driven by a desire to incorporate my family and my skills even further, I trained as a Divemaster and applied for a dive job with a biodiversity conservation expedition company in Indonesia, on the condition that they let me bring the kids. I could dive and teach, and the kids could play on a beautiful coral atoll in the middle of the Banda Sea. What could be better?!

The next few years were punctuated leading other expeditions, (with and without the kids), both diving and terrestrial, and became quite an expert in marine conservation, but most importantly: I WAS BACK!! I was an expedition leader again, I didn’t have to talk about myself I the past tense, and even without a babysitter I had managed to change MY world.

Back to present day….

So, on 1st March 2017 the ‘Matriarchs’ met for the first time. It was a very surreal experience, all sitting round the table for dinner – it felt uncannily dreamlike, mainly because up until that point that was exactly what it had been, a dream, a design in my imagination, words on a piece of paper. But here they were, real life, eager, visceral, exuberant women ready to embark on a transformational adventure, and they were all looking to me to guide them safely through it.

The days were filled with the practicalities of tracking and monitoring herds of elephants who deviously camouflaged themselves as rocks by spraying the red earth over their backs, mixed with the physical demands of trekking in 40 degree heat to witness amazing geological formations and ancient petrified forests, and with the bonding and openness facilitated by group coaching, quiet reflection and good old belly laughter!

It was an intense ten days, but in the words of one of the participants, “I felt like I got back to ‘myself’ on this trip. It would have been so much easier to cancel, and say that I had too much on my plate, kids didn’t want me to go, blah blah blah. Thank god I didn’t. The kids were fine and the world went on turning without me. It was a wonderful and amazing experience, and I’m SO glad I did it!”

So I guess it worked!

Now, back at home in rainy London, I’m still pinching myself. Did this actually really happen? Did I actually manage to conceive the idea, put all the logistics in place, find women who actually wanted to come, make it a reality, track the elephants, feel the heat and breathe in the expanse of the desert, facilitate a transformative experience for the women who joined, and come home and write about it all in just three months?! YES.

Quite amazing actually seeing as I, by my own volition, ‘am not a business woman’, ‘cannot do social media’, and am a complete ‘technophobe’ - it just shows where there is a will there’s a way! I cannot lie, there were days when I woke up and had to override my inner critic who was telling me that there was no way I could pull this off, that I just didn’t know enough, or have enough time, but the commitment I had made in the moment of writing my intention to my friends was enough to hold me accountable.

I have grown in ways I could not have imagined by embarking on this adventure, as it was an adventure for me too, (in a different way). Now the fire has been lit- The Matriarch Adventure is to set off into the Namibian wilderness once more in November this year….

Let me know if you want to come too!

www.cathadventure.com

Twitter: @cathadventure

Facebook: The Matriarch Adventure

Catherine Edsell FRGS is an adventurer, a global expedition leader, PADI divemaster, Reef Check Trainer, yoga teacher and mother of two. As an avid naturalist she has demonstrated her passion for adventure and effective conservation through independent and collaborative expedition work around the world. She often brings her children on expedition and is now embarking on a series of transformative adventures solely for women.

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Tribe Stories Round Up - February 26 2017

February 26, 2017

A weekly (most of the time!) round up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Written and researched by Richard Potter.

DEVON SEA KAYAKING ADVENTURE 17-18 JUNE

Fancy a paddle? Paul Hughes is organising a sea kayaking trip in June, giving YesTribers the chance to see some beautiful coastline, swim, fish for meals, explore sea caves and camp out under the stars. The trip will involve sit on top kayaks which are very stable (and suitable for beginners!) and there'll be a guide leading the way. The trip is only £155 and the few spaces remaining are sure to get snapped up quick, so check out the event here and reserve your place today!

SUP FOR CANCER

Would you like to raise awareness & funding for the fight against Cancer while having a great time doing it? If so, join some of your fellow YesTribers on the River Itchen near Southhampton on the 25th of June. There's a 3K, a 6K and a 12K course so the event is suitable for paddlers with a range of experience levels. You can find out more about SUP for Cancer here and you can join the YesTribe event here.

GREG HARRADINE - 7 MARATHONS IN 7 DAYS

And now for something completely different: a land-based event! In April Greg Harradine will run 7 marathons in 7 days to raise money for The Musical Brain (which shares the latest research into how music and the other arts can benefit our minds, brains and bodies) and Creative Youth (which enables young people from all backgrounds to reach their potential through the arts). Greg will start his marathons on the 17th of April and do 6 marathons along the 150-mile London Outer Orbital Path (the LOOP, known as the "M25 for walkers") before finishing the series with the London Marathon on the 23rd of April.

You can visit Greg's fundraising page here to help support these 2 amazing causes. Go Greg!!

