Adventures

I’ve come to realise that adventure and sport are hugely powerful tools for developing our mindset. Through my adventures, I’m on a mission to help others unlock their own potential and I hope to encourage everyone to think a little bigger. Like any good mission, this endeavour has a code name: Project Kairos

Project Kairos was born when I realised the right time to follow that dream is right now – you just need to seize it. I rather love this word and it just seems to fit perfectly for all things adventurous and challenging. Pursue your passion with relentless enthusiasm and you won’t go far wrong.

To read more about my adventures and how I’ve carved out a life full of purpose for myself over the past few years, check out my book below! Naturally, the book is called… Kairos ;)

The adventures (so far…!)

Keep scrolling down to browse through them all - or take a shortcut and click directly through to one in particular here 👇🏻

#LK4NATIONS

23RD JUNE, 2023

Cycling between the 4 Nations of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland!

Fun fact: this route was also designed to 'complete the trilogy' from 2 previous adventures...

I cycled the east coast of the UK en route to Norway whilst tracing the North Sea in 2018.

I cycled the west coast of Ireland on my first ever bike adventure in 2016, following the Atlantic Sea on the way to my uncle's wedding.

This time, I cycled along the opposite coast lines of both the UK and Ireland by tracing the Irish Sea (accumulating the equivalent elevation of Mount Everest just over one and half times along the way!).

I also purposely structured the logistics of this trip with carbon emissions in mind - there were 0 flights.

Want to know what I brought with me? Kit list here

And for those of you that want to see every pedal stroke, the clever tracker ZeroSixZero tracker map is here.

You can also see my Komoot collection here

Supported by…

MAKALU BASECAMP

APRIL 2022

Makalu is the 5th highest mountain in the world. In April 2022 I co-hosted a group of 20 people to trek way off the beaten track, through some of the most unspoiled parts of the Himalayas, to Makalu Basecamp!

We hiked through sweaty jungles, over snowy mountain ridges, across valleys, through gravelly wilderness and alpine meadows and stayed in far-flung tea-houses with mind-blowing views. I was testing out the KEEN NXIS hiking boots (full disclosure: I’ve been a KEEN ambassador since 2015!) - the tagline for which is appropriately “No terrain is the same”- they were perfect!

If that wasn’t epic enough, when we did reach basecamp a nasty head cold quickly turned into a brutal chest infection and combined with a mean dose of altitude sickness to almost totally wipe me out - it was 3 days of antibiotics until I felt human again! No adventure would be complete without some curve balls, right?

FOR the stats fanS: we covered a total of 170km and accumulated a whopping 8,450 metres of elevation!

Supported by…

#PARK2PARKUK

15th MAY 2021

In many ways, this adventure was designed to be my love letter to the UK. I was so excited to explore some more of this island I call home and I hoped that through this trip, I'd inspire some of my fellow Brits to appreciate (and protect) the beautiful landscape we have on our doorstep, too.

The UK has 15 National Parks and combined, they cover 36.4% of our land area - I visited each one! In the order that I passed through them, they are: Dartmoor, Exmoor, New Forest, South Downs, Norfolk Broads, Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast, Snowdon, Peak District, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Northumberland, Loch Lomond and then lastly, Cairngorms!

Unlike my usual adventures, I had company for this one! Enter Jessie Leong, who helped me to capture the highs & lows along the way! This adventure was designed to be mindful of any COVID-19 restrictions that might still be in place and although things had started to open up again by the time we hit the road, it was great to have an amazing mobile HQ aka a Bailey of Bristol motorhome to keep us self-sufficient. I also had plenty of nutritious Maple from Canada to help sustain my energy naturally and a range of phenomenal Weleda arnica products to soothe my weary muscles - all bases covered!

Unfortunately, for the first week I encountered really severe weather - torrential rain, thunder storms and 30-40mph winds - and we also had some unforeseen logistical kinks, which forced me to adjust my original plan of cycling between all of the National Parks, as well as through them. The original route was amended and I (reluctantly) skipped ahead some of the miles in the motorhome and prioritised visiting the National Parks. Sadly, I was so unwell by the time I reached Brecon that I had to skip cycling through Snowdon / Pembrokeshire all together - we drove to these (or, more accurately, Jessie drove and I slept a lot whilst trying to convince my body to digest food again!)

Nonetheless, in between all the curve balls, it was still a wonderful way to enjoy our National Parks. The last 3 days especially (Northumberland, Loch Lomond & Cairngorms) were some of the nicest routes I've ever had the pleasure of riding (the fact that the sunshine finally had joined the party for these probably helped, too...!)

With special thanks also to these wonderful brands for supporting the endeavour…

• Bamboo Clothing - what I’ll be wearing off the bike / 99% of my wardrobe in general. I’m a long standing ambassador for BAM - you can get 15% off their wonderful kit with my code: “Kennington”

• PowerTraveller - keeping my gear charged during the long days on the road.

• Komoot - my all time favourite route planning app. You’ll find my route breakdown on my profile.

• QuadLock - makers on invincible phone mounts - allowing me to follow the route on my phone (/easily change up the playlist when needed).

• Milltag - providing my gorgeous customised cycle kit.

