Hiking Holly

Introducing Holly

Instagram: @holly.p.photography & @h0llypark1nson

ZK7 spoke to the incredibly friendly and ambitious explorer, Holly (25) who graduated in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography and now runs her own business, Holly Parkinson Photography. Holly shares her favourite travel experiences including, going to Camp America, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro and seeing the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights.

Which trip has been your favourite?

It is going to be a toss-up between Iceland, which I visited in 2016 or America, which I visited in 2018. They were completely different trips.

Iceland

I went to Iceland with school on a geography trip for about a week and I learnt so much. I did things like glacier walking, so we went up with ice picks and crampons. We also went to the Blue Lagoon and the geysers.

We literally camped out pretty much all night to see these Northern Lights because I kept on watching on my phone to see when I was most likely to see them. I was like I am not leaving Iceland if I have not seen them. So, I had my camera and tripod at the ready and yeah, I got to see them so that was amazing.

It was just a really different experience to what I had expereinced before.

United States of America

I have been to America a few times but the time I am referring to I did Camp America, where I went to an Armenian camp. I was about 18 or 19 at the time and the camp was up in the Catskill Mountains, upstate New York.

I was worked in the camp for two months and we got days off every week, where we could go and do various things.

After camp, I had an extra 30 days in America because I had a working visa. I ended up staying in a hotel for the first couple of nights because my mum is a travel agent and she was like ‘I want to make sure you’re safe.’ I was absolutely fine but my Mum was so worried about me.

I decided to travel with two friends which I had made at camp. Initially we had no idea where we were going to go. So we looked at the Greyhound bus routes and we ended up just doing a bit of everything, going round the East coast and staying in Airbnb’s along the way. It was a great experience.  

Would you recommend Camp America?

Yes, I would definitely recommend it!

This is just me thinking off the top of my head but I think it must have cost about a grand-ish for my flights there and back, plus all my camp food and accommodation. And you get paid by the camp when you are out there as well.

I think you can earn something like $600 - $2,000 USD but it literally depends on the camp and the time that you are there for. You’ll either break even, make something to take home or you’ll just think whatever I have left over is spending money for the travel time afterwards.

Would you go back to Camp America?

We absolutely loved it and I would have done it again but probably not now because I want to do other things on my own.

Do you have a favourite island?

I guess it would be Cyprus, as I lived there for three years as my Dad is in the RAF (Royal Air Force). I still remember we would finish school early because of the heat and go to the beach. It was brilliant! Also, I love swimming and the sea was hot all year round, so I absolutely loved it.

If I could go back, I would definitely go back to live there. It was just such a nice way of life and even on a weekend, my Mum would always just book hotels and stuff because it was so cheap as we lived out there already. 

What is the highest mountain you have climbed?

I have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which stands at 5,895 meters. That was a completely different type of trip but something which I am really proud of.

I have always wanted to do it and then the opportunity kind of fell into my hands.

It was my first year at university and then this charity, called ‘Dig Deep’ came in and said, ‘we want to raise money and that they were also hosting a trip to Kilimanjaro. You’ll have to pay for your own flights etc and you need to raise £2,900 each for our charity.’

So, I thought okay, this would be amazing and I had a friend who wanted to do it as well. Because we had also thought we could do it independently but I suppose to have that team moral would be great. So, we ended up doing it with the charity and we did not regret it.

It was amazing!

How would you describe your trip to Gambia?

Definitely the most humbling trip I’ve ever been on. A month away from social media and just allowing myself to fully disconnect from an online world to be present in the moment! No running water or electricity and a pit hole toilet meant that all my usual home comforts were stripped away but it made me appreciate other things in different ways. Such as learning about new cultures and how they do things (learning new skills).

What did you think of Tanzania?

I absolutely loved it!

If I had the money, I would have gone to Serengeti but it was still absolutely amazing to see the big five or whatever they call it. As I do photography, I had all of my camera equipment with me and had all of my different lenses and I was just completely in my element.

What influenced you to explore the outdoors?

I suppose my Dad in the sense of being sporty, as he used to do triathlons back in the day but then I think, I just like to push myself and you only have one life, so you may as well make the most of it.  

What are you favourite experiences with nature?

Cold-water swimming or just swimming in general. I think probably within the last year, I’ve done more cold-water swimming with and without wetsuits in lakes and lochs.

I have also done the North Coast 500 (Scotland) and I went in quite a few lochs then. I just like the water and making the most of what is around me and not being put off by the bad weather. I quite like to push myself and my capabilities in the outdoor elements.

What is the North Coast 500?

It is a road trip in Scotland. It’s on the North Coast and basically it is 500 miles long and you can do it East to West or West to East.

We decided to do it East to West in my Boyfriend’s camper van but before we started, we stopped off at the Isle of Aaron and the Forth. Then after we did the North Coast 500, we stayed on the Isle of Skye for a week, where we ran up and down Mount Ben Nevis, so that was another cool thing. We were away for just over three weeks.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start travelling?

I think start off with a friend or a close group of friends and maybe just plan a small trip for a few days and see if you like it. But make the most of that time. Immerse yourself in new cultures and try the cuisine.

Visit new places, go of the beaten track and make your own adventures.  

What does travel mean to you?

Travel for me is good for everything like even my mental wellbeing. It’s something I like to do at least once a year really. I guess travel is a goal, something to work towards, something to look forward to and another experience to be had. 

What is your happiest travel moment?

Definitely summiting Kilimanjaro. That was an amazing moment because that last kind of half an hour was such a slog, mentally and physically. It’s something I will never forget.

Something completely different, was going on a safari and seeing all the different animals. Being that close to nature, out in the open, as opposed to being in a zoo was amazing.

What does your ideal future entail?

I am hoping to go into international photojournalism in the future, so I can still travel and take photos.

What are you future travel ambitions?

Next travel plans is definitely a solo trip on the cards. Initially starting off with maybe a 3 day trip somewhere in Europe so it’s not too long of a period away and I’m still only within a few hours of home. More to test the waters and see what I think!

I’m also planning on doing the Tour Du Mont Blanc with my friend Freja next year, which is a 100 mile hike between France, Switzerland and Italy!

Instagram: @holly.p.photography & @h0llypark1nson