Explore every episode of the podcast Adventure Diaries: Exploration, Survival & Travel Stories
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Making Birdwatching Cool Again:— Beginner Birding, UK Wildlife & Nature With Georgia Barker
06 Nov 2025
01:06:19
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This week, Chris sits down with Georgia Barker, the voice and lens behind Nature with Georgia. From growing up on a goat farm in Essex to rafting below Victoria Falls and rediscovering the beauty of UK wildlife, Georgia’s story proves that adventure is often right outside your door.
She’s built a fast-growing community of bird lovers and everyday nature enthusiasts by sharing her honest learning journey — proof that you don’t need to be an expert to inspire others. Georgia’s mission is simple: to make birdwatching cool again and show that the wild is never far away.
What You’ll Learn
🕊️ How Georgia fell in love with birdwatching during a random day out at an RSPB reserve 📸 Why photography helped her slow down and reconnect with nature 🌍 What seven years of solo travel taught her about happiness and purpose 💡 The importance of accessibility and community in conservation 🎙️ How she’s using storytelling to change perceptions of British wildlife
Guest Bio
Georgia Barker is a wildlife photographer and creator from Essex, UK. Through her platform Nature with Georgia, she documents her journey into birdwatching and outdoor storytelling, encouraging people to reconnect with their local environment. She’s passionate about community nature walks, ethical photography, and making the outdoors welcoming for everyone.
Follow her work here: 📸 Instagram → @naturewithgeorgia
🎧 Watch & listen on all major platforms. Subscribe to Adventure Diaries for weekly conversations about exploration, conservation, and what drives people to seek the wild — near or far.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Walking the Andes, 14,000km from Patagonia to Venezuela with Ollie Treviso
16 Oct 2025
01:34:02
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Overview
From a Swansea estate to the peaks of Patagonia, Ollie Treviso became the first person to walk the entire length of the Andes — 14,000 kilometres across seven countries, taking 20 months of near-continuous motion. His story isn’t about records or ego, but about endurance, kindness, and rediscovering humanity step by step.
In this episode, Ollie speaks openly about losing direction in his twenties, leaving behind a job in insurance, and how walking became his therapy. He reflects on the extremes of the Andes — from the Salar de Uyuni’s white infinity to the Venezuelan jungle — and the strangers who saved him time and again. Through fractured bones, altitude sickness, and moments of despair, he found that the world is still full of good people and that adventure, at its heart, is about carrying on when no one is watching.
Chris and Ollie talk about how walking can heal mental health, the beauty of simplicity, and what modern life has lost in the rush for comfort. It’s an episode about grit, humility, and gratitude — a reminder that you don’t need to be special to do something extraordinary.
What You’ll Learn
💡 How a lost young man from Swansea became a global adventurer.
🧭 The unseen kindness and generosity of South America’s rural communities.
🗣️ Lessons in endurance, patience, and humility from 14,000km on foot.
🌍 Why walking can be a powerful tool for mental health and reflection.
🔥 How simplicity and gratitude can rebuild connection and purpose.
Resources
Follow Ollie’s future projects: coming soon via Adventure Diaries updates.
🎙️ If Ollie’s story moved you, Follow the show here . Each listen, rating, and share helps Adventure Diaries continue bringing real stories of endurance, kindness, and wild places to life.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
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What if your next adventure wasn’t just a hike—but a journey into ancient traditions, mountain culture, and deep human connection?
In this episode, I sit down with Gilbert Moukheiber—Lebanese adventurer, wilderness guide, and founder of 33 North—to explore one of the world’s most unexpected adventure destinations: Lebanon.
From snow-covered peaks to ancient shepherd migration routes, Gilbert reveals how Lebanon’s dramatic geography lets you ski in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean by afternoon.
We dive into the Boukaat Loubnan Trails, a 400km network winding through forgotten Roman temples, Phoenician trade routes, and remote shepherd communities. But this is far more than a trek—it’s a cultural expedition where you walk alongside shepherds, share their meals, and even help tend their goats.
Gilbert also shares his vision for sustainable, community-driven tourism through his Wilderness and Adventure Academy, which trains guides and outdoor lovers in safe, respectful adventure practices—protecting both nature and heritage.
What You’ll Learn:
How human-powered adventure helps preserve Lebanon’s culture and landscapes
The magic of transhumance: shepherds’ seasonal migrations through the mountains
Why Lebanon remains an underrated but world-class adventure destination
How adventure tourism uplifts and sustains remote mountain communities
Practical ways to explore Lebanon responsibly, beyond mass tourism
Expect campfire stories, fresh-baked bread, and unforgettable moments of connection—this one is a true hidden gem.
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Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Jeff Johns World Exploration in 48 Hours: A 'What Doesn't Suck' Guide To Adventure Travel
08 Feb 2024
00:50:08
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Jeff Johns once landed at an airport and genuinely had no idea what country he was in until the pilot announced it. That was deliberate. It's the philosophy behind everything he and his wife Anne have built with What Doesn't Suck — one of the most quietly brilliant adventure travel platforms on the internet.
Over a decade of 48-hour escapes from their Dubai base, Jeff and Anne filmed 25 episodes across the world on nothing but iPhone 7s — no tripods, no lights, no microphones. Just two people showing up somewhere new and figuring it out. The result was 15 million views and a blueprint for honest, high-quality travel storytelling. In this episode, Jeff reflects on what it truly takes to turn a life of wandering into meaningful content — and how to know when to put the camera down and just be there.
From being held at gunpoint in a Malaysian gambling den to getting detained by military police in Tajikistan, Jeff has navigated the kind of situations most travel bloggers carefully avoid mentioning. His advice on brand partnerships, audience trust, and the slow art of building something that actually lasts is as practical as it is refreshing.
What You'll Learn: • How Jeff and Anne built 15 million views on What Doesn't Suck using only iPhone 7s — and why they never outsourced the editing • The 48-hour weekend travel system they developed from Dubai: how to be at the Pyramids one week and in Tajikistan's Fan Mountains the next • What it actually feels like to be held at gunpoint in a Malaysian gambling den — and what Jeff learned from it • Why most sponsored content deals are a trap — and the Eastpak relationship that offset 50% of their six-month world trip • The single most important question any new content creator should ask themselves before posting anything • Why Jeff's memoir — Jet Lag Junkie — took over four years to write, and what two decades of unintentional expat life looks like when you finally put it on the page
JEFF JOHNS | Travel Filmmaker, Content Creator & Author Website: whatdoesntsuck.com YouTube: youtube.com/@WhatDoesntSuck Instagram: @whatdoesntsuck Facebook: facebook.com/whatdoesntsuck Book: Jet Lag Junkie: Unfiltered Tales of a Compulsive Wanderer (available now) Pay It Forward: All Hands and Hearts — disaster volunteer organisation operating worldwide allhandsandhearts.org
ABOUT JEFF JOHNS Jeff Johns is a travel filmmaker, documentary producer, and one half of the adventure travel platform What Doesn't Suck, which he built with his wife Anne Mugnier. Born and raised in Washington, DC, he spent a decade in Los Angeles studying visual journalism before living two years in Thailand, four years in Dubai, and eventually settling in the Netherlands with his family. He has produced content for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. His memoir, Jet Lag Junkie: Unfiltered Tales of a Compulsive Wanderer, chronicles two decades of unintentional expat life and global adventure.
Chapters 00:00 Jeff Johns & What Doesn't Suck — introduction 01:15 How it began: Dubai, a pinky promise & a trip to Thailand 02:33 Background: Washington DC, LA, Southeast Asia & life in Dubai 04:24 The 48-hour guide format & filming on iPhone 7s 08:38 Inspiration: Anthony Bourdain, The Layover & cultural perspective 12:55 Dicey moments: Malaysia gunpoint & Tajikistan military detention 15:36 TV career, life in the Netherlands & work-life balance 18:50 Bucket-list trips before settling down: Everest, Bolivia & Greenland 26:44 Pausing What Doesn't Suck — strategy, COVID & content quality 30:08 Advice for new adventure content creators 35:59 Brand partnerships: Eastpak, Hertz & what makes a good deal 40:19 The book: Jet Lag Junkie — two decades of travel on the page 43:28 Call to Adventure: go somewhere you know absolutely nothing about 45:22 Pay It Forward: All Hands and Hearts disaster volunteering
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Ray Zahab Beyond Limits: Conquering The Arctic, Deserts & Disease With A Smile
02 Feb 2024
00:46:33
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Ray Zahab was a pack-a-day smoker with no direction. Then his younger brother handed him a reason to go outside — and inside a decade he had run 7,500 kilometres across the Sahara Desert, broken the world record for the fastest unsupported trek to the South Pole, and launched a charity that takes teenagers on expeditions in some of the world's most remote corners, free of charge.
In this episode, Ray takes us from that first unlikely race — the Yukon Arctic Ultra, 100 miles in the frozen Canadian north, the first foot race he had ever entered, which he won — through to the philosophy he has built across 40 expeditions in places including the Gobi, Atacama, Death Valley and Baffin Island. He also speaks, with quiet defiance, about the incurable illness he was diagnosed with while in the middle of planning his next expedition — and why that only made him push harder.
Chapters
00:00 From pack-a-day smoker to ultra runner 01:21 Growing up on a horse farm — and how adventure found Ray 03:25 Winning the Yukon Arctic Ultra at his very first race 05:57 Running the Sahara — 7,500 km across Africa in 111 days 07:02 Expeditions over racing — why Ray stopped competing 08:27 Water crisis awareness and the Ryan's Well Foundation 09:12 Founding Impossible to Possible — free expeditions for young people 11:38 Youth expeditions: dinosaur digs in Utah and footprints in the Atacama 13:59 How young people join i2P — and Ray's role on every expedition 16:15 Gobi Desert solo — beauty, nomads and a random Korean explorer 17:33 Ranking his hardest expeditions: Atacama vs Gobi vs Death Valley 19:18 Planning an expedition — water, resupply and a year of preparation 20:56 Daily life on the Sahara — sleep, food and surviving the elements 22:38 South Pole 2009 — breaking the world record almost by accident 25:40 Team dynamics in the Arctic — and how to survive disagreements 26:54 Breaking through Arctic ice: two minutes in a subzero river 29:43 Mongolia: meeting a Korean explorer in the middle of nowhere 34:00 Baffin Island through chemotherapy — turning the throttle up 36:17 Living with an incurable diagnosis — maximum performance right now 37:52 You have one life: talk yourself into it, not out of it 38:44 Call to Adventure — Baffin Island, the Atacama, and your own backyard 41:08 Pay It Forward — getting young people into the outdoors 42:30 Where to find Ray Zahab
This is a conversation about what happens when you stop talking yourself out of things and start talking yourself into them.
