• 20 Ways to Refresh Your Body and Mind (updated)

    November 6, 2018

    Go for a run Running increases oxygen to the brain. Write / sketch Help you get ideas out of your head and make new connections. Make noise Create a distraction. Scream to let go of excess energy. Be alone Sometimes being alone can help to gather yourself. Get into nature Nature always provides positive energy. Wander Walking without direction is healthy and helps to gather thoughts. Visit an art gallery Looking at great creative cultural works can be inspiring.

    Tags: ResetRefresh

    Read more...

  • The Best Trail Hardtails

    October 19, 2018

    I was looking for a new mountain bike. I went to the cycle show last year, searched online and checked out local bike shops regularly. At first I was looking at any bike but I started to read more about how geometry has evolved. The first time I came across this idea was in 2014 with this article in MBR: Size matters, why we are riding bikes that are too small

    Tags: HardtailsMountain bikingBikemountain-biking-equipment

    Read more...

  • The Genesis of Outward Bound

    October 19, 2018

    Innovative Education Outward Bound is an innovative educational idea put forth by Kurt Hahn that has survived and flourished for more than sixty years. This is truly remarkable because so many educational fads have come and gone in this period. Is it that the concept is so adaptable that it can be applied to many settings or that the rationale and philosophy is timeless and has a universal appeal? Unity of Purpose The creator, Kurt Hahn, is no longer present but his influence within Outward Bound and other educational initiatives is still very much alive.

    Tags: Outward bound

    Read more...

  • Diadora X-Country MTB Shoes

    October 19, 2018

    The Diadora X-Country mountain biking shoes with SPD cleats are a budget to mid-range shoe that performs well under most conditions and are durable. I’ve owned these shoes since 2011 and still using them in 2018. Description The shoe is white with a black sole. the upper is made from a synthetic material a bit like like a felt material covered in a plastic coating. It has breathing holes in it so it’s not fully waterproof.

    Tags: ShoesMountain bikingDiadoramountain-biking-equipment

    Read more...

  • Hiking in the Brecon Beacon Mountains of Wales

    October 14, 2018

    Up at 5.30am I took the train from Peckham Rye over to Victoria. I took the bus from Victoria (booked in advance £6.50 a single). I felt self-conscious with my rucksack wondering if people thought I was a tramp, although I am kind of a nomad so it’s not really a strange feeling as I watched all the commuters on the morning train. I met a friend from my course, Esta who is studying environmental design and creating a ‘living sustainably’ kit as part of her work, and also a big fan of hiking, and we got on the bus at Victoria coach station.

    Tags: WalesWalking

    Read more...

  • 8 Safety Tips to Keep in Mind When Camping

    October 2, 2018

    Being one with nature and sleeping under the stars can sometimes be all that we think about when planning a camping trip. Making sure that everything is packed and everyone is ready is of the upmost priority. Have you thought about what to do if the unexpected were to happen? As a camper, you and your team become exposed to dangers different from everyday life. You become more vulnerable to the weather conditions, more susceptible to animal and insect attracts and have a higher chance of contracting foodborne illnesses.

    Tags: Guest postSafetyCampingbushcraft

    Read more...

  • Nomadic Dreams Mobile Living Solutions

    September 28, 2018

    When I was studying at Goldsmiths in London back in 2011, I had just returned from a few years of travelling and I played around with the idea of continuing to be nomadic whilst living in London. Partly because of the rent, but also because I had become quite used to sleeping in a tent in a different place each night whilst cycle touring. I considered if it might be possible to find a place to camp in London.

    Tags: LifestyleNomadCityTent

    Read more...

  • Weekend Mountain Biking in Switzerland with an Engineer from Scott Bikes

    September 27, 2018

    I spent a fantastic weekend in Switzerland near to the city of Bern. Through a mutual friend, I visited an engineer at Scott bikes who has just recently finished work on the new Scott Genius LT full suspension bike. I was able to go for couple of great morning rides with Joe and got to ride last year’s Genius frame which was a carbon, full suspension beauty. We set off early on the Saturday morning pedalling out of the picturesque town of Fribourg, nestled in a deep in a river valley.

    Tags: SwitzerlandMountain bikingScottGeniusFribourgTrails

    Read more...

  • Advice From a Geographer: Put Away the Map

    September 20, 2018

    Our lives are saturated with maps. We see them in cars, subways, and airplanes. We access them with our phones, computers, and GPS devices. There are maps of deep space and of the topography of the deepest ocean floors. Then there are the maps of us — of our genomes, of the cognitive landscape of our brains, of the web of neural connections that allow us to see and think and act.

    Tags: MapsGeography

    Read more...

  • Adventures with bikes and mountains photography part 2

    September 19, 2018

    Exploring the dry landscape in the Sierra Los Velez national park in Spain Starting my “Bajada” dry watercourse hike in Spain Steep sided gorge in Spain My backpack on “Bajada” hike Morning sun on my camp hiking in Spain Spain Sierra Los Velez national park hills, Spain Sierra Los Velez national park hills, Spain Mountain bike guiding in Georgia north of Tbilisi Walking in Georgia near Gudauri Mountain biking in the mountains around Tbilisi, Georgia

    Tags: BikesMountainsAdventure

    Read more...

  • Adventures with bikes and mountains photography part I

    September 19, 2018

    Inverness to Fort William off-road tour. Scotland waterfall. Mark on a tricky path in Scotland. Morning after staying in a bothy in the Highlands. Vineyard in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. Camping in the Swiss Alps. Pitching camp in the Swiss Alps. Another pitch in the Swiss Alps. Cycling in Germany in the Black Forest. Village in the mountains of Romania. Reservoir in the mountains in Romania. Cycling through the mountains together with Tom and Maria.

    Tags: BikesMountainsAdventure

    Read more...

  • From the Archive: Making a Stove and Camping on the Black Sea in Turkey

    September 18, 2018

    A cold dark beach somewhere on Black Sea coastline of Turkey. There was small driftwood everywhere in one area, a guy fiddling with netting. It was flipping cold i remember that much. 1. Find one very rusty barrel and punch holes in it with a stick. 2. Collect kindling and driftwood from the beach and add to the barrel. 3. Attempt to light the kindling whilst shading from the wind.

    Tags: WordsReflectionsTurkey

    Read more...