Frank Coles » explore

Become an explorer – this weekend.

Frank — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:15:22 +0000

Wanna be Bear Grylls, Ray Mears or Ranulph Fiennes? Then it’s time for Explore, the annual fieldwork and planning weekend at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 18th through 20th of November.

It’s an amazing opportunity to meet those who’ve just come back from expeditions, those about to go, and those just working up the courage. You’ll find inspiration, like minds, planning sessions for your trip and opportunities to raise money, film it, talk to potential sponsors or take part in someone else’s adventure. Everything from tracking whales to discovering the 21st Century equivalent of the Galapagos islands to solo expeditions across land, ice, and sea and outreach with the remote cultures, it’s all there to be had, you’ve only get there.

For full itinerary of speakers and workshops, go here: Explore 2011.
Even better yet, join the society and receive monthly updates on expeditions you could take part in and change your life forever.

Remember to drop me a line when you do!

This year’s Explore weekend will be chaired by explorer and broadcaster Paul Rose, Vice President of the Society, who will also be on hand to provide advice.

Speaker topics include; an expedition across Iceland to study remote glaciers, environmental fieldwork in Mozambique studying giant elephant shrews, and journeying the length of the Amazon River. The full Explore 2011 programme (PDF), including speakers and topics is available to download, along with our media release (PDF).

The weekend begins with a Friday night lecture by the Atlantic Rising team – 2009’s recipients of the RGS-IBG/Land Rover ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary – who undertook a 28,000 mile journey to discover how climate change is affecting communities around the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Adventurous job for wannabe explorers

Frank — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:59:18 +0000

If you’ve got a science background and want to get hands on with the British Antarctic Survey then check out this link. http://t.co/8u0tenQE

Just a quick one today, moving home and office, more on it’s way.

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Kayaking around the UK, unsupported, to raise £1 million for Help4Heroes

Frank — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:31:45 +0000

Craig Wiffen will soon be on his way around the UK and he needs your support, encouragement and donations now.

It’s a challenge for any experienced kayaker, an almost impossible feat for someone with just a few months of experience. Setting off on May 27th 2011 from Fowey on the South Coast of Cornwall and travelling counter clockwise, the journey itself is some 2200 miles, taking roughly 64 days and averaging 40 miles a day, paddling non stop, across shipping lanes and through some of the fastest tidal waters in the world. Seeing some of the most beautiful coast this country has to offer – it is the expedition of a life time.

Craig will be completely unsupported, paddling through the day, wild camping at night, cooking and eating on beaches and headland as he travels around the UK. It will be an epic undertaking of physical and mental endurance, through bad weather, exhaustion and loneliness.

You can find out more and donate by going here: http://craigwiffen.mfbiz.com

Working in conjunction with Northshore Sea Kayaks will enable Craig to have the best of the best in sea kayaks. A custom design, by Mike Nelson, Senior Kayak Designer and Workshop Manager at Northshore, the Kayak will be Craig’s lifeline in the heavy seas he will encounter.

The expedition will be filmed for a documentary as Craig pushes on to the finish line, 2200 miles away.

Godspeed Craig!

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Internship in Adventure and TV

Frank — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:40:48 +0000

Internship Opportunities at Atlantic Productions

Atlantic Productions will be offering up two internships to those who have recently returned from an expedition and are attending Explore 2010. The two successful recruits will be asked to join the Atlantic team making high-end documentary specials and series. Atlantic productions have recently created programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel and the highly acclaimed cinematic release ‘The Wildest Dream’ . The internship will be a three month, paid position. For more information on Atlantic Productions Internships email: go@rgs.org

TEST TEST TEST

Internship Opportunities at Atlantic Productions

TEST Atlantic Productions will be offering up two internships to those who have recently returned from an expedition and are attending Explore 2010. The two successful recruits will be asked to join the Atlantic team making high-end documentary specials and series. Atlantic productions have recently created programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel and the highly acclaimed cinematic release ‘The Wildest Dream’ . The internship will be a three month, paid position. For more information on Atlantic Productions Internships email: go@rgs.org

The Intangibles – Bedu Heritage of Wadi Rum

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:35:52 +0000

Here’s a taster of some of the work I’ve been doing with the Bedouin Heritage Project. A fantastic pilot scheme to benchmark what UNESCO classes as ‘intangible heritage’ and the cultures that are rapidly disappearing.

You can watch the videos below on NatGeoAdventure and read more about the project here. Enjoy.

The Intangibles

Part One: Survival
With the Bedouin Heritage Project we meet the Zilabia boys and the problems they face as the Bedu population leaves the desert. They take us deeper into the desert to meet tribesmen and find out how they collect water.

Part Two: The Camel Races
A very different perspective riding alongside the controllers at break-neck speeds. Hold onto your seats!

For more info see The Bedouin Heritage Project.

Fancy a trip to Wadi Rum? Visit Jordan Tracks.

Become an explorer at Explore 2010

Frank — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:56:45 +0000

Explore 2010: the annual expedition and fieldwork planning weekend

12-14 November at RGS-IBG, London

With over one hundred leading field scientists and explorers taking part, this weekend is an unmissable event for amateurs and experts alike. Come and share ideas, experiences and your enthusiasm! Book your place and join us in London at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) headquarters for our annual event with a range of workshops, seminars and one-on-one advice sessions aimed at those undertaking responsible travel and research overseas.

Opening lecture

Friday 12 November, 6.30pm

Arctic science and polar exploration:are the two compatible?

