Speakers

Sam grew up in the countryside of Kent in the UK until he walked out one midsummer morning into a lifetime of travel and adventure. Travel and books: these two passions have fuelled journeys to over 60 countries whilst living on four continents, and led to the founding of YellowWood Adventures.

He has always favoured the path less travelled: Whilst living in Japan he took his tent and surfboard and spent three months island-hopping down the 1100km of Ryukyu archipelago; in the Amazon rainforest he spent two weeks with an Indian guide carrying only a machete, fishhooks, salt, sugar and cocoa leaves, learning to live off the land.

Be it the Himalayas, Alps, Andes, the highest plateau in Africa, ice-climbing in the Tian Shan Mountains or exploring the lost assassins’ castles in the Alborz Mountains of Iran; a veritable mountain of banana sandwiches, history books, novels, travel writings and biographies always accompany these adventures, and wherever possible a horse or two.

In 2015 Sam quit his city job in London to spent three months solo hiking around Ethiopia. This particular adventure marked a turning point as he then bought eight tents which he left with local guide Gebre in the Gheralta Mountains in Tigray in Northern Ethiopia, built a website and began to organise small hiking groups to share with people the amazing experiences he had there – and so YellowWood Adventures was born.

He has subsequently expanded the business in over twenty countries. Sam has travelled extensively in most of the destinations now featured, researching these remarkable places in detail, finding the 'less travelled paths' and creating itineraries that ensure unique and authentic experiences.

Sam spent nine months living in Asturias, Northern Spain, during the pandemic, is fluent in Spanish and loves to return there both privately and on YellowWood tours.