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Tribe Stories Round Up - November 27 2016

November 27, 2016

A weekly (most of the time!) round-up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Written and researched by Richard Potter

AARON MITCHELL: WORLD BIKE TRIP

In April 2016 Aaron Mitchell set off on a solo motorcycle trip around the World to raise money for The Royal British Legion. Aaron started his journey in the United Kingdom and has travelled across Europe and Russia before crossing over to the United States and travelling down into Central America. He’s currently in Mexico and will eventually head to the southern part of Argentina and back up its East Coast.

You can find out more about Aaron’s trip and get updates on his progress by visiting his website: you can also follow him on Facebook.

JO SYMO AND MIKE WEST: THE WALK

Walking nearly 2000 miles across 7 countries is no small undertaking, but on 23 November Jo Symo and Mike West set off on just such an adventure. The Walk will take them from Belize City to Panama City. They’re raising awareness about the Matt Hampson Foundation and Easter Seals Colorado.

You can follow The Walk on Jo's Website and on Facebook: you can also visit their fundraising page.

Have you been inspired by any of these stories? Do you have your own to share? We’d love to hear about it. The YesTribe is a community that is free to anyone who is looking to make life less restricted, more enjoyable, more interesting and more memorable. Your story doesn’t need to be an endurance adventure, many of the YesTribe are making films, raising money for good causes and developing the community.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - November 19 2016

November 19, 2016

A weekly (most of the time!) round-up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter

A GOOD WEEKEND

SayYesMore is supporting A Good Weekend, an initiative to allow everyone to do more by collecting thousands of events, experiences and activities for people in Britain and across the world to try.

The organisers are aiming to complete the list by the weekend of 17 to 20 March 2017. If you know of an event or experience that you’d like to share, or if you’d simply like to try something new (like skiing, paddling or a festival) then A Good Weekend, is for you!

CHRIS GOODMAN: (UN)INSPIRED RAMBLINGS

In August 2016 Chris Goodman began a bike journey across Greece, including the Bike Odyssey route (which uses dirt roads to cross the Greek mainland from close to the Albanian border in the North, to the Gulf of Corinth in the South) as well as some travel further south, across the Peloponnese and perhaps onto Crete.

You can learn more about Chris’ trip (and his past adventures) at his website and you can also follow his progress through Facebook.

EMMA KAREMBO TAYLOR: THE NEPAL MARATHON

On the 26th of November our very own Emma Karembo Taylor will run the Nepal International Marathon to raise money for Street Child, a UK charity that aims to create educational opportunity for some of the world's most vulnerable children. Go Emma!

You can learn more about the Nepal International Marathon here and donate to Emma’s fundraising page here.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up – November 12th 2016

November 12, 2016

A weekly (most of the time!) round-up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter

CHRIS WARD: BEST WAY ROUND

Best Way Round is a multi stage cycle trip round the world. Chris Ward will cycle around 1 continent every year for the next 6 years, spending three weeks on each continent. He starts on November 24th 2016 in Australia and will cycle from Adelaide to Brisbane. Not bad for someone with 4 kids and work to do: go Chris!

You can follow Chris’ progress on Facebook.

DAVE CORNTHWAITE: 1000 MILES ACROSS JAPAN BY SCOOTER

Next week Dave Cornthwaite will begin a 1000 mile journey across Japan on his scooter, Swifty. Setting off from Tokyo, Dave will travel in a wide loop through southern Honshu and Shikoku, visit Hiroshima and Mt Fuji then return to Tokyo just before Christmas.

You can learn more about Dave’s trip here and you can also follow his progress on Facebook.

KIKO MATTHEWS: THE TRANSATLANTIC SOLO 2018

Kiko Matthews, founder of SUPkiko, has started a campaign to become the fastest unsupported woman (and possibly person) to solo row the Atlantic. She’s raising money for Help for Heroes, Women in Sport and her own charity The Big Stand.

