Your Adventure Maps - A Unique Race Souvenir

Nic Droste - Your Adventure Maps / 16.03.2022

"I've always loved maps. As a kid I would draw treasure maps for my brothers. So when I completed my first GODZone it seemed natural to draw myself a map to commemorate the event. What surprised me was that others saw my map and wanted one for themselves.

You may wonder why I chose a map to remember my adventure rather than a photograph? I wanted to create something that I could share with my friends and family to explain the epic nature of adventure racing. But I found that photos of my exhausted, mud-splattered body didn’t really communicate that what I’d done was hard, but life-affirming.

Instead, I chose to create a map, because I think there is something universal about maps. We use them to find our way, but they also tell a story. The way they are designed instantly communicates ideas about what you’re looking at. Think about how differently you might view a city streetmap, compared to a topographic map or world map.

Most adventure racers will understand the cold nights, the never-ending climbs and the sleep monsters you see while sleep deprived. But how do you share that with the uninitiated? I’ve found that tracing my journey across a map helps people to understand the extreme nature of the journey.

And it also helps me to cement the almost dream-like memories of the race. When I pull out my GODZone map, it brings back the memory of hiking over Mount Titiroa in the middle of the night and seeing team lights on the adjacent peaks and in the valley below. I love being able to show people where this happened.

I use a fantasy-inspired style because these maps are used to tell a story. They show our route yes, but they also show how EPIC the journey was! You navigated like the early explorers. You set out to achieve something incredible.

Your Adventure Maps was born out of a love for maps and a desire to share these journeys with those who may never venture beyond the edge of the city limits. But I continue to create for those people who have journeyed. Those who want to remember and celebrate the burning pain, the camaraderie and how you accomplished what was seemingly impossible.

You created your own story. Your Adventure Maps are here to commemorate that for you.

For more information visit: youradventuremaps.com