Adventure Travel Online

Ah chavs – they’ve become something of a national treasure haven’t they? We talk about them as fondly as we would the Queen Mum, say (well, almost). But I think we’ve missed a trick with our favourite delinquents. We should sign them up to become our next great adventurers – they have all the right skills. Here’s why.

1. They don’t feel the cold
It’s true. If I’m ever forced to go out on the town on a winter evening (a rarity – I’m a slippers by the fire girl), my attire is pretty much the same as if I were about to tackle the north face of something big and scary (not something I do often either). But chavettes are happy in short skirts, strappy tops, and they never need a coat. Impressive.

2. They like early mornings
Think about it. No matter what time you’re up, there’s always a chav loitering around somewhere. Perfect for Alpine starts.

There’s long distance – and then there’s ultra distance. In the first of another new online series, we meet an athlete who goes further than most…

Name: Rob Cousins

Age: 29

What’s the sport? Ultra distance anything (rowing, running, triathlon, climbing...)

What’s your next big challenge? The Annapurna 100: 100km non-stop on foot, with 4,000m ascent in the shadow of the Annapurna massif. The best part of this for me is that it’s a low profile race, so will be a smaller and more personal event.

I’ll then be training some Nepali mountain runners to race in the Davos Ultramarathon, hoping to use this to launch a running academy for the very talented but under-represented Nepali athletes.

How did you get into your sport? I’ve never been great at any particular sport. I was OK at rugby, pretty good at weightlifting, a reasonable rower… but I found that the speed, pace and pain of such high intensity just didn’t suit me. So I stepped up the distances, where the challenge became more cerebral – managing my mind and attitude to keep on motivated and moving forward. I also found that these events kept me outside for longer, going at speeds I enjoyed!

The dreaded V Day: crowded, overpriced restaurants or dull hotel/spa breaks – gimme a break. Sacrifice a valuable weekend for that rubbish? Here at AT magazine a loving present usually means a set of bike lights. But if you want a trip that’s romantic and adventurous, or if you have an other half who wants pampering and none of this outdoorsy nonsense thank you very much, we have some ideas that will please everyone.

Here’s our list of bearable Valentine’s Day getaways:

1. Alpine camping
Grab your loved one before he or she runs off in disgust. These are called Whitepods – ‘tents’ that have carpets, comfy beds, wood stoves and good insulation – it’s camping, darling, but not as we know it. The Whitepod camp is above the Swiss village of Les Cerniers. There are two private ski lifts, and the company can also organise dog sledding, paragliding and hiking/skiing with mountain guides. See www.whitepod.com for more.

To celebrate your Christmas Adventures Fat Face is giving you 10% off your next order at fatface.com!

Fat Face clothes and accessories are made for people who just love to get out there, so whatever your adventure this Christmas, you’ll find just what you’re looking for at fatface.com .  From super warm sweats, chunky knits and hardwearing trousers to great jackets, scarves and gloves, Fat Face has Winter covered.