Mark Kalch » Ben Fogle http://www.markkalch.com Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:45:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Friday Stoke http://www.markkalch.com/2011/12/friday-stoke-fortyeight/ http://www.markkalch.com/2011/12/friday-stoke-fortyeight/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:25:49 +0000 Mark Kalch http://www.markkalch.com/?p=4565 Wow! What a week it's been. On Monday I was stoked to be able to stand in front of a packed Ondaatje Theatre at the Royal Geographical Society and lecture…

]]> Wow! What a week it's been. On Monday I was stoked to be able to stand in front of a packed Ondaatje Theatre at the Royal Geographical Society and lecture regarding my walk across Iran. The interest was so great that unfortunately folk had to be turned away at the door (even after filling the overflow room)! I hope that I did the topic justice to those that were able to get in. A massive honour for me to speak for the second time at the RGS as part of the popular Monday Night lecture series.

Last night I was humbled to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace for those involved in adventure and exploration. A real "who's who" in our little world. The usual suspects; Fiennes, Bonnington, Mears, Knox-Johnston. The TV crowd; Parry, Fogle and Cracknell, Grylls, Boorman. Assorted ne'er-do-wells; Saunders, Stafford, Humphreys, Moss and me I suppose. Meeting the Queen and Prince Philip was kind of cool but surely the stand-out for me was seeing Reinhold Messner in attendance. Old grumpy himself. Awesome!

Right, Friday Stoke. With my website going down this week and being laid up for a couple of days ill, I know I can always rely on Seb Montaz to help me out when trolling through endless clips does not seem all that inviting. Of course he has done it again. Enjoy the below and if you like you can download the full film via his website for a just a few quid.



I have one other big gig happening this week but it is difficult to know exactly when this one will arrive. It was supposed to go down yesterday but as yet, nothing. It dwarfs the RGS and Palace by far!




]]> http://www.markkalch.com/2011/12/friday-stoke-fortyeight/feed/ 2 Worthwhile Expeditions http://www.markkalch.com/2010/02/worthwhile-expeditions/ http://www.markkalch.com/2010/02/worthwhile-expeditions/#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:11:21 +0000 Mark Kalch http://www.markkalch.com/?p=1887 What makes an expedition worthwhile or indeed an expedition at all? Must it be a first ascent? First descent? Must it be punishing? Death-defying? Fact-finding? Science based? A fun time…

]]> What makes an expedition worthwhile or indeed an expedition at all? Must it be a first ascent? First descent? Must it be punishing? Death-defying? Fact-finding? Science based? A fun time with your mates? Don't ask me...I keep changing my mind!



Making a full, human powered, source to sea descent of the Amazon River was hella fun! It was (at least to us) an epic! In my biased opinion it earnt it's stripes. A solo walk across Iran? My life was never in danger in the same way as on the big river but it was a tough slog all the same. I met some amazing people and hopefully have revealed something more of this hidden country. First? I doubt it, but in modern times and amongst my peers, I reckon a unique journey. Of course, I would say that.

But, what makes an expedition count? Does travelling to every country in the world without using planes qualify? Ben Fogle and James Cracknell's Race to the Pole? The Patagonia 180 South journey? I have my own views on 2 of these undertakings. They, to me, just don't belong, yet, the media and public interest they generate would suggest otherwise!

Can you guess which one I reckon takes the cake? Do YOU have a criteria? Is it possible to qualify? Does anyone have the right to make such a call?

New Suunto website!



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