I want to go to Afghanistan – is it safe?
Our Afghanistan expedition is the adventure of a lifetime – but a lot of team mates have questions about safety and security. Secret Compass co-founder, Tom Bodkin, sheds some light… read more
Interview: Lucy Shepherd on why we should all be living adventurously
We meet the British explorer to find out how adventure can be a huge catalyst for change Lucy Shepherd is a modern explorer, who was made a Fellow of the… read more
How memorising an Atlas led to a career as an Expedition Leader
Interview with an Paramedic and Expedition Leader with almost two decades of experience Luca Alfatti is qualified as an Advanced Paramedic, he is also an expedition leader here with us… read more
HOW TO THINK LIKE AN EXTREME TV SAFETY ADVISOR
Insights from Will Smith’s Welcome to Earth Series 2 with SC safety advisor Dave Lucas The new Welcome to Earth series launched last week and it’s a pretty big deal.… read more
A MICRO SCALE EXPED IN THE BRECON BEACONS
An expedition squeezed into just two days and much closer to home – our Wales adventure weekends are the perfect introductory taste of Secret Compass.
WILD CAMPING RAPIDS AND SELF-DISCOVERY IN THE HIGHLANDS
Anyone who’s spent time in Scotland understands the potential peril of the wether in the Scottish Highlands but, as if the gods themselves were welcoming us back out of lockdown,… read more
CELESTIAL PEAKS: UNCLIMBED MOUNTAINS IN KYRGYZSTAN
A Secret Compass expedition to explore and climb several unclimbed mountains of the Central Tien Shan deep within the wilderness of eastern Kyrgyzstan.
A PASSION FOR ADVENTURE: ALDO KANE
We’ve worked closely with Aldo on projects all over the world, from the drug cartels of Mexico to Mount Nyiragongo’s lava lake in Democratic Republic of the Congo – keeping… read more
INTRODUCING THE PAMIR TRAIL
A whopping 93% of Tajikistan’s landmass is considered mountainous but despite being a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, the country doesn’t have the fame of other mountain nations like Nepal or… read more
MENTOR IN THE MOUNTAINS
My name is Carlo Cosi, I’m 32-years-old. For eight years, I’ve been making my greatest passion the most beautiful job in the world: the mountain guide.
WATCH: THE BEST ADVENTURE FILMS FROM BANFF
Classic adventures from the best of the film festival in recent years
ODE TO THE STRUGGLE
Call it masochistic, but we’re all for adding a pinch of torment back into adventure. This isn’t a case for heading out ill-equipped and under prepared, far from it. Instead this… read more
WHAT MAKES A GOOD EXPEDITION LEADER?
As I reflect on my most recent trip to the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan, I remember saying as I flew out of Kabul in 2006 following a deployment in the… read more
EVEREST AND THE MISSION TO COMPLETE THE ADAPTIVE GRAND SLAM
Earlier this year, Martin took another massive leap towards reaching his grand slam, by reaching the roof of the world, on what was likely to be the busiest day in… read more
THE PLACE TIME FORGOT BUT YOU NEVER WILL
For the hikers who join us as teammates on our Wakhan Corridor expeditions, Afghanistan never fails to leave impressions that last a lifetime. Joining our 2019 team of nine, Mark… read more
5 REASONS WHY TEAM EXPEDITIONS MAKE THE BEST ADVENTURES
For those juggling an adventurous life with the demands of a full time job, a busy family life or with just a small time window on offer, settling on a… read more
EXPLORING THIS REMOTE ISLAND CHAIN SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
Looking to step out of your comfort zone with an adventure capable of changing the way you look at the world? Well, exploring the remote Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New… read more
THERE ARE NO QUEUES IN THESE UNTRODDEN WILDS
For obvious reason, the iconic trails and climbs will forever remain exactly that, unlikely to stop attracting vast numbers of visitors. But sharing the trail with hundreds of others has… read more
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE OF LEBANON
The Middle East might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of snow-capped mountains, but there’s one Middle Eastern nation where mountains rise up straight… read more
IN PURSUIT: THE MIGRATION OF THE PORCUPINE CARIBOU
The porcupine caribou herd are a barren ground caribou with the longest land mammal migration in the world – covering 1,500 miles or 2,400 km each year – form the… read more
NOTES FROM THE LOST WORLD
Within reach of neighbouring Brazil and Guyana, in the south east of Venezuela, some 700km from the nation’s capital city Caracas, sits Canaima National Park. Home to the iconic flat… read more
YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE SHOULD BE RIVER BASED
Compounding around 71 % of the earth’s surface and roughly 65% of our own bodies, H2O is the absolute lifeblood of this planet – connecting alpine glaciers to the jungles and lowlands, to the shorelines and oceans… read more
CLIMBING HALGURD
Considering where I was going, I was surprised how easy it was to get to. From London, a short flight to Vienna plus another connection and I’d landed in Erbil,… read more
CROSSING BAYUDA
In 1886 General Charles Gordon was killed in Khartoum by the forces of the Mahdi, the awaited prophet of Islam. A force of several thousand British with their camels had… read more
10 THINGS I LEARNED TRAINING AS A JUNGLE GUIDE
Spotting the opportunity for training in the unique challenges of the jungle, Secret Compass teamed up to create a specialist course.
