Catherine, tell us a little about your background and why you set up your business

I have been involved in the expedition world for 20 years and I love it! When I had kids it became increasingly difficult to lead the life I wanted and for a while I was quite frustrated and felt trapped by my situation. I worked hard at regaining my confidence, my skills and expanded my expertise to new environments. It was then that I realised I could open up my world to other women, those without my background, but who heard the call to adventure but had no real way to make this a reality. The Matriarch Adventure was born – a 10-day adventure tracking desert elephants in Namibia!

What makes your trips unique?

The motto of any real expedition is ‘always expect the unexpected’ and I want to foster that sense of excitement and unpredictability. I also keep the itinerary quite secret as it’s hardly an adventure if you can see where you’re going on Google maps, check out the accommodation and basically already know what you’re going to be doing. On a logistical front, we are dealing with wild animals – this is not a safari, there is no one radioing us to tell us where the elephants might be – we actually have to track them! We also practice yoga, saluting the sun every morning, eat wonderfully healthy food, sleep out under the stars and have a real laugh!

What is the future of the business?

It is already expanding – I now lead a unique Mother and Daughter Adventure as a bonding experience for mums and teenage daughters, tracking elephants, visiting the school, studying rock art and honouring the growth of our daughters into womanhood – a rite of passage if you will. There is also a marine conservation adventure called The Bluemoon Adventure in Madagascar and soon a new jungle adventure in the primary rainforest of Guyana called The Golden Orb Adventure – discovering the beauty in facing your fears!

Cathadventure
Watch my TEDxLondon talk here
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info@cathadventure.com
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