The Facebook page about her WR attempt is here.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Tribe Stories Round Up - November 4th 2016

November 4, 2016

A weekly (most of the time!) round-up of stories, events and projects coming out of the YesTribe.

Researched and written by Richard Potter

Yestival 2016

Yestival 2016 took place at Brinsbury Agricultural Centre, in West Sussex, on 21-23 October.

380 people camped in a gorgeous field in the depths of Autumn in a massive celebration of life and what it means to live it fully. The speakers entertained and inspired the attendees with tales of adventures great and small, as well as of the bumps in the road that we all have to deal with eventually. There’s really nowhere else that you can do yoga and Project Awesome in the morning, hear about great adventures from the past during the day and then connect with like-minded people to plan adventures for the future in the evening.

Just like last year, we’re thrilled, proud of and humbled by all the excitement, positive energy and commitment to change that Yestival inspired. We won’t ask you to just take our word for it though: check out this blog post summarising one attendee’s Yestival experience and see professional photos of an incredible weekend.

Helen Proudfoot: Cycling to New Zealand

On the last day of Yestival, Helen Proudfoot set off on a cycle trip to New Zealand via various places including Europe, Bali and, slightly more unusually, Patagonia.

Helen is currently in La Rochelle: you can follow her progress on Facebook, visit her website and keep an eye out for her stickers (shown above) if you’re travelling abroad.

Graham Carter: The Autumn 100

On the 15th of October Graham Carter completed the Autumn 100, his second ever 100 mile race. This was an amazing achievement given that Graham has suffered from shin/knee and hip issues in the past.

Check out Graham’s full race report here.

Laura Maisey: Running Home from Rome

In September Laura Maisey flew to Rome and starting running 1,249 miles back to London. So far she’s overcome a number of challenges, including nearly being locked in a nunnery.

Laura is fundraising for the Ronald McDonald House because of the way they’ve helped the son of a friend of hers.

You can read more about Laura’s story on her fundraising page and you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Sophie Rooney: Rundinavia

In August Sophie Rooney began a 3,630 km run across Scandinavia: once she finishes she’ll be the first woman to have completed the run. On the 2nd of November she passed the 2,500 km mark: go Sophie!

Sophie’s raising money for The Stroke Association, Mountain Rescue England & Wales and The Thomas Theyer Foundation. Her fundraising page is here and her Facebook page is here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Rafting the Danube

October 19, 2016

Today's Tribe Story comes from Sarah and Matthes, serial adventurers based in Berlin who have shared with us their latest tale of their rafting excursion down the Danube.

Massive thanks to Sarah and Matthes for sharing their story, pictures and inspiring advice!

Who: Sarah and Matthes

What do they do: Freelancers (translation and event concepts/digital start-up), but going on adventures whenever they can

Living in: Berlin

Say YES Adventure: Rafting the Danube

Over the course of two summers, we built a raft and travelled down the Danube from Germany to Hungary, a journey of nearly 900km passing through three European capitals. I can’t tell you exactly where Matthes got the idea for this adventure, but I know that it got mentioned several times over the years as we planned various other trips until 2014 when we decided to look into it further. To put it briefly, this research led to us deciding that rafting the Danube was “too expensive” and “too complicated” so we ended up buying a pedalo and pedalling from Prague to Berlin instead. You know, because that’s the obvious alternative.

The next year, we decided to say YES to the raft again and went about planning with more determination. There were lots of times when I wanted to say “no” to the adventure and pick something easier – it was too expensive, we didn’t know how to build a raft, we couldn’t find a suitable motor, there was too much bureaucracy involved to get permits, there was too much equipment we would have to buy, it was too much for just two people to plan by themselves, we needed other teammates to join us but no one wanted to commit – in short, there seemed to be endless reasons why it was “too difficult” and why it “would never work”.

But we kept saying YES.

We applied for permits, we bought maps, we found equipment, we transported 5.5 metre-long inflatable tubes in our tiny Smart car, we made multiple trips to the DIY store, we cajoled friends and strangers into joining us and finally it all seemed to come together.

