Whether it’s big or small, knowing where to start when planning an adventure can be really daunting. I thought I’d put together this list of hints and tips, along with some great apps and websites to help you on your way to getting those adventures planned!
1. Where to Start:
One of the first things you’ll need to consider is what kind of adventure do you want to go on. Hiking? Camping? Bikepacking? Kayaking? There are so many options that it can be difficult to know where to begin. I start my planning by looking at how much time I have to plan, how much time I have for the adventure itself and what kind of budget I have. These three things will start to help shape that initial idea and then you can work from there and see what fits within those restrictions.
2. The Planning:
Personally, I think that a lot of the success of an adventure is in the planning. There is nothing worse than realising you haven’t booked something you should have, part of your route is currently closed off or you don’t actually have the time you need to get to where you want to be. There are so many resources out there for both inspiration and to help you plan, giving you the highest chance of success, with the least amount of stress!
Apps and Websites
Komoot: I find pretty much all of my hiking routes through komoot, or use it to plan my own. It’s really easy to use and there are plenty of features that are available for free. you can download one ‘region’ for free, which is a great way for you to see what’s on offer and if it works for you. I started with just my local region, which I used during lockdown, but then as I started venturing further afield, I bought the ‘world pack’ which was £29.99. There are different price options which as explained in detail on the website. If you are wanting to do a multi-day trip then you can subscribe to their premium membership which has a multi-day feature. I absolutely love it and since downloading the world pack, I haven’t used any other app for planning my routes. There are lots of other apps out there though, including All Trails, OS Maps and Cairn.
Wildr: Wildr is such a great starting point for adventure planning! Just type in where you want to go and it will show you a whole host of activities on offer in that area. From hikes and wild swims, to crafts and camping spots. With 1000’s of activities, events and tours, there’s something for everyone. I’m definitely going to be using this when away visiting somewhere new.
Explorers Connect: Belinda Kirk established Explorers Connect as a not-for-profit organisation to help people live more adventurously by connecting explorers and adventurers. You can use the ‘join a team’ page to browse opportunities to join adventures both big and small. Belinda also stated setting up her own adventures, which you can check out here (along with leadership training courses). This is such a great place to look if you’re wanting to adventure with someone else and either don’t know anyone you could go with, or struggling with inspiration.
Books and Maps:
Guide books can be a great way to find local walks and swim spots, or to help plan for longer distance trails, such as the Cumrbian Way or Dales Way.
One of my favourite books is the Wild Swimming Guide which lists a whole host of spots all over Britain. There are many other wild guides for different area’s that cover walks, swims, ruins and cafes. They’re a great place to start, especially if you’re visiting a new area.
If you’re going to be exploring new places, map reading is a great skill to have. Knowing what to look for and reading contours can also really help when planning adventures! I have a large collection of OS Maps for the areas I visit most often. I like to use the paper copies of the maps along with Komoot. I’m not too keen on the OS Maps app, but I know a lot of people who love it.
There are loads of courses out there to help you with navigation. I started map reading in Guides when doing my Duke of Edinburgh, but more recently brushed up my skills with the amazing NavTrek team, who I can’t praise highly enough. You can check out their current courses on the website.
Instagram for Inspiration
I get nearly all of my adventure inspiration from instagram. I see someone has been somewhere beautiful, or done a particular challenge and the cogs start going. I follow so many inspirational people that often share details about their trips. Many of them also have blogs or youtube channels where they share more info, so these can be a great starting point. I often reach out to people to ask questions about particular trips they’ve done or locations they’ve been to, which not only leads to great insights, but often friendships too. Some of my favourites for adventure inspo (both big and small):
– hike_britain: Tom (weekend_hiker) is an avid hiker and the founder of Hike Britain. The account is not only full of adventure inspiration, but Tom also shares route maps and includes loads of useful information such as parking and hike details in the descriptions.
– fitforadventure: Sarah shares her adventures, big and small, through Instagram and YouTube. She does a lot of long distance/multi-day trips which are great for ideas and inspiration. Sarah also has videos around her kit which are super helpful and she’s an absolute joy to watch, so I’d definitely recommend checking out her videos!
– wild_0utdoors: Izzy shares her tried and tested routes on both her instagram and blog. The routes are mostly across the North of England, but there are a few further afield.
If in Doubt, Google it
There is so much information on the internet. If there’s something in particular you’re wanting to do, then type it into google. There are blog posts for pretty much every walk and trail and things to do in every area. I recently googled ‘waterfall walks in Yorkshire’ and found a whole host of waterfalls nearby that I never knew existed. I’ve found it’s best to google it only once I’ve got a rough idea of what I want to do, as otherwise I can find it really overwhelming, as you just end up with page after page of different results.
Even though I’m quite used to camping now, I will still often google a kit list before I go just to make sure I haven’t missed something really obvious.
Researching a particular route or location can also be really important when it comes to safety. Just because someone has shared something on instagram, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Taking the time to fully research something before doing it, can help to make sure that you’re fully prepared. If in doubt, book a guide. There are plenty of qualified guides out there who often do trips on popular routes. A couple that I am aware of on instagram are @davetherave_hikes and @alice.kerr.mountaineering
3. Share Your Adventure
You never know who you might inspire by sharing your adventure. Passing on the hints and tips that you’ve learnt along your journey could be invaluable to someone else in the planning of theirs. Photo’s, routes and tips on campsites can be really useful to someone who’s just starting out, so get writing those blogs and filming those videos!
I’m really hoping to get out on some multi-day adventures in 2023, so I’m starting my hunt for inspiration and will soon be getting deep into the planning process.
Let me know your top tips for adventure planning in the comments below.
Happy adventuring! x
Lisa Outdoors 
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