Stories

Living, Working and Sailing in Malta

April 30, 2021

An interview with Darius Goodwin, the managing director of RLR Yachting.

Jonathan Kattenberg - Walking With My Bear

April 12, 2021

Jonathan Kattenberg has been studying, researching and applying mindset techniques for 20 years. He's a qualified Post Graduate in Clinical Hypnotherapy, qualified Reiki Practitioner, experienced in mindset techniques from various therapeutic approaches, and Author of How To Build On Tectonic Plates.

We talked to Jonathan about his upcoming event.

1. Tell us a bit about your event, where will it take place and what will you do?

I want to raise money for a charity called Focus4Hope. They desperately need a key worker which costs £10,400 for the year. They help vulnerable, victims of domestic abuse, elderly and help much needed people who are starving, including the homeless. You can see more details on the website www.walkingwithmybear.com/fundraising. It’s a really amazing cause that benefits so many people.

All monies raised go direct to the charity. So I will walk 1,040 miles pulling my pulk on wheels with all my supplies and stay outside until it’s done. The route is a beautiful 10-mile route around Howden and Derwent reservoir in the Derbyshire Peak District. It’s one of the fab areas I train and can often be found covering 30-40 miles in one go pulling a tyre. I’ll be unsupported and on my own with just my music and mindset.

2. Why did you choose the Derwent and Howden reservoir loop?

The scenery is stunning. A different picture every time I go there. When the reservoir waters are still, the reflections in the water from the trees and sky are breath-taking. It’s also very peaceful during the day, and I love listening to the owls and geese or ducks at night time making a racket! The ladies at the tuck shop also make a fab cup of tea and have great selection of cakes and ice cream.

3. How long do you think it will take?

If I average a steady 65-70 miles a day pulling my pulk, I should rattle it off within a couple of weeks! If I increase my pace after a few days and my legs loosen up, then I may potentially average 80-90 miles a day. Depends on how much sleep I want at the time… It also depends if I get any severe blisters. The terrain has cambers going in every direction, so it knocks the living daylights out of my heals/feet. A few weeks ago I set off to complete a 120-mile non-stop walk with just a back pack, listening to my music. I was in such a trance, after 20 miles I noticed and felt a small blister. Dealt with it at 30 miles, but missed the huge blister underneath the blister I sorted out at the 30 mile mark. 41 miles later, my right heal was trashed. I could have patched it up, absorbed the pain, but would have just ended up in hospital. I actually sat in the boot of my car, debating for over 15 minutes trying to justify if I could continue. It was like a Monty Python sketch - “It’s only a flesh wound”!

4. Do you have a kit list? What are your top 5 priority items to carry/pull during your challenge?

Yes the kit list is very straight forward.

Top 5 items:

Quality Socks, and lots of them.
Foot care pack. Without my feet It will be a long journey and I don’t fancy doing 1,040 miles all the way on crutches!
Quality expedition food - I love tasty food that can help fuel my body. Expedition Foods do it for me and the variety is fab. Always love the porridge with strawberries. It calms my stomach and I could eat it all day long…
Earphones and great selection/variety of music. I love music.
Last but most important of the top 5, my boys two little teddies. They go everywhere with me.

The rest of the kit is pretty straight forward, multi fuel stove, but also a Jetboil unit for quick hot drink or perfect for boiling the right amount of water for an Expedition Food meal, and it heats the water up really quickly. Merino wool layers, waterproofs given its the UK! Two sets of trainers, tent and sleeping gear, and some gadgets.

5. How will you push yourself to keep going when it gets tough?

It may sound arrogant, no pushing required. My mind is trained to just get on with it! The hardest challenge or tough bit is ensuring I don’t go too deep in a state of trance and miss any signs of blisters occurring, which will ultimately mean I have to continue on crutches if required. Either way, I will complete it, it may just take a little longer than expected and hope the rain holds off. Also, I am getting dropped off, so I won’t have a car to throw my stuff in the boot and go home. I’ll be there until it’s done! A bit like landing on a island and letting the boat float back out to sea. You just get on with it and deal with what comes your way...