What You'll Learn: • How Ray went from a horse farm in Canada to winning the Yukon Arctic Ultra — a 100-mile race in the frozen Canadian wilderness — as his very first foot race • Why running across the Sahara with Matt Damon's documentary crew led him to create Impossible to Possible, a charity giving teenagers free expeditions around the world • The moment he broke through Arctic ice and was swept into a subzero river current — and the piece of gear that saved his life • How to navigate Antarctica without GPS: using the sun's angle, shadow direction and prevailing wind to stay on course for 700 miles • What it is actually like to cross the Gobi Desert solo — and why Ray considers it one of the most culturally beautiful places he has ever been, not one of the hardest • How Ray continued leading expeditions through six months of chemotherapy, and why an incurable diagnosis made him raise the bar, not lower it
RAY ZAHAB | Explorer, Ultra Runner & Founder of Impossible to Possible Website: rayzahab.com Instagram: @rayzahab Charity: impossible2possible.com Guiding company: CAPEC1 [CHECK: verify CAPEC1 website/link] Royal Canadian Geographical Society: Explorer in Residence
ABOUT RAY ZAHAB Ray Zahab is a Canadian explorer and ultra-distance runner who transformed himself from a pack-a-day smoker into one of the world's leading expedition athletes. He is best known for co-running 7,500 kilometres across the Sahara Desert — documented in the Matt Damon-narrated film Running the Sahara — and for setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest unsupported trek to the South Pole. He has now completed 40 expeditions across the world's most extreme environments, from Death Valley to Baffin Island. In 2008 he founded Impossible to Possible (i2P), a non-profit that sends young people aged 16–21 on fully funded expeditions and links them live to 70,000 students in 14 countries.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Ben Weber's 700-Mile, 58-Day Subzero Journey to Geographic South Pole
25 Jan 2024
00:51:15
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Ben Weber had never skied when he decided he wanted to reach the South Pole. He had no sponsor, no house, and a neck injury that would grow more painful with every passing day on the ice. He put his entire savings into the attempt. On 13 January 2023, after 58 days and nearly 700 miles alone in Antarctica, he reached the Geographic South Pole — and raised £5,000 for Cancer Research UK along the way.
In this conversation, Ben traces the whole arc: from a corporate office in São Paulo where adventure felt like a forgotten childhood dream, through a north-south cycle and ski crossing of Canada at minus 53, to training on Baffin Island with polar legend Matty McNair and her daughter Sarah, and finally the solo ski from Hercules Inlet to the Pole. He speaks candidly about self-financing an expedition that cost £70,000, the separation from his wife after five months alone in a tent, losing his mother to cancer, and the moment a Twin Otter waggled its wings and left him utterly alone on the ice.
Chapters:
00:00 Ben Weber: from Orkney to São Paulo and back to his polar dream 01:38 Corporate life in Brazil and rediscovering the adventure dream 03:41 Learning to ski and crossing Canada from south to north 05:30 Polar training with Matty McNair and Sarah McNair-Landry on Baffin Island 07:54 Five months across Canada — frostbite, minus 53 and a marriage under pressure 09:03 Why the South Pole? Shackleton, Scott and a goal he had to reach 12:54 Self-financing the expedition — two years of saving and planning 16:07 The cost: £70,000, a sled from Svalbard and no house 18:35 Tom Hardy, Christopher Nolan and the case for a documentary 23:10 Stepping off the plane in Antarctica — and the Twin Otter's wing-wave goodbye 26:30 Navigating 700 miles by sun, shadow and wind 28:52 The compass injury that lasted 54 of 58 days 30:11 24-hour daylight, sleeping in a greenhouse tent at minus 30 35:03 Shockwaves through the ice and an albatross 700 miles from open water 39:03 The best moment — when the sun appeared in the south 41:35 Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Anton Bowring: a message before departure 44:08 Raising £5,000 for Cancer Research UK in memory of his mother 45:45 What 58 days alone in Antarctica taught him 46:53 Advice for anyone inspired to try something like this 49:04 Call to Adventure — cycle to the next city, use the seasons 50:34 Pay It Forward — Cancer Research UK 52:02 What's next: a full crossing of Antarctica 52:59 Where to find Ben
This is a story about what happens when you stop waiting for the right circumstances and start building towards the dream instead.
What You'll Learn: • How Ben went from never having skied to skiing 1,000 kilometres across Canada — at minus 53 — as training for an even harder polar push • What a solo South Pole expedition actually costs (spoiler: about £70,000, entirely self-funded) • How to navigate 700 miles across Antarctica using the sun's arc, wind direction and a waist-mounted compass — and why that compass injured him for 54 of his 58 days • What happens inside a tent at minus 30 when the Antarctic sun acts like a greenhouse — and why the inside temperature reached 20 degrees Celsius • The unexplained bird — what appeared to be an albatross, circling 700 miles from open water — and the underground shockwave that shifted the ice beneath his tent • Why the best moment of the entire expedition came not at the Pole but on the final push, when the sun appeared in the south for the first time and he realised he was at the bottom of the world
BEN WEBER | Polar Explorer & Adventurer Website: polarweber.com Cancer Research UK fundraiser: linked at polarweber.com Supported by: Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Anton Bowring [CHECK: verify Anton Bowring — possibly Anton Bowing of Transglobe Expedition Trust] Training mentors: Matty McNair and Sarah McNair-Landry, Iqaluit, Baffin Island Logistics: Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) Pay It Forward: Cancer Research UK
ABOUT BEN WEBER Ben Weber is a polar explorer originally from Orkney, Scotland, now based in Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands. After years working in Brazil, China and India, he retrained as a polar traveller from scratch — no skiing background, no climbing experience — and built systematically towards his childhood dream. In January 2023 he became one of a small number of people to solo ski from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole, covering approximately 700 miles in 58 days entirely unsupported, raising funds for Cancer Research UK in memory of his mother. He is planning a full solo crossing of Antarctica.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Tahir Shah:100 Days in Morocco & 16 Days In Pakistan Torture Prison
18 Jan 2024
01:03:11
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Tahir Shah has been held in a Pakistani torture prison, stripped naked and interrogated under floodlights for 16 consecutive nights, while people in the cells around him were killed. He got out by sinking his fingernails into a trainee interrogator's face. A few months later, he went to Afghanistan anyway, to carry on making his documentary.
He is also the man who moved his young family from the East End of London into a supposedly haunted Casablanca mansion in the middle of a shantytown — complete with djinn in the walls, a guardian who refused to open the door to the police, and an exorcist dealer in Meknès who threw in four extra exorcists for free.
This is a conversation about storytelling as survival, Morocco as addiction, and the profound wisdom of Wilfred Thesiger: "What is the point of a mobile phone, with which you may never be lost?"
Chapters
00:00 Tahir Shah, author and storyteller — welcome to Adventure Diaries 02:00 Childhood at Langton House — Baden-Powell, Idries Shah, and the human stew 07:00 The power of stories — writing, filmmaking, and son Timur's first book 16:00 Arrested in Pakistan — 16 days in a torture prison 22:00 The Afghanistan documentary — director shot, lessons learned 24:00 Why Morocco? An Afghan grandfather in Tangier and the move to Casablanca 31:00 Dar Khalifa — djinn, exorcisms, and 12,000 books 40:00 Writing The Caliph's House — Morocco from the inside out 46:00 Casablanca vs Marrakesh — why the commercial heart of Morocco is addictive 52:00 Getting lost — Wilfred Thesiger, smartphones, and the art of going off-map 57:30 Future projects — Living with Djinn and the Scheherazade Foundation 01:01:00 Call to Adventure, Pay It Forward, and where to find Tahir
What You'll Learn: • What 16 days inside a Pakistani torture prison actually looks, smells, and feels like and what real fear does to your body chemistry • Why Tahir's Afghan father recreated Afghanistan inside a Tunbridge Wells house, and how that eccentric childhood hardwired him as a storyteller • How he bought a 35-room haunted mansion in a Casablanca shantytown, hired 20 exorcists from Meknès, and ended up in possibly the original building the city was named after • Why Casablanca — with no tourists, no safety nets, and some of the most terrifying driving on earth — is more addictive than anywhere else he has ever lived • What Wilfred Thesiger said about mobile phones that Tahir cannot get out of his head • Why getting lost — not found — is the greatest adventure philosophy he knows
TAHIR SHAH | Author, Documentary Maker, Storyteller Website: tahirshah.com Instagram: @tahirshah999 Publisher: Secretum Mundi — secretum-mundi.com Book featured: The Caliph's House — available via tahirshah.com and major retailers Upcoming: Living with Djinn (sequel to The Caliph's House, in progress) Foundation: The Scheherazade Foundation — harnessing stories and folklore; empowering women and bridging cultures Pay It Forward: Each One Teach One — eotoindia.org — free education from street-level Delhi to university, on a single condition: one day, pay it forward to someone else
ABOUT TAHIR SHAH Born into an Anglo-Afghan family in 1966, Tahir Shah grew up in a Tunbridge Wells house that also happened to be Lord Baden-Powell's childhood home, filled with visiting Nobel laureates, old army colonels, and Sufi scholars. He has since made documentaries for National Geographic, the History Channel, and Channels 4 and 5; searched for the lost Inca city of Paititi in 16 weeks of dengue-soaked Peruvian jungle; survived imprisonment in Pakistan; and moved his family into a djinn-haunted Casablanca riad that may be the original La Casablanca. He is the author of more than fifty books and runs Secretum Mundi, his own publishing house.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Bruce Luyendyk: Wild Antarctic Expeditions & Discovering A Hidden 8th Continent
11 Jan 2024
01:17:10
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Bruce Luyendyk once watched the sun set over mountains buried beneath an ice sheet the size of a continent — a landscape so alien he says it is genuinely impossible to describe. He was six people in a world with no neighbours for hundreds of miles. He was also, somewhere beneath his feet, standing on the evidence of an entirely undiscovered continent.
He didn't know that yet. That would come later.
In 1989, Luyendyk led a geology team into Marie Byrd Land — one of the most notoriously violent corners of West Antarctica — to test a hypothesis about how New Zealand had broken away from Gondwana millions of years ago. What they found in those frozen peaks would eventually lead him to coin the term "Zealandia": a submerged continent roughly the size of India, hiding in plain sight beneath the South Pacific. He didn't write about any of it for 20 years. This is that story.
Mighty Bad Land is part expedition memoir, part scientific revelation, part honest account of what it costs to lead a small team in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth — where you can be pinned in a tent for six consecutive days while the canvas snaps like rifle shots, and where a warm, sunny afternoon is precisely when you need to be most afraid.
Chapters
00:00 Bruce Luyendyk & Antarctica — introduction 00:59 Why Antarctica? Shackleton, Gondwana & the New Zealand connection 04:23 Writing Mighty Bad Land — 10 years from field to page 06:20 First expedition goals: testing the Gondwana newspaper tear 09:04 First impressions: arriving on the ice 11:46 Into the deep field: survival school, ski drags & wilderness landing 14:39 Navigation near the pole: grid systems & inertial guidance 17:00 Fuel drops, logistics & the weight of leadership 21:24 Team dynamics, accidents & lessons from the Fosdick Mountains 25:43 Pinned down: six days inside a tent during Antarctic blizzards 35:30 Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds — stepping into frozen history 41:01 Coining "Zealandia" — the discovery of a hidden eighth continent 48:06 Ice sheets, Gondwana breakup & the deeper scientific findings 54:00 Ancient Antarctica: the fossil record, a tropical past & the ice sheet 59:39 Mount Luyendyk — a summit named in Antarctica 1:06:48 What readers should take away from Mighty Bad Land 1:08:13 Call to Adventure: find a wilderness and let yourself feel alone 1:09:54 Pay It Forward: World Wildlife Fund
What You'll Learn: • Why the most dangerous moment in Antarctica isn't the blizzard — it's the beautiful, sunny day when you let your guard down • How Bruce and his team detected hidden crevasses by reading shadows on the ice — and what a satellite photo years later showed they had unknowingly walked over • The fossil fern Glossopteris — how a single plant found with Scott's frozen expedition team proved that Gondwana existed • What "Zealandia" actually is, why Bruce coined the term, and why New Zealand's geologists ran with it decades later to stake a UN resource claim the size of India • How Antarctic ice sheets started retreating 7,000 years ago — 11,000 years after the Northern Hemisphere — and why that gap is still scientifically unexplained • What it felt like to step inside Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds, with his boots still set out and his private room intact, as if he'd simply stepped outside for a moment
BRUCE LUYENDYK | Geologist, Explorer & Author Website: bruceluyendyk.com Instagram: @bruceluyendyk LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bruceluyendyk Book: Mighty Bad Land: A Perilous Expedition to Antarctica Reveals Clues to an Eighth Continent (Permuted Press, 2023) — available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster Pay It Forward: World Wildlife Fund — wwf.org (UK: wwf.org.uk)
ABOUT BRUCE LUYENDYK Bruce Luyendyk is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Earth Science at the University of California Santa Barbara, elected Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He led multiple expeditions to Marie Byrd Land in West Antarctica beginning in 1989, during which he and his team found evidence of a far larger ancient ice sheet and made discoveries about the breakup of Gondwana. He coined the term "Zealandia" for the submerged continental mass underlying New Zealand. In 2016, the US Board on Geographic Names honoured him by naming a summit in Antarctica Mount Luyendyk. His memoir, Mighty Bad Land, was published by Permuted Press in 2023.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Ray Cash Care Mission: Navy SEAL Skills & CIA Strategies To Transform Your Life
04 Jan 2024
01:05:58
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Ray Cash Care grew up in Baltimore with his father murdered when he was 11, heading fast toward drugs, jail, and oblivion. At 17, he looked in the mirror, saw a reflection of everything he didn't want to become, and made one decision: join the Navy. He didn't just survive — he became a Navy SEAL, spent 14 years with the CIA, and built a career as one of the most sought-after performance coaches and motivational speakers in America.
