ADVENUTRE IS OUT THERE

When Lucy Shepherd, 29, from London, went on an expedition to Norway at just 18, it set her off on an incredible journey.

- HANNAH CROCKER

Hacking through dense bushes, I started to squint.

It was so dark, I could barely see my H hand in front of my face.

I was deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, trekking from east to west across the Kanuku mountains in Guyana, South America.

This was uncharted territory - one of the last unexplored wildernesses on earth. No one thought it was possible.

But I wasn't one to shy away from an adventure.

Exploring the world was my full-time job, and I adored it.

As a child, I was labelled as adventurous and free-spirited.

I loved to explore, but I didn't think it was a real job.

I didn't think modern-day explorers even existed-when I thought of them, I pictured men in woolly hats with big beards, or Indiana Jones.

But when I was 15, I went on a two-week adventure course in Scotland, where I was introduced to expeditions for the first time.

I fell in love.

I couldn't wait to get out and see more of the big, wide world.

When I turned 18, I decided to go on a 10-week expedition to Svalbard-between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

'Are you sure about this?' my mum Aysha asked as I packed

I have to,' I said.

It wasn't a want, it was a completely overwhelming need-I had to go.

When I first set foot on the island, breathing in the ice-cold air, I just felt so alive.

Its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra were truly awe-inspiring.

During winter you can see the Northern Lights, and during summer there's sunlight for 24 hours a day.

It was the most magical place I'd ever been.

And it was a turning point.