Stories in the Land: Pony Adventures in the Highlands

Shela Ryan’s enthusiasm for horses is incredible – she has five! - that’s probably why the DofE Co-ordinator at Caol Youth Centre in Fort William has taken up the reins on a DofE project with both hands.

Shela is helping Bronze and Silver DofE groups to take part in an expedition on horseback, but the excitement doesn’t stop there. She’s working with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society as part of the Stories in the Land Project. The aim of the project is to get local people collecting, telling and creating stories inspired by the epic journeys of the Scottish drovers. Shela realised that this could be a creative expedition aim for her group and so the groups have jumped in to take on the challenge of a pony expedition that followed in the tracks of the Highland Drovers.

The group are doing their expedition with the help of Abernethy Ardgour - Shela said, “we took these horses completely out of their comfort zone but with the expert help from the 'technical advisor' Claire Cameron of Ardgour Riding Centre, we have spent many months getting them ready for the expeditions.” It seems like it’s not just a learning experience for the participants – the horses are learning from this partnership as well!

As part of the Stories in the Land project, the Caol Groups will be hosting a Meet the Drovers Event on 1st August - come down and see them, or check out their blog to follow their progress and get more information about events.

Shela’s happy to provide other groups with more information about doing pony expeditions. Just give her a call at 01397 700 113, or email her at Shela.Ryan@highlifehighland.com

Guest Post: Testing the Water - Planning an expedition with the RSGS collection.

Callum (the little blue dot amongst the swells!) Chuya River, Altai Mountains, Siberia, Russia.

The Society has a wealth of items in its collection, including maps and guide books which can be made available to anyone who wants to plan an adventure. Callum Strong is an avid Kayaker, a passion that has taken him across the world in search of challenging white waters. He visited the RSGS headquarters to use maps to help in the planning of his next trip.

I visited the RSGS archives with an interest in finding maps of Northern Pakistan for an exploratory whitewater kayaking expedition, the British Universities Kayak Expedition 2013, which myself and a team the best student whitewater paddlers selected from across the UK are undertaking this summer. Accurate topographic maps are of great use in planning which rivers will be possible and have quality whitewater, important as we hope to complete a number of first descents on such rivers in the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

Callum Strong

The archive team at the RSGS were incredibly welcoming and helpful, buoyed by their obviously great enthusiasm for their work. With their expert guidance and knowledge of their incredible collection I managed to identify a number of maps which will be really useful and importantly, accessible to our expedition. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will have to get planning another adventure so I can visit them again soon!

www.rsgs.org

Callum decending the Falls of Falloch, River Falloch, Scotland.

Find out more about the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

 

The Talks Programme 2012-13

The Inspiring People 2012-13 talks season is under way. Until the 28th of March we'll be bringing fascinating people and their stories of adventure, travel, science, wildlife and culture from around the world, to 13 locations around Scotland.

From record breaking ocean rowers and round the world adventurers, to tango dancers and archaeologists, we've got something for everyone.

Tickets to each talk in the programme are £8 for adults, or free for students, under 18s and RSGS members. To join the RSGS visit  www.rsgs.org or call 01738 455050.

Check out the programme at the link below
http://www.rsgs.org/events/TalksProgramme.pdf

Matt Dickinson shares his 'Wild Images'

DOCUMENTARY MAKER SHARES HIS ‘WILD IMAGES’
Matt Dickinson speaks for the RSGS in Aberdeen, Dundee and Dunfermline

Award winning expedition documentary maker Matt Dickinson will take his audience on a breathtaking journey of discovery based on his extraordinary filming career, in a talk in Aberdeen, Dundee and Dunfermline on November 5th-7th.

Matt will reveal the thrills and spills, the human highs and lows, that have formed the highlights of his work. 'I have always been fascinated by risk takers' Matt says, 'and the motivation that spurs them on. This talk is an opportunity to explore how explorers react in moments of life and death drama.'

Matt Dickinson is a filmmaker and writer who specializes in the wild places and the indigenous people of the world. He has a passion for adventure that has so far taken him to almost one hundred countries, including expeditions to the Sahara Desert, Greenland, and the jungles of South America.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

He studied anthropology in college before beginning a career in television. After training for four years at the BBC he went freelance in 1988 to produce and direct adventure documentaries for, among others, the BBC, National Geographic Television, the Discovery Channel, and the Arts & Entertainment Network.

His recent film projects have included a sea voyage by yacht to Antarctica, a whitewater rafting film on the Brahmaputra River in India, and an expedition on foot across the inhospitable Namib Desert.

In the pre-monsoon Everest season of 1996, amid the worst weather conditions on record, together with Alan Hinkes, Britain's foremost high-altitude mountaineer, he made a successful ascent of Mount Everest's notorious north side, one of the more technically demanding climbs on the world's highest peak.

Matt Dickinson’s Talk ‘Wild Images’ will take place at the MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA, at 7.30pm on November 5^th.  £8 for adults, and free for students, under 18s and RSGS members.  Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/