Microadventures: Because Who Needs a Plane Ticket?

Day 1 of the Relight Your Fire challenge.

I have discovered that coming up with an interesting plan (and committing to making it happen) is virtually all you need to do to guarantee an interesting, challenging and rewarding experience.”― Alastair Humphreys, Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes

I am a huge fan of microadventures, a concept coined by Alastair Humphreys (his book is fantastic!)—the idea being that you don’t have to travel far afield to have an adventure. It’s there on your doorstep, waiting to shake you out of your routine.

So, welcome to the first day of our **Relight Your Fire Challenge**! Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to plan a microadventure for the weekend. And no, you don’t need a machete or a survivalist mindset—just a willingness to step outside and say, "I’m here, I’m ready, let’s go."

For example, over January, I binge-watched The Last Kingdom, which is based on Bernard Cornwell’s novels about the Saxons and the Vikings—and starts at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Naturally, this led me to believe I, too, was born to roam the wilds of the North (despite my extreme reliance on central heating).

This sudden historical obsession inspired me to hike up to St Cuthbert’s Cave. Legend has it that after Viking raids on Holy Island, the monks of Lindisfarne laid St Cuthbert’s body to rest in these caves before finally settling in Durham. (His bones now rest behind the main altar in Durham Cathedral