Adventure

“I wasn’t feeling lost or desperate when I decided to hike, instead I was curious, empowered, and adventure seeking. I wanted to know what it felt like to live in the wilderness. I wanted to meet who I’d be at the end”. 

Remote multi-day walking and camping adventures, indulgent food and wine trips, and options to explore exotic, hard to reach destinations- there is plenty on offer within Australia!ia.

I dreamed of riding the legendary Gibb River Road, one of the main reasons I got the bike. 

On reflection, I have realised that while I usually go for the nature, it’s always the people that create the most profound memories and greatest stories.

“I hope that one day we will speak of first ascents, not of first female ascents. But until then, we must create an environment that encourages females to dream bigger and push limits. Basically I would like to see, and be inspired by, more women kicking butt."

“There will always be someone who wants to critique you for who you are.

Rather than listening, spend your time with people who support you. Have the courage to be who you want to be. In the end, that’s all you’ll have.” Lucy Barnard

I struggled with lots of fear and self-doubt before I finally gathered the courage to press ‘publish’ and launch a podcast dedicated to asking other women about their fear and self-doubt. Oh, the irony!

Want your film to be one of 8 selected from over 300 entries? When the competition is that stiff, it pays to have some inside intel on what makes a film standout amongst the crowd.

When I was sure that no one was watching, I got up and danced in the sand. My arms wide, my chin lifted skyward, I moved to the tune of the ocean and the beat of my heart. I began to sing, softly at first, and then gaining courage, I let my vocal cords be free to the wind.

For many people, the thought of bike touring, even just an overnighter, seems both exciting, but super daunting. Richelle Olsen has cycled her way on many a journey including the bike touring in the Italian Alps and from Canada to Mexico. Richelle shares her top tips!

Every element of that adventure to Federation Peak should have been miserable and yet, when I reflect on it, all I can find is joy. I am so proud that we overcame the temptation of comfort to embrace the conditions, that we found delight in the discomforts, and that we didn’t turn around in the face of fear or vulnerability.

“People are the constant in all projects. The power of people, through connection, is quite remarkable when you take a moment to think about it. “ (Nat, Tribe Leader, TPL)

We can’t tell you how much it makes our hearts swell with pride to read about, tell the stories of and support the daughters out there blazing trails for the next generation.

There is nothing too elegant about true exertion. We know this yet many of us have terrible trouble with our expectations around our race photos…Of all of the things that have the potential to ‘undo’ us, it’s the sight of ourselves.

With a little shake of his head, he proceeded to challenge everything I thought I knew about ‘skiing’. He offered up a place where you could have a powder run every run, a place with no crowds, no lift lines, no hole in the back pocket, a place called the backcountry. 

The inspiration for some of John Muir’s writings stemmed from here, the corner of Alaska I now find myself in, known for its diverse terrain, soaring mountains, deep forests and abundant promise of raw adventure.

Our addiction to our devices, to social media, to the every shudder, vibration and ping of our phones is real and it’s an epidemic. Yet our world, as challenging as it is beautiful, has more colour than pixels could ever show, more connection than any social media and offers more adrenaline than any video game. So lets learn to log off and live! 

“Vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage. Tell me how vulnerable someone is willing to be, and I’ll tell you how brave they’re willing to be.” Brene Brown

Sitting in the snow and over the coming days these are the lessons I have learnt from my 'failure' on Elbrus.

Meet Olivia Page and watch her winning submission for the TPL Women's Adventure Grant Film & Photography Category. Her project is to guide an intrepid all-female rock climbing team deep into the steep and remote north of Fiordland National Park in New Zealand.

Here at Travel Play Live, we love it when brands get behind women in adventure and we are really proud to support this great #shemovesmountians campaign from The North Face . The North Face are honoured to support driven female athletes in Australia and New Zealand, and work with them to achieve their outdoor ambitions".

Bringing her passion for the outdoors and change together, Frances Antonio adventurous dream was born. This April she will be hiking the 769km Camino Frances, the main pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella in Spain, raising money and awareness for One Girl along the way andsharing her journey along the way.

Adventure reminds us that we are fierce, independent and self-sufficient. Adventure also takes us back to nature, and as women, our connection with nature is undeniable - we need it to ground ourselves, re-connect and re-set.

What are the key things to focus on when preparing for trail running adventures?  Read on, they may help you find that inner confidence needed for when you are pushing your limits too.

One minute I was out running trails lost in my familiar backyard with the edges of my comfort zone safely surrounding me, the next, at the door labeled adventure racing, it swung wide open in front of me, exciting and beckoning.

Adventure races are usually great fun, but one thing can be a total killjoy, and that is being physically underprepared for the unknown.

So what is success when it comes to endurance events?  For Hanny Allston success is not a result that she finds, on the finish line but rather an experience she undertakes during the journey to the summit.