The 'W' trek was the hardest, best week of my year. Our guide read the Patagonian weather like a book and turned a washout forecast into blue-sky summits.

Walking the Serengeti instead of driving it changed everything. You feel the scale on foot. Small camp, brilliant ranger, and not another vehicle in sight for days.

I'd never kayaked before Lofoten and never felt unsafe. Rune paced it perfectly, the cabins were straight off a postcard, and the midnight sun paddle was unreal.

Serious mountain days, seriously well run. The glacier skills training on day one meant I trusted the team completely by the time we hit the big crossings.