6. What role do you think mindset has in a challenge like this?

Mindset is everything. Think about this scenario for a brief moment. You have a loved one who you would move mountains for, yet, you get a phone call saying you are the only person in the world who can help them and they urgently need you to save their life. Without you they die! The only way to getting to them is on foot. You have never walked more than 1 mile before. Yet, you just do it. Why, because your emotions and mindset at that time go into a state of strength and you achieve anything you desire.

Now imagine if you were taught how to hone into that level of mindset power without the life threatening scenario, and then could apply that level of empowerment in everyday life? Imagine what you could achieve. This is one of the many reasons why I love my work with private clients. We get results…

7. What is a mindset trouble-shooter?

Some who can get into the route causes of your thoughts, actions, feelings etc and understand the intertwined web of your past. How each aspect of your life is influencing your perspective and perception of everything you see, feel, hear, taste and smell, oh, and think as well.

In essence, someone who if allowed, can get into the areas your unconscious mind your conscious mind won’t let you deal with!

I’m a registered clinical hypnotherapist and have worked with peoples minds for many years. It’s so lovely to witness a client’s journey unfold to their advantage.

8. What would you say to others wanting to take on an epic challenge?

Get on with it and don’t let anything stop you. From my own experience, you may have moments when you fall, feel like the mountain is enormous and every dam thing is pushing against you.

But if you want it enough, you pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes, ignore the people who tell you to quit because you have not achieved your goal neither the 1st, 2nd or 3rd time etc, and you just keep on going.

Get trained up both physically, but more importantly, get trained mentally. People miss this aspect of their training. Learn how to look after yourself both physically and mentally, and if you are going to get trained, get trained by someone with experience and not an academic of life! Too many people talking a good game, but not applying themselves and leading by example.

You can be the fittest, fastest and strongest person in the world, but if your mindset isn’t programmed correctly, many people fall down or quit at the first or even a number of hurdles on their path! You only fail if you fall and choose not to get back up.

9. What does the future hold for you? Do you have any other events in the pipeline?

Yes lots of the agenda for the next 5-8 years. Some of which are a 1,000 mile foot journey in the winter across parts of Alaska and the Yukon unsupported and fingers crossed will form part of an ongoing documentary. 2 x world record attempts. These include, south pole and the Atlantic.

There are more fab challenges on my list, but these are just a few. The 6633 Arctic Ultra is a fab race I want to complete and I’d love to go back to do the Marathon Des Sables again, it was a blast even if I had to complete it with a badly damaged toe. The picture of my feet still makes me chuckle to this day. I’d even like to go back and complete the 430 mile Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra.

Life is for living whilst always believing anything is possible.

I always teach my clients - True wealth is from Inner peace. If you are truly in harmony with your journey of life, love your experience of life in the truest sense, you are one wealthy person! Another part of my work is wealth management. You can be the richest person in the world, but if you aren’t happy with your life, money doesn’t buy inner peace. Don't get me wrong, we need money to go and do certain things and have a quality of life, but its how you approach the journey that counts and how your mind works with it.

Jonathan Kattenberg

Bikepacking the "Hiru Hiriburuak" Capitals of the Basque Country

March 31, 2021

The Plan

It's Friday and I crave adventure.

It's time to get all my gear out of storage and take a little exploratory trip to the Basque Country. The availability of time and the physical fitness of each person may be different, but the harshness of the Basque topography is constant.

I have one goal: To unite the three "Hiru Hiriburuak" capitals (Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián) of the provinces (Bizkaia, Alaba and Guipuzkoa) of Euskadi by gravel bike, creating a route that facilitates tourism in the area and is accessible to all.

It would be a route that people could complete in one go, divide into several stages, or even spread over a number of weekends, taking advantage of the different means of public transport that connect the main cities.

Equipment

The route is 90% off road. My preferred mode of travel is gravel bike. I'm 100% self-sufficient, and my kit is quite ultralight. Bikepacking means I don't have to depend on any facilities and can travel long distances.

My chosen configuration:

Orbea Terra M20i bicycle - light and capable.
Shimano GRX DI2 2x1 groupset - delivers precision and efficiency on all terrains.
Fulcrum Rapis Red 900 DB wheels - robust and reliable.
40mm tires - perfect for the tracks (in good condition) without penalizing the asphalt sections.

