“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” –Christopher McCandless
Some of us are genetically pre-disposed to staying within the physical and psychological confines of the metropolis in order to work out how to make a relatively static life in that environment as amiable as possible. These are the people among us who are responsible for the tasks of making our roads safer, hospitals cleaner, economy stable, etcetera. In light of those people’s efforts to build a better society for all, a person who decides to swim the length of the treacherous river, race across an unforgiving desert or jump off the top of a very tall thing, is given little more than cursory fascination, if not simply deemed as being unnecessary, reckless and of little value to civilization.
As one subscribed to a life in pursuit of adventure I would like to assert that as a species, we owe more to the foolhardy, risk loving, jeopardy courting, peril chasing chancers of our society than the paper pushing, law making, health and safety set some may like us to consider. The fact is, we might owe the enduring existence of our species to the enterprising daredevils who weren’t satisfied to just sit around nibbling on insects and feathering their nest, the individuals genetically predisposed to search for better nutrition, richer and more tillable landscapes and fitter potential mates who could make a more positive impact on the gene pool.
“As our species evolved, communities with risk takers might have done better… risk taking was important for the species and the individual.” – Thomas Crowley, Psychologist, University of Colorado, Denver.
The drive to see what lies beyond the furthest ridge or the other side of the ocean, or indeed this planet, represents a defining component of human identity and success; so if a compulsion to pursue adventure exists in us innately, perhaps its base rests within our genetic makeup. There is in fact a genetic mutation that arises regularly in the context of this discussion, a diversification of a gene labeled DRD4, or as it is affectionately known, the “Adventure Gene”.
The genetic variation, cleverly cited by the advertising giant Young & Rubicam Global in a campaign designed for the launch of Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, helps control Dopamine – the chemical brain messenger critical to human learning and reward systems. Known as DRD4-7R, research has time and again connected the mutation to inquisitiveness and restlessness.
“Adventure is not outside man; it is within” -George Eliot
Present in about 20% of humans, 7R seems to make people more likely to explore new or different ideas, sustenance, chemically induced experiences, relationships and places. As well as this, being more open to change, wandering (travel or relocation) and adventure is yet another symptom. Basically, possession of gene variation DRD4-7R makes you more likely to take risks.
I am sure that many of you reading this may be able to identify with the characteristics of DRD4-7R, none more so that the owners of old Land Rovers, who have staked their bank accounts, relationships, mechanical sympathy and wilderness survival skills on a Solihull (the hallowed former Land Rover HQ) factory worker’s enthusiasm for building the least reliable car he possibly could! On a serious note however, if you think you may possess the “Adventure Gene”, then any suppression of the urge to escape, explore or wander can only be considered an unhealthy and unnatural thing. Having resolved some time ago to get out and explore as often as possible, I am now immediately able to identify the symptoms of not satisfying 7R’s curiosity both in myself and in other adventurous types, when we get stuck in the ruts of city life: anger, frustration, depression, anxiety and detachment can all manifest themselves in one form or another.
“You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to undertake an expedition. You do not need to be an elite athlete, expertly trained or rich to have an adventure. Adventure is only a state of mind. Adventure is accessible to normal people, in normal places, in short segments of time and without having to spend much money.” – Alistair Humphreys
Still not convinced you have the time, money or inclination? As a how-to guide for easily accessing adventure, Alistair, an explorer, writer and film maker, came up with an initiative he calls “microadventures”, which in his words are “Simple expeditions and challenges which are close to home, affordable and easy to organize”.So there you have it, no excuses. Do you body and mind a favour and visit www.alistairhumphreys.com.Whether it be hiking, biking, running or climbing, get inspired, get out, have an adventure!
Recently I have discovered that running with my dogs, particularly through a desert, nature reserve or remote village provides an excellent opportunity for a daily dose of adventure. Not only is this a fantastic way to get out and experience more of the UAE, it is a genuinely engaging way to distract oneself from the actual business of staying physically and mentally fit and healthy. Now that I have caught the scent of adventure in my nostrils through a different medium, DRD4-7R really has got me wondering what’s over the horizon; I think it’s time to buy a touring bike and head for it before the weather turns. For all its faults, breakdowns and lack of creature comforts, buying this old Land Rover has completely changed my life, not just because it can take the dogs, future bike and myself almost anywhere we want to go but because with all its spurring pedigree and incorrigible character, it is in itself, part of the adventure.
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” – Amelia Earhart
Words by: Theo Measures
Photos by: Neil Walton
