Story SONJA JONES
Sonja Jones
Recently, I have seen a surge in self proclaimed ‘adventurers’, spreading the messages of their exploits through prolific tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming, Vlogging… all of the electronic ‘ings’.
If you’d like to follow Sarah and her explorations, or even buy a copy of her gripping book, ‘Dare to Do’, check out her website: http://www.sarahouten.com
Sarah Outen
‘ADVENTURERS’
Sharing the spirit of adventure has its place in inspiring others to DO, especially those that promote themselves as normal people doing extraordinary things, offering the idea that, “YES, YOU TOO, holding your head in despair at your desk, YES, YOU, you can be like me and dangle from a cliff edge in Thailand or kayak the Amazon.” If it didn’t excite, there wouldn’t be such huge online communities devoted to it; even if people simply use these Twits and Faceflap stories as adventure porn to feed an itch, rather than ACTUALLY doing.
I have been known to make a few videos (usually to say thanks to sponsors) and send a few e-shout-outs (maybe to brag, just a smidge), I’d be lying if I haven’t, but usually, most activity is after exploration, or at the end of the day whilst winding down, as a means of reflection and to document awesome times for older, future me… and maybe show the grandkids that I might have been slightly cool once.
When adventuring, where possible, I try to remain in the moment, soaking up every inch of the expedition in hand such as how sleet stings on my face, or how beautiful the cormorant’s plumage is when it majestically spread its wings, sat on a rock, glistening green and blacks in the sun.
Last year I was invited on a little kayaking trip; I was having a lovely time with a new friend paddling along to brambles over hanging the water, eating ripe and squishy wild blackberries that were hanging in grape-like bunches – scrunching our faces and giggling like children when tasting a particularly sour one. Our hearts skipped a beat as we saw a flash of electric blue dart between the trees – it was a Kingfisher. My whole life, that has been the one bird in the UK I have been desperate to see and there it was. Although I couldn’t see it clearly as it was so fast and small, it was enough to know that I was in the presence of a tropical beauty.
However, our mindful paddles were somewhat disrupted by team mates constantly glued to their phones Tweeting, Facebooking, taking photos and videos of their lunches and saying thank you to the million and one sponsors that provided it. One girl fell into the water unexpectedly, got back into her boat, this time with someone filming it as she capsized again on purpose, acting to the camera like it had just happened. I mean – was that really necessary? All the while they’ve missed special moments like greedily gobbling blackberries, seeing the magnificent King Fisher and even the simple pleasure of taking time out to munch a sandwich whilst chatting to people that could be new friends, if they gave it a minute.
The spirit of adventure means different things to everyone; although I am sure that to most it doesn’t involve seeing the trip through a screen.
To me, adventures, no matter how big or small are a way to re-set the body and mind by being immersed in Mother Nature; they shouldn’t be concerned with the noise of external life. It is a time to ‘just be’ in the task, surroundings and companions.
Disillusioned with the disingenuity I witnessed on that trip and through my recent observations of online activities by a myriad of people promoting this somewhat a la mode idea of ‘adventure’, I was keen to seek inspiration by a truly authentic explorer; I found, Sarah Outen.
SARAH OUTEN
Sarah Outen is best known for her long, remote and often solo journeys by land and sea. She rowed across the Indian Ocean solo in 2009 and in 2011 embarked on a bid to loop the planet using human power by rowing boat, bike and kayak. It was planned to take 2.5 years, but in the end took 4.5 years to return home. Beyond the journey itself, the goals were to connect with communities and inspire young people, as well as raising money for charities. Sarah has raised nearly £100K through her adventures for charities and connected with tens of thousands of young people. She is currently making a film of her London2London: Via the World journey with award winning director Jen Randall (due Autumn 2018) and her latest book ‘Dare to Do’ was published in 2016. Married to Lucy, she lives in Oxfordshire and is currently working on various projects.
I caught up with Sarah to learn more from the woman herself about her truly wild explorations.
What does adventure mean to you?
Adventuring and journeying means so many different things to me. It is about release and holding, about inspiration and teaching, it is about space and peace, about energy and healing, about restoration and challenge. It is about being and doing in our most natural environment, I think. In short, it is essential – I couldn’t live without it.
Most adventurers, big and small, have a luxury item that they take with them – what’s yours and why?
I have taken a teeny bottle of perfume on all my rowing trips – it’s such a delicious treat for making the cabin smell different. A bottle of nail polish, too, is great for making your toenails a fun colour. Spending so long staring at your feet while rowing, these things make a difference.
Your book, Dare to Do (a wonderful read by the way!) tells me about countless wild encounters on your adventures – do you hold any particularly strong in your heart?
Glad you enjoyed the book – it was a mission to write. I love wildlife and I love the close encounters that you get while travelling slowly and quietly, and especially where you are immersed in an environment for a long period of time. My months on the oceans are some of my favourite for the wildlife. Looking into the eyes of a herd of four sperm whales, just a few metres from my tiny boat out in the Atlantic in 2015 is a particularly strong memory. These two mums and calves were logging and rolling at the surface, occasionally spyhopping, often opening their jaws. I saw their huge pink tongues and pegged teeth. It was incredible – and I don’t use that word lightly.
I saw your paddle buddy Justine Curgenven talk about your naked wild bear encounter – I’d love to hear the story again…I also happen to know a couple of my friends would too!
