A Letter From Tom Avery

04 Mar 2008

Hello Avery Explorers!

I just thought I'd drop you a line to wish you all the best for your upcoming overland hike.

The hike that you are embarking on is very similar to my first adventure, which I took part in when I was about 12. It was hard work but I absolutely loved it and wanted to keep going back to do more adventures in the future. I wanted to really push myself, see this country and this planet's most beautiful places and have a good time. I've now been on some amazing expeditions – to ice caps, up some of the world's highest mountains, I've sailed across oceans and trekked through deserts and jungles. There’s nothing stopping you doing the same. The sky's the limit!

My Top Five pieces of advice for your upcoming overland hike would be:

Be prepared – learn about your kit, your provisions and the terrain you will be travelling across
Be safe – always have a back-up plan if something goes wrong
Never give up – there will be time when you are tired, the weather is bad and you just want to go home. As I have found on my expeditions, the human body can keep going for hours longer than you think so just dig deep and keep going.
Work as a team – that sense of camaraderie when you achieve something special as a team is just the same whether you are on a football pitch or on an adventure such as the on you are about to embark on. There’s no 'i' in team!
The most important one – ENJOY YOURSELVES!

Tom

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