The first year we travelled from Regensburg to Vienna on the 2m x 5m raft that we (somehow) built. We had originally hoped to make it all the way to Budapest in the two weeks we had given ourselves, but we soon learnt that building a raft is no easy task and repair days, motor problems and a fair bit of sightseeing meant that progress was slower than originally hoped. Nevertheless, it was still an incredible adventure with more than our fair share of highs and lows not to mention cruising through luscious valleys and sun-drenched vineyards, camping beside the river every night, exploring towns and villages along the way and getting swept away by the slower pace of life along the river.

We reached Vienna without any plan of how to wrap up the journey, but needing to catch a train back to Berlin two days later. After asking several rowing and canoe clubs, we eventually found a marina that kindly allowed us to dismantle the raft and store it there. Problem solved!

A year passed and we felt we had some unfinished business with the raft so we wanted to continue the journey. Some more planning, updating of licences and more cajoling of friends and strangers on the internet to put a team together was all that was needed. Before we knew it, we were packing our bags again and heading back to the Danube.

The second leg of the trip, from Vienna to Paks in central Hungary felt considerably more relaxed than the first year. Not only were we armed with the knowledge from last year that had enabled us to build a better, stronger raft, but our outboard motor (a.k.a. Gandalf) caused us fewer problems and the lower traffic volume meant that we could spend long periods just floating along in glorious silence. There were still some worries such as whether or not we would be allowed through the final lock in Gabcikovo and what the internet strangers we’d accepted to the adventure would be like, but somehow everything always seemed to work out in our favour. Or maybe it was just our optimistic attitude that made it feel like everything was working out?

For me, the biggest highlight of the whole trip was passing through Budapest on the raft. It’s a city that a) I love and b) has a gorgeous waterfront and this was an image that had been in my head ever since we started talking about building a raft. To finally cruise past the beautiful Parliament building and underneath those famous bridges really felt like we had achieved what we set out to do and I just had a big silly grin plastered across my face the whole time.

The greatest challenge was being so dependent on other people – we needed team members and anywhere we stopped we had to rely on strangers to help us out. Having to ask others for help can be quite intimidating and it certainly put me outside of my comfort zone (I can be kind of shy and awkward), but time and again we were rewarded with generosity and help from people we’d only just met. Starting at the campsite in Kehlheim where we borrowed ALL their tools to build the raft, there were then people who towed us when the motor failed, who carried the raft in and out of the water, who let us use their rowing clubs/WiFi/electricity/jetties/storage rooms/fork lift trucks, who helped fix the raft after the motor tore the back panel off and took a dive into the water, who gave us directions, recommended guide books or let us camp on their ground – I am so grateful to all of you! The good thing about the raft is that it’s pretty eye-catching anyway, thus making a good conversation starter wherever we were. This dream could never have come true without the help of so many kind people who said YES to us along the way.

There are three things I would say to people who want to go on a similar kind of adventure (whether that means building your own form of transport, travelling down a river or organising a group trip):

Be positive. With so many unknown factors (different people, weather, raft-building skills, river conditions etc.) you need to be able to adapt and handle whatever situation you may find yourself in and the best way to do this is with a “can do” attitude. There is always a solution!
Know some basic DIY skills, take safety and regulations seriously (they’re there for a reason), but don’t let them get in the way of your fun.
Go for it! You can make it happen!

If you want to know more about building the raft or travelling in this area, you can check out our blog or just send me a message! Incidentally, our raft is for sale and perfectly positioned to continue a journey down the Danube through Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania!

As for our next adventure, we don’t know yet! We’ll be participating in a hot air balloon festival in Egypt in December, but haven’t planned anything beyond that. After all these river escapades it’s quite likely to be a) land-based and b) minimalistic. Suggestions on a postcard please!

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Food entrepreneur Billy Smokes shares his YES moment – and makes us hungry!

