This is a guest post by adventurer, author and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Find out more about Alastair here.
Over the past few summers I have been trying to rally people to tackle a summer solstice micro adventure. It has been a pleasant success, with loads of people heading for the hills. This year lots of people have been tackling a microadventure each month as part of the Year of Microadventure Challenge. Setting the idea as a challenge was a great way of galvanising people to action. People who quite liked the idea of sleeping on a hill but would not ordinarily do it were motivated to get outdoors and try something new.
So here is a challenge for you: a winter solstice microadventure…
The 21st December is the shortest day of the year. The day is short, the night is long. But if the weather is fresh and clear this can be a beautiful season. The sun lies low in the sky, backlighting or silhouetting the world beautifully. And the night is cold and long, filled with stars and the greedy knowledge that you own this night while everyone else is tucked up indoors frittering their lives in front of X-Factor Xmas Specials. You are out there, beneath the glory of the heavens (and – perhaps – freezing your arse off wishing you were back home in front of the telly).
Most people have a chunk of time off somewhere between now and early January. Why not spend one of those nights out on a local microadventure? Head out of town with a friend or two. Climb a hill. Crack open a box of 50%-reduced mince pies and a few beers. Earn your Christmas Dinner. Work off your Christmas Dinner. Do whatever you like. But why not try to squeeze one last night in the wild into these last few nights of the year? Reflect on the year just passed, scheme for the year ahead.
Have a look at this video – it might spark an idea.
A Winter Microadventure: Cycle to the Sea from Alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.
If you decide to do a winter microadventure, pop your pics and stories on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Make sure to use the #microadventure hashtag to share your story with everyone else. Have a look here to see what everyone else has been up to.
I’ve done this for the past few winters, and here’s how I spent one evening: not exactly suffering – there was even bacon!
So, please, do consider a night under the stars this Christmas time. It’s entirely compatible with nights out at the pub or friends’ houses. It’s compatible with getting home for a full day of putting up the Christmas decorations. It’s so easy to do, but so memorable, refreshing and fun! Work out where you need to be to see the sunrise (use this great link). Tell somebody where you are going and when you’ll be back. And then go!
The Challenge Rules
- Go sleep outdoors somewhere – a garden, a hill, a forest, a beach
- Do it solo, with friends, family, work colleagues, or an old flame
- Put your photos online (#microadventure hashtag on Twitter or Instagram; Facebook Microadventure page here)
- Deadline for you to complete your challenge is bedtime on Sunday, January 3
Here’s the stuff you’ll need, complete with links to help you if you need more information:
- Sleeping bag: Don’t buy anything special. Just go with what you have and add as many jumpers as necessary.
- Sleeping mat: If you suspect you will not do a lot of camping just buy one of these cheap ones. Really makes a difference to your warmth in winter.
- Bivvy bag: There are cheap, medium and expensive options. This explains everything you need to know. If you’re worried about rain take a basha too.
- Woolly hat: Santa hats get bonus points.
- Waterproof clothes
- Warm clothes: Christmas jumpers get bonus points.
- Torch
- Toothbrush: put the toothpaste on at home and wrap the brush in cling film.
- Toilet paper
- Food and water
- Mince pie & Whisky.
