Grand Adventures

by Alastair Humphreys

Adventure – something that’s new and exhilarating, outside your comfort zone. Adventures change you and how you see the world, and all you need is an open mind, bags of enthusiasm and boundless curiosity. So what’s a GRAND ADVENTURE – it is the most life-changing, career-enhancing, personality-forging, fun adventure of your life. Following on from his popular Microadventures , in Grand Adventures Alastair Humphreys shines a spotlight on the real-life things that get in the stuff like time, money or your other commitments. Grand Adventures is also crammed with hard-won wisdom from people who have actually been there and done by boat and boot, car and kayak, bicycle and motorbike. People who had one epic trip then returned to normal life, or who got bitten so badly by the bug that they devoted their life to the pursuit of adventure. Young people, old people. Men, women. Mates, couples, families. Extraordinary, inspiring people. People like you. Saving your pennies, overcoming inertia, generating momentum, getting out the front if you want it enough, you can do it. Tiny steps to a grand adventure. Are you in?

Genres: Travel, Adventure, Nonfiction, Outdoors

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2016

Reviews

[Karinella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring read for would-be adventurers!
I am so entirely on the same page as Alastair Humphreys when it comes to adventures not being reserved for the rich, fit and famous. It's about time someone demystified adventure travel and made it clear that it is accessible to the average Joanne.
Some bits and pieces I've already read on his (excellent) blog, but he goes more into depth in the book. It is absolutely worth buying. And it is such an encouragement to read interviews with all kinds of people on a whole range of different adventures. Great pictures and ideas I will go back to again and again.
Having moved aboard a sailboat to live an adventurous life at sea myself, I was initially hoping for some similar stories. But putting the "one grand" cost limit on the adventures he covers, he chose not to include much in terms of ocean voyages. I can't entirely agree with his statement that you need sponsors or a lot of funds to go out to sea. It depends a bit on how you view it and how you do it... I chose a small, not enirely new, reasonable boat of good quality as my permanent home and that makes it a cheap way to live on the one hand, but a big commitment on the other. Being a liveaboard is a somewhat more permanent form of adventure than leaving a London apartment to cycle or walk somewhere and then return. So I get that it's a bit to all-encompassing to be included in the book. Still, I hope would-be sailors don't get discouraged and think they have to have a huge, new, expensive boat and lots of sponsors to do an ocean voyage.
For anyone wanting to do a grand adventure, start with Humphreys' Microadventures. Then use Grand Adventures to really get you going. Because you can.

[Thomas Bruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insights into planning and some nice snippets of inspiration but I wanted more detailed adventure stories.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grand Adventures is not a bad book to start the juices flowing for your next, well, Grand Adventure. The author’s “what the hell are you waiting for?” attitude is infectious and his tips for laying the groundwork for an epic trip are helpful. Despite the addition of a few tales from young parents, it seems as though the target audience for the book is likely individuals in their 20s and 30s who have not yet laid the groundwork on a career or set down roots with a family and mortgage. Grand Adventures are not impossible for folks in the latter category, but complicated in different ways and stories from “empty nesters,” people who can arrange creative sabbaticals and/or early retirees would broaden the scope and reinforce the claim that age need not be an obstacle.

In addition, I found Humphrey’s approach to be too individualistic. His argument really stems from what the individual gets from a journey of this type. Cultural interaction and the impact that adventurers have and can have (both positive and negative) on their surroundings is overlooked entirely. Individual accomplishment (I paddled my canoe further and faster than anyone else, etc.) seems to be the goal rather than personal learning and transformation.

Finally, race is the elephant in the room. The author makes an attempt to look at adventure with a gendered lens and many female voices are heard in these pages, but race is a glaring omission. With the roots of colonialism so deep and intertwined with global travel, this is a disappointing oversight.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading his book and reading about ‘normal’ people deciding that they wanted to go on an adventure. The book explains that travelling doesn’t have to be expensive. It all about experiencing the world and living. It is meant to inspire you to do something and I feel like I am a step closer to going out for my own adventure.

Some bits I didn’t find that useful, like reading about travelling my motor or climbing. Thought I understand why they have been included. They are simply examples of how to get around the globe.

I would refer back to the book in the future as it does lay out areas to consider before heading out.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking abut travelling but doesn’t have much capital.

[Mike Prusaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What this book is about, in one sentence: Stop allowing traditional excuses to delay living grand adventures and Everyone dies. What was helpful? Point by point review and ways to overcome obstacles
Real life “how to” examples of how to conqueor obstacles
A planning section that asked smart questions
Review of pros at travelling with others and solo
The grittiness described and on display of these bare-bones adventurers
Benefits and challenges to traditional vehicles by which to journey

What wasn't? The noticeable absence of middling year examples
That grand adventures was timeboxed as six weeks (bare minimum)
The astronomical scope of some examples given
The lack of summary or recaps
Stark difference between during-adventure and post-adventure descriptions

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a practical guidebook for turning your adventuring dreams into adventuring reality. Not only does it work you through all of the logistical hurdles (including how to get your spouse to let you go on an adventure), but it also contains dozens of interviews with other adventurers. These interviews are what really make the book great, because many of them are written by laymen, non-professionals, and total newbie explorers like (probably) yourself. If you ever need motivation, encouragement, and practical help starting an adventure, it is here. And even if you don't, it is great reading about all of the amazing adventures other people are having all the time.

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of adventure demistyfied in 255 pages. highly motivating, encouraging and simple.
Get this, the world of adventure is accessible to us all!
Personally I've had a million reasons why I can't do this or that but page by page this book breaks down barriers (or cognitive distortions) that stand in the way. You don't have to be super human, rich or have heaps of experience in a field to have an adventure. Can you put up a tent and ride a Bike? If so you have all the necessary skills to have an amazing adventure.
if something smaller is more your style then it might be worth looking up the book Microadventure

[Keziah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up to flick through and ended up reading it pretty well cover to cover in an evening. You can tell a book on adventure has done its job when it results in you planning a mini walking adventure for the following day and whipping out the maps to plan a cycling adventure for as soon as you get back to uni. A great book that inspires the adventurous spirit in you, while also showing you how it can be achievable time-, money-, and commitment-wise.

[Nelly ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every minute of reading it. It really inspires you, seeing how life could be if you would just take more risks and go down the unconventional path.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative. Photo captions would've been useful though

[Bailey Bingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Inspiring

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as microadventures but still has valuable information and good quotes from other adventurers.

[Kele Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it while studying abroad. I would recomend reading it while you are NOT on an adventure but while you are planning one. Super great book and very helpful. I wish the photos had descriptions.

[Rachel Seyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embracing the delusions

[Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most profound part of this book (for me) was learning of the shoestring budgets and last-minute planning that formed the foundation of so many epic feats.