This is a conversation about extreme self-reinvention. Ray doesn't deal in feel-good platitudes. He deals in what actually worked when everything was stacked against him — the discipline, the standing eight count, the four F-bombs — and why he believes the most dangerous thing you can do is tell yourself no before anyone else gets the chance.
Chapters 00:00 From Baltimore to BUD/S — what made Ray Cash Care join the Navy 03:01 How discipline took root — learning to listen instead of just hear 08:14 Finding your superpower — what dark places teach you 11:28 Discipline vs. motivation — the four F-bombs: Family, Fitness, Finances, Faith 14:09 Failure is an option — the standing eight count 17:01 Team player, trust, and the three battlefields of life 20:23 Mentors — Tim Grover, Wes Watson, and why you must invest in yourself 37:18 Family, roles, and raising the next generation 45:13 Coaching results — from 163 pounds lost to lives rebuilt 55:14 Navy to CIA — covert work and coming home 59:49 Call to Adventure — the self-reflection drill 01:01:18 Pay It Forward — DDS for Vets and service dogs for veterans
Adventure comes in many forms. Ray's is the daily war against the version of yourself that is choosing the easy path.
What You'll Learn: • Why Ray calls himself "the biggest quitter you've ever met" — and why that's entirely correct • The difference between failure and quitting, and why one is not just acceptable but required • What the "standing eight count" is, and why jumping straight back up after a knockdown makes you weaker, not stronger • How Ray moved from Navy SEAL to 14 years with the CIA — and what that transition actually looks like • Why discipline is internal and motivation is external, and what that distinction means in practice • The self-reflection drill Ray uses to help anyone identify and unlock their personal superpower • What happened when he met Tim Grover — the man who coached Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant — and what Grover said that changed everything
RAY CASH CARE | Navy SEAL Veteran, Performance Coach & Motivational Speaker Website: raycashcare.com Instagram: @raycashcare Courses: Q Course, Couples Course — details at raycashcare.com Pay It Forward: DDS for Vets — service dogs for veterans with PTSD (ddsvets.org)
ABOUT RAY CASH CARE Ray Cash Care grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was murdered when Ray was 11. By his mid-teens he was deep in drugs and heading toward jail — until a moment in front of the mirror changed the course of his life. He enlisted in the US Navy, became a Navy SEAL, and went on to serve 14 years with the CIA as a firearms instructor and security specialist, operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and beyond. After retiring from covert service, he built a coaching business rooted in the same disciplines that saved his own life — combining SEAL Team methodology with hard-won personal experience. He works primarily with men, couples, and young people aged 11–16. He competes in pushup contests and still refuses to lose.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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Terry Virts F-16 Fighter Pilot to NASA Astronaut & 200 Days in Space
28 Dec 2023
01:15:05
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Colonel Terry Virts has flown an F-16 over Iraq at night, laser-guiding bombs, with simulated MiG-29s on his tail and a wingman who nearly ran dry over enemy territory. He has sat in an Orion capsule on top of a rocket while a man with a red button could have blown him up. He has floated outside the International Space Station at five miles per second while watching the sun rise sixteen times a day — and nearly drowned inside his own helmet.
Two spaceflights. Three spacewalks. Commander of the ISS. 200 days in orbit. 300,000 photographs. And he learned to cut Italian women's hair before he was allowed to launch.
Chris sits down with Terry to go inside the life few humans have ever lived — from the single-seat, single-engine mentality of the F-16 cockpit to the profound silence of looking down at a border lit up in red at night and realising you're watching a war.
Chapters:
00:00 From fighter jets to the final frontier — who is Terry Virts? 01:33 F-16s, Korea, and the limits of human busyness 03:59 Low on fuel over Iraq — and a wingman who barely made it 05:49 A bird strike in Texas and 0.1 hours of flight time 07:52 The astronaut dream — applying when your classmates wouldn't 09:29 Sir Alex Ferguson at Harvard and a conversation about football 12:41 Shuttle vs. F-16 — Mach 2 to Mach 25 15:20 The STA — flying a Gulfstream like a space shuttle 18:00 Docking with the ISS and seeing Earth for the first time 20:12 The politics of the International Space Station 22:46 The view from space — borders, lights, and what wealth looks like from orbit 27:05 Squid boats and green fishing lights in the Andaman Sea 29:51 Daily life on the ISS — hair cuts, zero-gravity digestion and computer networks 36:28 Installing the Cupola — bats or moles? 44:15 Three spacewalks and nearly 20 hours outside 45:28 Seeing God's view of creation — between greasing the bolts 47:53 The water in the helmet and the near-drowning that changed spacewalking 50:01 Ammonia leak — when we thought the station was going to die 53:50 The Russians, the Duma and watching war from orbit 57:59 The future of space — Artemis, Starship and the road to Mars 01:04:40 One More Orbit — Guinness World Record and Hamish Harding 01:06:46 Books, Call to Adventure (sea kayaking in Alaska), and Pay It Forward
What You'll Learn: • What it actually feels like to pilot a space shuttle — why pulling the nose up during landing first makes you descend, and why your brain has to stay several steps ahead of the vehicle • The real story behind the ammonia leak that made NASA tell the crew the space station was going to die — and why it turned out to be a false alarm • What Terry saw from orbit over eastern Ukraine in January 2015 — red flashes in the dark — and what became of the cosmonaut who was standing beside him • Why the International Space Station is one of America's greatest foreign policy achievements, and how it passed Congress by a single vote • The night Luca Parmitano almost drowned in his spacesuit — and the snorkel system NASA installed in response that Terry put to the test on his second spacewalk • Why Terry believes the only path to Mars is a public-private partnership, what the real cost of SLS is per launch, and what Elon Musk's Starship lander has to do before humans walk on the Moon
TERRY VIRTS | NASA Astronaut, Author & Filmmaker Website: terryvirts.com Instagram: @astro_terry Twitter/X: @AstroTerry LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/terry-virts-146a5939 Books: How to Astronaut; View From Above (National Geographic); An Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet Pay It Forward: Guide Dogs for the Blind — documentary Pick of the Litter tells the story; guidedogs.org
ABOUT TERRY VIRTS Colonel Terry Virts (USAF, retired) is a former F-16 fighter pilot, test pilot and NASA astronaut. He piloted the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-130, where he installed the Cupola module and took his first photographs of Earth. He returned to the ISS on Expedition 42/43, commanding the station for 200 days, conducting three spacewalks totalling nearly 20 hours, and shooting approximately 300,000 photographs — many of which became the National Geographic book View From Above and the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet. After leaving NASA he co-directed the feature documentary One More Orbit, circumnavigating Earth over both poles in a Gulfstream jet and setting a Guinness World Record. He speaks and consults internationally on leadership, exploration and decision-making under pressure.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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Geoff Holt was 18 years old, working as a deckhand in the British Virgin Islands, about to become the youngest first mate on a charter yacht in the Caribbean. He ran down the beach at Cane Garden Bay, dived in, and hit a sandbar. In a single moment, he was paralysed from the chest down — a C5–6 spinal cord injury that would take away the use of his hands, his wrists, and everything below. The career he'd spent his teenage years building at sea was gone.
What followed is one of the most quietly extraordinary comeback stories in British sailing. Geoff didn't just return to the water — he became the first quadriplegic to sail solo around Great Britain, the first to cross the Atlantic unassisted, and the Yachtsman of the Year — a title previously held by names like Dame Ellen MacArthur, Sir Ben Ainslie, and Sir Francis Chichester. He returned his crossing finish to the exact bay where it all ended: Cane Garden Bay, 25 years later, as skipper of a two-million-pound yacht.
This is a conversation about sailing, paralysis, the strange grace of the open ocean — and what it actually takes to get back in the boat after you've lost everything.
Chapters
00:00 Paralysed at 18 — a sandbar in the British Virgin Islands 01:00 Who is Geoff Holt? Sailor, adventurer, founder of Wet Wheels 02:24 Growing up on the south coast — learning to sail at eight years old 04:46 Leaving school at 16 for the Mediterranean on a 60-foot ketch 07:09 Cane Garden Bay: the diving accident that changed everything 10:28 Getting back to life — retraining at Deloitte and meeting Elaine 13:17 First time back in a boat: 1991, a prototype dinghy and an uninvited BBC crew 15:30 Sailing around the Isle of Wight — the first post-injury challenge 17:43 Personal Everest: planning the solo circumnavigation of Great Britain 20:00 Day one capsize at the start line — face down for 30 seconds 22:23 Three weeks stuck in Aberystwyth — the Caledonian Canal decision 27:07 109 days, 51 harbours, and crossing the finish line 29:34 Impossible Dream — the fully wheelchair-accessible 60-foot catamaran 31:00 Crossing the Atlantic alone — 3,000 miles from the Canaries to the Caribbean 35:00 Yachtsman of the Year, the MBE, the Olympic torch, and the Deputy Lieutenancy 44:47 What is Wet Wheels — and why powerboating is the key to barrier-free boating 48:30 Building the fleet: from one boat in Portsmouth to eight around the UK 55:00 What's next: taking Wet Wheels anti-clockwise around Great Britain 57:00 Call to Adventure — get yourself near some blue space 58:00 Pay It Forward — Wet Wheels and the quiet joy of doing something good
What You'll Learn: • What a C5–6 spinal cord injury actually means — and the slow, private reckoning of a teenager who thought he was going to get better • How a chance phone call, a prototype dinghy and an uninvited BBC crew put him back on the water seven years after his accident • The moment on day one of the Round Britain Challenge when he nearly drowned at the start line in front of 300 people • Why sailing 109 days around Great Britain felt like a greater achievement than a solo Atlantic crossing — and the decision to cut through the Caledonian Canal rather than round Cape Wrath • How Wet Wheels went from one £200,000 catamaran part-mortgaged against his house to a fleet of eight boats taking 12,000 people a year on the water around the UK • Why every person who comes aboard Wet Wheels — even those who can't move their arms — gets the chance to drive it
GEOFF HOLT MBE | Sailor, Public Speaker & Founder of Wet Wheels Website: geoffholt.com Wet Wheels: wetwheels.org X (Twitter): @WetWheels Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire; Freeman of the City of London; Yachtsman of the Year; MBE for Services to Sailing, 2010
ABOUT GEOFF HOLT Geoff Holt grew up sailing on the south coast of England, left school at 16 to work on charter yachts in the Mediterranean, and by 18 had sailed the Atlantic three times. A diving accident at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, in 1984 left him paralysed from the chest down. After several years away from sailing, he returned in the early 1990s and went on to become the first quadriplegic to sail solo around Great Britain (2007) and the first to sail single-handed and unassisted across the Atlantic (2009). He was awarded an MBE for services to sailing in 2010 and named Yachtsman of the Year. He founded Wet Wheels in 2011 — a fleet of fully accessible power catamarans designed to take disabled people of all ages out on the water around the UK. His next voyage: taking Wet Wheels itself around Great Britain.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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Jan Bakker: 1,000 KM Trek Atop the World, Pamir Trail in Tajikistan
14 Dec 2023
00:48:44
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Somewhere in the Fann Mountains, Jan Bakker was surrounded by three shepherd dogs — alone, no escape route, thinking: if one of them goes for it, I'm finished. He'd arrived in trail runners on a 60-degree scree slope 300 metres below a high pass, with no grip and no backup. He made it out.
