2024-2025


A list of this season's talks appears below, click on an individual entry for more information.

  • elephants

    Africa along the Equator

    October 1st

    Peter Payne

    Peter takes us by boat, road, rail and foot, west to east across Africa within about three degrees of the equator, with rainforest, glacier-bearing mountains, savannah and wildlife.

  • Chiquitos

    Crossed Off the Map

    October 15th

    Shafik Meghji

    A journey through the extreme landscapes and forgotten histories of Bolivia, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, from the world’s largest salt flat to the southernmost city on Earth.

  • Karakalpakstan girls

    Karakalpakstan: Central Asia’s secret

    October 29th

    Sophie Ibbotson

    This republic in the heart of Central Asia is visited by only the most intrepid of tourists, but is an extraordinary destination with everything from desert fortresses to avant-garde art.

  • Cabot trail

    Canada – Eastwards and Far

    November 19th

    Chris Lee-Francis

    Chris cycles across Canada and shows not only its incredibly varied landscapes but also the lives of the people who live there and the appeal of cycling touring in general.

  • mosaic

    Members’ Social & The Mosaic Trail

    November 26th

    Jan Parsons

    Members’ only social evening, then Jan takes us across Southern Europe to Ravenna, the capital of mosaics, seeking out awe-inspiring legacies of the Byzantine world.

  • loading a camel

    Life in the Extreme

    December 10th

    Benedict Allen

    In this members only talk, the explorer tells the true story of his remarkable life, culminating in his last dramatic expedition to the remotest corner of Papua New Guinea - when he was thought lost.

  • leopard in a tree

    The Impossible Photograph

    January 7th

    Paul Goldstein

    Enjoy the savage, spectacular and hilarious commentary and anecdotes of Paul’s years photo-guiding across Kenya, Spitsbergen, Brazil, Antarctica, India, South Georgia, Alaska and Canada.

  • aurora

    Success and Failure in Cold Places

    January 21st

    Jo Bradshaw

    Expedition leader and mountaineer takes us to her favourite cold places: Everest, Denali, Arctic Sweden and Antarctica, where success and failure are split by a thin blue line.

  • Speaker's image

    Members’ Evening Talks

    February 4th


    Members take us on trips to Panama, around Europe, to enjoy walking and wildlife in Madagascar, and to see snow leopards in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

  • expedition

    The Darien Breakthrough

    February 18th

    Col. John Blashford-Snell

    The story of how a large team made the first crossing of the Darien Gap in 1972 as part of the first drive from Alaska to Cape Horn, in the newly-launched Range Rover.

  • gorilla

    Uganda – The Pearl of Africa

    March 4th

    Jenny Bowen

    Jenny guides us through the sights and sounds of Uganda to showcase what we can see and do in this inspiring and varied country, with some incredible safari experiences

  • mountain

    Higher than the Eagle Soars

    March 18th

    Stephen Venables

    The first Briton to climb Everest without oxygen recounts highlights from a mountaineering career spanning five decades and seven continents.

  • frog

    Suriname – South America’s Hidden Gem

    April 1st

    George Vincent

    Suriname, S.America’s smallest independent nation, boasts the highest percentage forest cover of any country. George shows us this treasure trove for the adventurous naturalist.

  • whitehouse

    AGM & America’s Historic East

    April 15th

    Paul Whittle

    Paul takes us on a wide-ranging tour of the USA’s historic east, starting in Atlanta, Georgia, and heading north up the coast to finish at Ground Zero in New York.

These are the main items of the programme, but they may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. Other events will be announced at the meetings and in our newsletters.

Download this season's programme as a pdf file

Download this season's programme as a calendar file