Sunrise Service with Kim Slade - Unlost Co
In September I had the total pleasure of photographing the amazing Happy Start Up School Summercamp in Sussex. It was such an inspiring event to be a part of and capture! One of my favourite parts of the weekend was Sunrise Service.
This early morning walk led by Kim Slade of Unlost Co happened on the last day of the festival, and was such a beautiful and nourishing addition to the schedule and activities of the weekend.
Kims work is about embracing your adventurous spirit, living out the experiences you’ve always wanted.
As well offering organised experiences (the next being ‘THE WORLD’S LONGEST TOBOGGAN RUN’ in January 2020, ‘three days in the Swiss Alps on traditional wooden toboggans to have the most fun you’ve had since you were 10’), he creates personalised adventures. From his site…
“We uncover your earliest adventure fantasies and forgotten moments of childhood inspiration, then use them as fuel to craft bespoke transformational expeditions.
It could be for just you, your family, or your entire team. It could be a simple walk in the woods to reconnect with nature, a surprise concert on a mountain top for an unforgettable moment, or a Peter Pan inspired tropical island flying adventure to fulfil your childhood fantasies.
Whatever the inspiration or motivation, will help you write your own adventure story, then make it come true.”
The group of us got together at dawn, wrapped up warm and in wellies (actually… I went for socks and crocs… such an unfortunate half-asleep choice for that dewy morn!), before embarking on our walk!
Kim encouraged us to be observant of our surroundings, to stay peaceful and present. I am not usually outdoors (or even awake) at this time of day in the summer, so it was really special to rise with the birds again, to sense the water in the air before the light, notice the quiet, the lack of road noise or distant machinery that seems so normal now… it was really beautiful.
We walked through lots of fields, over turnstiles, through boggy bits (oh my crocs!!! WHY!), through woodland… the light changing so quickly from navy to lilac, to crystal blue with sweeps of pink.
At a clearing by a misty pond, Kim invited us to stop.
We were guided to meditate on nature. Connecting with our surroundings, we tuned into one sense at a time… focusing on something individual to us in our own way.
It was incredibly tranquil for us all to be quiet, present, in appreciation of everything together. Kim invited us to reflect on our childhood adventure dreams and connect with the playful little one in us.
Afterwards, he made coffee for everyone with some amazing camping kit! And then we all headed back to our Summercamp in time for breakfast as the sun beamed.
I appreciated this moment of Summercamp so much, and felt a lot of gratitude for this still space to just be, during the busyness of life and the excitement of the amazing event.
Thanks for this beautiful experience Kim. So looking forward to following your work and look forward to joining a local adventure-event soon!
