Image credit: UnSplash Guest blog by Hollie Jones It feels like the world is finally catching up to the fact that Central America is a fantastic place for adventure travel. This thin strip of land that connects North and South America has exotic locations and life-changing experiences in abundance. Concerns over crime held the region…
Image credit: Pexels Guest blog by Hollie Jones Travelling can have many interesting — and sometimes challenging — consequences for our bodies. Jet lag, stomach problems, and dehydration can all be impacted by travel. But did you know that travelling can affect your period too? In this post, we’ll be exploring the different ways that…
By Hannah Thorley We recently had the pleasure of speaking to Claire from the Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF), who is leading the Happy Women Together – Walking Challenge, this August - where a group of nine women will be climbing the three highest peaks in the UK. But this is a challenge with a difference.…
Glacier Image Credit: Margo Brodowicz on Unsplash Opportunity to participate in Expedition Research! Hi, I’m Louisa, a Psychology Masters student at Aberdeen University. I’m doing a project as part of my thesis looking into human factors on expeditions that requires groups that are going on expeditions during the months April - June this year that…
WAExpo 2018 Highlights Words By Jessica Strange Photos By Frit Sarita Tam A drizzly morning welcomed aspiring adventurers, but it did nothing to dampen their spirits last weekend as a mass of attendees flocked to the Women’s Adventure Expo 2018. Hosted at the quirky interactive science museum, We the Curious, early bird guests could take part…
Founder of an amazing cycle service for adults and children whose freedom has been affected by disability, illness or disease. So, Holly, we’re delighted you will be joining us at our events on Friday and Saturday. Now, you are the founder of Ride Out Ride On. What’s this all about? Ride Out, Ride On is a…
In this blog we’re excited to share information with you about the summer internship project we worked on for the past seven weeks. Our names are Molly and Helen and we are both going into our final year of studying History at Cambridge and Chemistry at Oxford respectively. One of us has family and friends…
Never too old for adventure? You bet. By the time I got around to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro I was already 58. Yikes! Not exactly ancient, but for me it was a ‘now or never’ proposition. ‘Never’ was extremely tempting, but ‘now’ won out. There was an added urgency to conquer the highest mountain in Africa the…
Megan Al-Ghailani is the youngest woman and first hearing-impaired person to run across the country. She has an inspirational story and Women’s Adventure Expo are so pleased that we can share it with you! Megan is a true adventure heroine and advocate for adventure and diversity - Find out more about Megan and follow her…
As our brand new event on 5th October approaches, Esther Rosewarne reflects on the theme of Adventure and Wellbeing.
As the legendary story goes, in the 1960’s Easkey’s grandmother, Mary Britton, a hotel owner, returned to Ireland from a trip to California determined to bring two Malibu surfboards back to her local beach, Rossnowlagh. Her intention was to offer them to hotel guests, but instead her five sons, including Easkey’s father Barry took the…
Throughout this year we’ll be collaborating with Devon-born adventure businesswoman, Jessica Brooks. in this interview, Jess shares with us her experience of setting up Eternal Landscapes,a sustainable travel company in Ulaanbataar, and gives insight into how - with a team of strong women behind her - she’s working to make the adventure travel industry more…
We interviewed Stephanie Solomonides, who recently completed the incredible Euro-Arabian North Pole expedition, lead by Felicity Aston, making her the first Cypriot to travel to both the North and South poles. Interview by Tessa Deterding and Esther Rosewarn Could you tell us a little bit about the expedition? How and why did you get involved?…
June 21st: it may be the summer solstice, but things are going to get ice-cold at our london-based conference ‘Women in the Polar Regions’. You’ve probably heard all about ‘The Heritage of Women in Exploration’ by now (do check out our recent blog posts if you’ve missed out on our programme previews!), but today we’d…
With less than two weeks to go before our special suffrage centenary event takes off at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London on 21st June, we’ve got the latest info on our speakers and programme. We’ve got intriguing, untold stories from contemporary explorers, academic research presentations, and film footage from women sharing their…
Work at the expo office is pretty much non-stop at the moment; time is ticking as our suffrage-centenary conference, ‘The Heritage of Women in Exploration’ grows ever closer. To keep everyone in the loop, we thought we’d give the lowdown - the Who? What? When? Where?- of this special event. What’s it all about anyway?…
Too little is known about the incredible story of the first woman to scale Mt Everest and the seven summits, the late Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei. So we’re thrilled to share Junko’s story through the eyes of someone following in her footsteps – expedition leader and mountaineer Jo Bradshaw. Jo will share Junko’s story at…
The team are 6 days into their trip on the shifting pack ice of the Arctic Ocean, attempting to ski roughly 100 km over the treacherous terrain to reach the Geographic North Pole. If successful many of the women will be the first person from their country to ski the last degree to the Geographic…
