Ruairi O Neill: I had taken the road less travelled and it had made all the difference
Words: Ruaidhri Marshall
Meet Ruairi O Neill, an explorer and filmmaker with cinematic attention to detail and an unequivocal thirst for adventure. Ruairi has a descriptive way of showcasing his travels, but sometimes his photography alone tells the story of his extraordinary solo and partnered adventures in remote areas of Europe.
His perseverance in reaching remote arctic spots and humorous outlook on life, even in sticky situations, make for a great watch. Here is our interview with the adventure filmmaker.
“Standing on the inky dark sands of a non-descript beach on the southern coast of Iceland surrounded by tourists on family road trips and bus tours, and without sounding too self-satisfied, I knew in that moment, “I had taken the road less travelled and it had made all the difference”
Where are you from and how did you get into camping and general outdoor recreation?
Well I'm 25 and I live in Ireland and work as a freelance filmmaker. I always enjoyed hiking and outdoor activities from a young age but I only really got into hiking and cycling bigger distances and camping overnight in 2018. I felt needed to document and capture my experiences in the outdoors in the form of short films. My first bikepacking/bike touring trip was to Scotland in 2019, you could say I was basically hooked from that moment on.
Could you explain how your Icelandic adventure came to fruition, what was appealing to you to want to travel across Iceland with just you on your bike?
My Iceland trip was sorta a last-minute seat of your pants kinda operation. I'd read an article on bikepacking.com about a similar biking route that was described as a 9.5/10 in terms of difficulty and I was intrigued by the challenge. I found a good deal on flights and bought the airplane tickets about 6 days before I was due to leave. Then I had to frantically run around buying and borrowing all the gear I'd need for the trip, if I'm honest I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew the distance I had to cover and it seemed doable with regards to the time frame I'd given myself.
Positives and negatives to solo adventuring to remote areas?
I am always conflicted about solo travel vs travel with partners. I'd say the main advantages is the self-reliance it teaches you and ability to go at your own pace, although loneliness is inevitable when you’re travelling in vast landscapes. I’ll often find myself questioning If my experiences would be more vibrant and memorable if they were shared with other people but it's hard to tell.
What was the most uplifting moment on your travels so far?
Generally, the most uplifting moments usually come from overcoming adversity and recovering from low points on a trip so one of the best memories I can think of is going from struggling to carry my heavily laden bicycle over rocky terrain in heavy rain to get a fire lit in a cosy bothy and sharing a mysterious bottle of whisky with a fellow adventurer in the highlands.
Or finishing a 560km traverse of Icelandic interior standing on the inky dark sands of a non-descript beach on the southern coast of Iceland surrounded by tourists on family road trips and bus tours, and without sounding too self-satisfied, I knew in that moment, "I had taken the road less travelled and it had made all the difference".
I said, ‘’sunny beaches and cheap cocktails are looking pretty good right now’’ whilst you were having a hard time in your arctic adventure, what was within you that keeps you moving and motivated in such desolate scenarios?
Whenever I find myself in a challenging or dangerous situation on a trip, I usually zero in on a specific short-term goal or objective that I need to complete and once I get each one done, I move on to the next one. I try not to think about the bigger picture too much in the moment, because I think It would overwhelm me. This can work whether you are trying to find a sheltered spot to pitch a tent when the weather turns or maybe trying to repair a broken piece of equipment. It’s my way of taking big scary challenges and dividing them up into manageable chunks.
Most surreal landscape/experience?
I think the most surreal landscape I've seen would be the Aurora Borealis in the sky over a forest near Abisko in Sweden. I had met several tourists in the previous days who had travelled to Abisko specifically to see the Aurora but for me I was too concerned about getting to my first campsite to stop for too long to admire the view.
Describe Iceland in three words
Wild, desolate and otherworldly.
What gear in your camping inventory is the most underrated?
I've recently started bringing an inflatable pillow with me on trips and I've found it improves my sleep significantly. Getting good sleep is essential.
Could you give some advice to beginner explorers who want to progress into adventuring into more extreme environments?
My advice would be research, research, and more research. Read blogs or articles from other people who have done similar things and try to learn from their mistake.
You describe how satisfying it is to travel large distances powered solely by your own will, be it bike or snowshoe… what future adventures and/or locations do you have in store for us on your YouTube channel post-COVID?
I made several plans before COVID that are now on hold sadly, but COVID has given me the opportunity to train to walk much greater distances than I ever had before, and I've fallen in love with the simplicity of travelling on foot in a way that I’d never appreciated before, so I'm excited to discover new landscapes on foot. One of my longer-term goals is to travel through the Icelandic interior again but this time in winter on skis.
To follow and keep up to date on Ruairi’s latest adventures, subscribe to his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCALR-Ei7VGkuZtKVqUzMWww