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November 2019
Start small and see how big you can get. The small expeditions are vital to understand what equipment to take on trips, and what role you naturally adopt in a team. Once you'e ironed out the basics, then you can afford to think bigger.
Levison Wood / Writer, Photographer, Explorer
The Southend DofE Open Group caught up with Levison Wood to find out more about his adventures. He kindly gave up his time to speak with one of our leaders, Joe Levey.
You’ve taken on some pretty big expeditions in recent times but where did it all begin for you? When did you discover you had taste for adventure?
I grew up in the Peak District - it was my playground and I made full use of it! My parents were keen walkers, so they'd take me and my brother out on weekends, whatever the weather, to explore our natural surroundings. On longer weekends, and during school holidays, we'd go further afield, to the Scottish Highlands or Pembrokeshire, Wales, and we'd go on all sorts of adventures - climbing, caving, camping, we did it all! I knew from early on that exploration was in my blood.
Did you the Duke of Edinburgh award when you were younger and if so what memories do you have?
Yes, I did all three. My school didn't actually offer the Duke of Edinburgh award, but my dad helped organise it at the school he taught at, so I got a group of my school mates together and my dad helped make it happen for us too. I remember the excitement of that first expedition, a group of boys going off into the wilderness on their own for two days. The skills you learn at that age are invaluable, from learning how to read a map, to learning how to effectively work in a team. I remember it rained on almost every day of the silver award expedition, and feeling very sorry for ourselves, but it's times like those that make you thick skinned! I think it's a brilliant initiative that all children should have the opportunity to attempt.
If you had to pick a favourite from all of your amazing adventures, which one would it be and why?
That's a bit like asking me my favourite country, and I couldn't possibly choose. Walking the Nile still remains a very special adventure to me, because it was life-changing, quite literally. But I really value the last journey I did, a circumnavigation of the Arabian Peninsula. I was following in the footsteps of many of my heroes (T.E. Lawrence, Wilfred Thesiger, Freya Stark) in a region of the world that is so misunderstood that I felt the resulting documentary a necessary story to share with my global audience. It was the most challenging journey to make happen, but I had a superb team supporting me from start to finish, and I couldn't be prouder of what we achieved. Not to mention the wonderful people I met along the journey that prove just how miscalculated the world's opinion of the Middle East is.
You must have faced a fair bit of adversity both in your military career and your time as an adventurer. Have you ever reached a point where you thought about giving up and how did you convince yourself to carry on?
It took nine months to walk the Nile. Imagine the size of my blisters even only half way through?! Early on, on that expedition, an American journalist, Matt Power, joined my crew to walk through the Ugandan swamp. Very suddenly and sadly he got heat stroke which was fatal. I was very aware of the dangers of my journey, and that there would be life-threatening bumps along the way (for which we were fully prepared), but I'd never imagined that we'd lose a life, and so early on. Obviously, seeing someone die in front of you is traumatising, and I was very close to throwing in the towel. But then I knew that Matt wouldn't have wanted that. He was so excited about my mission, to walk the length of the Nile from source to mouth, and I owed it to him, his passion and his memory, to complete what I had set out to do. Sometimes it takes looking at a challenge from a different perspective to get that motivation you so desperately need.
You’ve walked the Nile. You’ve walked the Himalayas. You’ve walked a lot. I’d go mad if I walked as much as you. How do you stay sane when walking such long distances?
Who I choose to have with me on my walks is crucial. There's never many of us, as we must fit into one vehicle, so I always made sure I got along with the camera men, when they joined me, and sometimes friends would come and support me on a leg of the journey. When I walked the length of Central America, my Mexican friend, Alberto accompanied me for its entirety. His respect for my personal space and humour made the whole thing great fun! When it's just me, sometimes I'll plug in and listen to an audiobook or some motivational music; anything that makes putting one foot in front of the other more bearable.
One area our participants sometimes struggle with is food. Eating pasta everyday is enough to break anyone so what do you tend to eat on expedition and how do you keep it interesting?
I eat what the locals eat, which can vary hugely throughout a journey. Obviously I don't have to carry my food for the entire trip in one go - that would be impossible! And the people I meet along my walks are so hospitable, always offering me a place to stay, a cup of tea and some food. Luckily, I can accept those offers, and more times than not I'm pleasantly surprised by what I am given (there have been some horrors - maggot stew, sheep's brains...) I appreciate that on DoE you aren't able to accept help from people along the way, so my advice would be to assign each team member the role of cooking one meal for the rest of the group, which will allow each member to be more creative. Instead of pasta why not try rice, couscous, or bulgar wheat? My top tip is to take herbs and spices with you - adding a sprinkling to your food always makes it more exciting.
If you could only take 3 items of equipment on expedition, what would you take?
My Leica camera, a notepad (and pen), and a white linen shirt.
How do you treat yourself after you have completed an expedition?
With a cup of Earl Grey and a piece of marmite toast! It's funny how after a big expedition, it's the simplest things back at home which feel like treats. Of course I have a good wash, and put my feet up for a couple of days, but I always launch straight into writing once I'm home, whilst the memories are still fresh, so the treats tend to be fresh sheets and baths!
Our participants often develop a taste for adventure and the outdoors but they are not sure what to do with it once they have completed their Gold award. What tips would you give someone looking to organise their own expedition?
Do it! It's much easier than you might think. You don't have to go walking for nine months, or fly to the other side of the world, so start by doing something local and easy to organise with some good mates, like the three peaks challenge, or a weeks' walking in the Scottish Highlands. Once you've successfully completed one expedition, the ideas and ability to organise another will flow more naturally. Start small and see how big you can get. The small expeditions are vital to understand what equipment to take on trips, and what role you naturally adopt in a team. Once you'e ironed out the basics, then you can afford to think bigger. As I've mentioned, what's key is who you go on an adventure with, so choose wisely, and make sure you're on the same page!
What’s next for you?
I'm working on a couple of books at the moment, I spent the summer filming a new series which will be out early 2020, and my first photo book comes out next autumn, so lots in the pipeline!
Where can we go to find out more about your expeditions?
My website - levisonwood.com.