AdventureProof

07/07/2024

Gunkhoking at Marysville, Wolfe Island (near Kingston), Ontario. Nudging the boat into super shallow waters is always exciting, doubly so when solo in an approaching storm. Seeing the derelict hulk of the steel cruiser rusting away on the water made me feel better about the state of our boat ;)

19/06/2024

Anything I want for Father’s Day? How about a four hour bushwhack up a trail less mountain with the family? I really am spoiled!

13/06/2024

So proud of my little sprout! She just finished her first trail run and is rightfully pleased about it. Not bad after being sent home from school puking the day before! It’s surprising what we can do with the right encouragement—which may or may not involve sugar ;)

29/05/2024

Surprised myself with a decent little run—unexpected after a day on a plane and virtually no sleep. Must be fueled by all that über delicious German baking!!

24/05/2024

Bored? Giga rich? Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire? Why not father
twenty children with a string of mistresses and build a fake castle?

If you are Prince-Elector Wilhelm I, in around 1800, you can do all those things—and more. Obsessed with his medieval past, Wilhelm built a simulated castle as his personal playground—though no wives, mistresses, or horde of screaming children, were allowed.

Meticulously restored, the Löwenburg is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so poor peasants like us can also enjoy this shrine to excess.

Check it out in Kassel, Hesse, some two hours north of Frankfurt.

19/05/2024

Yesterday’s hike through the Taunus (about an hour west of Frankfurt, Germany) had me checking incessantly for ticks, but no “luck” so far. I did find some great views though!

07/05/2024

Sometimes kayaking is better without water 😉

28/04/2024

Successfully launched! The two most stressful times of the boating calendar are when the boat is launched and hauled by crane. Supposedly routine and choreographed events, they are in fact highly dynamic, chaotic and fraught with risk. Our boat has been damaged three times in the process, though fortunately the damage was always minor (my friend’s mast was dropped and had to be replaced—ouch!).

In order to repair some damage from last fall’s haul out, we were switched from the crane to a trailer launch, to take place in late May. But then—due to low water levels—the yard had to switch us back to the crane last minute (the crane only comes for one day).

So I had an hour to reassemble the boat’s drivetrain (replacing a worn part), when I expected to have a month. I connected everything and sealed the hole in the hull with about a minute to spare! There wasn’t even time to test the engine, or put out fenders, or do any of the other preparatory things that are usually done. This must be why captains have grey hair!

Now floating, like a respectable boat should, all’s well that ends well.

20/04/2024

Excited to shake off the last traces of winter and get into a whole summer of fun—which theoretically should be starting any time now…

11/04/2024

If you're ever lost or stranded and need rescue, it's crucial to call for help and signal your location. The world is big, and we are but tiny, tiny specs in it. Here's a great example from earlier this week, when a "help" sign in the sand led to the rescue of three shipwrecked mariners.

A U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operation on Tuesday rescued three mariners stranded on a tiny Pacific Ocean islet for more than a week after the trio spelled out 'HELP' using palm fronds laid on a white-sand beach.

11/04/2024

If you're ever lost or stranded and need rescue, it's crucial to signal for help and to be visible. The world is big, and we are but tiny, tiny specs in it. Here's a great example of how a "help" sign in the sand allowed searchers to find some stranded mariners.

A U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operation on Tuesday rescued three mariners stranded on a tiny Pacific Ocean islet for more than a week after the trio spelled out 'HELP' using palm fronds laid on a white-sand beach.

02/04/2024

I could just stop at Tim Horton’s when I need a break on the long (700+km) drive to visit my mother. But I don’t. Instead, I often pull off the highway somewhere new—more often than not down some desolate track. Over the years I’ve found spectacular beaches, waterfalls, stealth camp sites, boat launches, playgrounds and hiking trails this way. Sadly, I haven’t yet found any of those delicious maple cream donuts…

24/03/2024

Taylor Lake Yurt is the crown jewel of Gatineau Park’s hut system. It’s a spacious, tent-like structure on the shoreline of scenic Taylor lake, hidden deep within the Park. This site is in high demand, but if you’re lucky and flexible enough you’ll be able to enjoy a pleasant night gazing at the stars through its giant skylight, listening to the distant howl of wolves.

16/03/2024

Some great spring skiing out there. Turn up the volume for full effect..

11/03/2024

Sometimes you just want to be alone in paradise. One place where this is possible is the island of Koh Adang, in the very south of Thailand. Only a short boat ride from its bustling neighbour Koh Lipe, it gets few visitors and chances are you may have that white sand to yourself. Tired of gawking at the coral reef and all those fish? There’s even a short hike to an incredible viewpoint—if toiling up a very steep mountain slope in 35C is your thing.

06/03/2024

In Thailand, flush everything you know about going to the toilet. Doing your business like you do back home might leave you with a mess, a fine or both! You see, plumbing standards are different, so to prevent blockages, you can’t flush toilet paper down the toilet.