That's what it looks like to build a thousand-kilometre trail across one of the most remote mountain countries on Earth — one where maps were blank until he started walking them.
Jan Bakker is a Dutch guidebook author, expedition leader and trail pioneer based in Uganda. He wrote Trekking in Tajikistan for Cicerone Press and is currently building the Pamir Trail: a 1,000km long-distance hiking route across Tajikistan — from the Fann Mountains in the northwest to the Wakhan Corridor at 5,000 metres on the Afghan border. In this episode, Chris digs into what you'd actually be getting into if you went, and why you should probably start planning now.
What You'll Learn: • Why Tajikistan felt like a forbidden land on the map — and why a topographic map with nothing but mountains was enough to change Jan's life direction • What food, water and resupply actually look like on a route where villages don't have shops and you may be carrying seven days' provisions through 4,500-metre passes • The shepherd dogs of the Fann Mountains — and why they are a more realistic threat than snow leopards or bears • How to time the river crossings on a trail where the same ford that's passable at dawn is impassable by afternoon as glacier melt peaks • What the Wakhan Corridor looks like at the end of 1,000 kilometres and how you actually get back to Dushanbe from there • Jan's vision for linking the Pamir Trail to the Great Himalaya Trail — a continuous mountain corridor from Central Asia to Nepal
JAN BAKKER | Guidebook Author, Expedition Leader & Trail Pioneer Website: pamirtrail.org Instagram: @jb37north LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jan37north Guidebook: Trekking in Tajikistan — Cicerone Press (cicerone.co.uk) Platform: bookatrekking.com Pay It Forward: Women Rockin' Pamirs — womenrockinpamirs.org (supporting women to become hiking guides in the Pamirs)
ABOUT JAN BAKKER Jan Bakker is a Dutch expedition leader, outdoor tourism consultant and the author of Trekking in Tajikistan (Cicerone Press) — the definitive English-language guidebook to one of Central Asia's most remote mountain regions. Over the past several years he has been building the Pamir Trail: a 1,000km through-hiking route across Tajikistan, currently 85–90% mapped with the help of a small team of international volunteers. He lives in Uganda with his family, where he runs adventure tourism development projects, trains local hiking guides, and is developing a pioneer bush camp and trail network on Mount Kadam in eastern Uganda. He is also a co-owner of the Bookatrekking.com platform and writes for adventure travel publications.
Chapters 00:00 Introducing Jan Bakker — flat country, big mountains 02:08 Why Tajikistan? A forbidden land on the map 03:31 A topographic map that changed everything — 2009 05:40 First encounters — cycling in a country with no hiking maps 06:52 The guidebook, the e-visa and opening a country 08:36 Getting there — Turkish Airlines, Istanbul and a five-hour flight 09:08 The Pamir Trail — 1,000km, 51 stages and a project built by volunteers 12:10 The terrain — Fann Mountains versus Pamirs 13:32 Food, water and resupply on a route with no shops 16:22 Languages and cultures — Tajik, Russian, Pamirian dialects 17:58 60% walked, 40% mapped with help — how the trail gets built 19:03 River crossings, 4,500-metre passes and glacier sections 22:11 A 60-degree scree slope in trail runners — and the shepherd dogs 24:10 Wildlife — bears, wolves and snow leopards 25:22 Pack rafts, ropes and how to cross Tajik rivers safely 26:49 Kit list — crampons, down, trekking poles and brutal UV 28:16 Best season — June for the Fanns, July–September for the Pamirs 29:33 The Wakhan Corridor, the Vrang Pass and the road back to Dushanbe 31:05 Safety and the Afghan border question 33:06 Linking to the Great Himalaya Trail — a mountain corridor across Asia 35:38 How Jan ended up in Uganda — Margherita Peak and a call home from Beirut 36:59 Adventure Tourism Uganda — training guides and raising standards 38:29 Mount Kadam bush camp — building a pioneer trail in eastern Uganda 40:27 How to get involved with the Pamir Trail 42:21 Trail apps, Komoot and old-school topo maps 43:46 Call to Adventure: Uganda 46:22 Pay It Forward: Women Rockin' Pamirs
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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Sean Conway 105 Consecutive Ironman's & 3 World First Epic Expeditions
07 Dec 2023
01:04:58
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Sean Conway has a list of things he calls type three fun: miserable at the time, and still miserable twenty years later. That list includes swimming the length of Britain — 900 miles in 135 days — completing the world's longest self-supported triathlon at 4,200 miles, cycling 4,000 miles across Europe, and, most recently, completing 105 full iron-distance triathlons in 105 consecutive days. He needed 102 to break the world record. He did three more because he was feeling good-ish.
That last one covered 14,763 miles — longer than London to Sydney. He averaged around 14 hours of movement every single day for three and a half months, ate 8,000 calories a day with zero processed sugar, ditched his daily physio sessions in favour of an extra hour of sleep, and received a handwritten letter of encouragement signed "Willie" — which turned out to be Prince William.
This is a conversation about what it actually takes to do something nobody has ever done. Not just the physical side, but the ten pillars of endurance Sean has identified from a career of breaking records — and why fitness, it turns out, is the least important of them.
Chapters
00:00 World records at a glance — who is Sean Conway? 01:02 Swimming the length of Britain: 900 miles, 135 days 02:33 The world's longest triathlon: 4,200 miles, 85 days 04:15 Cycling across Europe: 3,980 miles, Portugal to Russia 05:11 105 Ironmans in 105 days — how the idea was born 09:56 Growing up in Zimbabwe and the monkey terrier mindset 10:46 From chasing money to chasing finish lines 12:39 Going in at the deep end — zero athletic background, no fear of failure 16:09 The ten pillars of endurance explained 17:35 Building the support crew: coach, physio, nutritionist, and crew 20:11 Recovery after 105 consecutive Ironmans 24:20 The sleep decision — ditching daily physio for an extra hour in bed 28:35 8,000 calories a day: the nutrition blueprint 30:35 Consistency and the 14-hour floor 41:57 Marginal gains and the downward spiral of fatigue 44:06 Teamwork, data trends, and a letter from Willie 50:20 The community that made it all worthwhile 52:27 What's next — and the True Venture Foundation 55:12 Call to Adventure: plan a week-long multi-day challenge 57:09 Pay It Forward: True Venture Foundation
What You'll Learn: • The ten pillars of endurance (planning, experience, fitness, health, nutrition, hydration, sleep, muscle management, motivation, community) — and why fitness is just one of them • Why Sean ditched daily physio around day 30 and traded it for sleep — and why that one decision was the biggest game-changer of the whole 105-day attempt • The exact nutrition strategy behind 8,000 calories a day: zero processed sugar, fat adaptation, full-fat cream by the pint, and why he regrets not eating more vegetables • How a 14-hour daily iron becomes sustainable — and why the marginal-gains principle means being an hour slower today puts you two hours behind by next week • The "monkey terrier" mindset: why Sean went from zero sport in his twenties to world record holder — and why chasing money has no finish line but sport always does • The community that grew up around the attempt — riders who came out 60 times, logging 100 miles per visit — and why community is the pillar Sean will remember most
SEAN CONWAY | Endurance Athlete, Speaker & Author Website: seanconway.com Instagram: @seanconwayadventure Amazon Prime: search Sean Conway (three documentaries available) Charity: True Venture Foundation — youth sport in North Wales trueventure.org.uk
Pay It Forward: Sean is actively raising funds for True Venture Foundation to give children in North Wales access to sport outside school. He is also looking to mentor a woman aiming to break the female consecutive iron-distance triathlon record — reach out via Instagram.
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In this raw and riveting episode of Adventure Diaries, I’m joined by expedition leader Chaz Powell—a man who walked into some of the most extreme wildernesses on Earth and returned with stories of survival, connection, and purpose. From dehydration in Zambia’s 50°C heat to being kidnapped in Mozambique, Chaz’s journey isn’t just about distance—it’s about transformation.
We cover his treks along Africa’s wildest rivers—the Zambezi, Gambia, and Mangoky—where he faced wild animals, dodged bandits, and survived by intuition, diplomacy, and grit. But this isn’t just a story about adventure. It’s about how walking saved his life, pulled him out of a troubled past, and became his way of giving back—to people, to rivers, and to the wild.
You’ll also hear about his off-grid plans in Scotland, reflections on fatherhood, bushcraft, and how a simple walk along the River Tay became a form of healing and tribute after losing his dad.
🎧 What You’ll Learn
IDEAS – How adventure can become a personal and societal turning point. INSIGHTS – What wild rivers teach us about life, growth, and human endurance. QUOTES – “Walking saved me. I’d just go—bag on back—and keep moving forward.” FACTS – The Zambezi River trek covered 3,000km over 137 days in 50°C heat. RECOMMENDATIONS – Walk your local river from source to sea. See what it teaches you.
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Niall McCann Wild Expeditions: 7 Continents, 30+ Adventures & National Park Rescue
30 Nov 2023
01:20:12
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What happens when a scientist decides that studying extinction isn't enough?
Dr Niall McCann is a biologist who left the safety of academia to stand on the front lines of the biodiversity crisis. From the thick jungles of Nepal to the vast ice caps of Greenland, Niall’s life has been a series of high-stakes encounters with the world’s most formidable creatures and the people who threaten them.
In this episode, we go inside the heart of an anti-poaching operation in Zimbabwe’s Chizarira National Park. Niall breaks down the "Sables" incentive model—a revolutionary way to fight poaching by investing directly in the health and education of local communities. We also dive into the terrifying reality of tracking armed poachers through the bush and what it’s really like to be charged by a tiger while perched in a tree that’s far too small for comfort.
Beyond the adrenaline, Niall shares the emotional weight of working alongside Sir David Attenborough and the sobering reality of losing 60% of the world’s wildlife in a single lifetime. This is a conversation about the practical, gritty reality of conservation: how to manage risk, how to outmaneuver professional criminals, and why the most powerful tool for saving elephants might actually be a brick house for a single mother.
