ABOUT

Hi there. My name is Chris and welcome to my blog.

In 2014 I quit my job as an architect and moved to Finland to train as a Wilderness Guide for a year. I started the blog to record my training.

I now use it to record my Expeditions & Challenges. I am currently trying to reach fluency in Finnish. Other challenges & expeditions include, Kayaking from Finland to Tallinn, Cycling from England to Finland, Swimming the River Thames, Running from John O’ Groats to Land’s End and making 52 Spoons in a year.

After my Wilderness Guide training I worked as an assistant outdoor instructor in Surrey, UK for a year. Since then I have moved back to Finland and have worked 2 winter seasons as a husky guide and 1 guiding several back country skiing trips (in between studying finnish and working in Helsinki). I’ve worked 2 summer seasons as a kayaking guide in Helsinki.

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Current Challenge:

• Becoming Fluent in Finnish: At the time of rewriting this I have been learning Finnish for almost 3 years – since November 2016. Realistically, I am currently at a high b1/ low-mid b2 level – using the CEFR language chart. (This is a medium to high intermediate level).

Most Recent Expeditions:

• Kayaking from Finland to Estonia – Trip report in progress
• Cycling from England to Finland – Trip report in progress

Past Expeditions & Challenges:

• Thames Swim 2016: I spent 15 days swimming 137 miles down the River Thames from Lechlade to Putney Bridge in August 2016.
• 52 Spoons: Where I made a spoon for each week of 2015

• A Year of Microadventures: Where I slept wild at least once a month for 2015
• Running 10 marathons in 10 days: Along the Pennine Way on September 4th 2015.
• Running from John O’ Groats to Land’s End: The adventure that started it all.
• Other Expeditions & Challenges

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If you’re interested in training as a Wilderness Guide in Finland yourself take a look here. I hope my stories and photos might inspire others to follow their passions in life and embark on adventures of their own. After all, life is so short, and I personally don’t want to get to the end of it and think “I wish I tried this…”

I have kept in the original ‘about me’ text from when I started the blog below, which briefly explains my decision to quit my job as an architect with the aim of working in the wild.

“After getting a ‘real’ job in the city, I realised I wasn’t cut out for sitting behind a desk, staring at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day.

So I sat down, and had a think… What would be my perfect job? A professional adventurer, a mountain leader, a ski instructor, an athletics coach… the list went on in a similar manner – active, outdoor roles.

Then I thought – why the hell am I not doing one of these jobs right now?

So after a couple of months of searching and applying for courses and training, I was in the same position. I was still sat at a desk all day, dreaming of mountains and forests, but not sure entirely sure how to get there. I hadn’t made it onto the course I had really set my hopes on – A wilderness guide course in Finland – so had to think up another option.

So, with no plan, I quit my job.

The next day at work, I ducked out of the office to answer a call from a foreign number. It was the course leader from Finland, informing me that a position was now available on the course! I did a few silent fist pumps and some air screams.

So, with a bit of luck I made it onto the course. This blog aims to record my adventures in Finland training to be a wilderness guide and future trips..”