Charlie grew up in a small Wiltshire village and studied English at Newcastle University before training as a journalist. After a stint on a national newspaper, he undertook a 4.5-year bicycle journey covering 43,000 miles in 60 countries. It was a shoestring budget expedition with simple kit and on a second-hand bicycle costing only £100.
Charlie has also walked 1,000 miles across the Gobi desert and ridden a horse solo 600 miles through the Mongolian steppe. In 2014 he descended a little known tributary of the Congo River in a hollowed out tree trunk dodging crocodiles, hippos and rapids along the way.
His expeditions are a combination of physical endeavour, cultural discovery and self-exploration. He has survived a -40°C winter in Tibet, lived through an Ethiopian village mob attack and cycled across the Sahara twice. However, his biggest challenges have often been within himself; he believes that when one sets themselves a seemingly impossible task, sometimes the most important question is not how to stick at it but why.
Voted "Blogger of the Year" in 2013 by the Association of Independent Tour Operators, Charlie's writing and photography have appeared in numerous papers and magazines including The Times,The Daily Express and Wanderlust. He is currently writing his first book, sharing his remarkable experiences of the trials and tribulations of exploration.
At school, Charlie was never the strongest, fastest or best at sport. He uses his adventures to show audiences that we can all surprise ourselves if we identify what we desire in life, set outrageous goals, and stick doggedly at them.
Charlie featured in our London line up of our Night of Adventure event in aid of Hope and Homes for Children. These unique events bring together an eclectic collection of first-class adventurers, from across the spectrum of explorers, daredevils and pioneers. Each speaker is limietd ot just 20 slides to accompany their tales - with their photos displayed on an enormous screen. The challenge is that each slide will automatically scroll forward after just 20 seconds.
Charlie rose to that challenge and entertained the sell out audience of 930 with his daring descent of a little known tributary of the Congo Rive by dugout canoe, dodging crocodiles, hippos and rapids along the way.
Hope and Homes for ChildrenWe were lucky enough to hear Charlie speak midway through his journey. Students and teachers alike found his tales of adventure engrossing, entertaining and inspiring. A particular highlight were Charlie's stories from China and his escapades in Tibet, delivered with great humour despite the peril they invovled.
Harrow International School, BeijingWe had Charlie in to talk about our current topic of exploration to ur year 7 and year 8 pupils. His talk was both amusing and inspiring for the kids. Well worth it. The kids were in awe of him!
Immanuel and St Andrew Primary School
A dynamic and versatile speaker, Josh is able to draw upon his experience and expertise to give inf…