Wait, what? Enter that nimble little chrome hero known affectionately as the “bum gun”. The sole purpose of this blaster is to scour your nether regions—sometimes with considerable force.

Confused? We were too. Here’s how to go about it:

- do your business.
- blast the residue away. Watch the angle, or…
- dry yourself with toilet paper.
- throw the damp paper in the waste basket provided.
- wash hands thoroughly, then
- pause a moment to appreciate your normal bathroom routine.

01/03/2024

Elephants are amazing creatures and it’s a special privilege to interact with them. Unfortunately not every elephant experience is the same, and there are still many operations that prioritize profit over animal welfare. We try to support places that:

- are family run
- restrict visitor numbers
- provide sanctuary to abused elephants
- don’t allow riding
- let their elephants roam free
- obviously care about their animals
- reinvest profits into improving care.

When these conditions are met, it’s a win for all. I once played with a baby elephant, and while all that attention left me a little bruised, it was a sublime experience possible only where the elephants are happy.

26/02/2024

Enjoying a few relaxing days north of Chiang Mai in our favourite jungle treehouses. Unlike last time, no scorpions under the toilet seat, but there’s still time. We’d love to see one, of course, although preferably somewhere else.

24/02/2024

There are some very impressive Bhuddist temples in the ancient Thai city of Chiang Mai, each more spectacular than the next. Mostly recovered after a week of illness (a parting gift from the kids’ school), jet lag and acclimation, we explored two of the best.

21/02/2024

We broke the kids…again. I guess jacking up the temperature by 40C after a 30 hour trip—while already sick—leaves a mark. The kind of mark that looks suspiciously like vomit in the aisle of a wide body jet during deplaning. Big steps people, take BIG steps.

Fortunately, the kids are easily resuscitated by time in the pool, ice cream bars and fantasy temples. The carpet of that beaten Boeing, however, might need a little something more.

18/02/2024

If you can’t resist the beautiful fresh snow in Gatineau Park, Quebec (near Ottawa), Herridge and Healey cabins are great places to stop for a snack or a chocolate fondue. Both historic log cabins are located very close to each other and easily accessible via skate or classic skis (

27/11/2023

With the great weather a few weeks back we took the kids to the Adirondacks near Lake Placid. After some parking lot theatrics—which had me doubting that the whole thing was even doable—the hike went exceedingly well. Sugar, not surprisingly, is the key.

13/11/2023

Looks like we were nice last year and Saint Nikolaus is bringing us all a new mountain film festival (rather than being hauled away by the nasty Krampus—which is a somewhat less palatable option). While the show in Ottawa is on December 6, the dates vary for locations throughout Canada, the US, and the world.

Check out the trailer and get tickets here:

01/09/2023

Had a fantastic sailing trip with my two little mermaids this week! We’ve been doing solo road trips for years, but this is the first time we’ve gone on an overnight sailing trip together. The girls are still small so I had pre-trip insecurities—mostly around the docking—but it all went perfectly. This is truly exciting, because there are very few weekends where the whole family can sail together. Looking forward to next summer already!

15/08/2023

Started packing for my upcoming kayak expedition. Love laying everything out so I can measure my progress. Well, looks like I’m mostly done—time for a break!

05/08/2023

Time to shave the kayak. Wait, what???

High-density polyethylene (plastic) kayaks are great for some because they cost less than boats of other materials, and they are more forgiving if you abuse them.

And abuse them I do. On my loop around Prince Edward Island, for example, the tide went out so fast, that after even a short break I had to drag the loaded boat 200m to get back to the water.

All that abuse leaves marks on the hull—which increase drag and effort. I can’t do anything to fair the scars, but I shave the burrs off with a razor blade. That way if I’m slow on my next expedition it’s not the boat holding me back, but too much Netflix.

08/07/2023

Alright Germany, we have to talk about your toilets. No, not about the gated public toilets you have to pay some crusty-looking Frau a Euro to access—that’s for another day. No, we have to talk about “the shelf” found on some toilets in private homes.

You see, other countries get by just fine without having a shelf inside their ceramic that catches all of their s**t before the flush.

Now I understand that no one likes to be splashed—and in the name of science (or curiosity) you sometimes want to peek at what came out of the black hole—but frankly I’d rather get splashed than steam in my f***l plume, nor do I need to examine my droppings in minute detail—and we all know how I love detail. So do the right thing and flush this anachronism, never to be seen, or smelled, again.

Pro tip: if you need to use one of these toilets, first cover the ledge with toilet paper to facilitate your deposit’s travels down the pipe.

23/06/2023

Wild animals are rough on gear. It turns out, so are house cats. Excited by the cinch cord on my wife’s waterproof jacket, our playful feline promptly punctured the membrane in a dozen spots. I raced to the scene—just in time to make repairs!

03/06/2023

It’s super rewarding when the kids begin to take up those activities you hold dear. For unknown reasons though, they hacked the chocolate fondue way faster and more enthusiastically than sailing a compass bearing…

20/05/2023

Hiking before daycare and other great ideas from an adventurous preschooler, who may also be stalling for time…