“I’m here to break barriers and stereotypes”, says Misba Khan, an “ordinary” mum turned Rambler turned polar skier. We’re lucky to have spoken to Misba just before she sets off to ski the last degree to the North Pole as part of the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition 2018 led by Felicity Aston. This incredible…
You may remember last month we caught up with Lucy Shepherd and spoke with her about her adventures and expeditions, you can find a link to the interview at the bottom of this page. Lucy is a 25 year old adventurer on a mission, she is constantly pushing herself, whilst at the same time documenting…
A (N)ICE way to start the day - a frosty festive swim! It was only after emerging from the iconic, ice-laced Kenwood Ladies Pond on Hampstead Heath that we discovered the water temperature was 4 degrees. Apparently that’s the ideal temperature to serve ice cream. Heaven knows what the air temperature was. Suffice it to…
Women’s Adventure Expo were super pleased to catch up with Lucy Shepherd before the end of the year and ask her a few questions about her adventures, and what it’s like to often be the only women on expeditions. Lucy is a 25 year old female adventurer on a mission, she is constantly pushing herself,…
‘Let your passion inspire others to play their part in protecting what they love – the oceans, mountains, forests, deserts… Share your passion, it’s incredible how infectious ‘passion’ is’. Cat Vinton Cat Vinton is an internationally respected adventure and ethnographic photographer who has dedicated over a decade to photographing ways of life. She has lived…
As the Women’s Adventure Expo team maps out a banner event to honour female explorers next June, Rosemary Brown pays tribute to world traveller Nellie Bly on the 128th anniversary of the day she voyaged out of America… and into history. Exactly 128 years ago on November 14, 1889, crusading journalist Nellie Bly left New York Harbour to…
“Accelerating social and environmental awareness and change through remarkable and responsible adventure” With such a fantastic statement from Adventure Uncovered, how could Women’s Adventure Expo not get super excited about their exciting new event! Adventure Uncovered Live is at the ICA in London on the 30th of October. Yes, just less than a week away,…
Adventure With Purpose and Heart! We recently heard from WAExpo attendee and friend Sian Davies, about her encounter with Wayne and Koda, you may have seen this special duo on Facebook? Always keen to hear more about Adventures with purpose, what inspires them and the hospitality which so often accompanies them, we asked Sian to…
How to “Explore, Dream and Discover”…. without the guilt. Della Parsons, a two-time circumnavigator with the Clipper Race, is Recruitment Manager for the world’s greatest ocean adventure. On Saturday 7th October at WAExpo 2017 Della shared a workshop tackling some of the challenges female applicants say that they face when signing up…and how to surmount…
Outdoor Swimming - A Gateway to Positive Change It’s 1.15am and pitch black, apart from the flashing lights attached to my swimming cossy and hat. The gate to the back of the fishing boat is opened and I sit down, dangling my feet above the ‘tropical’ 16 degree Celsius English Channel, about to jump in…
An endurance test like no other, raced by people like you… The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is an epic eleven-month adventure taken on by amateur sailors. Racing across the world’s most challenging oceans, crew circumnavigate the globe on board a fleet of identical Clipper 70ft ocean racing yachts guided by a professional skipper.…
What makes the best #SwimSelfie? Win a years subscription to Outdoor Swimmer Magazine and a kit bag full of swim gear from Zoggs. A Lotus Rises is the swim blog for women who love open water and we’re very excited to be delivering our Guide to Open Water Swimming at WAExpo 2017, the annual flagship…
‘Keep believing the impossible is possible…You won’t know how good you are, you will never be able to tap into your potential, until you learn that mistakes are part of life and learning…The route can be as easy or as hard as you perceive it to be…Facing [my] fears is worth it, even if it…
WAExpo have entered a boat in this year’s Bristol Dragon Boat Festival on Sunday 18th June to help raise funds for local Bristol charities. As many people head down to the harbourside with a picnic in tow to sit beside the water eating, drinking and watching the races, we thought we would ask Jyoti from…
Jacqui Hargrave - better known as Open Water Woman on social media - was forced to give up running due to an injury, which led her to find swimming. Every year she wants to attempt something different, and something more challenging than the last one. Last year she swam the length of Coniston at 5.25…
WAExpo are proud members of Bristol Green Capital! The BGC Partnership is an independent leadership organisation whose aim is to make Bristol “a sustainable city with a high quality of life for all”. Claire Jacob works for this amazing company, and spoke with us about her adventures… Please tell us about the best adventure you’ve had…
British adventurer, Holly Budge, has two world records under her belt so far. In 2008, she became the first woman to skydive Mount Everest. The following year, she was among the first to race semi-wild horses 1000 km across Mongolia, in the longest horse race in the world. She works as a big mountain expedition…
Shoreseeker is an outdoor adventure company designed to bring the incredible experience and enjoyment of ocean rowing to a wider audience. By providing a matched fleet of industry-leading boats and equipment, professional training, and planned races, be that a 48-hr challenge in the UK or up to five days around the Mediterranean. Claire had the…
British polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE is an author, speaker, expedition leader and former Antarctic scientist. In 2012 she became the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica. It was a journey of 1744km that took 59 days to complete and which gave her a place in the book of Guinness World Records. What does…
Sophie Montagne is a member of the Antarctica Ice Maiden squad, who have been training for a very exciting adventure… What does your adventure involve? We’re aiming to be the first all-female team to ski coast-to-coast across Antarctica in November 2017. A journey of 1,700km that will take approx 75 days. Why are you doing…
Megan is an engineer by day, but evenings and weekends see her attempting to climb steep rock faces, chasing a plastic disc around a field, walking up big hills or cycling around the beautiful countryside near her home in Bristol. She’s got a great adventure planned and we wanted to know all about it! What does your…
“Adventure will never make me rich. In fact, it’s the only reason I never have any money, but I know that my life is far richer for it.” - Erin Bastian Erin grew up in Cornwall, and never being far from the sea, undoubtebly moulded her into the water baby she is today. She has a passion…
British adventurer Sarah Outen set out from Tower Bridge in April 2011 on her London2London: Via the World expedition. Her goal: to row, bike and kayak around the Northern Hemisphere, inspiring children and fundraising for charities. A typhoon on the North Pacific forced a mid-ocean rescue from her rowing boat in 2012, and a hurricane…
“I am human, the same as every other person, I am as powerful and kind and able as every other person. I can. I will. I am! I am the creator of my own future, the pioneer in my own adventure story.” - Beth French From wheel chair bound to world class athlete, self employed…
“We are always compromising, multi-tasking, taking the slack, holding the fort, and this is all great, except when we do this ALL the time, and don’t give ourselves even a few days to go off on our own, to reconnect with ourselves, to challenge ourselves physically, to marvel at the wonders of nature, to learn,…
‘You can do more than you think, should dream of more than you do, and can discover more than you know…… In the end, we’re all just stories. So you may as well make it a good one. Live a good story’. Belinda Dixon When we think about adventure often our first thoughts are those…
‘Everyone can be an ambassador for adventure in their daily life. It’s all about talking the talk and walking the walk every day. There is a world of adventure to explore every time you step outside your front door’. Anna-Marie Watson. Half the battle of committing to and completing an adventure, whether it be…
The Women’s Adventure Expo are thrilled and honoured to announce that we will be joined next week by Lucky Chhetri and Khim Kumari of 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking in Nepal. This is one of the projects we have been hoping to support since WAExpo began, and we have just launched an urgent Crowdfunding campaign to…
“For far too long, in many walks of life, women haven’t been treated as equals. I’m glad I can say that the adventure community, consisting of open minded souls, has acted on this heinous crime. The Women’s Adventure Expo is back in Bristol for the second year. It’s grown, no, flourished! I’ve seen this…
Vanessa Smith is the founder of NessYoga.co.uk, Teaching Yoga in and around Bristol. She has studied under many teachers from all over the world, taking in teachings from India to London with international teachers from different aspects of Yoga. Ness has been climbing for the last 10 years finding her love for the outdoors and…
The Climbing Academy (TCA) pioneered a new breed of indoor bouldering wall for Bristol in December 2008, and has attracted both experienced and new climbers from all over the region. Offering fantastic state of the art indoor bouldering and a great atmosphere. Each wall has a shop, showers, changing areas, lockers, courses, competitions and, of…
A worthy way to live your life through adventure is to help others fulfill their dreams and enable people to see the planet from a totally different perspective. A Silversea Expedition Leader does just that: showcasing the world by transporting eager travelers to remote lands in an ethical and responsible way, sharing their passion through…
With the Women’s Adventure Expo quickly approaching, we speak to Becky Coles from All But Essential Travel about her adventures and experiences that led her to this point, and where she hopes to go next! Please tell us about the best adventure you’ve had in the last 18 months. As an expedition leader I’m…
“I don’t know where to start!” “I’m not sure I can do it!” “I know I’m going to do something, but I just don’t know what!” “I’m ready. Who’s coming?!” If you’ve ever said any of the above, then here are 10 reasons why you MUST come to Women’s Adventure Expo on October 8th. 1.…
The Women’s Adventure Expo is delighted to welcome Silversea Expeditions as a partner for Expo 2016. An expedition with Silversea luxury cruises is unlike any other form of travel — thrilling, awe-inspiring and humbling all at the same time. It takes you to some of the most remote regions of the planet and shows them…
It absolutely makes our hearts glow when we hear someone describing the Women’s Adventure Expo, completely unsolicited and unprompted. I found this preview from Yvie Johnson, a 2015 WAExpo attendee, Endurance Athlete, Mental Health Advocate and ‘Creative Adventurist’. As someone who states she lives ‘for a life full of creative beans’, we love her heaps…