Travel, Adventure
Sophie Roberts
10 Winter Adventures in the Amazing Austrian ...

Imagine hiking up a mountain under a full moon with fresh snow under your feet, breaking through the tree line and feeling that warm glow of sunrise hitting your face. Riding a sleigh pulled by huskies in a winter wonderland, cross- country skiing through villages nestled in the Austrian Alps, tobogganing down a mountain at sunset, swimming in a frozen lake or ski-touring up a mountain and descending through the trees. Imagine ending your day in a rejuvenating thermal spa before dinner and a well-earned sleep, to wake up and do it all over again. Welcome to winter holidays in Austria!

10 Winter Adventures in the Amazing Austrian Alps
Challenges, Cycling, Adventure
Sophie Roberts
Cycling Scotland's Epic North Coast 500

Not many thoughts enter my mind apart from what I am doing. I wish everyone could do something like this once a year, or even once in your lifetime. We need it! I switch off from everything. A challenge like this is so all encompassing that I don’t have space for much else. All my energy goes into the challenge, and the micro world I create with the adventure I am on, the world directly around me and the people I am with. My world becomes small but this gives me freedom to become bigger than I’ve ever felt. My mind is not filled with events going on all over the world, with emails, news, social media, and the need to reply to messages, my mind is filled with fresh air and miles, hills, sweat, tears and food stops. My mind is filled with views so dramatic and mind-blowing, I am speechless. My heart flips a bit with each corner I turn and the awe that the NC500 route delivers again and again.

Cycling Scotland's Epic North Coast 500
Inspiration, Adventure
Sophie Roberts
Building my Dream Custom Campervan - The One ...

It’s been a year since I started the project of creating my dream van ↠ @theonelifevan ↞ and as I get a lot of questions about it, I wanted to share the process and some resources with you! If you are thinking of building or buying a van i can say it’s ONE HUNDRED PERCENT as awesome as you might think it is! And my journey with van life is only just beginning... However, it can be a bit of a minefield and hard to know where to start. I hope this helps :)

Building my Dream Custom Campervan - The One Life Van!
TrailBlazers, Empowering Girls
Sophie Roberts
Just because my path is different, does not ...

There are preciously rare occasions in life when you are handed an opportunity to go somewhere or meet someone that truly inspires you. Somewhere that shifts your centre of gravity, allowing you to refresh, refocus and restart. Or someone that has the capacity to capture your imagination and transport it to places you aspire to go but don’t quite know how to access. When your mind has gone there, the chances are your body will follow…

Just because my path is different, does not mean I am lost
Sophie Roberts
TrailBlazers: Empowering Girls Sailing ...

In October 2019, I took 10 girls sailing for five days on a Tall Ships Youth Trust sailing adventure proudly sponsored by KEEN footwear. It was magical and lives were changed!

We stepped off the boat with a different perspective. With love in our hearts, faith in ourselves and confidence to go forth and grow into the women we know we can be. I asked the girls to capture their experiences and what it meant to them…

TrailBlazers: Empowering Girls Sailing Adventure

The Sleeper Train to Scotland: Your Adventure Awaits

The Sleeper Train to Scotland: Your Adventure Awaits

A world of extraordinary possibilities are waiting for you via an overnight journey from the heart of London to the wilds of Scotland. Every time I take the Caledonian Sleeper train my friends message me saying “You love that train!” or “I can’t believe I’ve not done it, take me next time!” It is true, I am obsessed with the Cal Sleeper and I want to share the reasons why in the hope that it might inspire your own magical journey from London to Scotland (and back!) via the sleeper train. The train ride is all part of the adventures that await once you escape the city and head North to find your slice of wilderness to stir your soul.

Morzine: The Ultimate Alpine Adventure Destination

Morzine: The Ultimate Alpine Adventure Destination

The first time I skied was aged 16 on a family holiday. I remember that feeling of flying down slopes with the wind in my face and eyes streaming from the exhilaration of it all! I felt totally alive. I was immediately hooked and cried the whole way back to England when the holiday was over. I know that sounds silly, but the mountains captured my heart and the thought of going back to school in London and studying things I wasn’t remotely interested in like chemistry just didn’t make sense. I was also a 16 year old girl and I may have had a mountain crush I was sad to leave behind. Lol….

