Emma Karslake is an adventurer, writer and cycle tour guide who has spent much of the past eight years exploring the world by bike.
Her first journey was an 8,000km unsupported ride across South America, from Ushuaia in southern Argentina to Lima in Peru, riding through deserts and the Andes along the way. Since then, cycle touring has been a constant thread in her life, underpinning a semi-nomadic lifestyle that has taken her through a wide range of landscapes and cultures.
From ultra-light hotel bikepacking on a road bike to six-month expeditions in remote regions on a heavily laden hybrid, Emma has experienced nearly every form of bike travel, including ultra-endurance racing.
She is a passionate advocate for slow travel as a means to reconnect with nature, embrace minimalism, and discover alternative ways of living. Her travels have shaped a deep commitment to sustainability, wild camping with minimal impact, and challenging the idea of nature as a park or playground, separate from our everyday lives.
She is particularly keen to empower others, especially women, to embrace solo adventures, and she shares both practical guidance and philosophical reflections through her writing and events.
More recently, Emma has been experimenting with ultra-slow travel through swimpacking, combining long-distance swimming with self-supported journeys. She has swum along the Normandy coast with her gear in a tow float and is planning a new expedition around Lake Annecy. She is also exploring self-sufficiency in the wild through bushcraft and foraging.
