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Iceland Ultra write up online

Our friends at Running Monkey have kindly added a superb write up from novice ultra runner who took part in his first ultra marathon with Across the Divide. Simon Bright had never run an ultra before he set himself the challenge of taking part in the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon - read how Simon got on here.

August 31st, 2010 | Adventure Racing, Adventure Travel, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Endurance, Iceland, Just Events, Just for Fun, Laugavegur, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Runner, Running, Thorsmork, adventure race, cancer run, charity run, fundraising marathon, open event, ultra marathon, wilderness running | No Comments |

ATD HQ staff tips for long-haul flights

We in the office like to think of us as well travelled individuals. We have spent many an hours on flights and over the years have lean’t a few things or two. Here are a few of the suggested tips – sorry most involve alcohol!

Emergency seats are allocated on a 1st come 1st served basis. Check in early and you might get lucky – Mark Howlett
Always ask about the possibility of an upgrade. If you don’t ask…. you won’t get.
Save up those airmiles, from all those trips you’ve taken or for using a particular Credit Card – and use for upgrading – Mark Hannaford
Red wine with dinner, thick comfy socks and make sure you go to the toilet before the person next to you passes out for the next 15 hours – Claire
A couple of Bloody Mary’s and ff the entertainment system isn’t all that make sure you download some films on your laptop, i-phone or some other gadget – Steve
Stock up on bottles of water once you’re through security to hydrate. Moisturiser and lip balm - Luci
If you’re travelling with children pick flights with seat back TV’s. For the parents and G&T and wine with dinner - Karen
A couple of Bloody Mary’s with dinner, go to the loo, pop in your ear plus and you sleep right through – Julie

What about you, what do you recommend?

August 25th, 2010 | Adventure Travel, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Just Events, Just for Fun, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Trek, fundraising, open event, trek for charity | Comment (1) |

Ultra marathon advice and training by Steve Clark

ATD Director Steve Clark is an ultra runner junkie! He likes nothing better than to take off with his dog for lengthy runs in and around Somerset. Having completed the London and Edinburgh marathons he took on the MDS. After these challenges he wanted something different so he set up our portfolio of adventure races. Including the Namibia 24 hour Ultra Marathon, the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra and the Grand Canyon 24 hour Ultra.

It is hoped that this article will give the first time ultra marathon runner some pointers about how to approach a training programme for their first race. Because the prospect of completing an ultra is so daunting, many runners set an unrealistic training programme that involves too much training too soon. This will more often than not lead to an early injury that prevents the runner from training.

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August 18th, 2010 | Adventure Racing, Adventure Travel, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Endurance, Just Events, Just for Fun, Marathon, Namib, Namibia, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Runner, Running, Team Building, adventure race, cancer run, charity run, fundraising, fundraising marathon, open event, ultra marathon, wilderness running | No Comments |

Best books read whilst on distant shores…

We have asked the ATD HQ team what was the best book they’ve read whilst away on a trip or travelling:

In no particular order….the books chosen were….

The Beach by Alex Garland – read by Julie whilst in Thailand
I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallmann – read by Alice whilst teaching in Kenya
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – read by Jo W whilst sailing across the Channel to Alderney
The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency (the first 4 books) by Alexander McCall Smith – read by Luci whilst in Egypt and Jordan
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – read by Mark Howlett, started in Bangkok finished in Beijing
The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson – ready by Emma in Peru
On the Road by Jack Kerouac – read by Claire in San Francisco on the way to Central America
The Wind up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murikami – read by Steve in Zanzibar
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy – read by Mark Hannaford crossing the border from Chile to Peru

So that’s ours what are yours?

August 10th, 2010 | Adventure Travel, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Endurance, Journal, Just Events, Just for Fun, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, charity trek, fundraising, open event | Comments (2) |

Iceland Ultra race 2010

ATD Director Mark Hannaford has just returned back from the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon a beautiful course stretching from Landmannalaugar in the highlands to Thorsmörk, a natural conservation area.

The adventure race blazes a trail through moss fields, meadows of wool grass, steam springs, and bizarre lava formations where various blossoms defy the raw climate.

Do not be fooled by the iconic beauty of this mountain marathon course. This is a tough mountain adventure challenge and having a good race plan is essential. It’s a 55km race that is multi terrain (sand, gravel, grass, snow, ice, rivers and streams). It’s a beautiful run and to top it all off – after the race you get to spend the morning at the http://www.bluelagoon.com – just what’s needed for those tired muscles.

Full race results can be found here.

August 4th, 2010 | Adventure Travel, CSR, CSR Projects, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Corporate Social Responsibilty, Corporate in the community, Endurance, Iceland, Journal, Just Events, Just for Fun, Laugavegur, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Runner, Running, Social Enterprise, Team, Team Building, Thorsmork, adventure race, cancer run, charity run, charity trek, corporate experiences, fundraising, fundraising marathon, open event, ultra marathon, wilderness running | No Comments |

2011 marks 100 years since Machu Picchu was rediscovered

Hiram Bingham was an American explorer and politician, who re-discovered Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers.

Machu Picchu has become one of the major attractions in South America, and Bingham is recognized as the man who brought the site to world attention. He is also mentioned as being one of the posssible basis for ‘Indiana Jones’!

The Incas started building Machu Picchu around AD1400 but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and in 2007 was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet pole.

So why not join ATD in 2011 and discover yourself the magical and magnificent Machu Picchu, the dates are 5-15 May.

