I am hoping that by the the time I wake up tomorrow morning that the reports of A.I's death are all wrong. Later bro.

Check out the other 2 clips when you need a lift. Gnarly!

"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean".

John Muir (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914) American Naturalist

Yannick Beven lives close to me here in France, just down the road in Guethary. His house and gym are near Quicksilver Europe's new rather awesome HQ. Yannick was formerly a pro surfer (his brother Patrick competes on the world tour still) but now spends his days generally living life to it's full. Which, for him means surfing and BJJ. Yannick is the conditioning trainer for a number of surfers and Quicksilver pros including Jeremy Flores, Miky Picon and the one and only Kelly Slater.

Hard sessions grappling followed (and preceded by) a gnarly session in the water. He gets paid to do this? That is what I call living the dream! The vid below gives a good idea of what that dream is all about.

Not so much surf around this weekend but the rivers are running well so I am on the water in any case. I head to the UK next week for a few talks. Guessing that summer is over there? Enjoy your weekend folks.

1. I honestly just bloody love it!

2. I grew up flicking through endless copies of my old man's National Geographic magazines. He had a great desire to understand the world in which he lived and I reckon it rubbed off quite nicely on me. Getting out there on expedition puts me right into those same pages of National Geographic. Stuff comes alive.

3. I am a gear nut. I love being able to try out new bits of kit under pretty extreme conditions. Figuring out different combos, what goes best with what etc. That said, I still make an effort to keep gadgetry on expedition to a minimum.

4. My first real taste of adventure was the pretty standard rite of passage for many young Aussies - live and work in Europe. Now I know endless partying across the continent does not equal the sort of adventure I now undertake, but it was certainly enough to open my eyes to the diversity of people and places on this planet. The adventures and expeditions I now complete grew and grew from this one little taste.

5. Uncertainty. As mentioned in the opener, the life of a professional adventurer or expeditioneer is rife with uncertainty both on and off expedition. Unlike some vocations, jacking around when I am supposed to be working won't get me a pay check at the end of the month. Will I be able to sell an article this week? Can I book more speaking engagements? Will sponsors come on board in time? My working life is spent poking that many irons in the fire that at times I start to burn myself. It sure makes life interesting, which I reckon is not a bad result.

6. Being outside, whether in the mountains or on a river makes me feel free. The air is pure and fresh, the water clear and flowing and possibilities seem endless. Time moves more slowly and I have time to think. Some of my best ideas come while just walking and having an open mind, devoid of thoughts about the tube, taxes, politics, shopping, tv. My body adapts itself to the environment in which I place it. Scrambling over rocks and down gullies, all of a sudden I am lighter, more agile. Paddling on a river, my muscles feel the force of the water's flow and become one.

7. I like to undertake difficult journeys which most others would never consider for fear of failure, injury or death. To do things that others find inconceivable or consider the want to do them motivated only by some sort of mental condition makes me stoked. I am not interested in records or firsts (for the moment at least) but I do like to do things that push the boundaries of human limits.

8. I used to work as a sea-kayaking guide, river guide and commercial expedition leader (an endeavour in which I occasionally still dabble). Getting paid to be on a river or a mountain is just amazing and at times hard to believe. A lot of trips I used to do were really just trips with mates (other guides) with a few new friends (clients) who happened to be along for the ride. As a professional adventurer I still get to do these sort of things, get paid more than a guide and go to slightly more extreme places than where you would take paying clients (oh and I don't have to look after anyone or answer dumb questions!). Sweet!

9. It makes me smarter. Instead of dismissing other people's way of life or actions, by spending time in different regions I come away with a much greater understanding of why certain events unfold. Sky News, BBC, CNN are all great if you want a narrow slightly out of focus view on the world but it is hard to beat being on the ground and seeing things for yourself.

10. I suppose all these other points lead me back to my usual answer - a desperate desire to avoid a "real job" and a "normal life". Far from being an escape from hard work, it is the endless list of jobs and things to do that I relish. Starting work at 6 in the morning and going non-stop till midnight and still being behind the eight ball makes for some long days. But then being able to take the morning off and go for a surf at Hossegor and call it "training". That is for sure not normal and can hardly be called work can it?

I have a long way to go in my chosen vocation but I am getting there and digging the journey like you would not believe!

The next hardest thing after having decided to complete a human-powered descent of the longest river on each continent is coming up with a suitable ordering. With the Amazon done I am left with 6 pretty special rivers to complete. How do you choose the next? I have spent a good number of weeks now researching furiously and scribbling notes in my journal in some sort of mad equation hoping to come up with a result. I considered so many factors and by some luck I have managed to make sense of my quasi-mathematics to find a winner.

In 2011, I will make a full human-powered source to sea descent of the Mississippi River in North America (or more accurately the Red Rock - Jefferson - Missouri - Mississippi). At a touch under 6300km this river system is the 4th longest in the world behind just the Nile, Amazon and Yangtze rivers. A whole lot of paddling! I am amped to soon be on such a magnificent river. No hippos, crocs or gun-toting rebels on this descent but a waterway as mighty as the Mississippi is taken lightly at one's own peril. Complacency leads to mistakes which leads to failure. Not an option for me I am afraid!

I have a pretty accurate put-in date which I will reveal soon, as well as announcing in the coming weeks some pretty cool sponsorship news. I plan to make the descent largely alone (ie. no team), but I would be stoked if anyone were to join me for a wee paddle if they so desired.

I received an email last week from someone in Iran who had come across my website. They wished to share with me a photograph of their country which I have included below for you guys.

It is a scene that brings back some great memories for me personally but is also very much at odds with the view many people have of the country. Yes, there are a couple of large deserts kicking about there but the Alborz and Zagros Mountains in winter are stunning. As far as the eye can see in open valleys there is nothing but snow. An awesome sight!

One of the very reasons that next year I am organising and leading a trekking and climbing excursion in Iran. I am stoked to be heading back and cannot wait. The 2 week journey will divide it's time between the Zagros in the south and Central Alborz in the north, taking on a bunch of amazing peaks. With my friend Mohammad from IRAN MountainZone in charge of logistics in country it is sure to be unforgettable. More information coming out soon!

Enjoy your weekend folks!