Expedition Leader profile: Abbi Naylor

“I love to help young people and adults to achieve their dreams in the outdoors.”

At Wilderness Expertise we carefully select qualified Leaders who not only have proven expedition experience, but a belief in the value of personal development. Abbi Naylor completely embodies this philosophy; she believes that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it. For her the mental aspects of any challenge are the most interesting, where you learn, grow and flourish.

“I love to push myself and see if my goals can grow and expand. When I push myself I am testing my body but mainly I am pushing myself mentally.”

Whether hiking, biking, running, climbing, paddling or skiing, Abbi’s biggest desire is to travel and explore, see new places, meet new people and embrace different cultures. She has set herself a unique challenge this year, her 30th: thirty4thirty involves completing 30 endurance events to raise money for the mental health charity Young Minds. Read and be inspired by her story! https://www.abbinaylor.com/thirty4thirty/

Abbi has a wealth of expedition experience with adults and school groups and this year heads to Norway with Priory School, Portsmouth. It is a fantastic team of students who are all set to go, having survived a dramatic training expedition in torrential rain which flooded their tents and led to them abandoning their camp. Having coped admirably they are now well prepared for hiking, biking and canoeing through the wilds of Norway.

Abbi spills the beans on of her expedition life:

The best part

“There are loads, but one stand out experience was a student on month-long expedition. Initially very quiet and reserved, by the end of the expedition she was feeling much more confident and positive about herself and her future. I received a letter from her about 4 months after our return saying she wanted to re-take exams and go to university, it was incredibly rewarding for me to be part of her personal development journey.”

And the worst

“Leading a very divided group of adults trekking in the Himalayas. They did not gel at all. Things got worse when the team doctor had to get evacuated due to attitude sickness! Then poor weather meant all flights were cancelled and we had to spend another 4 days together. It was a tough experience, I felt very isolated, but I learnt a lot about leading.”

Favourite piece of kit

“Talcum powder! It keeps feet healthy, dry and blister free.”

Abbi’s top tip

“Try and be positive, get involved! That way you will gain far more from the experience.”