Back in the Game

I first launched www.jakemeyer.co.uk over 10 years ago, just after I got back from Everest. In this day and age it seems amazing that I managed to climb all of the 7 Summits (including getting sponsorship) without ever having a website, and operating purely off a hotmail email account. Having said that, as a sign of the times (as things we're practically steam aged in 2005) I also did all of the 7 Summits with only a 35mm camera to record it - I didn't get my first digital camera until 2006!

Fast forward to today, where it seems that everyone has a website to record their view of the world and their goings on (and if they don't have a specific website, then more than likely they'll have a Facebook Page, Twitter Account, Instagram etc). It goes the same for expeditions - (near) instant connectivity, blogging, tweeting, live Satphone calls from basecamp (or even the summit!) - never has the 'distance' of expeditioning seemed quite so 'near'.

Since I stopped full time 'adventuring' and started a proper job, I let my website fall by the wayside. Over the past few years, and like many others, I've been living vicariously through real adventurers/climbers/'explorers' etc who are doing an incredible job of not only doing exciting things, but allowing the rest of us to connect with their adventures in a way that allows us to join them in experiencing the sights, sounds, tastes, joy and pain of the world around us, and all from the safety of our mobiles, tablets and laptops.

Whilst most of us are inspired by their work (and recording of their work), I'd be a fool to pretend that I haven't been jealously following what these men and women are doing and wishing that either I was doing the same sort of things, or was able to write/film/author as well as them.

So, whilst I admit that 'not a single blog post does an adventurer make', it's time to get back on the metaphorical bicycle and back out into the hills - this time trying the utilise technology to support my endeavours, record my experiences and inspire others.