Saying YES more

A good adventure can start long before you get your boots on and get out of your front door. In fact these days it can often start whilst you're sat at your computer or staring at your smartphone. That is certainly the case for this next adventure of mine!

I've mentioned before an inspirational chap by the name of Dave Cornthwaite, he's done a few adventurous things of his own, nothing too special, just the odd 3618 mile skateboard journey from Perth to Brisbane and a 2404 mile Stand Up Paddleboard journey down the Mississippi to name but two! 

You can read all about his other great adventures here: http://www.davecornthwaite.com

Anyway, on top of all of his adventures, Dave has founded #SayYesMore, in his words it's all about "creating moments, embracing adventure, living simply, squeezing the juice out of life with three simple words. Say Yes More!"

So, when I got the invitation on Facebook to take part in a Stand Up Paddleboard lesson with Dave, there was only one word I could say.... I said a big YES! Having read a couple of Dave's books and followed his adventures on his website I was keen to have a go at Stand Up Paddleboarding, or SUP as it;s known, and this looked like the perfect opportunity,

The fact it was going to be on a British river in November was not going to put me off. I even managed to convince my wife Nina that it would be a nice thing to do together. Nina is not a big fan of getting cold!

Well, we both said YES, and what an adventure we had. An early morning drive from Oxfordshire down to the river Avon, 5 miles from Bath and we met Tristan Bawn on the river bank all ready with his SUP school and guest instructor Dave. Tristan runs Adventure SUP, a Bristol based SUP School, and he had invited Dave to come and lead a beginners lesson as part of Dave's current 50 Ways to make £50 project.

Once we'd got our wetsuits and boutancy aids on it was time to get going. Tristan and Dave gave us all a safety briefing, and talked us through the basics of what we'd be learning, and then we did a quick river bank warm up before heading onto the river.

Within minutes we were all starting to get the hang of the basic paddle strokes required to move safely about the river, firstly staying on our knees on the boards. Within 15 minutes we were all standing up and paddling up river. Brilliant! I never thought we'd be paddling so confidently so quickly, but with expert guidance from Dave and Tristan we were up and off in no time.

Up river we worked on more paddling techniques including different sorts of turns, and I got a chance to practice my 'self rescue' after a couple of dunkings into the river!

2 hours seemed to pass by really quickly, including the race which I'm proud to say I won! Only paddling against the other beginners though. At the end of the session I felt at home on teh SUP and was paddling amd turning with confidence. It's safe to say I have been well and truly won over by the experience and I can't wait to do it again.

This experience would not have happened if I had not said YES. Dave really is onto something with his #SayYesMore mantra. Since I stared saying yes more I've been happier, more enthusiastic about life and I've met some brilliant people. None of this would have happened from the comfort os my sofa! So, one simple piece of advice..... Say Yes More! 

Sleeping with the Stars

This year I've been getting back to basics, trying to simplify my life and concentrate on the good stuff. That has mostly been achieved by getting off the sofa and getting outdoors for some fresh air and adventure.

There is so much you can do without splashing out money on expensive trips and entertainment. One of the simplist forms of adventure is to go for a walk. Now, if you add in a night of wild camping and cooking your dinner under the stars, then you're really getting somewhere!

The beauty of this is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. You don't need to be in the mountains to have a wild camping adventure, you can do it within just a few miles of wherever you live. Alastiar Humphreys is a pioneer of the doorstep adventure, and has written about many of his #microadventures on his website. Have a look for yourself and get inspired: http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/

A few weeks ago I got dropped off a few miles from home on a Friday night, just before it was getting dark. I had a small day packon my back containing a sleeping bag, some water, a very small camping stove, and the ingredients for one of my favourite camsite meals, corned beef hash! 

I walked for about 2 hours, deep into some very overgrown woodland that clearly had not seen any regular visitors in a long time, apart from the local Deer population! Once I'd fought my way through the chest high stinging nettles I finally came out of the woods and up onto an open hillside overlooking my home town of Bicester in Oxfordshire.

My bed for the night was a £10 green string style army hammock I had purchased from eBay. I found a suitably discreet spot, tucked away between two trees at the top of the hill, and started to set up camp. It soon became apparant that my hammock was not the best £10 I've ever spent. You live and learn!

Too short and too narrow to actually sleep in, it was going to be an interesting night's sleep. Once I'd made the best I could of my bedding situation I turned my attention to a roof. The weather report was for a dry night, but you never know. I successfully erected an old army poncho above my makeshift bed, to keep the wind out and keep me dry in the event of rain.

So, dinner time! The sun had set by now and I was looking out across the hilside to the suburban glow of the town below. Making a comfy seet on an old log I set to the task of cooking dinner. Using my old army mess tins (you'll see a theme developing here, I spent 5 years in The Army Cadets as a boy and rescued much of my old kit from my parents loft!) I cooked up the onions, potato, corned beef and beans to make myself a delicious hot dinner. 

With a full belly and heavy eyelids after a busy week at work I was ready for bed. I climbed into my sleeping bag, and spent an interesting night half suspended in my hammock and half resting directly on the ground. It was a peaceful night, but I've slept better. 

I have since invested in a 'proper' hammock. Thanks to seasoned adventurer Dave Cornthwaite I'm now the proud owner of a Hammock Bliss Sky Tent:  http://www.hammockbliss.com/  Dave has a great review of it on his website: http://www.davecornthwaite.co.uk/blog/?p=871 

Part of the plan, apart from an evening walk and a night sleeping under the stars, was to follow it up with a run/jog/walk back home in the morning. Packing up camp was swift after a quick ham sandwich for breakfast, and then I was ready to head home.

I left my camp site just before 7.00am, and enjoyed a 1.5 hour gentle jog and walk home. It was about 9 miles in total, and I got home in time to enjoy another breakfast with my family, this time it was bacon, eggs, toast and fresh coffee! After a nice hot shower I was ready for the day, having already had an adventure before many people were even out of their beds!

If, like me, you are short on time but have a hunger for a little adventure in your life, I can highly reccommend getting out of your front door and finding some wild camping spots near to where you live. As long as you are respectful of the environment, take your litter home with you and be careful about where you camp, you can have a mini adventure of your own on a minimal budget.

I'm looking forward to many more nights under the stars, and am building up quite a list of routes and wild camping spots all within a short distance from my home.