It was on the same expedition, about six weeks later, following the route of the Cherokee people. One time we almost drowned almost died in our canoes. Those trails were very memorable because they were right on the ridgeline and there were some right dicey areas, with knife-edge drops. We followed these small switchback trails that went all the way to the top of the mountain, and then we followed the Appalachian Trail on top and cut back down on a different trail. In 2019, with a friend of mine, we crossed them on foot. It would be a group of trails through the Great Smoky Mountains. What’s the hiking trail closest to your heart? A stunning camping spot on an island in Loch Maree in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. We canoed into one of the islands with a sandy beach and built a fire, and woke up in the morning to pink and purple skies. It was flanked by huge mountains on one side, and it was just stunning. There's a little cluster of islands in the loch, with 100-year-old Caledonian pines all over them and deer roaming, and sandy beaches. One of the first nights we camped on an island in the middle of Loch Maree. We did a week-long expedition where we paddled the length of a few lochs and then pulled the canoe over a mountain and… did all manner of things.
There’s been a few! A recent one was up in Scotland with a friend. I might sound a bit crazy but I wear it all the time. It was really cheap but it’s 100% yak fur and it’s this multi-coloured, knitted headband. I got it in Nepal, up in the mountains from a very, very, very small shop. I tend to try and be as modern as I can, but I do have this yak fur headband I wear absolutely everywhere - and on every trip if it gets cold. What’s your oldest, trustiest bit of kit? The indigenous Wae Rebo community, who live on a mountain plateau in Indonesia, are using tourism to keep their traditions alive. The first time I saw that it took my breath away. It’s not as a grand, or as big, as Machu Picchu but it’s a plateau reaching into a valley, flanked by mountains on every side, and you see this horseshoe of huge, thatched huts in the distance. You’re above them on this mountainside, looking down onto a plateau. I remember the first time I ever did the trip, you hike through the jungle and come to the place where the tribe lives. We were hiking, on our way to take some people to stay with a tribal community that lived in these beautiful thatched huts in the middle of the jungle. One that comes to mind is a trip in Indonesia. Thanks for joining us Ian! So, what’s your favourite travel memory? It ended up being six quick questions, and one quite lengthy description of a near death experience involving a canoe, a tornado and the Mississippi, but… well, quite frankly it's a mesmerising survival story, so we had to keep it in.
We caught up with the adventurer to ask him seven quick questions about his life in adventure. Based in London when he’s not exploring some far flung corner of our wonderful world, Ian is also - we’re pleased to report - a very friendly guy.