The best bar stories evolve from crises and the opportunities they create, so here is a collection of my favourite misadventures. This collection of such exploits, arising from my lifelong quest for adventure travel and adrenalin includes caving, climbing, biking, hiking and backpacking in over 70 countries. What sets this book apart is that it describes the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary man: how many authors have squeezed maggots out of their eyebrows and been peed on by silverback mountain gorillas? Most books of this genre either focus on a specific adventurous activity or on a single trip. The diversity of this book will appeal to aspirant adventurers and armchair thrill-seekers alike, whether they are inexperienced students about to embark on a gap year or seasoned travellers spending their offspring's inheritance. Learn from my mistakes Be inspired by my successes Make every second count