BY: CAROLINE ROLF
As a commander for the British military, Tom Bodkin spent his years of service training for jungle warfare in Brunei and cliff hanging off the Zagros Mountains in Iran. He started the company with Lev Wood in 2010 after leaving the military to give adventurous travellers a taste of Special Forces-like missions.
The company, Secret Compass, leads expeditions in some of the most seldom visited places on Earth. All trips are team oriented and require a tough but well-spirited attitude, as the treks encourage travelling light and truly immersing yourself in the local way of living. The trips are planned and guided by professional leaders with military backgrounds in the British Army, but all team members are expected to contribute to the motivational environment by cooking, fetching water and carrying equipment during the trip. Unpredictability is a major component of the Secret Compass experience – with plans changing and local opportunities arising, travellers will undoubtedly be pushed outside their comfort zone.
The company’s first ever expedition was to Lake Zorkil, one of the claimed sources of the Oxus river in the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan. Since then, Bodkin and Wood have led expeditions across a remote coast in Madagascar, over the highest peak in Ethiopia and through the ancient petroglyph sites of Panama.
Secret Compass’ upcoming journey is perhaps their most challenging yet: a 16-day hike through the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia – better known as the Land of Fire and Ice. Come August, three experts will lead 12 adventurers through thermal springs, 30 active volcanoes and streams with plenty of Arctic salmon. Hikers must be prepared to carry heavy gear and sleep on volcanic plateaus.
These trips can also serve as an opportunity to fundraise for charities and people around the world. The cultural and natural connections travellers make during their journey have the ability to foster economic growth and environmental sustainability. Secret Compass takes a careful approach to the expeditions, making sure to support and respect culture, boundaries and rules found in their destinations by cooperating with non-governmental organizations and authorities.
If you’re thinking of an adventure in the future, perhaps it’s time to think a little bit bigger than throwing some sneakers in your backpack ‘just in case.’ Maybe it’s time to challenge the thrill seeker insider you and become part of the company breaking ground in adventuring and keeping the spirit of exploration alive in the 21st century.
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