During our kayak expedition through the Aleutians and Alaskan peninsula we encountered grizzly bears. Having being told by everyone ahead of that stretch that the bears would run away, we quickly found that they were very curious. One day I was having a wash in a stream when I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. Looking up I spotted that what I thought was Justine was actually a grizzly bear, making his way down the creek towards me. When I turned and ran, the bear (obviously) trotted after me to see what all the fuss was about. Happily, my clothes on the gravel bank distracted him long enough for me to get back to Justine and for us to shout and throw rocks to send him on his way. It was hilarious to watch back on video afterwards but pretty hair-raising at the time.
Bears aside, did you ever have any wild encounters, or moments with Mother Nature when on the water where you thought, “Hmmmmmmmmm, no good can come of this, I may never return from the murky depths?”
I had plenty of moments when I thought that the conditions would overwhelm me and a few moments alongside cow-sized sealions in the kayak or swimming-pool sized whales in my rowing boat. The Pacific tropical storm of 2012 (I had to be rescued after this); tidal craziness in the Aleutians on the crossing from the Islands of the Four Mountains to Umnak, which threatened to sweep us out to sea are two particular memories that come to mind.
When it comes to the idea of solo adventure, I think the notion of being vulnerable to other humans would unnerve me most. What were your biggest fears?
It was interesting to me to see the differences in perceived fears and threats between myself, my partner and my mum. For me it was road traffic that I felt was my biggest threat. For Lucy it was bears. For my mum it was people. As it turns out, I was lucky on all those fronts and it was in fact my emotional and physical health that came the closest to really truly harming me.
Do you think it’s important for water users to help contribute to scientific research about our lakes, rivers, and oceans?
Absolutely. There’s a great project being run by Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, encouraging citizen science in the collection of water samples from wherever they are and then sending them back to them for analysis. I did this on the Atlantic stage of my journey. Across my 11 samples there were 27 pieces of micro plastics, which is shocking.
It cheers me to hear that you relaunched Petrels from their pirate like boat hijacking mission (read the book, people) but sometimes our wild encounters aren’t always so lovely as your petrels and cetaceans. Only last year I was sea kayaking in Menorca and found myself having to rescue a sea-gull from drowning in the water due to fishing line and a hook tangled round him. Have you witnessed any wild horrors on your travels?
Seeing plastics thousands of miles out to sea and on the remotest coastlines always really saddens me – our consumerist, wasteful society is having far reaching, irreparable consequences. To think that the bellies of those giant sperm whales I saw are choked with plastic bags and the graceful albatrosses are returning home and feeding their chicks plastics that will make them starve is tragic. It is all the more so because it is preventable – we can all reduce our plastics and footprint and consume more consciously.
Now let’s go a little off piste – What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten on your travels, and how did it come about?
In China I was invited to an impromptu banquet held in our honour (I was cycling with a Chinese guy at the time) and at one point a sheep’s head was passed around the table. As guest of honour I was handed this sheep’s head first. I think I got some nostril, which I found very difficult to swallow – and chewing was out of the question!
When you’re kayaking long distances, we all need to pee, and it’s not like us ladies can create a fountain from our cockpits… do you have any top tips?
If you can get ashore swiftly and easily, that’s always the best bet – stretch your legs and empty. But in tricky access areas or during long crossings it will need to happen in the boat. Depending on the weather and conditions (and therefore clothing and safety) and whether you are solo or in groups will affect how you do it. I’ve heard of some ladies using funnels or wide neck bottles and going while sitting down.
On my longer kayak journeys I’ve always been with another paddler and so balanced between the two boats – one foot in my boat and one foot on the back of the other’s boat. It’s all about taking your time so as not to make mistakes but also being quick so as not to get a wave in your boat/get tipped in/blown backwards, etc. You get to know your kayak buddy very well! Racing in the Devizes to Westminster race a few years ago, I was told that people just peed in the boat. At the time I thought that was gross and I would definitely get out but, sure enough, in the first warm up race I just went with the flow, so to speak. I was so embarrassed about the smells that the race volunteers would be met with at the finish, 125 miles down the line, as they helped us out of our boats at Westminster.
Sorry gents but how about girly times of the month, how do you deal with that on remote trips?
I use a moon cup – I find it to be the cleanest and easiest solution. There is no waste, so it’s good for the environment and it’s reusable so there’s no need to try and find supplies while you are away. I don’t react well to the combined pill and so I have used a mirena coil to try and control mine a bit (they get very heavy) and, sometimes I will take norethisterone with me to stop bleeding.
I love how open you are about your relationship with Lucy; I’m getting married to my partner Emily in April – very exciting! How open were you about your sexuality on your travels when in the company of new people? Were there any particular places you thought, “Hmmm no, I’m absolutely being heterosexual should anyone ask me about my relationship status,” due to perhaps your safety or cultural differences?
Congratulations on your wedding to be!
I met Lucy while I was home during my L2L journey in 2013, following my rescue from the Pacific six months previously. I have always been very open about our relationship both on social media, film, etc and when meeting people on the road. Equally there were a couple of times in North America when I didn’t share details about who I was engaged to, for example, for the homophobic vibes I was getting from a situation. I would have needed to be careful in some countries in Asia, I think, due to illegality or persecution of same sex relationships. On a separate trip to Dubai in 2017 Lucy and I had to pretend we were friends and during a school visit I was warned not to mention anything in relation to my relationship with Lucy. It is really sad that there is still so much inequality and taboo related to love, sex and marriage but I am happy to be open and honest about my relationship with Lucy. Here’s a big shout out to all those folks currently not feeling able to openly be who you are, all of the time – may this be the year for you.
It has been a pleasure interviewing such an authentic adventurer, I’m feeling inspired, and can’t wait to see her film, London2London: Via the World when it’s released later this year.
