5 Things Cyclists Never Do

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, Cycling     Bike lights, cycling, Cycling Holidays, cycling safety, Cycling Tips, Safety tips for cycling

To say that there’s a tension on the road between cyclists and other road users is an understatement – at times it feels like Mad Max out there! For us cyclists the roads can be an intimidating place. It often feels as if it’s only a matter of time before someone drives too close, cuts us up, squeezes us in or vents some violence in our direction.

But to be fair, an equal amount of the blame lies on the cyclist. There will be plenty of whinges about this post, but as a cyclist trained to teach others to ride in the city, I can assure you cyclists need to wise up!

Here’s 5 things cyclists never do:

read more

Stand Up Paddle: A Paddlers Guide book review

Tez Plavenieks    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash     Adventure books, Stand up Paddle boarding, SUP, watersports, wave sports

Until now there hasn’t been a reference publication that SUPers can call upon for gleaning important knowledge to help their advancement within the sport.

Stand Up Paddle - A Paddlers Guide.

A few books have come to light over the past few years but they have been thin on the ground content-wise or very niche within a still emerging discipline.

SUP has few true revered luminaries when it comes to the history, culture, technique, style and attitude of the sport.

But Steve West (or Westy as he is often known) is one such person who is bestowed this credit by his peers and has produced Stand Up Paddle – A Paddlers Guide.

read more

Visiting the Lake District National Park: Why West is Best

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, New Adventure Travel Ideas     activity holidays, Cumbria, Eskdale, Go Lakes, Lake District, Lake District National Park, Walking, Walking Holidays

Of the classic UK tourist destinations, the Lake District National Park is one of the best known. However, what many visitors fail to do is go far enough west. Visiting the Lake District National Park in search of real Cumbrian character? Stay west.

View over Wastwater by Stewart Smith courtesy of www.golakes.co.uk

With easy access from the west coast rail route that runs to Barrow-in-Furness, you’ll enter the valley soon after leaving Ravenglass station with ‘the lakes’ laid out before you.

There’s no public transport in Eskdale, although there’s a narrow-gauge railway that runs the 7 miles from Ravenglass to Dalegarth, straight into the heart of the lakes.

read more

Want to surf great waves in remote UK locations? Get a caravan!

Tom Sykes    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, surfingholidays     camping, caravan, caravaning, scotland, Surf, Surfing, UK, united kingdom, Wales

Some of the best surf available is located in remote places: in hidden coves, on the shores of mountain ranges, amid the ruins of ancient castles and on the fringes of dense forests.

Flickr Image by Jo Munday

If you travel to one of these destinations in a caravan then you’ll be truly self-sufficient; you won’t be held back by lack of catering or accommodation options. You can throw your Firewire Dominator shortboard in the back and go pretty much anywhere for the big surf. It’s a fun and adventurous way to practise your favourite sport.

So which are the best surf spots in the UK for caravan owners? read more

Top 10 adventure travel jobs

Dion Wick    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     adventure holidays, Adventure Travel Jobs, luxury holidays, Travel Writer

The dream job. Does it really exist? The answer is an unequivocal yes for us adventure junkies. From travel writers to white water rafting instructors, adventure travel jobs and combining adventure travel with work is highly possible — you just need to know where to look.

Travel the world and write about it. Image: Flickr/ drjmedulla

The question you might ask yourself though is: will you get bored of high-octane thrills if you hit the action every day? Very unlikely! And if you do, you need your head examining.

We can’t guarantee a job offer but we can give you the inspiration to dump the mundane nine- to-five and to live the dream.

Here’s our guide to the top 10 adventure travel jobs.

read more

Top 10 adventure sports destinations in Africa

Dion Wick    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash, Top 10s     adventure holiday in Africa, Adventure sports Africa, Africa, Ethiopia, Holidays in Africa, Kenya, Malawi, morocco, south africa, tanzania, zambia

Africa, the land of elephants and endless landscapes, is fast becoming known for its adventure sports destinations, whether diving with great white sharks or bungee jumping over Victoria Falls.

Africa promises days of adventure and stunning sunsets. Image: Flickr/ Adam Annfield

Along its length, from South Africa to Morocco, the landscape shifts and shapes, from gleaming skyscrapers, thick rainforest and solitary savannah to dusty desert dunes.

And with its growing tourist infrastructure, Africa is one of the most beautiful and epic of places to test your nose for adventure.
Here’s our guide to some of the best adventure sports destinations in Africa.

read more

The best freestyle snowboards of 2012

Neil Skilton    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, Snowboarding Gear, snowboardingholidays     freestyle snowboards, snowboard, Snowboarding, snowboarding gear, snowboarding gear review, snowboarding holidays

This year’s range of boards is once again pushing the boundaries of snowboard gear designs. With rocker well and truly incorporated into many of the best freestyle snowboards of 2012, it’s the interesting combinations and varieties on this theme that grab the attention.

Loving your new board? Picture: Flickr/ CJ Isherwood

DC’s skateboard styled PLY and K2’s continuation with its ‘Flatline’ base technology and a new, unique ‘pointy’ shape are two examples worth mentioning.

Ride continues to get it right with their long established Kink, and newbie’s Lobster and Niche each offer something different.

So here’s more about the best boards of 2012.

read more