The Llangollen Canal in 2011

One of the most remarkable canal trips in the UK is the Llangollen canal. First proposed in 1791, it takes you between England and Wales. The route includes the Pontcysyllte and Chirk Aqueducts and the 412m (1,381ft) Chirk tunnel. In May 2011, we rented a “narrowboat” for a week and cruised this canal. On theContinue reading “The Llangollen Canal in 2011”

Cruising the Norfolk Broads in 2009

The Norfolk Broads are wetlands in eastern England that are best accessed by boat. In May 2009, we rented a boat for a week long holiday. Such boats have a maximum speed of about three miles per hour, a brisk walking pace, and no special qualifications are required to skipper one. We chose a boatContinue reading “Cruising the Norfolk Broads in 2009”

Belize with Coral Cay Conservation in April 1995

In my passion project of writing up adventurous activities from my past, the time that I spent in Belize has the fewest records and dimmest memories. I have ten photos, the logs of 27 dives between 3rd and 26th April, and a faded scar on my forearm (it wasn’t a shark!). It was still aContinue reading “Belize with Coral Cay Conservation in April 1995”

Exploring the Auyan Tepui in February 1991

Close to Venezuela’s border with Guyana and Brazil lie many table mountains called “tepuis” in the local indigenous language. They are remote, largely unexplored, and inspired Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World.” One of the largest is the Auyan Tepui, whose claim to fame is Angel Falls where water cascades  979m / 3212ft down a verticalContinue reading “Exploring the Auyan Tepui in February 1991”

Hiking the Sierra Nevada de Merida, Venezuela in 1991

After the completion of the Cambridge Columbus Botanical Survey expedition, Mark, James, and I headed to Merida in February 1991 for a backpacking trip in the Andes. Hilary Branch, who had written the No Frills Guide to Venezuela, recommended a hike from Merida to El Morro as it was quite straightforward, following the route ofContinue reading “Hiking the Sierra Nevada de Merida, Venezuela in 1991”

Cambridge Columbus Botanical Study Venezuela 1990

I participated in two amazing expeditions when I was a student. The first involved investigating the effects of oil pollution on the coral reefs in the Gulf of Suez in Egypt and is described by a separate post. This post describes the second expedition where a group of four traveled to Venezuela for a botanicalContinue reading “Cambridge Columbus Botanical Study Venezuela 1990”