~ UK adventures ~
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Traversing the Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve
Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve, nestled in County Durham, England, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering approximately 71 hectares, owing to its profound ecological significance.
Exploring the impressive Brancepeth Castle in County Durham
Brancepeth Castle is a historic castle located in County Durham, England. It stands near the village of Brancepeth, about 5 miles southwest of Durham City and has a rich history dating back to the 12th century.
Seeing the Low Barns nature reserve in Country Durham
Low Barns Nature Reserve is nestled along the banks of the River Wear in County Durham and stands as a testament to the transformative power of nature and conservation.
Completing the ‘Tryfan horseshoe’ in Snowdonia, North Wales
In May 2018, the same weekend Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, I decided to enter the Snowdon half marathon and tick the ‘Tryfan Horseshoe’ off my adventure bucketlist.
If you’ve not heard of it, the Tryfan Horseshoe is a classic mountain walking route in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, named after Tryfan, a famous mountain in the area. The horseshoe is a circular route of around 8 Km, with around 1000 metres of ascent that takes in several other mountains as well, including Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr, and Y Garn.
Competing in my first Ironman triathlon
In 2009, I entered my first Ironman triathlon, as a way to test myself ahead of entering 15-and-a-half months of Royal Marines officer training. I figured I wanted to know that I was capable of long distances and perseverance under strain, and so what better to build those qualities than a very long multidisciplinary race!
Attending a Buckingham Palace garden party with the Not Forgotten association
In summer 2015, I was delighted to join the Not Forgotten Association for their annual summer garden party at Buckingham Palace in central London.
If you’ve not heard of them, the Not Forgotten Association is a prominent British veterans charity founded in 1920, to provide support and assistance to military personnel and veterans who have sustained injuries or disabilities due to their service. Over the decades, the organisation has played a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for veterans in the United Kingdom.
Helping TV personality, Lorraine Kelly, zipline off Wellington arch for charity awareness!
In December 2012, whilst leading the team responsible for raising awareness of the Royal Marines, we were tasked with coordinating a stunt featuring British TV personality Lorraine Kelly to zipline off the top of the Wellington Arch in central London to launch the Uk4u Thanks! Christmas campaign, which aimed to send Christmas boxes to servicemen and women stationed abroad that year!
We had already been involved in various high-profile events and had now arrived in the bustling heart of the city to set up the zipline. With limited space beneath the archway, we had to rig the zipline to a heavy vehicle and carefully position safety barriers to ensure the stunt's success without obstructing photographers and videographers. An epic and fun task to round off a busy year..!
London calling: The time I planned and coordinated a live TV stunt in central London, with speed boats and Bear Grylls!
In early 2015, I found myself immersed in an intriguing endeavour: planning and coordinating a live TV stunt with Bear Grylls and ITV studios.
It all began in early February when I received an email trail proposing an exciting concept to launch the new series of ‘Mission: Survive.’
The plan involved speeding up the Thames River in London with Bear, dropping him on a sandbank near ITV studios, and orchestrating a thrilling surprise as he climbed a rope and swung through the window, surprising Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on the daytime TV show, ‘This Morning.’
It was far from an ordinary Friday morning, to say the least!
Meeting your heroes 1: Danny Macaskill, at BBC New Broadcasting House
In 2016, whilst working at the BBC, I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with professional freeride mountainbiker and YouTube sensation, Danny Macaskill.
He performed a short sequence on BBC News and found creative ways to bring the office to life for sports enthusiasts like myself.
Danny rose to fame in 2009 with his viral video "Inspired Bicycles" and has since collaborated with Red Bull and other extreme sports athletes. Working at the BBC gave me insight into how it all works behind the scenes, setting me up for future ambitions.
What it's like to walk the London marathon carrying a 100-lb backpack, to set a world record
So it just happened. The idea. It kept on coming back to me, over and over again. Like I could just reach out and touch it. If he could carry an 80-lb. pack for 26.2 miles – then maybe I could do it with a 100-lb. (45.36kg) pack. I was surprised no-one had ever done it – I've had one or two podium places in low level Taekwondo competitions, but nothing quite on this scale. Nothing that would put me the best at something in the entire world!
It's daunting when you say it out loud: The; Entire; World.
Attempting the special forces, ‘Fan Dance’, with adaptive athlete, Justin Oliver Davis
I was lucky to hang out with adaptive mountaineer, Justin Oliver Davis, on his ten-year ‘bang-iversary’ (the day he was blown up whilst on overseas operations), to be part of his hugely impressive attempt to finish the ‘Fan Dance’, one of the hallmark fitness test for entry into the British Special Forces.
What it’s like to traverse the Aonach Eagach ridgeline in Scotland
My research told me that the Aonach Eagach ridge is considered one of the most difficult and exposed scrambles in Scotland, and requires a high level of fitness, experience, and proper equipment. It also offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys that you can find emblazoned across Instagram. That was enough for me to give it a go!
What it's like to take on the Devizes-to-Westminster canoe race.
It’s 3am and a voice calls my name from the darkness. It’s quiet at first, muffled by a scarf wrapped tightly around my head to keep me warm because I’m still soaking wet and bitterly cold.
“Chris – you’re steering us towards the bank”.
I groan, and think to myself “I’ve just fallen asleep again – how does this keep happening? The quiet voice is right, I have just knocked the steering handle of our 2-man kayak towards the mud bank. And if I don’t do something about it, we’ll collide and potentially put a hole in the hull, meaning we’d be out of the race.
On second thoughts, maybe that’s not such a bad thing..