• Liv Cycling - the amazing bike in the bike challenge

• Foundation Fit - one of the most important names on this list! Provided a thorough bike fit in order to maximise comfort and efficiency for the many, many miles ahead! A good bike fit really does make all the difference - 100% recommended.

  and last but definitely not least…

• Beaus Gelato - yes, that’s right - I brought my own vegan (and outrageously tasty) ice cream with me!!

This trip simply wouldn't have been possible without all of these awesome sponsors and, after the last year especially, I couldn’t have been more excited or grateful to have been OUT out again.

The ever-wonderful map wizard Ant at ZeroSixZero also worked his magic again - check out the live tracker map here.

#LKPIER2PIER | #LKBRIDGE2BRIDGE

3RD AUGUST 2020

LOCAL ADVENTURING!

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 didn’t exactly go the way any of us had planned… after taking a year out from bigger challenges in 2019 to write ‘Kairos’, I had some huge projects lined up for 2020 - COVID-19 wiped all of them out! However, like all other endurance challenges, 4 months of lockdown taught me to re-appreciate the simple things. I explored new routes closer to home and this challenge was born from that same mindset - making the most out of what I can do, rather than lamenting the things I can’t do anything about.

As some of you may be well aware of by now, I really like bridges and I’m quite fond of piers, too… I think we can all see how this particular challenge came to be! Any excuse, right? If you’re thinking adventurously, adventure can be found anywhere. Point A to Point B - pick any 2 points (or in this case 4 points…) and you have a plan.

I planned the route to go from (and return to) my front door - meaning I didn’t use public transport at any point. I also minimised my contact with other people throughout (most of the day was spent cycling!) and I brought a face mask for the few times I did go into a shop, etc. It was the safest and most responsible way I could think to complete an adventure under the current circumstances - and after a difficult few months, I was really ready for an adventure!

I used the ever-wonderful Komoot - official sponsors of this trip - to plan the route so you can see the details on my profile here.

You can also check out my mini me via the clever ZeroSixZero tracker map

Check out the updates from the road on social media - Instagram, Facebook & Twitter - by searching #LKPier2Pier (until i reached clevedon pier!) and #LKBridge2Bridge (for the final push home!).

#GreatNorthRide

14TH MAY 2018

Over the past couple of years, I've begun to realise just how amazing Great Britain is.. and how little of it I've explored! I've also never been to Norway. What better way to solve both of these conundrums than by cycling to Norway - the long way round! 

The North Sea Cycle route - otherwise known as Eurovelo 12 - is apparently the world's longest signposted cycle route. I'd already ticked off the world's longest coastal route so this seemed like a logical progression, right? 

Starting off in Scotland, the route weaves it's way down the UK and then over to France. From there I pedalled my way through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden before - 70 days after setting off from the Shetland Islands, I reached Norway! 

Want to know what I took with me? You can find my kit list here! 

Check out updates from the road by searching for #GreatNorthRide on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook. You can also see the detailed route of each and every pedal stroke via the clever tracking map!

#LK500 - Riding the North Coast 500

17th-24th April 2018

Scotland's North Coast 500 had been calling to me ever since I first heard about it, soon after finishing the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.

I actually first attempted this route in 2017, but unfortunately an injury meant I had to pull out halfway through! You can read some more about that here. 

Just over 7 months after tearing my quad during my first attempt, I arrived back in Inverness ready to tackle this route all over again.  I used this trip as a warm up for a much bigger challenge.

Like last time, I got the iconic Caledonian Sleeper train from London - arriving in to Inverness for the morning of 17th April, ready to hit the road straight away! Packing up my little road bike as light as possible, I cycled all week before hopping back on the sleeper train from Inverness to London on the 24th April. Check out the video below to see how I got on!

The route naturally follows the main roads along the coastal edges of the North Highlands of Scotland, taking in the regions of Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness-Shire. 

Discover updates from the road by searching #LK500 on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.  On the ZeroSixZero map above, you’ll see the faded mini-me representing how far I got during 2017's thwarted attempt. It felt great to finally tick this one off the list in 2018!

Pedalling for Pancakes

7th -11th August 2017

After the success of Pedalling for Patisseries, it seemed only logical to replicate the mini adventure formula – this time for pancakes!

We set out from London Monday afternoon and caught the overnight ferry from Harwich, arriving into Hook of Holland Tuesday morning - from there we then pedalled onwards to Rotterdam.  We were kindly hosted by my friends at KEEN on Tuesday night and after an incredibly fun 24 hours exploring, we headed back to the UK via the Wednesday night ferry from the Hook of Holland. I pedalled back home in time for lunch on Thursday.

Check out a quick edit of the trip below and a few more details on the blog here. If you'd like to recreate this fun mini challenge then you can also check out the route on Strava

#FuerteventuRun

23rd-30th May 2017

I think I was  about 15 when I first heard Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.  A song I loved so much that I listened to it on repeat as I dreamt of all the travel to come and to this day, my Skype handle is “lauraborntorun”.

Ironically, I actually hated running. In fact, it was the only sport I actively detested.  It would be over a decade later when I would be introduced to the book Born to Run written by Christopher McDougall and it would take me even longer to “get” running. 

