Future tense
You can schedule blog posts for future publication on Tumblr. By the time you read this I’ll be long gone; just a quick overnighter in Urumqi, then back to the hills before I lose acclimatisation. I had a problem, so I popped the illusory bubble of ‘adventure’ and returned to the city to sort it out. That won’t be so easy to do in the coming weeks, but it kind of makes my point about the (ab)use of words like ‘expedition.’
It’s not just semantics. Things that would’ve been difficult or dangerous even 10-15 years ago are now much safer and easier due to modern communications and infrastructure (and yes, gear). So by what criteria could one define a journey as an ‘expedition,’ let alone an ‘adventure?’ Is there a minimum level of risk/hazard attached, or at least a threshold of unavoidable suffering? Does it require a certain level of skills, fitness and competency be acquired beforehand? How easy is it to just step away from the venture when the going gets tough - and is that even important? Is it just about how much kit and money is thrown at a trip - and are they acceptable substitutes for basic human resilience and ingenuity? Are terms like ‘expedition’ and ‘adventure’ relative or absolute?
I admit these questions bother me. I’m almost tempted to open up a comments box to see what people think…
But then again - nah, can’t be arsed.
2 days ago • 0 notes