October 7, 2016

The YesTribe is a community turning ideas into action, whether that be encouraging adventurous thinking, finding (or creating) work we love, getting involved in charities or simply designing a lifestyle that fits perfectly with our individual personalities and needs.

We regularly share YesTribe stories of those who are making life more memorable, and this of course includes YES moments beyond exploring the world.

In the first of the new YES moments column, Will explains that a way that he wanted to make his like more memorable was to follow his passion for all things barbecue, and build a business around it. He has given a few insights and tips on how he made the transition.

Food entrepreneur Billy Smokes shares his YES moment – and makes us hungry!

With a lifelong passion with food and cooking outdoors, Will had always been obsessed with food, and in particular, barbecuing. After quitting his day job, he went on an enviable stint across America's southern States - the home of slow cooked meat - to learn the tricks of the trade from lifelong 'smokers' and sample their sizzling slow-cooked delights. On returning, uni friend Stu Clark became his foodie accomplice, and Billy Smokes was born.

They have just started a new residency at Brewdog's Punk Kitchen, on Essex Road, their second venture which is now running in addition to the hugely successful initial residency in Howling Hops Brewery, Hackney Wick.

Here's how it's unfolding....

When was your YES moment?

I got back from a fun and refreshing three week trip to the US and handed in my notice the first day back at work. It was a pretty daunting moment telling my boss that I no longer wanted to be a Sustainability Consultant and was instead going to become a Barbecue Entrepreneur.

At what point did you know this was what you wanted to do?

It was about 2 or 3 years ago. I realised that all I was talking about and thinking about doing with friends was eating. And I don't mean in a glutinous, hot-dog-eating-competition sort of way; I mean in a curious and insatiably excited sort of way. I had started travelling quite a bit with work, and got to go to China and Peru and when people asked how my trip was, I instinctively just talked about my food experiences.

I loved visiting new restaurants and markets and discussing with friends what makes Honest Burger better (in humble my opinion) than 'the others', and why. Then I remember going to Pitt Cue (a small but perfectly formed BBQ joint off Carnaby St) and buying their book afterwards. I think that's when I really knew that barbecue was my calling.

What was the first step in taking it further?

I talked to a lot of people who had set up food businesses and I tried to get as much experience and knowledge as possible. I devoured cook books and butchery books, then I imposed a bit of a barbecue boot camp on myself to learn as much as possible, taking notes on techniques and cooking temperatures. It was like the science graduate in me had finally been let loose. Going back to America to travel through the Southern States was also an amazing experience. I met some of the most celebrated pitmasters in the world and worked with some incredibly talented people. .....oh and I qualified as Certified Barbecue Judge.

What's been the most mind blowing thing about the experience so far?

I think I'm just so much more comfortable 'being my own brand', rather than feeling I have to act in a certain way as I have done in previous jobs. It's amazing to work with other people who are also doing their own thing, whether it's our staff (some of who are part-time so have music/video interests), suppliers or potential collaborators, it's exciting to develop genuine relationships rather than just swapping business cards at a networking event.

Any surprises?

Yeah, the fact that I've lost weight despite being surrounded by delicious food 12 hours a day, and eating lots of it.

If you weren't satisfying the bellies of hungry Londoners, what would you be doing now?

Probably still staring at spreadsheets or energy data trying to remember how to do a Index/Match formula and wondering how long it is until lunch.

Billy Smokes also serves veggie food. But you're a meat company. How does that work?

That's a great question. I think barbecue means a lot of different things to different people and that's just the way it is. I found this out in the US where, in some states the word barbecue actually means Pork. And what we call a barbecue (the metal thing in the garden) is actually a grill. To me, barbecue is about cooking with wood, and that can be meat, fish or vegetarian food. With my sustainability background, I am well aware of the environmental impacts of farming and the meat industry so it's important that we a conscious of this and don't just offer piles of meat.

You've just opened your second outlet. What's in store for meat lovers?

