The conversation was exciting.

I was literally on the edge of my seat for the entire evening, tales of their expeditions, their motivations, their fears, their highs, their lows, and the intricate details of how they summon their mental strength and will to carry on.

As someone who has been a huge fan of Sir Ranulph Fiennes for many a year, I was quite literally hanging off his every word and of course his biting wit.

We heard how he had dedicated 26 years to fulfilling the ambition of his first wife to find a lost city in the desert, how he’d lost a couple of fingers to frostbite and how he had always wanted to explore and will never cease in his adventures.

Olly Hicks talked about how he prepared himself for months of solitude as he rowed the Atlantic, making friends with a spade a la Tom Hanks in Castaway, and how he finds solace and enjoyment in his own company in the ‘near perfect’ surroundings of the ocean.

Kenton, who took an excitable shine to us both in the pre-talk reception and afterwards, spoke about how he rationalises his tendency towards climbing Everest or the Triple Crown with his family. He said the key to his mental strength whilst away was making sure that everyone knows why he wants to do what he does and that nothing is left unsaid or unfinished back home whilst he is away so he can concentrate on the task at hand.

Ben Fogle explained how he had caught the adventurer’s bug whilst taking part in a social experiment for TV relatively early in life and now focuses not on exploring as such but setting incredible challenges for himself and sets about completing these challenges in record speeds.

Once the talk had finished and the audience had had their questions answered, the VIPs and adventurers headed back into the private space for a couple more drams and to continue the conversation.

When GreatDrams.com asked Sir Ranulph Fiennes about his views on The Black Grouse and the parallels between their strength of character and that of the blend’s, he said:

“In order to continually challenge themselves and push themselves to the limit, adventurers require a certain blend of characteristics that sets them apart from everyone else.  This mirrors the unique blend  that gives The Black Grouse its distinctive character.

I am delighted to be part of this group of adventurers assembled by The Black Grouse to discuss and debate what components make up the unique character of those with a sense of adventure.

Kenton, Olly and Ben are all highly experienced and respected in their fields and I am excited to see what comes out of our discussions and pleased that the public have the opportunity to be part of these unique events too.”

I would like to thank The Spirits Business, The Black Grouse and our four incredible adventures for a fantastic night, truly inspiring and just goes to show that you really can do anything if you prepare yourself mentally and make sure you know what you want to achieve.