Alexandra hartley

A melting pot for upcoming expeditions

One autumn weekend I tootled on up to the Royal Geographical Society for the annual Explore Symposium. I’ve been a frequent visitor to the elegant if slightly imperial red brick stack since I was at school, but I’d never heard of the Explore weekend until 2023. 

The symposium promised talks, workshops, stalls and networking opportunities designed to inspire researchers, students, exhibitionists, medics and general enthusiasts. I appear to be establishing a habit of falling within the general enthusiast category, but enthusiastic I remain. The weekend, in poetic imitation of real expeditions, was fulled by caffeine, flapjack, and Firepot dehydrated meals, all washed down with tales reminiscent of actual expeditions at the bar. The last time I enjoyed, or perhaps endured, a Firepot meal I was perched, windswept and soggy on the clifftops of the Gower. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be reacquainted so soon, particularly within the confines of South Kensington. 

Rather than being an opportunity for hairy men to boost their egos and bathe in the glory of retelling their dramatic, adventure-filled recent expeditions; the two-day bonanza was focused on providing practical guidance and useful connections. The organisers intended to educate those soon undertaking, and inspiring ideas for, ‘purpose driven’ trips. The RGS is hell-bent on repenting for the sins of some of its forebears, so concepts of purpose, local collaboration, representation and sustainability trickled through the weekend. Rightfully so. 

I spent the weekend proclaiming myself as a sailor and writer, the first time I have done so beyond the supportive confines of conversations with friends. It felt rather bold. As a result, I had a wonderful chat with Oliver Beardon, the founder of SailBritain, and individual I was most interested to meet. The workshops were equal parts helpful and uncomfortable in challenging and identifying exactly what it is I wish to do, what is it I want to write about, and how does sailing help that. Questions of course I’m still trying to answer. 

Another delightful encounter was with Cat Vinton, the wonderfully open, warm and talented photographer who has been capturing astonishing images of Nomadic people from across the world. Cat reminded me of the unique and valuable position of being a solo woman within the field. I welcomed her perspective, challenging the traditional views that we need to embark on predefined, itinerised and meticulously planned expeditions to capture wonderful stories. 

The one idea which sticks most clearly in my mind however, is Expedition Artistry, a term I’d never really heard before, which seems crackers now that I have. Tom Napper grabbed the weekend by his watercolours and diligently sketched, shaded and painted his way through the sessions and into peoples memories. I think he did a brilliant job, and I’m gutted I didn’t have the idea myself but ultimately I’m glad someone did. Storytelling wove its way throughout the weekend, from science communication to creative videography, and I loved seeing sketching back on the menu. ‘The Art of Exploration’ exhibition include Tom’s work alongside logbooks from the who-knows-what century littered with sketches, and I’m pleased the tradition isn’t dying out. 

I finished the weekend with half a voice from all the yakking, a dozen new Instagram accounts to follow and a to-do list trailing off the end of a metaphorical page. I met some wonderfully interesting people, and later enjoyed an evening at a local Yacht Club as a result of chance encounters and goodwill. Beyond re-inspiring me to bust out the brushes the following weekend at Greenwich, I was reminded in the importance of connections. “Right place, right time” is often the backdrop of incredible tales. The beauty of chance encounters are that nearly anyone can take advantage of them by putting themselves out there. 

I hope to return to the weekend in the future having graduated from the General Enthusiast Class of 2023 with some interesting tales of my own and the capacity to help others build theirs.