But in 2016, with the help of the Running School in London, I finally cracked it. I persevered through all the niggles and frustrations… and just kept running. By tweaking my form and improving my technique, I was able to run further and accompanying this new found running ability, naturally, is the curiosity and desire to combine running with exploring. I love endurance sports for exactly this reason – the mixture of physical effort and travel to new places.

I wanted a challenge I could squeeze in to a week and, as you might be aware, I’m rather fond of islands. Amidst research, to my absolute delight, I discovered that Fuerteventura translates (according to Wikipedia...) to “strong adventure”.  PERFECT!

Following long distance walking trail the GR131, we ran the length of Fuerteventura - 100 miles - in 4 consecutive days!

I was joined by my good friend Tessa on this one! Check out social media updates on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter by searching #FuerteventuRun, read the blog here and check out a short video edit of the trip below:

Pedalling for Patisserie

12th-13th May 2017

A fun mini adventure to cycle 281km from London to Paris in (almost) 24 hours with some friends! Check out the quick edit of a brilliant weekend below.

I tracked our route with my Suunto watch so if you'd like to recreate this fun adventure then check it out on Strava! You can also check out a few more details of what to expect on the blog

#PaddlingHome for Christmas

December 2015

The Thames is the second longest river we have in the UK and a real hub of bustling cultural activity in London.  It’s a river I’m extremely fond of – I often walk and cycle alongside it as I travel around London.

In the spirit of exploring my own backyard a little more, I decided that it would be really fun to end 2015 with a local adventure

In the run up to Christmas, a friend and I kayaked 236 miles of the Thames.  I unpacked Ariel in Lechlade, near the source of the river, and finished paddling 8 days later back in London, near the iconic Tower Bridge.

Check out the video below! You can also check out the updates from the road by searching for #PaddlingHome on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The #ChannelIslandsTriathlon – 11-13th June 2016

3 different Islands, 3 different disciplines

I have always loved the water and in the interest of finding new ways of testing my limits, I thought it could be fun to take on a swimming challenge. With this in mind, I found myself looking at stretches of open water in the UK that I might be able to involve somehow and I was simultaneously looking at Islands I could possibly circumnavigate in my kayak. Whilst researching both of these options, I couldn’t help but notice how close together 3 of the Channel Islands are… I mean, why circumnavigate 1 island when you can circumnavigate 3, right? The Channel Islands Triathlon was born. I should also mention this was my first ever triathlon!.

June 11th

Swim around Sark

June 12th - Kayak and accidental half marathon around Guernsey

I set off to kayak around Guernsey until weather conditions became too severe and I finished the loop on foot, walking just over a half marathon around the island.

JUNE 13TH - RIDE AROUND jERSEY

The Channel Islands are home to one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world and I’m grateful to the strong support I recieved from the experienced local open water swimming community in helping me plan my endeavours carefully. Special thanks to Visit Guernsey, Visit Jersey, Adventure Sark, Outdoor Guernsey and the Guernsey Sailing Trust.

Grab a cup of tea and check out the mini film below!

The #WildAtlantic Ride

August 2015 - 2600 km through Ireland by bike

The Wild Atlantic Way in Irelandhad been on my radar for a few months and had been lurking as an ever present temptation in the background.  As luck would have it, I recieved an invitation to a family wedding in Ireland– it was all the excuse I needed!

The Wild Atlantic Way is 2600km long and is the world’s longest uninterrupted coastal route.   I got the overnight ferry to Belfast, arriving 6:30am on August 19th, and rode the 70 miles to Derry, where the route officially begins. From here, I tracked along the dramatic and beautiful coastline until I finally reached Cork on September 16th; just in time to scrub up for my uncle’s wedding on September 18th!

My trusty companion for this trip was Dory, my much loved road bike. I therefore had to pack really light as she’s not especially designed for touring.

You can view the route in greater detail via out this map and check out the updates from the road by searching #WildAtlanticRide on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The #CaspianChallenge - May 2015

To kayak the entire length of the Volga River in Russia, from source to sea.

The Volga River is Europe’s longest river. At just over double the length of Britain, it was a very apt setting for a kayak challenge! The Caspian Challenge was to paddle all 2,300 miles of this magnificent river – solo and self-sufficient. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen safety issues, the trip had to be abandoned after 6 weeks.

 Although the #CaspianChallenge was a solo challenge, I was by no means alone in my efforts! This trip was made possible because of the generous support from my brand partners and also the following sponsors:

Sailing Home From Sweden

August 29th - September 8th 2014

I spent 10 days crewing on board Pangaea Exploration’s 72ft yacht ‘Sea Dragon’ from Sweden back to the UK. From Stockholm, the route took us along the Baltic and across the English Channel, stopping in Germany’s main naval base in Kiel along the way. From Kiel, we then went across the Jutland Peninsula and through the Kiel Canal, before crossing the North Sea and heading back to the UK through the English Channel. It was great to spend time at sea with an organisation that does such amazing research into ocean plastic pollution . This is such an important environmental issue and its one I really care a lot about.

Read my blog from this trip here