What You'll Learn: * Why Cape Buffalo are the most dangerous animals to track in the African bush * The "Sables" model: How to use school fees as a weapon against poaching * What it's like to sleep with a rifle in your bed on the Greenland ice cap * Why 120,000 people a year die from snakebites in India and why it’s a hidden crisis
RESOURCES: Guest: Dr Niall McCann, Conservation Director Website: https://www.nationalparkrescue.org Socials: @NiallMcCann Charity Mentioned: https://www.millimetrestomountains.org
CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introducing Niall McCann 02:04 Growing up with Adventure — The McCann family legacy 07:25 Biologist vs Conservationist — Why Niall left academia 12:16 Giant Otters of the Amazon — A six-foot-long predator 14:53 Charged by a Tiger in Nepal — A narrow escape 22:33 The Deadly Snake Crisis in India — A public health emergency 31:30 Polar Bears and Arctic tripwires — Surviving Greenland 35:59 Surviving the Atlantic Ocean — 63 days at sea 46:15 Founding National Park Rescue — Saving Zimbabwe’s wilderness 52:23 Tracking Poachers in Zimbabwe — Spears and Cape Buffalo 01:00:42 The Sables Incentive Model — Investing in people to save wildlife 01:09:43 Working with David Attenborough — The titan of natural history 01:13:41 Call to Adventure — The Al Humphreys map challenge
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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ALONE Season 8 Winner: Surviving 74 Days On Grizzly Mountain with Clay Hayes
23 Nov 2023
01:22:03
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What does it take to survive 74 days alone in the British Columbia wilderness with nothing but 10 items and a traditional bow? Clay Hayes, winner of Alone Season 8, joins the show to discuss the transition from wildlife biologist to professional woodsman, and the psychological warfare of outlasting the competition on Grizzly Mountain. This is not just a story of hunting and foraging; it is a masterclass in stoic philosophy and the power of mental perspective.
In this episode, Clay recounts the harrowing reality of his encounters with predatory cougars and charging grizzly bears, and the pivotal moment he took down the mule deer that changed the course of his season. He breaks down the technical skill required for traditional archery and why he walked away from a 17-year career in wildlife biology to pursue a life of total freedom. We explore the "drop shock" of being left in the wild and the deep depression Clay faced around Day 50 that almost broke his resolve.
You will learn how Clay used the teachings of Seneca and Viktor Frankl to reframe his suffering and why he believes perception is the ultimate reality in survival. From the technicalities of building a smoker in the bush to the emotional flood of hearing his wife's voice after months of silence, Clay provides a raw and insightful look at what it truly means to be a master of the woods.
What You'll Learn:
How to reframe suffering using stoic philosophy in extreme environments
The technical difference between hunting with a traditional bow vs modern gear
How to handle a charging grizzly bear with only a can of bear spray
The reality of "drop shock" and the mental game of solo survival
Why land and habitat conservation is the most effective way to protect wildlife
GUEST/RESOURCES Clay Hayes: clayhayes.com YouTube: @ClayHayes Book: Alone: My Journey Conservation: Identify land and habitat conservation organisations
00:00 Introducing Clay Hayes 02:25 From Florida Ranches to Idaho Mountains — a life drawn to the woods 06:10 Life as a Wildlife Biologist — tackling elk from snow machines 09:38 The Call of the Traditional Bow — functional art and "My Side of the Mountain" 12:27 Leaving Security for Freedom — quitting the 9-to-5 for YouTube 15:38 The Selection Process for Alone — from 40,000 applicants to the final 10 26:20 Drop Shock and the Surreal Reality — "Holy shit, I'm the guy on the show" 31:11 Selecting the 10 Survival Items — the gamble of the gill net 36:15 Foraging and Starvation — living on rose hips and fireweed 38:37 The Defining Moment — the 25-yard shot that saved the season 52:52 Close Encounters — locking eyes with a cougar at 10 yards 58:27 Grizzly Charges — 100 yards to 20 feet in three seconds 01:07:42 The Mental Game — breaking through the Day 50 depression 01:12:21 Perception is Reality — setting an example for his sons 01:22:13 Call to Adventure — spend time on a stump alone 01:24:07 Paying it Forward — habitat conservation is the key
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STALKED: 3 Days With a Polar Bear - Ann Daniels
23 Nov 2023
01:03:23
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What happens when a single mother with zero outdoor experience decides to walk to the North Pole? Ann Daniels didn't just reach the pole; she became a world-record-breaking explorer and one of the few people to lead all-male teams through the most hostile environments on Earth. This is a story about northern grit, survival at -56°C, and the mental shift required to face down a predatory polar bear.
In this episode, Ann recounts the harrowing reality of the high Arctic—a dynamic, shifting landscape of open water and towering pressure ridges. She describes the brutal physical toll of pulling 100kg sledges and the heartbreaking moment a teammate had to be evacuated due to severe gangrene. Beyond the physical feat, Ann explains why she transitioned into polar science, working with NASA and the European Space Agency to document the vanishing ice.
You will hear the chilling details of being stalked for three days by a male polar bear and how that encounter changed Ann’s perspective on fear and spirituality. From the selection trials on Dartmoor to the political "bullshit" that cut her solo journey short, this conversation explores what it truly means to be "ordinary" and achieve the extraordinary.
What You'll Learn: * How to survive a three-day stalking encounter with a male polar bear * The minimalist kit required to survive 80 days on the moving Arctic ice * Why the Arctic is significantly more dangerous than the Antarctic landmass * How a single mother of triplets trained for the world's toughest selection process * The reality of collecting climate data for NASA in -50°C conditions
GUEST/RESOURCES Ann Daniels: anndaniels.com Instagram: @AnnDanielsGB Charity: SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity) Community: Explorers Connect (explorersconnect.com)
00:00 Introducing Ann Daniels 02:20 The Accidental Explorer — why an advert changed everything 04:30 Selection Trials on Dartmoor — from G.I. Jane to map reading 06:47 Crossing Antarctica — the first 60-day journey 08:03 Survival at Minus 56 Celsius — the brutal reality of frostbite 09:39 Logistics of the High Arctic — Twin Otters and sea ice 11:39 Life on Moving Ice — why the North Pole is a predator's playground 15:49 Precautions and Polar Bears — guns, spray, and perimeters 18:20 Minimalist Expedition Gear — eating with one spoon and snow wedges 30:00 Stalked by a Solo Predator — 72 hours with a polar bear 44:20 Scientific Research — why records don't matter as much as data 51:20 Working with NASA — the IceBridge program and infrared poos 55:30 Pulling Women Up — the legacy of female exploration 57:11 Call to Adventure — Explorers Connect and getting started 58:25 Paying it Forward — supporting SSAFA and the London Marathon
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
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He Walked 6,500km Along the Yangtze River — Ash Dykes
23 Nov 2023
01:33:24
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Somewhere in the Gobi Desert, Ash Dykes had stopped moving. His urine had turned black, his satellite phone told him rescue was six days away. He didn't believe he could survive six. The only option was to walk out — 100 metres at a time.
That moment came midway through Mission Mongolia — a solo, unsupported 1,500-mile traverse, the first time it had ever been done. Trained for in a back garden in Wales with a tractor tyre and £200 to his name. Mongolia was only the beginning.
What followed was 155 days in Madagascar — falciparum malaria one degree from a coma, held up at gunpoint, crocodile rivers, jungle. Then Mission Yangtze: 6,500km along the full length of the river, source to sea, filmed for National Geographic, 352 days. Three world firsts. From a fish and chip shop in Wales to parliament with Annie Lennox.
What You'll Learn: • The visualisation method Ash used in a back garden in Wales to prepare for grey wolves and Gobi Desert heat stroke • What falciparum malaria actually does to your body — and why Ash kept trekking while still on the medication • How a reckless press conference in Canary Wharf forced Mission Yangtze off the starting line • What it takes to get Chinese government permission to access the Yangtze source — including being made a doctor to do it • What Ash whispered to his mum at the Shanghai finish line
GUEST
Ash Dykes — Extreme Adventurer, Guinness World Record Holder, UK Adventurer of the Year, UK Ambassador for Tourism to Madagascar, Author
Website: ashdykes.com Instagram: @ashdykes_ Book: Mission Possible Show: Great Wall of China (in post-production — 6-part TV series) Charity: Malaria No More UK — malarianomoreuk.org Conservation: Lemur Conservation Network — lemurconservationnetwork.org
00:00 Why three world firsts started in a fish and chip shop in Wales 02:23 Growing up in Old Colwyn — sport, wanderlust, and no money 09:29 The $10 bikes in Vietnam that started everything 11:50 Fighting Muay Thai in Thailand — and what it had to do with Mongolia 14:10 Surviving with the Burmese hill tribes illegally in Myanmar 21:03 Planning Mission Mongolia solo and unsupported 23:24 Building a world record trailer with a tractor tyre 28:06 Visualisation — preparing for wolves and Gobi Desert heat stroke 32:53 Nearly dying of dehydration in the Gobi Desert 44:00 Why Madagascar — and the world first via the interior 52:47 Contracting falciparum malaria — one degree from a coma 01:01:00 Mission Yangtze — planning a 6,500km world first through Tibet 01:05:40 The press conference that forced Mission Yangtze off the line 01:12:42 Bears, wolves, and losing five team members before day one 01:21:09 The Shanghai finish line — what Ash whispered to his mum 01:27:14 Pay It Forward: Malaria No More UK
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Luisa Hendry: Scottish Geologist On How Volcanoes and Fault Lines Shaped Scotland
Louisa Hendry, aka The Scottish Geologist, joins me for a raw, funny, and unexpectedly mind-expanding chat about rocks, identity, tectonic plates, Instagram fame, and the untold beauty of Scotland’s ancient landscapes.
From her early days smashing stones on the beach in Largs to running geology tours across the Highlands, Louisa’s story is a brilliant mix of passion, science, humour, and community. We get into everything from the geology of Loch Lomond, granite vs. magma, ancient oceans, volcanoes, climate change, and how she’s built a wildly successful brand by being unapologetically herself.
Whether you think geology is dry or exciting..., this episode will open your eyes to the rocks beneath your feet—and make you think differently about stories they hold.
How Scotland’s rocks tell a billion-year-old story
Why volcanic eruptions and climate shifts go hand in hand
How geology helps explain the tech in your pocket
What Mount Everest’s summit reveals about the ancient ocean
The unexpected connection between social media, geology, and dogs
INSIGHTS
You don’t need a polished accent to educate and inspire
Geological time reframes how we view climate, resilience, and human impact
The best way to spark curiosity is to lead with honesty and humour
QUOTES
"You could walk your dog across 3-billion-year-old rocks and never know it." "Geology’s not just rocks. It’s climate, tech, history—it’s everything." "I’m just being me, talking about rocks. Turns out, people love that."
Episode Takeaway
Scotland’s landscapes aren’t just beautiful—they’re alive with stories, and Louisa is the guide we didn’t know we needed.
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Warrior Walker’s 24k Mile Journey: Paul Harris Walking Around The UK - (PART 2/2)
In this emotional and unfiltered episode of Adventure Diaries, we welcome back Paul Harris, aka The Warrior Walker, for Part Two of his astonishing journey: walking over 20,000 kilometers around the UK—twice. From sleeping in graveyards and castles to withstanding minus 16°C winters alone in the Highlands, Paul opens up about solitude, near-death moments, mental health, kindness from strangers, and the aftershock of completing an adventure of this scale.
🦌 Ever been stared down by a wild stag while sleeping under the stars?
🥾 What does walking 135km on 90 minutes of sleep really do to your body and mind?
