Who better to recommend simple navigation for solo adventures than award-winning explorer, Chaz Powell. Chaz joined our team of Ambassadors in January having recently won the Scientific Exploration Society‘s ‘Explorer of the year’ honour.
Meet Chaz Powell
Chaz was not the kind to loaf around as a kid. Weird in his year for wanting to be outside, the DofE Award scheme was an obvious first call to Adventure!
His journey began when he left school to travel… for 8 years! Returning home Chaz, dispaired by responses to his CV, followed his path to professional qualifications with Mountain Training. He then followed his heart back to Africa.
The impulse to more professional adventures came about when fatherhood demanded a better income and thus began his Wildest Journey. A 2000 mile solo hike from source to sea, following the great Zambezi river!
Navigation Pains
I asked Chaz why he wanted to be a SplashMaps Ambassador. Unsurprisingly his response related to the navigation pains he’s experienced along the way.
Dramas with maps
“I’ve had many dramas with maps!” he declared wryly. “Vital paper maps have blown away in the wind, been pulped in the rain …and folding to the right section on a massive paper map always weakens it.”
Simple navigation for solo adventures
So is a SplashMap really the alternative simple navigation for solo adventures? His upcoming challenges on the Isle of Skye and Anglesey could be the test.
“My new maps will scrunch away easily into my pocket and will dry out in no time. They won’t rip or smudge and I’ll be tieing it to my bag for safe keeping”.
Chaz already loves using our stocked Scottish Maps (Cairngorms and Ben Nevis Toob Mask). Getting across Skye, Chaz will scrunch a pair of 50k personalised pro-weatherproof SplashMaps into his packet. South East Skye and North West Skye. Perhaps he’ll wear the Harvey Maps Anglesey SplashMap over his head to keep him dry.
