Vol. 2: Learning curves
MAY 2025
A line, heading forwards
and upwards…
Authors
Henry Comyn
Duncan Over
Justin Packshaw
Tracing the growth we make when we step outside the known.
The learning curve. Sometimes steep, sometimes shocking, always meaningful, the learning curve sits at the intersection of fear and excitement, pulling us towards progress.
Like all the best journeys, the learning curve doesn't take us to a fixed destination. It changes who we are, fundamentally. Reframing our relationship with ourselves, our place and perspective in the world, how we move through it.
Equal parts challenging and exciting, the learning curve is the idea guiding us into the heart of 2025.
It’s been a busy start to the year, and we’ve been hard at work preparing for an even busier summer. From supporting science at sea by developing our partnership with Burgess, to skiing across British Columbia, backing a winning team in the St Barths Bucket Regatta to compiling our 2024 Impact Report – and celebrating the Conscious Travel Foundation reaching 100 members – this first quarter has been full of challenges, achievements and discoveries.
As we look ahead, we invite you to think about what learning curves might be waiting for you.
Maybe you’ll become a qualified yachtmaster. Maybe you’ll race the East African Safari Rally. Maybe you’ll become the next Cezanne.
It starts outside your comfort zone.
EXPEDITION PARTNERS
The purpose of expedition
Author
Henry Comyn
Travel, at its most powerful, is an invitation for us to engage with the world. Enter into new arenas of perspective and purpose more deeply.
REV Ocean represents the future of exploration – a mode of travel where adventure and impact go hand in hand. A totally unique, state of the art research and expedition vessel, with 75% percent of its expeditions dedicated to scientific research, while the remaining 25% will be open for exclusive guests.
In partnership with Burgess, Joro is proud to announce we’re expedition partners for REV OCEAN, launching in 2027. From deep-sea discoveries to exploring remote ecosystems, we’ll be designing and guiding rare journeys onboard REV Ocean, challenging what it means to explore.
Uncharted
Being led by the learning curve
Rally driving, submarine piloting, healing rituals. Few experiences compare to learning something transformational. Here are some learning curves you could follow.
Rally driving, submarine piloting, healing rituals. Few experiences compare to learning something transformational. Here are some learning curves you could follow.
Become an ocean-crossing yachtmaster
Trusting your instincts. Understanding the elements. Finding calm in chaos. When the classroom is the ocean, lessons run deep.
Go from complete novice to full Yachtmaster on bespoke week-long adventures with a private sailing instructor as you develop the skills you need to skipper a sailboat of significant size anywhere in the world. Snorkelling with humpbacks in Iceland or enjoying private tastings at Scotland's most exclusive distilleries along the way.
The final test? An Atlantic crossing, followed by a celebration on a private Caribbean island.
George can help you learn the ropes.
Dive into submarine piloting
Strange canyons. Ethereal ambience. Life forms rarely seen. If you’re searching for a deeper adventure, few things compare to submarine piloting.
Guided by expert instructors, you’ll navigate coral cities, explore shipwrecks, and learn how to manoeuvre a cutting-edge craft in the crystal waters of the ABC Islands. Expect manta rays, barracudas, sea turtles, sharks and stories no one else can tell.
Ready to dive deeper? Contact Elise to find out more
Navigate your way to the East African Safari Rally
Ice. Dust. Tarmac. Desert. Most people can drive. But not everyone can drive.
Beginning in Sweden, you’ll learn how to control your car on ice, before travelling around the world with a private driving instructor, learning racecraft at the private Ascari racetrack in Spain, or taking on Namibia in a four by 4x4. Each chapter builds up to the ultimate test: racing a custom-built Porsche Dakar in the legendary East African Safari Rally, fully supported by Joro. Adrenaline is guaranteed.
Speak to Rachel to to get things moving
Paint like Cezanne in the South of France
In the hills above Aix-en-Provence, light takes on a different quality, and so does the passing of time. It’s no wonder Cezanne returned to the same views again and again.
Guided by a local artist and expert in Cezanne’s techniques, learn the art of oil painting directly from the landscapes that shaped a master. From mixing colour palettes to understanding form and flow, this experience is as much about slowing down and seeing clearly as it is about art. The result: seeing, capturing, developing.
Contact Elise to start your masterpiece
Learn local healing rituals in India
There are things you can find on Google, and there is knowledge you can only learn through experience.
In the lush hills of India, step into the ancient world of traditional healing. Learning about medicinal plants, massage techniques, and nature-based rituals from local healers. Participating in practices rooted in centuries of wisdom. Reconnecting body and spirit.
Contact Elise when you’re ready
Become an ocean-crossing yachtmaster
Trusting your instincts. Understanding the elements. Finding calm in chaos. When the classroom is the ocean, lessons run deep.
Go from complete novice to full Yachtmaster on bespoke week-long adventures with a private sailing instructor as you develop the skills you need to skipper a sailboat of significant size anywhere in the world. Snorkelling with humpbacks in Iceland or enjoying private tastings at Scotland's most exclusive distilleries along the way.