Yep, we've just opened a short-term pop up with Brewdog at the Punk Kitchen in Angel. It's a great concept where they are hosting exciting Streetfood vendors for a month at a time. We'll be serving up some of our tried and tested favourites as well as some new sharing plates and brunch dishes to fit in with the area. It is a great opportunity for us to try out some new things as they have a great kitchen there.

What advice would you give to those who haven't quite given a firm 'YES' to their ideas?

My advice would be: answer your calling and make your mark. I'm a believer that you more often regret the things you don't do than the things you do do.

Any websites/books/people you would recommend for inspiration?

All my inspiration came from creative and entrepreneurial friends as well as food heroes of mine. Try to meet and engage with any people who inspire you, and steer clear of naysayers and negative influences.

Thanks!

Author: Sarah Allison

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Do you have a YES moment to share? No idea is too small or journey too short. We welcome all stories old and new - share yours at SayYesMore.

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Exploring the Lochs of Scotland by SUP

September 21, 2016

The last week of May saw five friends (who had recently met through the Yes Tribe, Yestival and Escape the City) head to Scotland to explore the beautiful Caledonia Canal for a few days. After a somewhat interesting start, they got away for their five day adventure. We caught up with them recently to chat with them about their experience.

Words: Mel, Michelle, Ged, Charlotte and Lucy

We organised the trip over May bank holiday weekend to tie in with the extra bit of 'free' annual leave this would provide us with. We were hugely lucky with the weather for the time of year, only seeing a few spots of rain on day 2, during which we took advantage of the canal-side pub's extensive menu of puddings and boozy coffees! An evening flight up to Glasgow late on the Friday evening, and return the following Saturday, meant we got to make the most of our time on the water and in Bonnie Scotland pre and post paddle.

We SUP'd the length of The Great Glen, coast to coast Scotland. Our plan was to head north eastwards from Fort William because the prevailing wind is in the South West and so we liked the idea of being blown uphill and/or not battling a headwind! This is a gorgeous 60 mile stretch of waterway connecting fort William on the west coast to Inverness on the east. The route is made up of a combination of man-made waterways (constructed in the early 19th century by engineer Thomas Telford) and the natural lochs of Dochfour, Ness, Lochy and Oich. A totally stunning and hugely varied trip across the Scottish highlands.

We collected the SUPs from Explore Highland in Inverness and post checking the weeks forecast on our arrival, we made an easy team decision to turn the route upside down to avoid battling the 10 to 25mph northerly winds! Cue five tired lassies who had not long said they were ready for bed....on the canal and paddling into the evening sun to our first camp spot.

Some of us had never SUP'd before, and weren't really that keen on swimming but it was a brilliant few days and we all supported each other. We agree that the thing which we most enjoyed about this adventure was the company and sharing the experience with such a fabulous group of women. We had such a giggle at every step of the way and everyone contributed something special to the trip. The achievement was fantastic, but it felt so much better for having accomplished it as part of this team. This made the moments of tiredness and nervousness bearable and simply part of the journey. An adventure is always an adventure.

Having a hairy scary day on Loch Oich (I think it was) when the winds and waves picked up and my legs seized forcing me to plea for an impromptu break, made me enjoy the whole trip better because it might have seemed "too easy" otherwise! I'm definitely a happy canal SUPer by choice but the adventure is not complete without some frights.

Highlights:

Some of our favourite moments involved laughing at the 5,267 (!) packs of tuna to Michelle's master packing skills, my tent jumping to freedom onto the train line in Inverness, Mr Grumpy "Don't take my photo" as he rescued my tent, Lucy's refusal to paddle despite my "please paddle now!!" (we were 'sailing' with the aft winds and Lucy wanted to see how far she could go without paddling but I was heading for a collision course - I missed by about 2 inches), Charlotte's daily fight with her bag which needed a Tetris map, and the mystery of the lock keepers message "are you the paddleboarders? Well you left something important in the Eagle Barge Bar last night." I'm pretty sure the girls guessed that it would be something of mine but didn't say but since we had survived a day already without it, it couldn't be THAT important. Eventually I phoned...it was ONLY my house and car keys! See, not essential for SUPing.