Have you been inspired by any of these stories? Do you have your own to share? We'd love to hear about it. The YesTribe is a community that is free to anyone who is looking to make life less restricted, more enjoyable, more interesting and more memorable. Your story doesn't need to be an endurance adventure: many of the YesTribe are making films, raising money for good causes and developing the community.

We'd love to hear from you: share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the YesTribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - February 14 2017

February 14, 2017

A weekly (most of the time!) round up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter.

TOM HELBIG AND JULIA WICKHAM - SUP THE EXUMAS

The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands which begin 35 miles southeast of Nassau, in the Bahamas. Coastlines are beautiful and life is very peaceful, or at least it was before Tom and Julia arrived! They started their SUP journey in Georgetown and paddled south down the eastern side of the island before turning right and heading north up the western side to Baratarre key. From there they plan to explore the islands further out in the archipelago. They've already seen stunning beaches with crystal clear water, so we can't wait to hear about the rest of their adventure! You can follow them on Facebook using the links above. Happy paddling Tom and Julia!

YESTRIBE EVENT - CYCLING BIG BEN TO DOVER

Are you free the weekend of 1-2 April and keen for a cycle? So are Alexandra Spencer, Emily Burns and Lucy Lucilea Amos! At dawn on Saturday the 1st they'll be setting off from Big Ben and cycling to Dover (they'll be Geocaching along the way and camping out on Saturday night) before getting the train back to London from Dover on Sunday. Everyone is invited so RSVP to the Facebook Event if you're keen to join the fun! Someone in the YesTribe Facebook Group might even lend you some cycling kit if you're needing any bits and pieces.

We'd love to hear from you: share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the YesTribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - February 7 2017

February 7, 2017

A weekly (most of the time!) round up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter.

SUNDAY CYCLE AND PUB

Fancy a winter cycling day trip? So do we! That's why we're going to Richmond Park on Sunday the 12th of February. We'll meet at the cafe near Roehampton Gate at 10AM and then cycle for 14 miles (which should take about 1.5 hours) through the park, past Hampton Court and then back round via Bushy Park before finishing in The New Inn in Ham.

Most of the riding will be off-road and the pace will be gentle.

Everyone is welcome so please invite friends and family! Full details are available here.

FIONA TROWBRIDGE - WALK THE WIGHT

Walk the Wight is an event aimed at raising money to support the Earl Mountbatten Hospice in its provision of patient and family care. Those raising money can take part in one of a series of walking events, all of which will be held on Sunday 14 May 2017.

Fiona Trowbridge is doing the longest of the 4 walks and will cover 26.5 miles in total. She's looking for other YesTribers to join her as she estimates it will take about 10 hours to finish the walk. There'll be plenty of wonderful views as you cross the spine of the island, not to mention fantastic company! You can register for the walk here and join the tens of thousands of people who have helped raised over four million pounds since the event began in 1991.

Please contact Fiona on Facebook if you're interested in joining her on the walk or if you'd like more information.

We'd love to hear from you: share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the YesTribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - January 29 2017

January 29, 2017

A weekly (most of the time!) round up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter.

TIM MILLIKIN - CYCLING AROUND THE WORLD

On the 4th of May 2015 Tim MIllkin hopped on his bike in Reading, Berkshire and began a fantastic cycling journey around the World to Reading, Pennsylvania. Since then he's travelled 25,000 kilometres and have been on his bike for 628 days!

Tim is shortly due to start the second half of the trip which will take him from Ushuaia, Argentina to the finish. He's got 15 more countries to visit and another 25,000 kilometres to cover before he finishes in summer 2018. Go Tim!

You can find out more about Tim's trip on this website and you can also follow him on Facebook.

JOHN DENNIS - DARE2EXPRESS

Dare2express is a charity that helps people with mental health conditions obtain grants for the cost of treatment. On Monday 13 March John Dennis, the founder of dare2express, will give a talk aimed to inspire people and offer courage through daily struggles from a child of suicide, a suicide survivor, severe depression and PTSD. John will also discuss tools he has used to fuel his love of life and of adventure again.

For more details about the talk and to register for a free ticket, visit this website. You can also visit the website and Facebook page for dare2express.

We'd love to hear from you: share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the YesTribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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YesTribe North West and North Wales: The First Adventure

January 20, 2017

After the most positive and inspiring weekend at Yestival 2016, Viv Day and her husband drove back to Chester and wondered how they could get involved more with the Yes Tribe. So much seemed to be happening around the London area - not exactly convenient for them in their own bit of North West England. Viv put out a message on the Yes Tribe facebook group to see if there were any other yes tribers near to her. It turns out that there were!

The North West and North Wales YesTribe met in a pub near to the train station in Chester just before Christmas and 10 people came, full of happiness and positivity and nerves ... it was a brilliant evening that passed too quickly but they shared stories about who they were and what they wanted to do and Viv devised a little questionnaire to try to help guide their adventures.