: Discover the magical Machu Picchu

: Sun Gate at Machu Picchu

: Charity treks to Machu Picchu are a once in a lifetime experience

August 4th, 2010 | Adventure Travel, CSR, CSR Projects, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Corporate Social Responsibilty, Corporate in the community, Endurance, Just Events, Just for Fun, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Social Enterprise, Team, Team Building, Trek, charity trek, corporate experiences, fundraising, open event, trek for charity | No Comments |

Iceland Ultra results are in…..

Our team are in the process of returning home from the Iceland Ultra Marathon but we have the results and the whole team finished

Alan Wood – 83^rd – 6:33 ( 3^rd in the 18-29 age group)

Tom Black – 133^rd – 7:00 (6^th in the 18-29 age group)

Alex Beard – 151^st – 7:11

Ed Hubbard – 162^nd – 7:20 (10^th in the 18-29 age group)

Neil Turner – 171^st – 7:23

Sara Zoeftig – 220^nd – 7:56

Richard Steel – 221^st – 7:56

Joanne Venus – 246^th – 8:24

Simon Bright – 267^th – 9:19

Why not join us in 2011? It’s 55km and is multi terrain (sand, gravel, grass, snow, ice, rivers and streams) . It’s a beautiful run and to top it all off – after the race you get to spend the morning at the Blue Lagoon Spa - just what’s needed for those tired muscles.

July 19th, 2010 | Adventure Racing, Adventure Travel, CSR, CSR Projects, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Corporate Social Responsibilty, Corporate in the community, Endurance, Iceland, Just Events, Just for Fun, Laugavegur, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Runner, Running, Social Enterprise, Team, Team Building, Thorsmork, adventure race, cancer run, charity run, corporate experiences, fundraising, fundraising marathon, open event, ultra marathon, wilderness running | No Comments |

Dog sledding write up by Pete van Dongen

Pete van Dongen is a seriel ATD trekker. He has taken part in many ATD events – including Namibia and Peru. One of his first events with ATD was in 2006 when he took on the dog sledding challenge.

Here Pete tells us about his experience.

Big Husky Trek 2006 | Pete’s big adventure in the Land of the Midnight Sun

In February 2006 vet Pete van Dongen, went to the north of Norway, Finnmark, part of Norwegian Lapland, for a week’s long Husky sledding trip, to raise money for The Blue Cross. He was to sled more than 220km, in five days, over frozen wastelands and through old and dark forests, caring for his own team of four Siberian Huskies. There were 13 volunteers as well as three leaders on this trip, organised by Across the Divide, all raising money for various charities. Pete was the only one doing it for The Blue Cross though. All in all they took 73 dogs with them. Here’s his story of how they got on.

It all started in April 2005, when I saw an advert from The Blue Cross, asking for volunteers to help raise much needed money for this great charity. There were several foreign trips but the one which caught my eye was the Husky sledding trip to Norway, the Land of the Midnight Sun.

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July 19th, 2010 | CSR, CSR Projects, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Corporate Social Responsibilty, Corporate in the community, Dog Sled, Dog sledding, Endurance, Just Events, Just for Fun, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Social Enterprise, Team, Team Building, Trek, charity trek, corporate experiences, fundraising, open event, trek for charity | No Comments |

New ATD trip launched

How does kayaking up to 6 hours a day in the land of the Midnight Sun sound? Our Norway sea kayaking and canoeing event will give you a unique view of this beautiful country and will be an experience of a lifetime.

Hamarøy is where northern Norway shows its beauty! Padding in the Realm of Knut Hamsun brings us from deep blue oceans to majestic mountains, from Stone Age to recent cultural history. Here is one exciting story after the other. We paddle among white-tailed eagles, fishing from our kayaks and land on the whitest beaches – in the surroundings Hamsun was inspired by! The Midnight Sun season in Hamarøy is from May 22 to July 18.

Come join us – book now!

: Sea Kayaking in Norway with ATD

: Norway, Land of the Midnight Sun

: Clear and beautiful waters, kayaking in Norway with ATD

July 5th, 2010 | Adventure Travel, CSR, CSR Projects, Challenge, Charity Challenge, Charity Challenges, Charity Events, Corporate, Corporate Event Solutions, Corporate Experience, Corporate Social Responsibilty, Corporate in the community, Endurance, Just Events, Just for Fun, Raise funds for the charity of your choice, Social Enterprise, Team, Team Building, Trek, charity trek, corporate experiences, fundraising, open event, trek for charity | No Comments |

Top beaches

We here at ATD HQ like adventure, challenge and of course the odd chill out on a beach. Finding that perfect beach is getting harder and harder but we have jotted down our top 3 which we think are pretty special:

Tengelfjord, Raftsund on the Lofoten Islands off Norway. The only sound was sheep grazing on the surrounding hills with bells on so they could be found. The beach was made up of crushed shells and the sea floor was covered in starfish. You can only get into the bay two hours either side of high tide and we didn’t see another soul for two days. Favourite for Jo Waite, in charge of the money side of things.
De Hoop Nature Reserve South Africa. A combination of sheltered shark free pools for snorkelling and hanging around in and endless white sand dunes with crashing waves…bliss. Favourite for Emma Ryan, UK events bod
Lyme Regis to Charmouth. The stunning jurassic coast fabulous for fossil hunting, super for fish and chips and perfect for chillaxing in a beach hut. Favourite for Luci Ridout, office saviour and Jenn Chidley, charities chatty contact.

Tell us your favourite spots…