Camel trips, as I suspected all along, and as I was about to have confirmed, do not being or end: they mere change form.

The 70s were a wonderful time to be young. I think most young people at that time were pushing the boundaries, asking all sorts of questions of society, of life and of themselves. They were very politicised. It was part of the air that we breathed.

The most difficult part of any endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision.

I experienced that sinking feeling you get when you know you have conned yourself into doing something difficult and there's no going back.

I believe when you’re stuck in one spot for too long it’s best to throw a grenade where you stand, and jump…and pray.

By now I was utterly deprogrammed. I walked along naked usually, clothes being not only putrid but unnecessary. My skin had been baked a deep terra-cotta brown and was the constituency of harness leather. The sun no longer penetrated it. I retained my hat.

There are some moments in life that are like pivots around which your existence turns—small intuitive flashes, when you know you have done something correct for a change, when you think you are on the right track. I watched a pale dawn streak the cliffs with Day-glo and realized this was one of them. It was a moment of pure, uncomplicated confidence—and lasted about ten seconds.