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You don't need to be ultra-fit or highly experienced in the outdoors to enjoy outdoor guru Patrick Kinsella's selection of 30 activities across Britain. 'A sense of adventure and an explorer's heartbeat' is all that's required, he says, and he should know, having spent two decades walking, running, riding, paddleboarding, swimming, canoeing, kayaking… and more besides, in all corners of the country.
s Caving, Canyoning, Coasteering... is both an atlas of adventure and book of secrets, enticing readers out of their comfort zone to explore the often-unseen elements and quieter corners of Britain, where the wild experiences live. Some of the activities described take place on the very edges of large urban centres, easily accessible for anyone, yet even many locals don't know about them. Others happen in far-flung corners of the country – places people may never have considered exploring.
'This title will take you on a highly adventurous tour of Britain's extraordinary cliffs, caves, canyons, coasts, forests, fells, beaches, Munros, moors and tors, via a range of outdoor pursuits – many of which were conceived and pioneered on this island' says Kinsella. 'It's all about wild time spent in wonderful places, from the mysterious depths of the labyrinthine limestone underworld beneath the Mendip Hills to the top of ice-clad arêtes and snow-dusted peaks of monstrous Munros in the Scottish Highlands, via subaquatic seascapes and desert-like dunes on secret beaches in Devon and Cornwall, tumbling streams and ghylls in the Lake District, and cascade-concealed caverns in the waterfall-soaked world of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. It's not for the faint of heart, but there are escapades here to excite everyone.'
Whether you're an experienced outdoor type or someone who's new to the outdoors but seeking guidance on where to go and what to do, a wildlife and fresh-air enthusiast or an armchair traveller, a lone adventurer or family with young children, Caving, Canyoning, Coasteering… is brimful of ideas. And if the adrenaline gets too much, you'll even find advice on the sedate Japanese art of forest bathing.
Based on the Jurassic Coast in Devon, Patrick Kinsella can usually be found walking, running and riding around the moors and tors of the South West, or swimming, SUPing, canoeing and kayaking along various rivers and stretches of the British coastline. He’s been chasing adventures and writing about the outdoors for two decades. In pursuit of stories he’s canoed Canada’s Yukon River, climbed Mont Blanc, skied and mountain-biked through the Norwegian Alps, competed in a skyrunning ultra across the roof of Mauritius, and set trail-running records during expeditions in Australia and New Zealand – but most of his favourite adventures have taken place in the UK, from bikepacking across Dartmoor to canoeing coast-to-coast across Scotland along the Great Glen. A former editor of several outdoor adventure and travel magazines, he worked for Lonely Planet for over 15 years as a writer and editor, and continues to contribute to publications including Sidetracked, National Geographic Traveller, the Guardian, CNN, Outdoor Fitness, Trail Running, TGO, Cycle, CountryFile, Country Walker and Adventure Travel. He’s authored two books about walking in England’s South West.
