However, Dave from Boulder Adventures called and said he had a new gorge to explore and would I like to tag along. Jumping, swimming, climbing and sliding, all mixed up with a little adventure, of course I would!

Multiple layers of wetsuit warded off the worst of the cold as the four of us waded into the Afon Cynfal. The slow seep of frigid water in through the zips and up the cuffs caused occasional curses but, once moving, the temperature was bearable, if not comfortable.

As we headed downstream, the river quickly gorged up, with a series of waterfalls from the knee high to well overhead. Each one took careful inspection, both for safety and the extraction of maximum fun. Some provided jumps into deep pools, others slides or mini rollercoaster rides through a series of waves and drops.

It was great to be out and about, functioning as a team and exercising judgment in the stunning but hazardous environment. For two hours only two things mattered, the safety of the group and having fun.

The sides of the gorge began to steepen and narrow. We scrambled up onto one side and peered down ahead of us. The river plunged over a spectacular 40ft waterfall and then disappeared through a slot less than 3 ft wide. Glad we’d exercised caution we continued downstream.

A small foot bridge crossed the gorge and provided an ideal platform for scouting ahead. The river once again narrowed and disappeared from view. A trip along the cliff edge 100ft above the river showed a series of increasingly large and impassable waterfalls. We scrambled on until a 50ft waterfall into a pool less that 8ft wide convinced us that our exploration was at an end. As Dave put it, this river changes quickly from “gentle to mental”.

Photo: Dave Crombie, Boulder Adventures

For him it represented a series of principles which guide the decisions and behaviours of an expedition’s members in order to achieve the maximum across the team with the minimum of stress. By 1974 he’d refined the idea enough to write 17 pages on it in his seminal “Wilderness Handbook” and it continues to be at the core of NOLS courses today.

Expedition Behaviour means being prepared, on time, organized, flexible and humble; seeing the humor in everything; exercising a tolerance for adversity, uncertainty and discomfort; and putting the needs of the group and others on the same level or above one’s own needs. Some people do it instinctively, others take a while but eventually, given the reality that wilderness places in front of us, almost everybody gets it.

Nowadays, NOLS defines Expedition Behavior as the following:

• Serve the mission and goals of the group.
• Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself.
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
• Support leadership and growth in everyone.
• Respect the cultures you contact.
• Be kind and open-hearted.
• Do your share and stay organized.
• Help others, but don’t routinely do their work.
• Model integrity by being honest and accountable.
• Admit and correct your mistakes.

Not just applicable to expeditions, I think they have a lot of relevance to all team endeavours, don’t you?

Find out more over at the NOLS website.

The DJ asked him “What advice would you have for any up and coming comedians?” and the answer he gave was quite enlightening.

He spoke about Gig-Miles and Stage-Time. Gig-miles are the distances you travel to do gigs, up and down the motorways of the country, often night after night. Stage-Time is the amount of hours you spend in front of an audience. Free or paid, it makes no difference he said, what counts is the hours.

These two metrics are a measure of two things. The first is commitment, if you are willing to put in the Gig-Miles and Stage-Time, you are dedicated to what you are trying to achieve. The second is experience, the more of both of them you have, the more experience you will have gained.

In the outdoor world, our equivalents might be Sleeping-Bag-Nights or Boots-Resoled or even Thank-You-Letters-Received.

What are the equivalents of Gig-Miles and Stage-Time in your job?

Picture under Creative Commons from That Other Paper’s Flickrstream.

There is no way in the world that moving some barrels and planks around on a patch of grass to cross a ‘river’ marked out with ropes can ever compare to building a pontoon to cross a real river.

You can climb an artificial climbing wall, lower to the ground and feel pleased with yourself but climb a real cliff and pull over the top and stand on a summit and the achievement will feel so much more tangible.

So while lessons can be learned with barrels and planks and in indoor climbing walls, more powerful lessons can be learnt out and about in the world. Real challenge brings real reward.

Not normally a believer in serendipity or fate, I broke open my fortune cookie in the Chinese restaurant last night to receive the following;

Maybe somebody out there heard my conversation on the mountain…

Returning home on Sunday night I realised I was covered in bruises. There is the one on my back from falling off the board into 4 inches of water after I misjudged how far ashore I had come.  I’ve got one around my left ankle where my leash pulled tight after I let go of my board while wading out. The one on my chin is the most visible, caused by throwing myself forward onto my board with a little too much vigour.

They might make me a little bit sore but I am proud of my bruises. Really proud. They are like little campaign medals and, to me they represent two things.

The first is the fact that I was learning a new skill. Learning any new physical skill normally results in bruising, aching or stiffness. Is there anyone who has never used the phrase “I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know I had”? These aches and pains tell us we are moving outside our comfort zone and, quite literally, stretching ourselves.

The second thing that bruises represent is commitment. We all fell off our boards a lot in the surf. However we kept getting back on them, like the adage about falling off a horse. The bruises provide useful feedback that what we did last time didn’t work, so try something else.

Bruises tell you that you are making mistakes, they represent failed attempts at something. However, a core belief of experiential learning is that if we are open minded, we learn as much from our mistakes as we do from success. So with the right attitude, bruises are badges of learning.

Of course, nobody likes getting hurt but you can bruise plenty of other things than your body. Your ego, your confidence, your cashflow, your reputation, your business plan. The good news is, like your body, all these things heal and with a bit of luck, you will be wiser as a result.

So, what have you bruised recently?

Photo from Jules Li’s Flickrstream under Creative Commons License

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