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

How I Film and Edit my Adventure Films with GoPro

How I Film and Edit my Adventure Films with GoPro

2016 was the year that I broke through the ‘film making’ wall that had held me back for years. I used to watch films created by other adventurers and content creators in awe. Sometimes I would film my adventures and challenges, but rarely would that content get edited into a film and shared online. I didn’t know where to start with editing - it seemed daunting and time consuming.

I think many of us have these things that we can’t currently do, but want to be able to. We don’t know where to start or how to break down the barriers we’ve placed in the way. Always start with the lowest hanging fruit.

Building and Sleeping in a Snow Cave

Building and Sleeping in a Snow Cave

“Do you ever question your sanity?” I ask Andy as I stop digging momentarily to assess our progress. We have been digging for three hours, the daylight is fading fast and it feels like I have barely made a dent in the snow pack. At this rate, I'm worried we will still be digging come midnight. “Just keep going” Andy replies, “it will all come together soon, you’ll see.”

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What Confidence Means to Me

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What Confidence Means to Me

I believe we have to nurture and develop our confidence just like anything else that’s important to us. We don’t just wake up one day feeling confident, we have to invest energy and effort in building self-belief. How do we do this? Especially tough to navigate, when coupled with the desire to challenge ourselves and live courageously, we have to face fear and failure which can have an adverse affect on confidence.

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A Family 'Escape the City' Adventure

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A Family 'Escape the City' Adventure

It’s 5:30am on a freezing cold Saturday morning in early January, and I’m driving a people carrier full of my favourite people out of London and in search of adventure. “Is it too early for this?” I ask, as I put one of my favourite songs on the car stereo. It’s a dance floor filler kind of song, but they love it. In the car with me I have four of my female cousins; Martha aged 9, Ella age 14, Georgia age 17, and Alex age 25. All of them said YES to waking up in - what felt like - the middle of the night and coming on an adventure with me. I love it when people say yes.

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Icehotel Sweden

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Icehotel Sweden

“Are you ready to feel like James Bond?” I asked Alexis as we climbed on our snow mobile. It was 7pm as we headed off into the wilderness for our adventure in Swedish Lapland with Discover The World.

After two hours of driving, we stopped off at a hut in the woods to eat dinner. “When do you ever get to do something like this?” I asked him later that evening as we were staring up at the sky hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights. “I know, I feel so incredibly lucky to be here, this really has been the trip of a lifetime.”

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A Whirlwind Winter Sports Weekend in Austria

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A Whirlwind Winter Sports Weekend in Austria

As the plane touched down in Salzburg, Charlie Watson – aka The Runner Beans – and I were squealing with delight. The snow was dumping big time in Austria. Our home for the next three days was a ski chalet in the heart of Saalbach, Hinterglemm. A magical, beautiful and buzzing town in the Austrian Alps. The purpose of our trip was to be part of #StoryBase2017. Set up by the Saalbach tourist board, the concept was to showcase everything this valley has to offer the winter sports enthusiast.

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It’s January but I don’t have my s**t together. Help!

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It’s January but I don’t have my s**t together. Help!

I find this time of year hard. The internet is awash with people imparting their inspirational wisdom and top tips for helping you get more in your life of whatever it is you may feel you are missing. More healthy living habits, mindfulness, learning, career progression, fitness…. The list goes on.

But what if despite all the advice out there you don’t have a perfect list of goals to smash out 2017, or are struggling with motivation and all the pressure is making you feel a bit anxious? Don’t worry, you are not alone! I feel exactly the same, yet I am not anxious about it and I want to explain why.