#supnessmonsters was the hashtag that we used on most of our posts, although unfortunately we didn't see Nessie along the way. What we did discover was that a one hour maiden SUP lesson on the Thames is all you need to prepare for a 100km SUP Adventure. And that there is real beauty to be found on our own little Island. One of our group is Scottish and she re-learned her pride in the beauty of Scotland and being able to "show it off" in such spectacular weather.

How to do the same too:

If you are interested in doing this journey we couldn't recommend it more. The formation of the great glen way canoe trail made it a very accessible adventure, with information being readily available, a great provision of facilities along the way, and an added benefit of it being virtually impossible to get lost! We hired all our kit from Donald at Explore Highland (http://www.explorehighland.com/) who was fantastic in advising us on all things related to the trip - as the project officer who set up the trail it's fair to say he really knows his stuff and comes highly recommended.

Thank you Mel, Michelle, Ged, Charlotte and Lucy for sharing your story! Have you been inspired by their story? Do you have your own to share? We’d love to hear about it. The YesTribe is a community that is free to anyone who is looking to make life less restricted, more enjoyable, more interesting and more memorable. Your story doesn’t need to be an endurance adventure, many of the YesTribe are making films, raising money for good causes and developing the community.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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Scottish Cycling Microadventure

September 12, 2016

Words by Chris Millar:

Itching for a small adventure, last weekend Haz and I took a couple days off work. We borrowed some kit from friendly YesTribers, packed up our bicycles and caught the overnight Caledonian Sleeper to Inverness. Fresh off the train, we followed a series of brilliantly signposted interlinking cycle routes, meandering our way through the Highlands, two national parks, countless wee villages down to the Central Belt of Scotland.

However, as with all good adventures, things didn't always go to plan. On the first evening we were prepped and ready to cook dinner over the fire. Wrapping our potatoes, onions, sausages, beans and corn in tinfoil it seemed as though we were in for a feast. Alas, the Scottish summer weather had other plans. Wildcamping in horizontal rain, with damp fire wood, was proving a small challenge and it looked like we were in for a cold and hungry night. Fortunately, and out of nowhere, (as so often seems to be the case on adventures) the kindness of strangers shone through. The generosity of a local gentleman who gave us some firelighters and a loaf of bread was just what we needed to get the fire going, cook, toast marshmallows (very important) and keep warm. Bliss.

Waking with the sun the next morning, and even with the various potions and lotions people lent us, we failed to fight off the formidable Scottish midges - we must've been just too tasty to resist! Itchy, annoying, maybe even slightly maddening, even the midges proved to be no match for just how stunned we were by the beauty of the lochs and glens! Leaving midges behind, we set off as quickly as we could pursuing freedom on two wheels.

Wildcamping by the sea brought even more enjoyment. After a change in course, we landed in Burntisland for a surprise spot of seal spotting, a tasty fish & chips and a few wee whiskies (as is tradition) before falling asleep listening to the sound of crashing waves.

Trips like these just open our eyes to the fact that there are really special places right here on our doorstep. You don't need bags of money, you don't need to travel to as far as the moon and if you ask nicely, someone is sure to help kit you out. Adventure is out there - all you need to do is go find it!

See a short film of our adventure here.

Twitter: chrisjsmillar

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YesTribe Stories - Round Up

September 9, 2016

We're going to be regularly sharing YesTribe stories and here's our latest bunch of brilliant and inspiring YesTribe stories of those who are making life more memorable.

Do you want to feature? No idea is too small, journey too short, we welcome all stories old and new - share yours at SayYesMore.

Chaz Powell - The Wildest Journey: walking the length of the Zambezi River

Chaz is currently attempting to walk the Length of the Zambezi river. He's expecting it to take 6 months and is currently 400 miles and 1 month along.