The final test? An Atlantic crossing, followed by a celebration on a private Caribbean island.
George can help you learn the ropes.
Dive into submarine piloting
Strange canyons. Ethereal ambience. Life forms rarely seen. If you’re searching for a deeper adventure, few things compare to submarine piloting.
Guided by expert instructors, you’ll navigate coral cities, explore shipwrecks, and learn how to manoeuvre a cutting-edge craft in the crystal waters of the ABC Islands. Expect manta rays, barracudas, sea turtles, sharks and stories no one else can tell.
Ready to dive deeper? Contact Elise to find out more
Navigate your way to the East African Safari Rally
Ice. Dust. Tarmac. Desert. Most people can drive. But not everyone can drive.
Beginning in Sweden, you’ll learn how to control your car on ice, before travelling around the world with a private driving instructor, learning racecraft at the private Ascari racetrack in Spain, or taking on Namibia in a four by 4x4. Each chapter builds up to the ultimate test: racing a custom-built Porsche Dakar in the legendary East African Safari Rally, fully supported by Joro. Adrenaline is guaranteed.
Speak to Rachel to to get things moving
Paint like Cezanne in the South of France
In the hills above Aix-en-Provence, light takes on a different quality, and so does the passing of time. It’s no wonder Cezanne returned to the same views again and again.
Guided by a local artist and expert in Cezanne’s techniques, learn the art of oil painting directly from the landscapes that shaped a master. From mixing colour palettes to understanding form and flow, this experience is as much about slowing down and seeing clearly as it is about art. The result: seeing, capturing, developing.
Contact Elise to start your masterpiece
Learn local healing rituals in India
There are things you can find on Google, and there is knowledge you can only learn through experience.
In the lush hills of India, step into the ancient world of traditional healing. Learning about medicinal plants, massage techniques, and nature-based rituals from local healers. Participating in practices rooted in centuries of wisdom. Reconnecting body and spirit.
Contact Elise when you’re ready
MEET JUSTIN
A lifelong journey of learning with Justin
From the ranks of the British Army to the summit of Mount Everest. Crossing Mongolia on horseback to kite-skiing 2,500km across Antarctica. Justin's life is one lived by the learning curve. Dive into his Q&A below.
You’ve sailed the world, summited Everest, and led polar expeditions. What’s been the steepest curve for you across these experiences?
Each of these environments has taught me something different, but the steepest has been understanding the human psyche. My own, and that of the individuals I’ve had the privilege to lead.
You can train for physical endurance, but managing fear, uncertainty, and team dynamics in life-threatening conditions is harder to master. It requires constant learning: how to lead better, listen better, understand better.
What do you feel these journeys have taught you about human potential and our ability to adapt?
We are far more capable than we think. Stripped of comfort and certainty, we will tap into reserves of resilience which often lie dormant.
Whether it’s -50°C winds in Antarctica or the thin air of Everest’s summit, I’ve seen people push themselves beyond what they thought was possible, mentally and physically.
Adaptability isn’t just about surviving; it’s about evolving in the face of adversity. We are phenomenal entities, made to excel.
How do you prepare for environments which are both physically punishing and psychologically isolating?
Preparation starts long before the journey and is a crucial part of being successful. I use visualization techniques, train under simulated stress, and build-in routines which ground me when the chaos hits.
But most important of all, is purpose: when you’re clear on why you’re there and what your objective is – whether to lead, learn, or support a cause – it becomes easier to endure hardship and isolation.
What’s a failure or setback on one of your expeditions that taught you the most, and how did you recover from it?
Back in 1989/90, I represented Great Britain in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. When we were on our final leg, heading back across the Atlantic to the UK, our mast broke.
We had a choice: either put our engine on and motor 200 miles to New York, which would have disqualified us, or create a solution that would allow us to continue sailing the last 2,000 miles to the finish line – which is what we did.
We ended up being a week behind the other yachts in our class, but we finished. It was a stark reminder of how quickly things can unravel. But rather than panic, we recalibrated, took responsibility, and found a workaround. It taught us all the value of humility, contingency planning, and keeping calm when stakes are high.
Looking back, which expedition do you feel has been the most defining in your life, and why?
My 2021 ‘Chasing the Light’ crossing of Antarctica. Along with my teammate, Dr Jamie Facer-Childs, we kite-skied 1,500 miles unsupported on a trip which took us 56 days.
Not only was it one of the physically toughest challenges I’ve faced, it was also a platform for groundbreaking science as we were collaborating with NASA and the European Space Agency. Bringing together climate research, space exploration analogues, and human performance – everything I care about.
If you could only pass on one lesson to the next generation of explorers or leaders, what would it be?
Follow your dreams. Step out of your comfort zone, be curious and brave – this is where growth lives. Whether pushing yourself in a new challenge or following something that fuels your soul, the moments that stretch you are the ones that define you. Seek them out. Don't fear failure – fear complacency.