Pen Hadow and Dr Helen Findlay give the opening lecture and share their experiences of conducting scientific research at the Ice Base and on route to the North Pole. The evening will provide a topical and exciting debate for all those interested in arctic landscapes. More…

Sunday 14 November 2010

Field Research & Sharing the experience sessions

Headlining on Sunday morning will be Ed Stafford, who walked the Amazon who won the battle with technology to communicate his journey to a global audience.

For those wishing to made a contribution to a better understanding of the world’s environments – projects likely to attract funding from the RGS-IBG grants programme and elsewhere, the Sunday morning workshops in the Biological, Earth and Human sciences will help identify research priorities and the skills needed to design an effective field research project.

The mapping workshop is ideal for those hoping to use remote sensing, GIS and GPS to collect geo-referenced spatial data.

There is also a session dedicated to those whose expeditions have education as a primary or component part. Sunday afternoon focuses on on photography, journalism, sound and video; all skills needed to attract support and to share your expedition findings.

Programme highlights

Saturday 13 November

Planning and logistics

Learn from those who have recently returned from expeditions including Felicity Aston and Helen Turton of the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition. Find out how to get involved in expeditions, essential preparation and planning, and the all important issue of raising funds. Martin Holland will describe how a group of students have mounted able them to mount an ambitious tropical forest research programme in Indonesia.

Professor David Warrell will give advice on how to avoid the most common and sometimes exotic ailments in remote and wilderness locations.

The afternoon sessions are an opportunity to discuss the challenges of living and working in a range of environments with an experienced panel. Jo Royle, skipper of the Plastiki, leads a discussion on oceans with other panels covering mountain, tropical forest, river, polar, and desert environments.

Our cycling panel includes an impressive line up with Tom Allen and Andy Welch of Ride the Earth and the Hungry cyclist, Tom Kevill-Davies.

For those interested in vehicle-based expeditions - Saturday covers the nuts and bolts of vehicle preperation and paperwork; Sunday is devoted to the art of route planning, with the sessions supported by Land Rover staff.

More…

What the delegates say:

“Explore is the real deal… An event where even the celebrities leave their egos at the door. The lectures and workshops are fascinating, but it’s the atmosphere that makes it unique. The energy and sense of support and encouragement is electrifying – you can’t help but come away with a sense of urgency and self-belief, as well as the contacts to make whatever you decide to do happen.

In 2008 as a wannabe explorer I came away with more contacts than I knew what to do with. One year and two expeditions later I was there with my own expedition team with plans to explore Borneo’s rainforest. This year, I’ll be returning as a speaker just days before we begin a 3 month expedition into unexplored rainforest.

Explore gave me the inspiration and the confidence to start that journey, and I would encourage everyone, from seasoned veterans to school leavers with itchy feet, to come and take part.”

Martin Holland, Heart of Borneo Project 2010.

Winner of the RGS-IBG Neville Shulman Challenge Award More…

Costs:

Full price £110 for the whole weekend. Student price £75 . Group discounts and day rates available. More…

Opening lecture

Friday 12 November, 6.30pm

Arctic science and polar exploration:are the two compatible?

Sunday 14 November 2010

Field Research & Sharing the experience sessions

Headlining on Sunday morning will be Ed Stafford, who walked the Amazon who won the battle with technology to communicate his journey to a global audience.

The mapping workshop is ideal for those hoping to use remote sensing, GIS and GPS to collect geo-referenced spatial data.

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Paths to Adventure, Part 1: Arctic Gap Year

Frank — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:02:05 +0000

Over the last few weeks readers of both my book and blog have been asking me how they can get involved in some of the adventurous activities that I like to get up to in my own life. So over the next few weeks I’ll be writing a series of short articles that give you ideas on how you can join expeditions to the ends of the earth or learn how to jump out of planes, drive cars sideways or shoot guns.

To start let’s have a quick update from this year’s Explore at the Royal Geographical Society. Did you know there are more than 90 organisations on the RGS’s books looking for volunteers or staff to join their expeditions?

To give you a prime example, the gates have just closed for gap-year students with a lust for adventure and a passion for environmental science on The British Schools Exploring Society’s Extreme Arctic expedition to Svalbard this spring.

To find out more and search the database of organisations looking for people just like you, go here.

In the next two articles I’ll be profiling some of the opportunities available and giving you ideas for two years of space exploration, driving skills and tactical firearms on British soil.

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Being Bedouin – A free talk on Tuesday 24th November at the Nat Geo Regent Street store. One not to Miss!

Frank — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:16:51 +0000

Being Bedouin - A Talk

The evenings are drawing in, but it’s time once again to girdle your loins and brave the weather for an evening at the National Geographic on Regent Street.

This months speaker, Mark Abouzeid, is flying in directly from expedition in Jordan to join us on the 24th. His talk “Being Bedouin” will be about the disappearing desert culture of Wadi Rum, accompanied by video and images.

“How do you capture the entire character of a culture that has no written record, has lived for centuries in relative isolation and exists in complete harmony with one of the world’s most extreme environments?”

I’ve worked closely with Mark over the last couple of years, from the North Pole to the desert, and I can guarantee that he is a totally engaging speaker and this is an opportunity not to miss.

He is one of the founders of the Bedouin Heritage Project and I’ll be featuring some more videos from them over the coming weeks.

As ever the talks are free and last an hour and you will retire to a local hostelry after.

WHERE: 1st Floor, The National Geographic Store, 83-97 Regents Street, London W1B 4EW (see map)

WHEN: 6.30pm, Tuesday, 24th November, 2009.

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