It is a solo and unaided walk, starting at the source of the river in the Kalene Hills in North Western Zambia, then following the River for 1599 miles through Angola, Zambia and Mozambique, until eventually reaching the Indian Ocean.

Chaz says 'My reasons for wanting to walk the Zambezi is because I'm a passionate adventurer and want to challenge myself in the wildest of environment's.'

You can follow Chaz and send some support and encouragement on his Facebook and Website, or donate to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation here.

Olivia Rutherford - Walked the Camino de Santiago

This Summer 2016 Olivia Rutherford walked the Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile stretch across Spain from St Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago in North West Spain.

Olivia says 'it was the most incredible experience and having just finished my A-levels it was a great adventure for me.'

Amazing stuff! Read more about Olivia's experience and get in touch here.

Wolfgang Haak: Sea Kayaking the Swedish Archipelago

Wolfgang is heading off on Sunday to the Swedish Archipelago (1000s of small, uninhabited islands dotted around clear, tranquil waters) for a sea kayaking adventure for 7-10 days!

Have a great trip!

Aaron Mitchell - Attempting to ride solo round the world on motorbike

In 2014, Aaron embarked on his first motorcycle adventure around Western Europe, which inspired his current adventure where he is attempting to ride solo around the world, unsupported. He is currently in California and hopes to complete his trip in 2017.

Aaron is raising money for the Royal Bristol Legion.

You can find out more and follow Aaron's progress through his website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

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We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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YesTribe and the SUP Thames River Relay

September 9, 2016

The fun started on Friday night (2nd September) when we met up with the team who had just completed the 2nd leg of the Thames River Relay, from whom we would pick up the baton of Thames source water in the morning.

As we walked along the banks of the river we could see their fire glowing up ahead where team were making dinner. After a warm and jolly welcome we settled down to swap SUP tales under a beautifully clear night’s sky with the faint sound of sheep bleating in the background. We then bedded down for the night under a convenient tree, perfect for stringing up a tarp.

The joy of waking up and having the sunrise be the first thing you see never gets old. It calls you to jump out of your sleeping bag and get cracking with the day.

The Saturday morning was all about logistics. We had to take the car to the end point with all our camping gear, then get a lift back to the start, pick up a cheery extra paddler and coffee en-route. Then we were ready to jump on the boards kindly lent to us by Kev from SUP Gloucester who had run the previous day’s leg and get paddling.

We started our leg at Eynsham Lock where we were also joined by the lovely Cathy and Arnaud who had come over to the UK specifically to complete 6 legs of the relay and we were delighted to have them with us for the YesTribe leg. At this point we had 12 miles and 3 locks ahead of us before the end at Iffley Lock. Once we’d covered around 5 miles we stopped for lunch at a lovely pub that even had a peacock to keep us company as the rain started to fall.

Crowding under an umbrella, as there was no room in the pub for us, we opted for desert over going back onto the water and into the heavy rain. Luckily that was just long enough for it to ease of a little and then it was on-wards to the end.

It was great to be out on the water making new friends and being a part of the much bigger relay, even if it was a little damp, and we even completed the challenge in a pretty good time. Interestingly, SUPing in the rain isn’t as bad as you imagine, when the river water washes over your feet it actually feels pretty warm.

The Thames River Relay continues and you can join them on Sunday 17th September for lots of fun SUPing in west London. Find out more on Facebook here.

Author: Fiona Quinn

Do you have your own to share? We’d love to hear about it. The YesTribe is a community that is free to anyone who is looking to make life less restricted, more enjoyable, more interesting and more memorable. Your story doesn’t need to be an endurance adventure, many of the YesTribe are making films, raising money for good causes and developing the community.

We’d love to hear from you, share your stories here at Say Yes More or join the Yes Tribe Facebook group to connect with fellow YesTribers.

Make life memorable, Say Yes More!

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