Instagram: fit to burst with identikit travel accounts, endless #vanlife profiles and would-be influencers. There's genuinely useful and inspiring content too of course, but it can be tough to find amidst a sea of mediocrity. This can lead to hours of 'doom scrolling', your mind transfixed by that little smartphone screen rather than engaging with the big, wide world. It’s a problem we know well, which is why we created this round-up of ten Instagram accounts that are actually worth following.
Ranging from adventure travellers to mountain lovers, from high-altitude climbers to incredible nature photographers (with a sustainability guru and an outdoor gourmand thrown in there too), these profiles aim to inspire and educate their followers. Basically, we've put in the leg work and saved you hundreds of hours trying to find great content. So, that gives you more time to head outdoors yourself. Because let's face it, that’s where the real adventure is.
Chris Burkard
A professional photographer, speaker and filmmaker, Burkard hails from California's Central Coast region. He shoots landscape, lifestyle, surf, outdoor, and travel subjects, but isn't afraid to turn his lens on issues such as devastating wildfires and volcanic eruptions. His use of natural light to capture fleeting moments is second to none, as is his ability to highlight nature's sheer power and breath-taking beauty, often in the same moment. @chrisburkard
Wasfia Nazreen
Wasfia Nazreen is a Bangladeshi mountaineer, activist, environmentalist, social worker and writer. She was the first Bengali and Bangladeshi to scale K2, the world's second highest and most notorious peak, becoming one of just 40 recorded women in history to have successfully scaled the mountain. Her Instagram feed is an inspirational celebration of freedom, diversity and female empowerment. @wasfianazreen
Jimmy Chin
This acclaimed climber, skier, photographer and filmmaker should need no introduction. He’s partnered some of the world’s greatest climbers and skiers on pioneering first ascents and downhill routes, documenting it all on camera. Over a storied career, he’s been to the top of Everest (twice), completed intensely technical climbs on every continent, and taken viewers to wild places dominated by rock, snow, ice and the elements.@jimmychin
James Michael Forrest
Looking for inspirational adventures that are a little closer to home? Try James Forrest, dubbed the UK’s ‘Mountain Man’ after he successfully climbed an impressive 1,001 mountains across Britain and Ireland from 2017 to 2019. The keen adventurer, hiker, trail runner and author’s Instagram feed is full of positivity, inspiration and some stunning photography, often showcasing his adopted home of the Lake District. @jamesmichaelforrest
Sarah Leighton | Fit For Adventure
Another UK-based adventurer, Sarah Leighton aka Fit For Adventure is a likeable Welsh backpacker, bikepacker and paddleboarder who loves a crazy challenge. By her own admission, she has basically no filter, which means her Instagram feed is honest, unpretentious and often, laugh-out-loud funny too. In short, she’s well worth a follow. @fitforadventure_
Quin Shrock | Ever Changing Horizon
An inspiration to vanlifers, dirtbags and dreamers everywhere, Quin Schrock is a solo outdoor adventure photographer based out of Southern California. Never happier than when he’s off the beaten track, he channels a childlike sense of wonder and freedom through his amazing compositions, capturing an intrepid human spirit engaging with diverse and remote natural landscapes. @everchanginghorizon
Sophie Storm Roberts | Challenge Sophie
Abandoning a career in tech to become an adventure endurance athlete, Sophie’s story is about unlocking potential and transformative growth. That might sound like the Ted Talk of a motivational guru, and indeed Sophie is a speaker and coach – but her journey is remarkable. With no prior athletic background, she completed a host of incredible global challenges. Her Instagram feed is all about "championing ordinary people to achieve their extraordinary." If you need a daily dose of motivation, this is the account to follow. @challengesophie
Ryan Lomas
A professional commercial photographer, Ryan has worked with some of the coolest and best-known outdoor lifestyle brands in the industry, from Berghaus to YETI. So, you’ve probably seen his work, even if you didn’t know it. But his personal Instagram feed focuses on natural beauty and adventure travel – with an eye for epic sunrises, awesome road trips, incredible views and spectacular wildlife. @ryan.lomas
Eilir Davies-Hughes
A freelance photographer as well as a surfer, mountaineer and all-round adventurer, Eilir Davies-Hughes can often be found hanging off a rope on one of the many crags in his native Snowdonia. If he’s not there, he might be winter camping in Scotland or surfing somewhere off the UK coast. With an eye for epic adventure pics, his Instagram feed is a carefully curated collection of outstanding ‘woah’ moments that always rack up the likes. @eilir30
Alastair Humphreys
We’ll round out this list with a WildBounds hero, the one and only Al Humphreys. A champion of accessible adventures, Al’s Instagram is all about injecting a little dose of adventure – big or small – into your daily life. The writer, podcaster, blogger and speaker has perhaps done more than anyone else to show that ‘living adventurously’ is achievable for everybody. @al_humphreys
Comments will be approved before showing up.
