Photo by Alastair Humphreys
British author and adventurer Alastair Humphreys cycled around the world for four years, raced a yacht across the Atlantic Ocean, completed an unsupported crossing of Iceland by foot and packraft, and walked 1,000 miles across the Empty Quarter desert in the southern Arabian Peninsula.
But not all of us are cut out to be National Geographic Adventurers of the Year. Expedition planning requires extensive planning, funds, and logistics. Many of us have busy schedules filled with work commitments, family events, and (dare I say it!) an ever-present list of chores.
So, Alastair wondered, how can we break out from our daily lives and use the precious time we do have? Enter the microadventure. “Instead of being constrained by your nine-to-five, why not flip it… and look at the five-to-nine? That’s 16 hours to do whatever you want,” he says.
A microadventure is “short, simple, local, cheap — yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing, and rewarding.” It can be done close to home, but pushes you to explore new places and try different things. Sleep outdoors, swim in a river, or sign up for something that requires planning or training. Perhaps you spend a night on a hill with friends or sleep near the sea, under a full moon, or in terrible weather.
In this Video of the Week, Humphreys shares more about the microadventure concept, how it began, and how to plan one of your own. “You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to find wilderness and beauty,” he says. “Adventure is only a state of mind.”
Want to plan your own microadventure? Visit alastairhumphreys.com for ideas, checklists, FAQ, and more.
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