Adventure Bulletin: October 2022
Book of the Month: Paddle the Nile by Sarah Davis
Hello everyone!
Welcome back, it’s been a little while. Today we’re returning to your normally scheduled content - we have mountain climbing, swimming, running, grants and a surprising amount of cycling. Our Book of the Month is Sarah Davis’ story of paddling the length of the Nile. Way back when we first started Intrepid in print, Sarah wrote an article about planning for this adventure (members: it’ll be in the digital archive). It’s great to see the final story all these years later.
But before we dive in, it feels a little rude not to say where we - or specifically I - have been. Basically, work got a little out of hand this summer. I’ve been travelling all over the place: France, Switzerland, Wales, Cumbria, Norfolk; cycling, white water rafting, bivvying, kayaking… It’s been nuts. Since it’s just me running Intrepid, I kind of just had to drop things to do my job. But it’s autumn now and I’m back in Devon with a laptop, so expect weekly emails again.
That said, it’s become clear that I could really use some help to keep things running smoothly. I’ve shied away from this (even though some of you have very kindly offered) because it didn’t feel fair to advertise voluntary roles at a time when costs are going up and up. But if people would like to be involved, and would get something from it themselves, there will be more details about roles soon in a separate email. I’d say this week, but I’m off to run my first OMM at the weekend (!) so probably next week.
Anyway that’s quite enough from me already, here’s your actual email :)
Adventure News
In Scotland there’s been some Munro bagging going on. Quinn Young completed her first round age 10 while Hazel Strachan finished both her 11th and 12th rounds on the same day.
Imo Boddy has become the youngest female to run the length of Britain (aged 22). Write up here.
Nicky Chrisholm is running The Coolest Marathon on Earth (the Polar Circle Marathon). You can read why here. It’s in Greenland and happening this weekend.
Jasmine Harrison has swum the length of Great Britain. Local news article here, Jasmine’s Instagram here.
Tegan Phillips is about to set off on her Cairo to Cape Town cycle. More info here and we’re expecting update videos on her Instagram.
The ladies of Monstrous Regiment are back from their Kyrgyzstan expedition. They wrote a pre-trip guide for you about How to Climb and Unclimbed Mountain. We’re looking forward to hearing tales of their mountain climbing.
Next Challenge Grant winner Joy is climbing the smallest mountains in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - cycling in between them. Follow her challenge here.
INCIDENTALLY, the Next Challenge Grant is open for 2023 entries. (I won one back in 2018 and can highly recommend entering.) It doesn’t have to be a big record-breaking expedition. In fact they’d rather prefer that it’s not. All details here. (Note: at time of writing, this link is showing an error, but it is the right link. Bookmark it and come back, deadline is in January.)
If you see an adventure announcement or want to tell us about your own, please hit reply to this email and we’d love to feature you!
Read, Listen, Watch - Our Picks
Quite a lot of a cycling theme here, for no particular reason!
Arctic Post Road tells the story of two friends bikepacking in the far north. Watch it here.
Jenny Tough and Emily Chappell’s short film This Rider is about their cycle across Slovenia, body image and friendship. Watch it here.
Lucy Sturgess has blogged her solo bike trip across Europe. Here’s the series trailer to get you started.
Anna Taylor has completed another rock climbing challenge - everything Mountain Rock by Steve Broadbent. She’s been telling the story on Instagram. First post here
Nienke Oostra did her first Atlas Mountain Race recently. Here’s her blog about the experience.
Obviously, we can’t squeeze all the adventures in the world into this tiny email. Follow us on Instagram for more - we share lots in our stories. Equally, if you’d like to feature here or would like a little social boost - or just seen something we might like too - please tag us @intrepid_advmag.
Book of the Month
Our book of the month for October is Paddle the Nile: One Woman's Search for a Life Less Ordinary by Sarah Davis.
Award winning adventurer, Sarah Davis, became the first woman to lead an expedition down the Nile. This incredible journey came from Sarah’s desire to lead a life less ordinary, and feeling like a square peg being pushed into a round hole with her corporate life. She decided it was time for change. After delving deeply and exploring countless options, it came to her, she was going to paddle the world’s longest river, the Nile, from its source in Rwanda to its end in Egypt.
It proved to be a journey that was physically demanding, emotionally draining and mentally enlightening. Along the way Sarah would be attacked by hippos, arrested, travel through a country on the brink of civil war and endure the near constant threat of kidnap.
Sarah’s account shares the highs and lows of this life-changing adventure through Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. It’s a journey she has described as being equal parts fun, tough and terrifying!
About the Author
Sarah Davis is a professional risk manager with a passion for risk-taking. She is a British born Australian, an adventurer and accomplished sportswoman, who at the age of 44, keen to explore what was possible, decided she needed more out of life.
That led her to her adventure down the Nile. After the Nile expedition she completed a solo 2,500-km descent of the Murray River in Australia. In 2021 she cycled 4,700km across Australia with a friend, raising money for mental health charities.
Sarah is now a speaker, writer and coach, helping and encouraging others ‘explore their possible’. She also has a long list of adventures to pursue, including completing a source-to-sea descent on each continent.
Find Sarah at sarahjdavis.com or on Instagram @sarahpaddles.
Read the Book
Here is your 3 chapter sample of the book. If you want to keep reading, you can purchase the full book on Amazon as an e-book or paperback.
Not yet a Team Intrepid member? You can get access via this friendly red button.
It’s only £5 a month and you can sign up, download some 2000 pages of reading material and cancel immediately if you really want! (But obviously we’d hope you stay for the community and extras.)
Notice Board
The Women’s Trad Fest are looking people to participate in their Climbers Like Me series. “If you can see it you can be it. Anyone can be a role model.” They’re after a photo and short answers to a few questions. I wouldn’t call myself a climber, but I do climb… so I’m starting to think maybe I should volunteer too. All details here and sample profile.
If you would like to submit a book for Book of the Month, or an idea for an article to be published before Christmas, please get in touch asap emily@intrepid-magazine.com
Thanks for reading and stay intrepid,
Emily