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.
Just in time for Father’s Day the paperback for How to Drive a Tank… is now out and available to order via Amazon and other online retailers as well as any good local bookshop. So after two years in hardback I thought I’d share two of my favourite emails from readers. I’ll share more in future.
And if you’re one of the people who is thinking of emailing me about an adventure you have in mind, please, just do it. I regularly receive requests and read all of them if even I can’t guarantee I can actually take part.
From Stephen (one of my most recent reader reviews):
Hi Frank, Read your book and loved it. Very funny thing happened though; on the day that I bought it, I had planned in advance to (that day) write to Charles Bronson and recommend that with all his spare time he start doing yoga instead of his ten million sit ups a day routine (Yoga has a bad image problem but I do it and LOVE it!!). Then as I was flicking through the book in the bookshop I stumbled across the ‘Yoga for psychopaths chapter…Bizarre!!! Anyway my real motivation for writing is that yesterday I saw that James May (one of the three old sad pretend irreverent from Top Gear, or is it ‘Last of The Summer Wine?), has written (or at least had GHOST-written) a rip off copy of your book called ‘How to land a 330 Bomber and other tips for the modern gent’ and it was in a far more prominent position in the shop. Sadly it seems that Marketing, Plagiarism Capitalism and Brand names are more important than originality and creativity. Sue him if you can! Best wishes and Regards Stephen. P.S. Found the assertiveness bit in your book very helpful in dealing with mad ex girlfriend who I am forced to have contact with.
From Allan (one of my first reader reviews):
Dear Frank I recently bought your `How to drive a tank,’ book, and have to say its one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. I’ve laughed more reading this book then I have with television lately, and some of the situations you talk about just made me fall flat on the floor ( or laugh very hard on the bus). As a 16 year old lad who is constantly seeking knowledge I must admit I was drawn to `make things go boom,’. You can be sure that if there are women screaming and running away at a party, I am now officially the cause. My girlfriend is now the owner of the book, she has a good laugh at the sexual chapters and particularly loves your introduction to `laughing and crying,’. I don’t mind the fact she keeps telling me I’m going to die one day, but must she be so upfront about it? Thanks for a great read that I am sure will be read many times. From your newest fan.
It’s always brilliant to receive your emails, so do keep them coming. Thanks a million, Frank.
After two successful seasons in hardback How To Drive a Tank is now going to paperback in the UK on the 5th May 2011. I’ve just had the author copies through and they look very sexy indeed. There are also Czech and Russian editions on the way too so I thought it would be a great time to update a couple of sections from the book.
If you’ve ever wanted to break into intelligence or surveillance work then Edelweiss Tactical, those bad asses from Switzerland who taught me tactical firearms for Tank, currently have two places left on their Intelligence & Security Operator Course in May. There you’ll learn the fundamentals of mobile, foot and static surveillance. As well as counter surveillance, intelligence handling, how to manage covert human intelligence sources and informants and in-depth investigation techniques. There’s a bolt-on tech surveillance module as well. You can find full details here.
Readers of the How to Fight chapter will be familiar with the GLF principle (go like f**k). Mick Coup the C1 originator has posted some great new vids on his youtube site, including the following live ‘force on force’ drills from both UK and US training sessions. Here the combatants have to force they way up from the ground, go all out with no prohibited strikes, before being pinned back down and then expected to do it again. It’s hard work but is some of the best training for what a real fight is like – messy, brutal and short.
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.
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.
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
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.
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Writer, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Father.
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