Exploring versus adventuring.

I had a quick look on t'Internet to see how many self-styled explorers were currently on their travels.

There are an awful lot of them.

I do not want to denigrate their achievements; indeed, I am full of admiration for what they are doing, and wish I had the money / time / physicality / insanity to do it myself. But few are really exploring, because they are all travelling where people have been before and know well.

There are only two areas on Earth that still remain to be explored, where we can have a 'wow!' feeling that Admunsen or Scott must have felt, of being somewhere that no human has seen before. They are the polar regions and the deep sea.

Someone hoping to climb Everest one stated that he is an explorer. In my view he is not. 3,500 people have climbed the mountain, a number that will continue to increase. Even if you decide to do it wearing a dress, or waking backwards without oxygen, or up the East Face, or hang-glide part of the way up and cook a five-course meal ever 500 feet - you are not exploring. The high risk of the activity does not make it exploration.

It is adventuring.

I think I prefer adventuring to exploring anyway. Adventuring is something we can all do - whether it is pushing our limits by running a marathon, or by going sky-diving, or by taking holidays off the tourist map. Adventuring involves risk, but that risk can be manages to suit your personal level.

So this weekend, try to go adventuring. Push your limits; live your life.

Just don't call it exploring.