Author: Grant ‘Axe’ Rawlinson
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A failed microadventure – Kayaking SAFYC to Sentosa
A great thing about microadventure is that we get to experience so many new parts of Singapore we have never visited before. So last Sunday morning Stephanie and I opted to try to paddle from SAFYC (the Singapore Armed Forces Yacht Club) all the way down the east coast to Sentosa Island. This would be…
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Climb Denali – the highest mountain in North America in 2.5 minutes!
Good morning folks! As the season on Everest drew to a close at the end of the May, attention shifts to other great mountains on our beautiful earth. Climbing season on the highest mountain in North America – Mt McKinley (also known as ‘Denali’ by its local name) is currently in full flow. The standard…
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She did it! Margaret Watroba – a post climb interview with the 1st Australian lady to summit Everest from the North and South
In March 2013 I did an interview with Polish/Australian high altitude mountaineer, cyclist, engineer, wife, mother and grandmother Margaret Watroba, just before she left on her 4th Everest expedition. (Read that interview here). This is a follow-up interview with Margaret after her successful return from Everest in April and May 2013. Margaret became the 1st…
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Kayaking Kukup – a world first circumnavigation of Pulau Kukup for $30
After 5 previous microadventures around the coast of Singapore, it was time to venture further afield. Together with my wife Stephanie we loaded our sleek gray inflatable kayak (affectionately known as the ‘Divorce Machine’) into the boot of our sleek gray Toyota VIOS (we have a thing for gray) and set off for a microadventure…
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Sayang Omak Orphanage, Duri, Sumatra Indonesia – Local people helping local people.
It was a real honor to be invited to the remote oil fields located in Duri, Sumatara Indonesia last year to conduct presentations on climbing Everest. As a result of the talks and the generosity of the attendee’s – a local orphanage named ‘Sayang Omak’ received some assistance recently. See the attached images to learn…
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Its summit time on Everest! Climb the most famous route on the worlds most famous mountain in 3D in only 3 minutes!
Morning folks! May is the month on Everest when the weather is most settled, the temperatures are not as extreme as normal (although they still can be) and climbers are getting ready to head to the summit of the world. For some people it will be the climax of a lifelong goal. For others who…
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Inflatable sea kayaking microadventure: Sembawang beach to Changi beach
The captain of the Divorce Machine (my wife Stephanie) was unavailable to paddle yesterday so cabin boy Blair Spendelow was called in to fill the 2nd seat on the sleek inflatable dream machine. The plan was to paddle from Sembawang beach down to Changi beach, checking out the small islands of Pulau Seletar and Pulau…
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San Francisco to LA – Driving the Big Sur
When people think of San Francisco the first 4 activities that generally spring to mind are: 1. Golden Gate Bridge 2. Alcatraz Island 3. Clam Chowder on Fisherman’s Wharf 4. Having sex with someone of the same gender During our visit in April 2013, Stephanie and I managed three of the above activities before heading…
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EXMAG article on climbing Mt Dixon
Hi folks, Stephanie and I have just returned from a glorious trip driving the ‘Big Sur’ from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I will post some pictures shortly from the trip. What a beautiful part of the world. Some very exciting news from the trip is that I managed to purchase a nice new shiny…
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Sea kayaking microadventure – Changi Village to the East Coast SAF Yacht Club
When the alarm went at 6am on Saturday morning, neither myself or Stephanie were feeling particularly energetic. After a few minutes lying in bed procrastinating we got up, loaded our inflatable kayak (a.k.a ‘The Divorce Machine’) into the car and set off on our morning microadventure. The plan was to paddle from Changi beach all…
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What makes people do the things they do? And what makes people not do the things they want to do?
I have given more than 50 presentations in the last two years on the topic of mountaineering and adventuring. The most common questions I get asked from audiences is: “Why do you do it?” “Why do you climb?” “Why do you put yourself deliberately in these situations of danger just to climb a hill, to stand on…
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Inflatable sea kayaking micro-adventure: Sentosa to St Johns Island
Fresh and flushed with inspiration after the maiden voyage of the Divorce Machine the week before, Stephanie and I decided Sentosa Island would be the location to launch our next inflatable sea-kayaking micro-adventure. I enjoy testing and challenging things to the limit and today I managed to find the limits of both the Divorce Machine,…
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Walking the Beagle Channel
During April 8 – 9, 2005 I walked a section of the coastline along the Beagle Channel down into the town of Ushuaia, located in Tierra del Fuego in Southern Argentina. We were actually trying to cross the Beagle channel to Isla Navarino (belonging to Chile), and attempt a challenging walk called the Dientes circuit, however could not find…
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Maiden voyage of The Divorce Machine – a kayaking micro adventure from Changi to Pulau Ubin
After living for almost 15 years on this beautiful tiny little Island, Singapore yet again surprised and delighted me this morning. The story actually starts some weeks back. A wise man once said “Every man wants three things in life, beautiful woman, the company of good friends, and an inflatable kayak”. (I just made that…
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An interview with female Russian high altitude mountaineer, Liudmila Mikhanovskaia
You don’t bump into many woman climbing the worlds highest peaks without oxygen, let alone 26-year-old, tall blond ones! Hear first hand from my teammate from Everest 2012, Liudmila Mikhanovskaia about her audacious plans for 2013. Mila – you about to leave in 7 days time to attempt an audacious challenge. Please give us an overview…
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An interview with Margaret Watroba
One of the great joys I have discovered in mountaineering, has been the friendships I have struck up along the journey. I have shared tents in remote mountain ranges with people of different colors, races and religions. From different countries and from different cultures. Yet despite all these differences, I have learnt we are all…
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Passion unleashed
For me, standing on the summit of Mt Everest was the result of following a process. The process of mountaineering. I love mountaineering. I am passionate about it. I love the months of planning for an expedition, the months of sweating and training to prepare my body physically. The meticulous preparation of my equipment.…
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Yosemite valley rock climbing
Hi All, I am slowly updating my website’s previous climbs sections. It makes all those diaries that I have kept throughout my climbing come in very valuable! Attached is a link to a trip I made to the mecca of rock climbing Yosemite Valley – way back in 2005. A beautiful part of the world! Click the…
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Cycling in the rain – The Desaru/Kota Tinggi loop
Together with my wife Stephanie, from 9 – 12 January, we planned a 3 night, 4 day cycle tour around the south-eastern corner of Peninsula Malaysia. Our route took in the small town’s, beaches and Kampong’s (villages) of Desaru, Sungai Renggit, Tanjong Balau, Sedili Besar and Kota Tinggi. This is a brief trip report with…
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Ten tips to raising thousands of dollars of sponsorship
Unless you are a high-profile personality like Ed Viesters, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong (before he got busted) , chances are you will not have sponsors lining up at your door wanting to give you money. You will have to go looking for it. I have raised thousands of sponsorship dollars to fund…
Grant 'Axe' Rawlinson 