The Great Big Dirty Bucket List

This Bucket List page used to just be a huge list. But after a new colleague (who I’d barely met) asked me about it in a car journey in Slovenia, I realised it was time for an update. My new friend said something along the lines of, “I read your bucket list – looks like there’s loads of things you want to do.”

“Uh oh,” I thought. “Does everyone who’s read my blog think that I want to do everything on the Bucket List?”

Let me set the record straight. This is not a list of things I need to do before I die. I have one of those lists, but it’s not on the internet. And anyway, you’re not here really because you want to know what I’m going to do before I die. You’re here because you’re looking for ideas of things that you can do before you die. Not big life-changing things necessarily, but ideas that might spark other ideas of your own… that could lead you off somewhere else entirely.

So, that’s what this list is. It’s a list of ideas I’ve had for places I might like to go and things I might like to do. They do not keep me up at night and I may have only given them a few moments of thought. If I die before I do them, I would shrug and say, “Oh well.” If someone else did them and shared their story with me, I would probably get just as much happiness out of the idea. So please, steal away!

Mad Adventure Ideas

  • Sail to Australia
  • The Long Crossing of Lofoten, Norway
  • Visit Machu Picchu
  • Walk to all the Lord of the Rings sites in New Zealand in appropriate fancy dress
  • Go to Every Tor on Dartmoor in one go – did it!
  • Complete the Mont Blanc Circuit
  • Go to Yosemite and make snow teddies
  • Cycle to Lundy Island dressed as a puffin
  • CARRETERA AUSTRAL bike tour (But the gravel…)
  • Dartmoor 500
  • Cambrian Way
  • Pennine Way
  • Monarch’s Way
  • The Celtic Way
  • Selvaggio Blu Sardinia
  • Trans Bhutan Trail
  • Snowman Trek (also in Bhutan)

Mountains

  • Ben Nevis – didn’t do it. Came back and did it!
  • Snowdon – did it!
  • Helvellyn via Striding Edge – did it!
  • Razor, Julian Alps – watch this and get excited.
  • The pudding shaped mountain, Julian Alps (first sighted doing this)
  • An unclimbed mountain
  • Hvannadalshnukur in Iceland (details)
  • Toubkal in Winter
  • The Mountains of the Moon, Uganda (details)
  • Cradle Mountain, Australia (look at the ridge…)

Countries

  • Lichtenstein – did it!
  • New Zealand
  • Slovenia – been once, must go back
  • Ireland (Reeks District) – been twice, more to do in the mountains still
  • Kyrgyzstan

Extreme

  • Abseil Down a Building
  • Volcano (preferably active)
  • Coasteering / Canyoning
  • Cycle 50 Miles in one day – I have probably done this
  • Cycle 100 miles in one day
  • Cycle Coast to Coast (UK)
  • Firewalk
  • Sleep in a Bivvy Bag
  • Sleep in a bothy – did it (and kind of hated it!)
  • Fly a Helicopter
  • Glacier Walking – did it!
  • Ice climbing – did it! (Although not convincingly…)
  • Stand up on a surf board – almost!
  • Off road driving – done a tiny bit
  • Paintballing
  • Paragliding
  • Take a tandem around a velodrome
  • Snowboarding
  • Swim with dolphins

Lifestyle/Culture

  • Be an Extra in a Film
  • Work on an Archaeological Dig
  • Be a Voice Artist in a Disney Movie
  • Publish a Book – did it!!! 🙂
  • Publish a Children’s Novel
  • Do a Headstand
  • Join Mountain Rescue – did it!
  • Live in a Castle

Craft

  • Make a wearable piece of jewellery
  • Make wearable everyday item of clothing (sewing)
  • Make candles
  • Carve a spoon – did it!
  • Carve a bowl
  • Snowman in August – did it!
  • Throw a pot on a potter’s wheel

Comfort Zone Smashing

  • Speak in front of 50+ people – maybe done this?
  • Speak in front of 100+ people