Viv is a member of Chester Mountaineering Club. The club has a hut in Llanberis, on the slopes of Mount Snowdon, in North Wales. Viv rented it out for the weekend and 12 of the Tribe descended on it with walking boots, warm hats and excitement. On Friday night they got the fire going and chatted. On Saturday they pulled on their warm stuff and headed up Snowdon.

The cloud was low and the path was getting icy so they diverted off into the freshly fallen snow (don't panic - there were proper qualified mountain leaders in the group!) and tramped their way accross to a small lake, throwing snowballs at each other and for our collie dog along the way.

After lunch in the shelter of the emergency bivvy, they headed down, out of the clouds and snow and headed back towards the hut, via some info on local geology and flora and fauna, to the biggest amount of cake for 12 people ever!

Saturday evening they cooked a communal meal which came up to the grand total of £3.40 each, including dessert, and then listened to a talk by Aaron Bailey about his new love for adventures and how he ended up cycling to Istanbul.

Sunday was a chilled day where they completely ran out of time as they all wanted to share so much stuff! However, Sarah Williams, from Tough Girl Challenges, did a wonderful workshop on blogging. Aaron and Jason then did practical workshops, including the use of knives, on making small stoves out of beer cans and baked bean cans!

The Tribe's plan is to alternate weekend meets with day meets on a monthly basis. The next meet is a day meet on Saturday 18th February where they will be taking bikes to cycle around the trails in Delamere Forest and go and eat and chat lots at the station cafe then in the evening some of the Tribe will be heading to Stockport for the Banff Adventure Film Festival!

To join the North West and North Wales YesTribe or find out more information, please visit their Facebook page.

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Tribe Stories Round Up - January 19 2017

January 19, 2017

A weekly (most of the time!) round-up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter.

YESTIVAL 2017 - TICKETS ON SALE 21 JANUARY

We're pleased to announce that Yestival is back for a third time in 2017! Tickets go on sale in only 2 days (on the 21st!) so get in quick to grab an early bird ticket before they're gone! You won't regret it! You can read more about the Yestival experience here and get news about Yestival here.

See you there!

SUP AND SOCIAL BRISTOL AND SOUTH WEST

Do you love to Stand-Up Paddleboard? Would you like to do it more often but don't know enough SUP aficionados? If so and you live in Bristol or elsewhere in the South West, check out this Facebook forum where you can connect with like-minded people and plan SUP trips.

Happy paddling!

AN EASTER ADVENTURE ON THE FLAEMING SKATE

Looking for an adventure over Easter? Emily Burns is planning a 2/3 day, 92km trip along the Flaeming Skate in Germany. Emily will be on rollerblades but the track is also suitable for skate boards, bicycles and anything which rolls. The trip is scheduled for 12-14 April: full details are available here.

GETTING BACK TO THE BOOKS

We're know you're interested in adventure (since you're here): do you love reading about it as well? If so you should become one of the founding members of our Adventure Book Club! For only 15 pounds per month you'll get one book every month, the chance to attend monthly meetings with a fantastic group of people, Q&A sessions with authors and an accountability system to help you achieve your reading goals.

Make life memorable, Read Books More! Visit the book club page here to read all about it and to become a member.

THE UGANDA MARATHON 2017 LAUNCH

The Uganda Marathon is a race like no other. Its a chance to run 10K, a half marathon or a full marathon alongside 3,000 Ugandans, spend 7 days (29 May to 5 June 2017) on the Equator and get involved in charity projects that will have an impact which lasts for decades.

The 2017 launch event for the Marathon is on Thursday the 26th of January in Moorgate, starting at 6PM. Full details are available here. Its a great way to find out more about the Marathon and to meet fellow runners and charity enthusiasts.

You can also go to the marathon's website or to its Facebook page (which includes details about how you could win a free place in this year's race).

We'd love to hear from you: share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the YesTribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - January 10 2017

January 10, 2017

A weekly (most of the time) round up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter.

STEPHEN BRASSETT - THE LONGEST WALK NZ

Do you care about animal welfare? Stephen Brassett certainly does! On the 7th of January he began walking over 4,500km around New Zealand to raise money for animal welfare organisations, raise awareness about the issues these organisations face and generally improve animal welfare in New Zealand.

Stephen started in Invercargill and his route will take him up the South Island, to the top of the North Island and then back down to Wellington for the finish. He's reached Gore already even though the floor of the micro camper he's pulling behind him was torn out during a transit accident. We're wishing him well and looking forward to further updates about his journey!

You can follow the progress on Facebook or on this website and you can make a donation at this site.

WASSAILING! SOUTH EAST YESTRIBE MEETUP

On the 27th of January YesTribers will be attending The Wassail, a ceremony that ensures lasting health of the orchard. Its a merry night of noise, fire, food, drink, poetry and songs! If you'd like to join them just head to Hasslemere train station by 5:30pm on the 27th.

Full details are available on the Facebook event page.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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