The Value of Expeditions ...
Whilst in my early 20 somethings I was fortunate to be part of a climbing expedition to Chamonix in the French Alps whilst I was studying at Plymouth University. It was during this time that I had a realisation, expeditions offered so much more learning and that they had real value. More than I had found on the rugby pitch, in the swimming pool, the running track or on the playing fields at school! People in these mountains were pushing themselves to their absolute limits to achieve great feats, often with no-one around to see the achievement. Looking back at some of the pictures I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of a motivated team that journeyed to this amazing mountainous setting, gifting me with the passion to return.
The expedition was both stimulating and eye opening, and also the start of many more alpine adventures. I built new relationships, made new friends, set new barriers, learning more about myself and others than in any other setting I had previously. In years to come I set out on sharing more of this type of experience with people I did not know at the time, but since, now call friends.
I feel passionately that expeditions offer great learning opportunities, that must be seized, away from the comforts of home expeditions teach you to learn about yourself, forcing you to adapt and to make decisions that may prove vital. The real value is that these learnt skills can be transferrable and come in so beneficial for all walks of life.
Expeditions teach you to be resourceful, to make use of what you have and to make something of it. They provide you with an alternative routine, one that is not dictated by the commute to and from work but one that is determined by the weather, the conditions, the rise and fall of the sun and your teams decision making. A routine that is more in touch with our primitive soul. I feel they also offer time to reflect, on the day, the journey, the reason we are where we are and what it is that makes us search for new adventures.
This year I'll be working with a number of school groups, introducing them to expedition life and the places that expeditions can take them. I'll be venturing on a few of my own expeditions too!!