💬 Why did people across the UK start calling Paul a brother, son, and friend—without ever knowing him?
In this conversation, we go deep into:
What You’ll Learn
IDEAS • How a solo walk turned into a national movement of kindness and reconnection. • Why adventure isn’t about the destination—it’s the coffee stops, the hugs, and the small talk. • The reality of post-expedition burnout and how to find purpose again.
INSIGHTS • You don’t need a plan, you need to start. • Community isn’t built on followers—it’s built on honest moments. • Letting go of baggage—literal and emotional—is freedom.
QUOTES
“The more you walk, the more you talk, the less you carry.”“One day, I won’t be able to hug these people or drink that coffee—so I just start walking.”
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Nina Watson: Amazon River Facts - Source, Ecosystem, & Wildlife (My School Project)
Today on Adventure Diaries, we welcome Nina Helen Watson—a bright, inquisitive young explorer who turned a school assignment into a beautifully told podcast on one of the world’s greatest rivers: the Amazon.
At almost ten years old, Nina guides us through the source of the Amazon near Mount Quehuisha in Peru, its astonishing biodiversity, and a few facts you may not believe—like how it once flowed in the opposite direction. She talks jaguars and giant otters, pink river dolphins and capybaras (her personal favorite), all while threading it together with the clarity and confidence of someone twice her age.
What starts as a geography lesson quickly unfolds into something bigger: a celebration of curiosity, family support, storytelling, and the way learning can become magical when it’s shared.
We talk about:
Where the Amazon River really begins—and how close it is to the Pacific
The complex ecosystems that sustain some of Earth’s rarest wildlife
How the river flows through nine countries and multiple indigenous cultures
Nina’s personal favorites: from capybaras to rain-soaked camping trips
Why local river cleanups matter—and how you can take part
Her ‘Call to Adventure’ is a gentle one: go camping, reconnect with nature, and bring good snacks. And her ‘Pay it Forward’ is equally grounded—help clean up a local river and notice what grows around it.
This episode is packed with joy, insight, and the reminder that wonder doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes, it sounds like a capybara pencil case and a story well told.
📚 Resources & Mentions
📍 Apacheta Valley & Mount Quehuisha, Peru – Source of the Amazon
🐬 Pink River Dolphin – A unique Amazonian species
🐊 Black Caiman – Apex predator of the Amazon
🐒 Capybara – The world’s largest rodent
🐍 Green Anaconda – One of the world’s biggest snakes
🧭 Francisco de Orellana – Spanish explorer who named the river
🌿 Indigenous river names like Riomar Tama
📖 Dork Diaries – Nina’s favourite book
🎬 The Lion King – Her favourite film
🌍 Local River Cleanup – Nina’s Pay it Forward suggestion
🏕️ Go Camping – Her Call to Adventure
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating, share it with a curious soul, or ask a young person what they love about nature. You might be surprised by the answer.
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Paul Harris: Warrior Walker’s 24k Mile Journey for Purpose, Peace & People - (PART 1/2)
Paul Harris: The Warrior Walker joins me for an unforgettable two-part conversation that begins in trauma and ends in transformation. A man who’s walked over 24,000 miles around the UK coastline—twice—Paul wasn’t chasing a record. He was trying to survive.
From his early years as a shy, lost kid to becoming a Royal Marine, then a private security contractor in Kabul, Paul’s life has veered from extreme danger to deep reflection. He’s witnessed war, grief, and collapse. But it was a moment of breakdown back home, in the wake of losing a dream life in Thailand, that led to a message from a friend: “You should walk around the UK and write a book about it.” Paul did more than that. With no plan, no tent, and just £300, he started walking. And never stopped.
In this episode, we go deep into:
Walking as a tool for mental recovery and reconnection
Life in Afghanistan: the beauty, the trauma, and the wild stories
How teaching kids in Thailand gave him more peace than war zones
The power of vulnerability and why Instagram became his support network
Finding purpose through simplicity, grief, and cold nights under the stars
Whether he was being watched by a wild stag in the middle of the night, dodging Taliban checkpoints, or sipping overpriced espresso in Kabul’s “Secret Garden” café—Paul’s story is one of radical honesty, resilience, and the healing magic of walking forward, one step at a time.
🌟 What You’ll Learn IDEAS: How walking becomes a metaphor for rebuilding a broken life INSIGHTS: Grief can be fuel. Walking can be a spiritual act. QUOTES: “Be careful what you say to yourself. The warrior within you is listening.” FACTS: Paul walked more than the circumference of the Earth—twice. RECOMMENDATIONS: Don’t wait. Just take the first step.
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Megan Hine: What the Wild Teaches Us About Life & leadership - From Expeditions to Adventure TV
29 May 2025
01:17:38
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What does it take to survive the extremes—not just of the wild, nature, but of pressure, fatigue, and the unpredictable?
In this episode, I sit down with Megan Hine, one of the most trusted survival consultants, expedition leaders, and adventure safety producers on the planet.
From guiding A-list celebrities across jungle gorges and desert canyons to building trust with tribes, cartels, and government fixers in far-flung corners of the world—Megan’s story is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and reading the wild.
We dig into Megan's roots—from muddy childhoods in Snowdonia to cycling the Malvern Hills, her ADHD diagnosis, and how early outdoor exposure lit a lifelong fire. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from Man vs. Wild, talks about the psychology of rigging fake-peril challenges, and explains how STOP and the Survival Rule of 3 can help you avoid panic and poor decisions in the wild—or modern life.
There’s grit, humour, and wisdom throughout this one. Whether you're leading a team or just need a push to step outdoors, Megan's stories might change how you view risk, trust, and what it means to truly be alive.
🧠 IDEAS • Why perception of risk often matters more than the actual danger • How wilderness lessons apply to leadership, TV, and life • The role of empathy and autonomy in high-stress team dynamics
🪖 INSIGHTS • “Luck opens the door, but graft keeps it open.” • Good fixers are the unsung heroes of global adventure filmmaking • Burnout isn’t just physical—it’s emotional backlog catching up once the mission ends
📚 REFERENCES • Land of the Long White Cloud (book): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39345619 • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien • Cliffhanger (film) • STOP Framework: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan • UK Scouting: https://www.scouts.org.uk • PSYCH Media Solutions (Megan's company): https://www.psychmediasolutions.com • Megan Hine Instagram: @megan_hine
🌍 FACTS • Megan once lowered a Jeep Wrangler on a single rope • She’s led safety for shows involving 400+ crew in remote terrain • Lyme disease, caught in the UK, changed her approach to adventure health
🎒 Episode Takeaway
You don’t need a passport or a plan—adventure begins the moment you step outside your front door
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Travel Deeply & Find Human Connections - With Gerhard Czerner
28 May 2025
00:05:56
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What if the heart of adventure isn’t in conquering landscapes, but in the friendships you forge along the way? In this episode, expedition cyclist and filmmaker Gerhard Czerner joins us to reflect on what it really means to travel deeply—where human connection becomes the compass and the journey is shared.
Gerhard’s pay-it-forward isn’t about a single organization. It’s about a philosophy: give something back. Whether it’s hiring local guides, teaching a skill, or sharing a story, his adventures are built on mutual exchange. “It’s not just about giving money,” he says. “It’s about giving ideas, time, and respect.” For Gerhard, this creates richer, more grounded travel—and often friendships that last years.
His call to adventure is refreshingly analog: go out for two days with no map, no GPS, no phone. Just your instincts. Just the land. Adventure, he reminds us, isn’t about distance—it’s about uncertainty. If you don’t know exactly what will happen, you’re already on your way.
Lesson: You don’t need to fly to the Karakoram to feel something stir. You just need to step away from routine. Strip back the plans. Make space for the unknown. As Gerhard puts it, “Adventure begins when you leave your habits behind.”
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Defend Yakutat Fishing Grounds In Alaska & Lifting Others As You Climb - With Erin Ranney
27 May 2025
00:06:38
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What happens when a bear sneaks up behind you—while you’re mid-squat in the Alaskan wilderness? For Erin Ranney, it's just another story from the field. In this episode RECAP, Erin—wildlife cinematographer, conservationist, and chicken-showing champion! —joins us for a conversation that blends humour, purpose, and awe for the natural world.
Erin’s pay-it-forward suggestions are deeply rooted in the landscapes and communities she works with. She champions two powerful causes in Alaska:
Defend Yakutat: A small nonprofit working to protect traditional fishing grounds in Yakutat, Alaska.
United Tribes of Bristol Bay: An Indigenous-led coalition fighting to preserve the vital ecosystems of Bristol Bay from threats like the proposed Pebble Mine.
Both organizations exemplify what Erin stands for—local voices, cultural stewardship, and protecting what’s irreplaceable.
For her call to adventure, Erin keeps it close to home: “Explore your backyard like you’ve never been there before.” Whether it's taking a visitor around your hometown or stepping onto a trail you’ve overlooked for years, there's wonder waiting. And chances are, you’ll see things differently when you’re showing someone else the ropes.
Big adventures don’t require big distances. Whether you’re hiking through old growth or showing a friend the trail for the first time, connection is the real journey. Add in Erin’s guiding mantra—lift as you climb—and it’s clear: exploration is better when it includes others.
Also, you’ll want to hear about her former life as a champion chicken show-er. Trust us.
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Boldness has Genuis In It - Be Bold Today! - With Justin Packshaw MBE
27 May 2025
00:08:38
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How do you balance big dreams with grounded impact? In this episode, polar explorer, army veteran, entrepreneur, and adventurer Justin Packshaw reminds us that change—both personal and planetary—begins with a bold step, a bit of discipline, and a deep belief in what’s possible.
Justin’s pay-it-forward is refreshingly broad yet deeply personal. First, he puts the spotlight on climate action, not by pointing fingers, but by urging everyday ownership. “There are 8 billion of us,” he says. “That collective effort has power.” His challenge? Start small. Turn off lights. Reduce waste. Be intentional. Then, he shifts to youth empowerment—encouraging us to invest time and energy into the next generation, especially those facing hardship. He champions the value of youth groups, life skills training, and mentorship as pathways out of tough circumstances and into purposeful futures.
His call to adventure is equally timeless: begin what you've been putting off. Learn the guitar. Take a flying lesson. Start a new project. He quotes Goethe:
“Whatever you believe you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it.”
Justin’s message isn’t about perfection—it’s about momentum. The magic comes after you start.
Push yourself into discomfort. Whether it’s a morning run, a creative pursuit, or a long-delayed dream, the formula is simple: discipline + effort = transformation. It’s not about overnight success. It’s about the quiet reward that comes with action, over and over again.
And remember, you don’t need permission. Most people are too busy thinking about themselves to dwell on your fears. So take the shot. Be bold.
Resources & Guest Themes:
Climate Action Tips:
Search “What can I do about climate change at home” for practical, low-cost steps
Focus on habits: recycling, energy use, water conservation, and transport
Youth Empowerment:
Support local youth groups, school programs, and mentorship initiatives
Consider charities like Walking With the Wounded, Help for Heroes, or local after-school programs
Justin’s Personal Motto:
“Discipline + Effort = I’m going to feel amazing” – a daily mindset learned through years of expeditions and army life
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Global Convoy: Overlanding Adventures in £75 Cars (Mishaps, Mayhem & Magic)
02 Oct 2025
01:22:32
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What happens when you try to drive the world in £75 cars and a big yellow school bus?
In this episode of The Adventure Diaries, Chris Watson is joined by Global Convoy founders Max White, Joel & Becca — the adventurous trio who turned a summer road trip idea into a worldwide overlanding community.