Scotland Mountains + Bothies Road Trip

Scotland Mountains + Bothies Road Trip

I almost didn’t go to Scotland. I almost caved into my doubts “It’s too far to drive, it will be too cold, I’ll be on my own and might get lonely, it’s dangerous, I don’t want to leave my cosy home where I feel safe, have I completely lost the plot…”

Something inside me said “You need to do this” and so I did. Over the years I have learnt to listen to that voice inside me; my gut instinct and intuition. It has served me well.

I knew I needed to go to Scotland. To feel the wide open space and the wild of the Highlands running through my soul. For me, Scotland is the antidote to London life. Scotland, and specifically Glen Coe where I drove to, is my favourite place on the planet. The views are outrageous, you feel this power from the mountains towering over the road coming up from the South. The deep valley was carved out centuries ago from glaciers and volcanoes. It’s an amazing place to adventure and the widlerness reconnects me with who I am at my core. I wanted to feel that.

Sometimes you’ve just got to say “I hear you doubts and fears, thank you for protecting me, but I’m going to go for it anyway!” That’s exactly what I did.

Mallorca: Possibly the best cycling destination on the planet!

Mallorca: Possibly the best cycling destination on the planet!

Imagine the sea glistening like diamonds dancing in the sunlight, the road carving through the mountains ahead, the sweet summer smell of forest pines, and of course, your ultimate girl (or boy/girl) gang cycling beside you. Welcome to Mallorca – possibly the best cycling destination on the planet.

Mallorca is a magical island waiting to be explored, and although it’s fantastic for hiking, climbing, yoga, watersports, and the food, the reason it draws me back again and again is because of it’s cycling. If you are inspired to venture off the beaten path on your next holiday, pack your bike and head out on one of these famous routes. You’ll love it!

Hidden Treasures of The Shetland Islands

Hidden Treasures of The Shetland Islands

If you dream of adventuring at the edge of the world, in a place that feels as wild as it does welcoming, go to Shetland. I spent an incredible five days exploring Shetland by kayak, foot and campervan; wild camping on remote beaches, chasing glorious sunsets, being out in the sea surrounded by seals and puffins and eating fresh fish and seafood.

Shetland left me with a deep appreciation for saying yes to new experiences and all the wonder and joy that can come flooding into your life when you do. Here are my favourite hidden treasures of Shetland (and useful links at the bottom) to help you to plan your own magical adventure at the edge of the world.

How to Sleep Your Way to Success

How to Sleep Your Way to Success

It’s not exactly news that a good night’s sleep can prepare you better to face all the challenges that life can throw at you. I’ve learnt first-hand the effects of poor sleep on my mental health. My positivity and confidence seem to take a hike when I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.

Poor sleep can lead to stress, and stress can lead to poor sleep which leads to more stress and so on. It’s a vicious cycle but through adventure and lifestyle choices, I have managed to break it. 

Here are my tips for a to improve your sleep, overall wellbeing and pave the way for success! 

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A Kayaking, Sunset + Whisky Adventure with Talisker...

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A Kayaking, Sunset + Whisky Adventure with Talisker...

I love it when a few of my favourites things in life blend into a moment of total magic. On this particular occasion it was a wondrous combination of London, whisky and adventure.

Last week I was invited by Talisker and Secret Adventures (who organise unusual adventures in London and beyond) to take part in a kayaking challenge down the River Thames.

Myself and a group of fellow adventurers set off from St Mary’s Church in Battersea and finished at the historic Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe for a dram of celebratory whisky as the sun set.

The KONA 10 Challenge

The KONA 10 Challenge

I receive a lot of emails asking me to all sorts of crazy challenges, often with very little notice. I had three week’s notice to do World’s Toughest Mudder, a 24 hour non-stop Tough Mudder obstacle race in Las Vegas where I ran 50 miles and did 200 obstacles! This is why I train hard, despite not always having a specific challenge I’m training for; I want to be ready when these opportunities come up and jump on them.

When I received an email asking if I thought I could reach 10 volcanic locations, climbing or cycling to their summits in 72 hours whilst also driving between them in British winter, my first reaction was “We have volcanoes in the UK?” Apparently we do, dating back 450 million years!