WINTER NAVIGATION: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Finding your way in the hills comes with its own inherent set of challenges and in winter the challenges are tenfold. Blanket snow cover can deem the features you’re used… read more
INTERVIEW: THE QUEST FOR THE FIRST WINTER ASCENT OF K2
With the second-highest fatality rate among the 8,000m+ peaks, located along Pakistan’s border with China, K2 is aptly known as the Savage Mountain.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF TRAINING FOR EXPEDITION
Expeditions are a big undertaking. They demand a lot from our bodies as well as our minds, so – unless you’re one of a select few for whom expeditions are… read more
WHAT THE HELL IS BUZKASHI?
Before the game, the carcass is decapitated, gutted and soaked in water for the 24 hours ensuring it stays in one piece and sand is sometimes added for additional weight.… read more
HIGH PASSES YAKS AND BUZKASHI
Sandwiched by Tajikistan to the north and Pakistan to the south and lined by the high passes of the Hindu Kush, Pamir and the Karakoram mountains, a narrow finger of land… read more
HOW TO PLAN YOUR FIRST WILD CAMPING TRIP
If you’re new to wild camping and hiking self-supported, knowing where to start can feel a bit like a minefield. If that’s you, we put together the following guide to… read more
THE TRIBE, THE RAINFOREST AND ME
From above, the Congolese jungle appears an inhospitable tangle of vegetation. Yet, over years of isolation, communities of hunter-gatherers have maintained a harmonious existence within the forest. Collectively known as… read more
HOW TO EAT LIKE AN EXPEDITION LEADER
No one better understands the importance of staying stocked up in the field than our expedition leaders, so we checked in with a few of them to learn their approaches… read more
INTERVIEW: BECKY COLES ON WOMEN IN ADVENTURE
Today is International Women’s Day and yesterday, Becky Coles, one of our female expedition leaders passed her Mountaineering Instructor Certificate. If there’s a better excuse to check in and chat,… read more
TIME TO UNPLUG
Look around you, we’re plugged in with no escape plan. 34% of you checked Facebook in the last ten minutes. We call it connection but the longer we stay online,… read more
How to abseil Angel Falls
With a concoction of nerves, adrenaline and exhaustion running riot through their bodies, this is where January’s Venezuela expedition team faced their fears. Peering over the edge means the five… read more
HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE JUNGLE
There’s no two ways about it, the jungle is amongst the most extreme environments on the planet. Hot and humid, there’s a myriad of life under its dense canopy, but… read more
HOW TO QUALIFY AS A JUNGLE GUIDE
Looking to break into the industry as an expedition leader? Well, you’re in the right place. We’ve launched a jungle leadership course, taking place in Panama’s Chagres National Park.
REFLECTIONS OF SINAI
Our yearly traverse of the Sinai desert has now returned home to normality. With cleaner lungs and clearer minds, after a welcome pause from digital noise with little more than… read more
BEHIND THE SCENES: Jägermeister Ice Cold Gig
By now, there’s a good chance you’ve caught the Jägermeister Ice Cold Gig, a Secret Compass project which saw electronic rock band Modestep perform and exclusive live show, high in… read more
THE PRIVILEGE OF NAMING MOUNTAINS
For many it’s the ultimate goal in mountaineering. At the very least, claiming a first ascent provides a minimum of a lifetime worth of bragging and – if you can bear… read more
MOMENTS LIKE THESE MAKE ALPINISM ADDICTIVE
Upon the unzipping of tents, the serene mix of sublime weather conditions and stillness that comes with a 4am start high above the snow line, hinted at a successful day… read more
THE DARIEN GAP
“ There is definitely a reason Secret Compass runs expeditions not tours. You couldn’t feel further from being a tourist, their expeditions are such genuine experiences. The guides were absolutely 110%… read more
THE TRANSPANAMA THRU-HIKE
Panamanian Rick Morales has done what very few trekkers would even dare to attempt, let alone imagine: mapped out a new hiking trail across the length of his country. As… read more
MADE IN MADAGASCAR
The best thing about the expedition for me was seeing parts of the world you would never see unless you hiked there. Only a few people will see the sights… read more
Down in the Darien
Teammate Mark took part in a recent adventure to trek the depths of Panama’s infamous Darien Gap jungle…and returned to tell us the tale. Fresh from the wild, Mark reveals… read more
Madagascar in May
From its volcanic fields and formations to its jungles, rapids, granite massifs, endemic wildlife, welcoming communities and fascinating culture, it simply offers more bang for your adventure buck than many… read more
Chad’s Heated Heartland
I came here four weeks ago to explore Emi Koussi, the Sahara’s highest mountain, located in the Tibesti massif in the north east of the country. Chad is an old… read more
MURCHISON FALLS
We were waist deep, we six Secret Compass team members, in the brown water of the White Nile, hauling a 14-foot inflatable raft up onto the rocky bank, a couple… read more