From rusty £75 bangers on Gumtree to a Pan-American Highway expedition in a converted US school bus, this episode dives into the chaos, charm, and community of traveling the world on a shoestring.
You’ll hear: ✨ The origin story of Global Convoy — how strangers became a family on the road. ✨ Why cheap cars = the best adventures. ✨ Mishaps, breakdowns & roadside repairs across Russia, Central Asia, and the Americas. ✨ Stories of kindness from locals in Uzbekistan, Japan, and South America. ✨ The epic Pan-American road trip in a big yellow school bus. ✨ How Global Convoy turned into a movement — and how you can join.
This isn’t just a travel story. It’s an adventure about community, resilience, and discovering magic in the unexpected.
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British Columbia's Juan de Fuca Trail & Helping Period Poverty - With Lauren Roerick
26 May 2025
00:05:02
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Adventure doesn’t always require plane tickets and summit selfies. Sometimes it starts with a ferry, a friend, and the commitment to pass on what you’ve learned. In this episode, adventurer, author, and advocate Lauren Roerick shares what happens when you stay local, go slow, and share the wild with someone new.
Lauren’s call to adventure isn’t about solo quests or exotic destinations. It’s about mentorship and proximity. When she took a friend on her first backpacking trip along British Columbia’s Juan de Fuca Trail, it became more than a hike—it was a lesson in resilience, gear, and joyful struggle. Sharing what you know, she reminds us, is one of the most powerful things you can do in the outdoors.
And when it comes to her pay-it-forward, Lauren speaks from the heart: Women’s health—especially issues like period poverty—are historically underfunded and misunderstood. Through regular donations to the BC Women’s Health Foundation and Canadian Women’s Health Foundation, and by supporting projects that deliver menstrual products to underserved communities, Lauren advocates for dignity, access, and equality—values that extend far beyond the trail.
Your adventure doesn’t need to be far. It needs to be shared. Look around. Invite someone in. And while you’re at it, consider the quiet, ongoing battles many face just to get outside—especially those affected by health inequality. As Lauren puts it, “Period poverty doesn’t just affect school and work—it can affect your ability to adventure, too.”
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Think Back To Your Childhood Adventures - With Deon Barrett
25 May 2025
00:02:01
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What if your next great adventure isn't out there waiting—but already inside you? In this recap episode, outdoor enthusiast and founder of the True North Project, Deon Barrett, joins us to remind us that adventure doesn’t need to be epic—it just needs to be honest.
Deon’s call to adventure is disarmingly simple: do the thing your heart’s already whispering about. We often ignore that nudge, especially when we don’t know the outcome. But as Deon puts it, “Most people toy with the idea—they just don’t act on it.” His advice? Think back to childhood. What did you love? Mountains, bikes, rivers, running in the woods? Chances are, those moments still hold the key to your joy.
You don’t need to summit Everest or cross continents to feel alive. Often, the boldest thing is choosing to follow what genuinely lights you up—even if it’s a walk, a climb, or a bike ride that reminds you of being ten years old. Don’t wait to be an expert. Don’t wait at all. And if you’re stuck? “Give Deon a buzz.”
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Bikepacking, Beach Fires & Giving Back Directly - With Tom Williams
24 May 2025
00:05:07
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What does it feel like to immersive in the landscape, to meet strangers with no barriers, to carry your home on your back and sleep under the stars? In this recap episode, adventurer and Desert Island Survival founder Tom Williams joins us to explore the raw intimacy of travel, from bike packing the Spanish coastlines to makeshift raft rides down the River Severn.
Tom’s passion isn’t just for castaway survival—though that’s his day job—it’s for microadventures that anyone can begin. He shares his love for wild kayaking trips, inflatable river journeys, and a recent first-time bike tour across Spain. These aren’t just travel stories. They’re invitations to reconnect with our senses, our surroundings, and the strangers we meet along the way.
And when it comes to giving back, Tom offers a deeply considered pay-it-forward: GiveDirectly (givedirectly.org), a nonprofit that sends money directly to people living in extreme poverty. No middlemen. No assumptions. Just trust in the agency of those who need it most. In Tom’s words: “They don’t lack motivation. They lack money.”
You don’t need to start with a grand escape. Begin with a weekend. Inflate a kayak. Ride your bike somewhere unknown. Share a meal with strangers. The more personal and low-to-the-ground the adventure, the more it opens you up. And as Tom puts it, “You smell the rosemary, you feel the landscape, and you can eat so much.”
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Your Life is the Adventure - With David Haze aka The Nomadic Paddler
23 May 2025
00:03:18
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What if adventure wasn’t something distant or dramatic—but something you could claim this Saturday? David Haze, known as The Nomadic Paddler, believes that adventure isn’t about the epic—it’s about the everyday. In this episode, he reminds us that you don’t need to cross oceans to find purpose. You just need to get out the door.
David’s own journey—from incarceration to becoming a world-record-holding paddleboarder—is steeped in transformation. But he’s quick to bring that idea down to earth. “Even a 5K walk can be an adventure,” he says. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and into something that reminds you you’re alive. Adventure, for David, is a way of living—not a destination.
His pay-it-forward is deeply personal. David is an ambassador for Dorset Mind, a mental health charity doing essential work in the community—particularly with men, who still face barriers in opening up. David speaks openly about his own mental health journey and how getting outdoors has been key to his recovery. This isn’t just about raising funds. It’s about raising awareness, starting conversations, and creating space for healing.
Stop waiting. That weekend you're vaguely thinking about? Make it this one. Reach out to a friend. Make a plan. Walk, paddle, cycle—whatever nudges you out of autopilot. Adventure doesn’t need to be big to be meaningful. As David puts it, “Through adventure, we live.”
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Find A Sacred Weekend & Commit - with Benedict Allen
23 May 2025
00:04:31
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What does it mean to truly explore—not just terrain, but trust, time, and human connection? In this episode, legendary explorer and storyteller Benedict Allen joins us to reflect on a life shaped not by conquest, but by curiosity and community.
Benedict doesn’t chase adventure for its own sake. He’s driven by a deeper impulse: to learn from others. From the remote communities of Papua New Guinea to the symbolic weight of the rhino in Namibia, Benedict’s stories remind us that exploration is most meaningful when it’s rooted in relationships. He speaks candidly about the people who saved his life, the places he hopes to return to, and the pressing need to honour both time and the natural world.
His pay-it-forward is twofold:
Environmental Justice Foundation – advocating for communities who live closely with nature but suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation.
Save the Rhino Trust – conserving one of Earth’s most iconic species and the habitats they anchor.
Benedict’s call to adventure is deceptively simple: blank out a weekend in your diary. Make it sacred. Tell others about it. Then do something—anything—that takes you outdoors and into a sense of aliveness. It might be the highest hill near home, a search for a bird you've never seen, or just a quiet walk. What matters is that you go, because that time won't come around again.
As Benedict says, “Time just goes by.” Adventure isn’t a grand expedition—it’s a decision. And the best way to keep the flame lit is to act now.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Supporting Ugandan Street Kids & STOP Waiting For Adventure - Alice Morrison
19 May 2025
00:05:09
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In this conversation, we journey with Alice Morrison—broadcaster, adventurer, and storyteller—as she reflects on what it means to begin, to belong, and to believe in something greater than yourself.
Alice's pay-it-forward takes us to Uganda, where her heart remains deeply rooted. Through the charity S.A.L.V.E. International, she supports street children—some as young as six—helping them escape lives of addiction, exploitation, and survival. For £30 a month, a child is not just educated but given a future. As Alice shares, this isn’t charity at a distance—she’s met the boy she helped through school. He’s now a mechanic. He’s got a chance. And in Alice’s eyes, that’s what matters: that help actually reaches the hands it was meant for.
Her call to adventure is equally grounded and urgent: stop waiting. Whatever’s been quietly calling you—Snowdon, a parkrun, a solo cycle—say yes to it now. Not when you’re thinner, fitter, or richer. Now. “You are good enough to do it now,” she says, with the kind of conviction that comes from having done exactly that, again and again. And she's right. Most of us already know what our next step is. We just need to take it.
Along the way, Alice teases her upcoming BBC series Arabian Adventures: Secrets of the Nabateans, airing this June. Expect camels, ancient secrets, and Alice’s trademark honesty.
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Arctic Cowboy Mark Agnew on Healing, Hiking & Making Adventure Accessible
18 May 2025
00:05:48
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In this recap episode, we meet Mark Agnew—Arctic rower, endurance adventurer, and advocate for mental health through nature. Mark takes us behind the oars of his record-breaking journey through the Northwest Passage, sharing what brought him there, what nearly broke him, and what continues to carry him forward.
As we reach the close of our conversation, Mark offers a powerful pay-it-forward: the Wilderness Foundation UK. It's a charity that creates structured, thoughtful access to the outdoors for people who’ve never had the chance—often with life-changing impact. Mark’s own recovery from deep personal struggle was shaped by nature, and this foundation echoes that belief: that green spaces can bring us back to ourselves.
Then comes the call to adventure—and it's a beautifully down-to-earth one. Whether it's the Pentlands, the Peak District, or the North Downs, Mark urges us to just begin. No perfect gear. No epic itinerary. Just go. A short walk. A few hours. A moment to reconnect. Because adventure doesn’t start with a summit—it starts with a step.
We also talk gear myths, London escapes, and the quiet resilience of starting small. And Mark leaves us with a teaser for his upcoming book There Will Be Headwinds—a blend of polar grit and inner reckoning, due out June 2025.
Book: There Will Be Headwinds (Icon Books, June 2025)
Whether you're planning an Arctic expedition or a Sunday walk in your local hills, this one’s a reminder that the wild—near or far—has room for us all.
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Running Panda Adventures - With Valerie Gagne
17 May 2025
00:04:37
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In this gentle close to our episode, I sit down with Valerie Gagné, better known as The Running Panda, to reflect on what it means to find adventure close to home and give back to the communities that shape us.
For Valerie, the pay-it-forward moment is clear: Impossible2Possible. It’s an organisation that helped open her eyes to what she was capable of and one she continues to champion. Through youth expeditions and immersive classroom connections, it sparks curiosity and courage far beyond the trails. Not everyone needs to go on an expedition, she says. But everyone can be inspired.
Her call to adventure? It doesn’t require a passport or a faraway summit. Just step outside. The local trail. The hill you pass each day. A new path through your own backyard. These are the places, she reminds us, where confidence is built and joy is found. Not just once, but again and again, in the rhythm of weekends and moments made.
From micro-missions to bigger dreams like her own journey along the eye of Quebec, Valerie’s message is clear: you don’t need to go far to go deep.
Follow her and Panda (the dog, not the metaphor) as they explore, inspire, and remind us all to keep moving.
Call to Adventure: Take a backyard adventure. One trail, one day, one small plan. Let it be enough. And then do it again next weekend.
Final Thought: Adventure isn’t a destination. It’s a practice. And sometimes, the most important journey is the one that begins just beyond your doorstep.
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Tropical Rainforest Expeditions with Anders Andersen - The Wild Tales
16 May 2025
00:06:33
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In this vivid close to our conversation, explorer and wilderness guide Anders Anderson shares a heartfelt call to adventure – one that goes beyond thrill-seeking and into the soul of the rainforest.
Anders urges listeners to travel with intention: to seek out the deep, breathing jungles of the world – from South America to West Africa to Indonesia – and meet the people who live there. Not through staged tours or quick snapshots, but by immersing oneself in the land, in its rhythms, and in the wisdom of its guardians. “Pull the plug,” he says. Step away from the noise. And in doing so, discover not only nature but your place within it.
