Mark Agnew
Hiking & kayaking film selected for festival
My film 'Am I an adventurer yet' was selected for the Type Two Fun Adventure Film Festival. It didn't win anything but I'm still really proud of my work and happy it was recognised at all.
The film follows my stayventure along the west coast of Scotland. I kayaked from Plonkton to Airsaig, stopping to hike up Munros as I passed them.
It was a really great, rewarding trip.
What made it so special was the unique approach. I love hiking. I love kayaking. Combining the two heightened the experience of both.
Hire an adventure speaker
The hiking was enhanced because it felt like a very immersive way to approach the base of a mountain. It required map reading skills and creativity to figure out routes to the summit from landing spots, which weren't necessarily on the normal path.
This made me feel really connected to the walk, plus I had to hike every inch of the mountain from sea level.
Hiking up Ladhar Beinn on the epic kayaking & hiking adventure
The kayaking was enhanced because I could see my destinations slowly appearing on the horizon. This anchored me in my surroundings and again made me feel more immersed.
The trip was exciting - we saw incredible wildlife including eagles, dolphins, otters and deer. At one point, we were visited by the Coast Guard.
There were a great many obstacles to overcome. It reminded me just how many amazing places there are to see right here in the UK.
Making a film was a new experience for me. In some ways, it took away from the adventure because I was constantly thinking about how best to film different moments. But in other ways it added to the experience because it combined creativity with being outdoors.
The trail is live, and I'll be posting the film in a couple of weeks on my YouTube channel.