The month is over and the January microadventure stats are in. OK, that was a lie, there are no stats here. But please, curb your disappointment, because here is the round-up of microadventures from our little group!
Spend time on top of a hill
Our challenge for this month was to spend time on top of a hill. While not everyone managed this (time, life and weather have a habit of getting in the way), here are some hilltop adventures.
Nikki, who is a keen runner, went up a few hills in Melbourne, Australia.
 |  Nikki says, “Done! Although in retrospect it doesn't look so hilly - trust me it was!” |
George also had a personal fitness goal with his hill climb in Hastings, East Sussex. Here’s his story, "Helman's Hill".
I live in an awkward spot, neither valley nor hill. In fact, it is halfway up a hole left by the quarrymen who dug through diluvial loam and through white and fawn sandstone to reach the Tilgate Stone that would resurface the roads. Our house was built at the top of the dip in 1870 and my aim this month was to climb up the steep hill to the top of St James Road on a bike without gears (my bike has no gears).
I was aided in this by quitting smoking on 3rd January. No more violent coughing and wheezing as I walk up West Hill to the Old Town. Instead, I am breathing free. But that is a big adventure and I am here to talk about my microadventure. So . . .
I asked my landlord to unlock the garden shed. I wobbled onto my bike and felt for the peddles. I first travelled down the hill, picking up speed. Into town and along the sea front. When I felt I had my cycle-legs about me, I jumped off the bike. I walked up Queens Road. I wasn't going to have the regulars at Zar Zar Bar laugh their heads off as I struggled past them. I waited until I was at the bottom of my road. Then I mounted the bike again. I set off up the hill, hup, two, three, four, hup two, three, four. I was halfway and it was getting harder. It was too far. Hup, two, hup two. I know it is bad for the bike and I tried to resist, but then I stood up and I used all my strength to push the peddles, hup, two, hup two. I was doing it, I was nearly there. I reached the top. Woo! I leapt off the bike and stood at the top of St James Road trying to get my breath back, desperate for water, desperate for rest.
I couldn't have done that in December.
I live in an awkward spot, neither valley nor hill. In fact, it is halfway up a hole left by the quarrymen who dug through diluvial loam and through white and fawn sandstone to reach the Tilgate Stone that would resurface the roads. Our house was built at the top of the dip in 1870 and my aim this month was to climb up the steep hill to the top of St James Road on a bike without gears (my bike has no gears).
I was aided in this by quitting smoking on 3rd January. No more violent coughing and wheezing as I walk up West Hill to the Old Town. Instead, I am breathing free. But that is a big adventure and I am here to talk about my microadventure. So . . .
I asked my landlord to unlock the garden shed. I wobbled onto my bike and felt for the peddles. I first travelled down the hill, picking up speed. Into town and along the sea front. When I felt I had my cycle-legs about me, I jumped off the bike. I walked up Queens Road. I wasn't going to have the regulars at Zar Zar Bar laugh their heads off as I struggled past them. I waited until I was at the bottom of my road. Then I mounted the bike again. I set off up the hill, hup, two, three, four, hup two, three, four. I was halfway and it was getting harder. It was too far. Hup, two, hup two. I know it is bad for the bike and I tried to resist, but then I stood up and I used all my strength to push the peddles, hup, two, hup two. I was doing it, I was nearly there. I reached the top. Woo! I leapt off the bike and stood at the top of St James Road trying to get my breath back, desperate for water, desperate for rest.
I couldn't have done that in December.
Dan and I went up Mount Caburn in East Sussex and made a video. Further to my last post, Dan adds, "It was cold, but we had fun making our little movie and Iron Age hill forts are good for sheltering out of the wind!"
We also saw in the year sleeping on top of a hill as part of Alastair Humphrey's year of microadventure challenge!
Other microadventures
Some of our friends undertook different, but no less exciting, microadventures.
Steph and Danni both took part in Ride the Night cycling challenge in Melbourne. You can read Danni’s write-up about it on Girl Parts and Steph’s blog about it at No Award.
Ride the night, Melbourne - photo by Danni
Emily explored Rottnest Island, Western Australia. She went snorkelling, saw fossils, met quokkas and had a lovely day of it. You can read her post about it on Aquaprofunda.
Sandy beaches and turquoise water on Rottnest Island - photo by Emily
Mags set up a new blog, With Each New Day, where she posted about her outings to Seaton Sluice beach (Northumberland) and Rudyard Kipling's house, Batemans (a National Trust-owned property in East Sussex).
Dan and I are attempting a microadventure (or microchallenge) every week. As well as the two listed above, we made a camp stove from a beer can, performed at an open mic night (more of a jam session) at a local pub and went for a walk along a canal (I’ll post about the walk later this month).
February challenge: wildlife spotting
This month’s microadventure challenge, chosen by Emily, is wildlife spotting. Read Emily’s explanation of the challenge on her blog.
I’m excited to hear what everyone gets up to for this one - recording birdsong, trying their hand at wildlife photography or drawing, setting aside an hour in a local park or garden to watch the fauna, learning to identify new insects, going on a special trip or safari, looking out the window . . . there are loads of options.
I am personally hoping to see a live badger in the wild. I’ve been hoping to do that since we moved to the UK three years ago and have so far been unsuccessful, so I might need to put a bit more effort into my spotting. But that’s exactly what this challenge is for!
I’m excited to hear what everyone gets up to for this one - recording birdsong, trying their hand at wildlife photography or drawing, setting aside an hour in a local park or garden to watch the fauna, learning to identify new insects, going on a special trip or safari, looking out the window . . . there are loads of options.
I am personally hoping to see a live badger in the wild. I’ve been hoping to do that since we moved to the UK three years ago and have so far been unsuccessful, so I might need to put a bit more effort into my spotting. But that’s exactly what this challenge is for!
Thanks to everyone who took part in the January challenge. You're all welcome to join the February challenge, just leave a comment or get in touch on Twitter so we can include you in the next round-up!
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