Necessary kit and material distribution:

Apidura 17L saddlebag

Spare clothes
Sleeping bag
Stove, gas cylinder, cup

Apidura 9L handlebar bag

Large tent
Hinged Carpet

Pocket for apidura handlebar accessories

Expedition Foods freeze-dried meals
Power bars

Apidura 4.5L frame bag

Wash kit
Electronic elements
Mini padlock

The Result

I travelled 380km in 48 hours and the route was almost finished, my body was tired but my mind was restored.

I leave you with this advice: Organise your time, sometimes just a weekend is enough, for an exploration trip by bike and an escape from routine. Know your environment and its history.

Pack up and dare!

Ibai Fradejas

10 Ways Expedition Foods Will Improve Your Camping Experience

February 16, 2021

We've come up with our top ten ways that Expedition Foods meals can improve your camping experience and make a great time even better.

How to Prepare for a 250km Ultramarathon

January 07, 2021

You’re out of breath, you feel like you could drink a gallon of water, your legs are burning, and your feet are screaming at you. You’ve just started training for that 250km ultramarathon, and right now completing it probably seems impossible, maybe even ridiculous.

Life is all about setting yourself goals and working towards them. RacingThePlanet are there for you every step of the way to help you prepare yourself mentally and physically and achieve that incredible goal.

Wendy Searle and Expedition Foods - Hungry for Adventure Podcast

December 18, 2020

There's nothing we'd rather listen to than two awesome explorers discussing food.

Alex Mason, 38 year old British adventurer, has been well and truly on our radar since her incredible row across the Atlantic Ocean with Monkey Fist Adventures in 2020. She recently started her Hungry for Adventure podcast, talking to her fellow adventurers about food (and all things adventure), and having listened to an episode - we're already huge fans!

For the third episode, Alex talked to Wendy Searle. If you haven't heard of Wendy, then you should have! In January 2020, Wendy completed her epic solo crossing of Antarctica, becoming the 7th woman in history to complete Hercules Inlet to South Pole, solo and unsupported.

This podcast is brilliant - funny, interesting, surprising and full of useful information for current/aspiring explorers. Thanks, Wendy for the shout out (approx. half way through) - we love working with you!

You can listen to the podcast by searching 'Hungry for Adventure' on your podcast player, or clicking this link.

ExplorersWeb Gift Guide

December 02, 2020

If you're looking for gift ideas and inspiration for your outdoorsy loved ones, check out ExplorersWeb's Gift Guide for Polar Explorers.

They've included gifts across the range of prices and uses including wrist warmers, polar ski bindings, and, of course, Expedition Foods!

To take a look at the gift guide on ExplorersWeb click here. Or for a range of great gift options checkout our freeze-dried meal and our snack ranges on the Expedition Foods website.

Mark Wood - Solo 100

December 01, 2020

Speaker, author and explorer, Mark Wood is no stranger to cold extremes. His experience includes guiding film crews to the Magnetic North Pole, leading two expeditions to the Geomagnetic North Pole and completing solo expeditions to both the Geographic North and South Poles. He has been a part of major BBC and Channel 5 documentaries and over the years has trained and led people in the extremes of the planet.

We asked Mark about his life and his incredible upcoming SOLO 100 expedition.

Eco-Challenge Fiji - Team Checkpoint Hunters

October 27, 2020

Eco-Challenge Fiji consisted of 671km / 417 miles of mountains, rivers, swamps, jungles and oceans. With 31 Checkpoints and 5 legs, this is dubbed "The World's Toughest Race".

Bikepacking with Josh Ibbett - GBDURO Winner

August 30, 2020

The GBDURO links up six National Parks and three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, cutting a line across the British Mountains from Land’s End to John O’ Groats.

Camping with Expedition Foods

August 21, 2020

Campsites have re-opened following lockdown and unprecedented demand due to the "staycation" movement has meant new pop-up sites are opening everywhere. Whether you are on a site or if it's (leave-no-trace) wild-camping that interests you, Expedition Foods meals are perfect for camping.

What to Expect in the TWAC - With Sara from Row Off the Wall

July 13, 2020

Get insider info about the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge (TWAC) from Sara, experienced ocean rower from the TWAC2019 team, Row Off the Wall. The second in a two-part blog update from TWAC ocean rowers.

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