He offers a pay-it-forward initiative rooted in presence: support indigenous communities by showing up, by learning, and by carrying their stories outward. It’s a form of solidarity that goes hand in hand with wild travel.
We also get a glimpse into Anders’ next expeditions – untrodden paths in the Pakaraima Mountains, the Acaraí Range, and the enigmatic New River Triangle. These aren’t just geographic journeys; they’re quests for lost petroglyphs, ancient stories, and the raw, unfiltered pulse of Earth’s last wild places.
Connect with Anders Anderson & Wild Tales:
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok: Search "The Wild Tales Guyana"
TripAdvisor: Read first-hand accounts from past expeditioners
Newsletter: Sign up for updates on upcoming survival courses and once-in-a-lifetime adventures into South America’s remotest corners
Call to Adventure: Visit a tropical rainforest. Not just as a traveler, but as a listener and a witness. Go beyond the guidebooks. Find the communities. Hear their stories. Support their stewardship of the living wild.
Final Thought: As Anders says, if you go with an open heart, the rainforest will change the way you see nature – forever.
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Mitch Hutchcraft on Redefining Adventure and Giving Back
15 May 2025
00:03:43
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In this RECAP EPISODE, I sit down with former Royal Marine and adventurer Mitch Hutchcraft before he completed what's been dubbed the "world's longest triathlon." Over 240 days, Mitch swam the English Channel, cycled nearly 12,000 km across 19 countries, ran 900 km to Kathmandu, and trekked 365 km to Everest Base Camp before summiting Mount Everest.
But beyond the physical feats, Mitch's journey—Project Limitless—was about challenging perceptions of adventure and making a tangible impact. He undertook this expedition to raise funds for SAVSIM, a charity supporting veterans' mental health and wildlife conservation.
In our conversation, Mitch shares his Call to Adventure: encouraging listeners to find challenges that push them slightly out of their comfort zones. Whether it's wild camping in a nearby national park or taking a cold plunge in a local lake, adventure is a state of mind.
For his Pay It Forward, Mitch emphasizes the importance of aligning with causes close to one's heart. He advocates for dedicating time and resources to organizations that resonate personally, highlighting the profound impact of collective effort.
📍 Topics Covered:
The conception and execution of Project Limitless
Redefining adventure as a personal and accessible pursuit
The intersection of physical challenges and mental health
The mission and work of SAVSIM
Encouraging community involvement and support for meaningful causes
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Fitz Cahall: States of Adventures & Finding Yourself By Getting Lost
18 Sep 2025
01:26:02
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Fitz Cahall—founder of The Dirtbag Diaries and co-founder of Duct Tape Then Beer—joins me to trace a life built around curiosity, craft, and the wild. We get into the nomadic childhood that pushed him outdoors, the dog-mauling that forged resilience, discovering climbing in Seattle, and the early podcasting leap that turned unsold magazine stories into a movement. We talk States of Adventure (DK), how to choose stories that reflect a lifetime outdoors, making inclusive adventure culture, and the 50-day Sierra traverse with Becca that reset his compass. We also explore creative stamina, running a mission-driven studio, and building family identity through shared time outside—plus Alex Honnold, Climbing Gold, and where audio can still surprise us.
What you’ll learn
How childhood instability became a foundation for autonomy, authenticity, and adventure
The moment podcasting “clicked” and scaled from 30 friends to thousands overnight
Anatomy of States of Adventure: selecting 30 stories that mirror a life lived outside
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Matt Pycroft on Everyday Adventure, Wadi Rum & The Right To Roam
14 May 2025
00:09:53
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In this RECAP EPISOE (listen to the full episode here) , filmmaker and expedition leader Matt Pycroft shares two closing reflections that land like calls to both action and awareness. The first—a Call to Adventure—challenges how we define the word “adventure” itself.
Matt offers a twofold prompt: shift your mindset, and shift your map. You don’t need a plane ticket or a passport to have a meaningful experience in the wild. Start by walking somewhere familiar, but notice it differently—what are five things you’ve never seen before? What does it smell like now, and what might it feel like in six months’ time? That’s adventure, too.
And then, for something a bit bolder: visit Wadi Rum, Jordan’s desert jewel. Sandstone peaks, Bedouin guides, and remote starlit bivvies—this is the backdrop of Lawrence of Arabia and Dune, and it’s accessible, affordable, and unforgettable.
For his Pay It Forward, Matt names two causes close to his heart:
1% for the Planet – A movement built around giving back. Members commit 1% of income to environmental causes, connecting everyday people and businesses to vetted charities. Matt’s own team partners with Moors for the Future, supporting local conservation in the UK.
The Right to Roam Campaign – A sharp, necessary conversation about land access in England and Wales. Matt advocates for civil trespass as a political act, inspired by Nick Hayes’ Book of Trespass. In Scotland, the right to roam is enshrined. Elsewhere in the UK, it’s not. If that surprises you, it should.
📍 Topics in this episode:
Redefining adventure through awareness and mindset
Wadi Rum travel guide and cultural insight
Ethical travel, conservation, and supporting local guides
🎧 Subscribe to Adventure Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch more conversations like this—where adventure meets reflection, and where action begins with awareness.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Oli France On Backyard Adventures, Local Impact & Living on the Wild Edge
13 May 2025
00:04:16
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In this closing chapter of our conversation on SEASON 3 Episode 1 (LISTEN TO FULL EPISODE HERE) I ask expedition leader Oli France to leave us with two things: a Call to Adventure and a Pay It Forward—traditions we close every episode with on Adventure Diaries.
Oli’s call? A challenge rooted in simplicity and discovery. Start where you are—literally. Find the lowest and highest points in your county, town, or landscape... and travel between them. On foot, by bike, whatever works. This micro-expedition, as Oli puts it, is about connecting with your own backyard in a new way. And if you do it—tag him. He wants to hear your story.
Then, we shift to a deeper current that’s run through much of Oli’s work: the power of traveling consciously. As someone who’s guided expeditions across continents, he shares the impact of choosing local—booking local guides, staying in community-run guesthouses, supporting small operators and underrepresented economies in remote regions. The message is clear: the way we spend our money while exploring the world matters. Great adventures can—and should—create meaningful impact.
We also talk about his company, Wild Edge, which runs challenging, immersive expeditions across some of the world’s wildest terrain. If you’re craving something beyond the usual, his trips might just be the push you need.
📍 Topics in this episode:
Backyard micro-adventures
Adventure travel and conscious tourism
Supporting local communities on expedition
How to plan meaningful, off-the-beaten-track trips
Oli’s own adventures and reflections from the field
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Season 4 Is Coming: New Voices, Wilder Stories, and a People's Choice Award
11 May 2025
00:06:53
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It’s been a couple of months since season 3 ended—but we’re back. Season Three wrapped on March 20th, and now, hot on its heels, Season Four arrives May 29th, carrying with it 15 new stories that reach across landscapes, cultures, and the human spirit.
We kick off with Megan Hine—wilderness guide, survivalist, and creative force behind some of TV’s biggest adventure shows. It’s a conversation that pulls back the curtain on life behind the lens and deep in the wild: the thrill, the risk, the burnout, and the resilience required to come back stronger. We even get into the art of pitching to networks—something rarely spoken about.
Then, on June 5th, we welcome Paul Harris—also known the the Warrior Walker. Paul has circled the UK not once but twice on foot. This is a longer-than-usual episode because, frankly, we needed the time. We talk grief, grit, and the raw beauty of connecting with people and place one step at a time.
And beyond that? Well, we’ve got some real crackers on the way: Scottish geology, the wildest rivers on the planet, the Boukkaat Loubnan Trails of Lebanon, the Arctic Wilds of Finland, walking and cycling the world, lynx tracking, wildlife photography, and a few surprises I’ll keep under wraps for now.
Also, some big news: Adventure Diaries has won the People’s Choice Award for Best Outdoor Podcast at the Outdoor Media Summit. That’s all thanks to you. Whether you voted, listened, shared, or just kept the spirit of adventure alive—this one’s for us all. As promised, I’ll be donating $1 per vote to the Blue Cross to help animals in need.
Looking ahead, I’m also working behind the scenes on a new thread of solo episodes—documentary-style stories, deep dives into the natural world, and explorations of the themes that keep me up at night (in a good way). These won’t replace interviews—they’ll sit alongside them.
And here’s where you come in. What topics are calling you? What stories do you want to hear? Drop a line to contact@adventurediaries.com or send a DM on Instagram. For every message, $1 goes to the Blue Cross.
Thanks again for walking this path with me. Season Four begins May 29th. Megan Hine, then Paul Harris, then 13 more journeys. Follow on Spotify or Apple, share it with a pal, and let’s keep the wild stories rolling.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Gerhard Czerner: Mountain Biking Down Kilimanjaro & Crossing Glaciers of the Karakoram
20 Mar 2025
00:57:33
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Gerhard Czerner: Biking Down Kilimanjaro and Across the Glaciers of the Karakoram
In this extraordinary episode of Adventure Diaries, we meet Gerhard Czerner—mountain biker, climber, and master of taking two wheels where no trail exists. Gerhard has redefined what’s possible in adventure travel, combining a childhood love for biking with a fearless passion for mountaineering. From the icy peaks of the Karakoram to the volcanic slopes of Kilimanjaro, he carries not just his gear—but powerful stories of human connection, resilience, and the wild joy of doing something no one else has dared to try.
Gerhard shares the inside story of his expedition to Pakistan’s legendary Karakoram range, where he carried his mountain bike across shifting glaciers, icy scree, and towering passes with over 22 kilograms on his back. The terrain was brutal, unpredictable, and often completely unrideable. But what he found—aside from a few precious ice highways to ride—was something far greater: deep friendships with local porters, cultural exchange, and surreal moments like fixing a jeep’s broken brakes with cow milk.
We also dive into the incredible tale of Gerhard’s descent of Mount Kilimanjaro—after securing the first-ever official permit to ride down Africa’s highest peak. Alongside biking legends Hans Rey and Danny MacAskill, Gerhard pushed through sleepless nights, high-altitude training (including a tent in his bedroom!), and a 1,000-meter gravel climb to the summit. What followed was one of the most exhilarating descents on Earth—5,000 vertical meters from glacier to jungle.
But these stories go far beyond terrain and altitude. Gerhard’s adventures are driven by a belief that bikes are bridges—connecting people across language and culture, bringing joy to remote communities, and leaving lasting impacts. Whether it’s teaching porters in Pakistan how to ride, or helping a local agency launch bike tourism in Tanzania, Gerhard’s legacy is one of storytelling, generosity, and bold curiosity.
This episode is a celebration of what happens when you follow your passion, carry your bike into the unknown, and embrace the adventure waiting on the other side.
Watch, listen, and be inspired to carry your own adventure forward.
🎧 For more episodes, visit adventurediaries.com/podcast 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: Adventure Diaries YouTube
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Erin Ranney: Filming The Matriarchs of the Animal Kingdom (Wildlife Stories through the lens)
13 Mar 2025
00:41:47
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Filming Bears, Deep Seas & the Matriarchs of the Wild 🎙️ Adventure Diaries Podcast
From grizzly bear close calls in Alaska to exploring 4,000 meters below the sea, wildlife cinematographer Erin Ranney takes us deep into some of the wildest places on Earth.
Erin has filmed for National Geographic, Disney, BBC, IMAX, and was part of the groundbreaking all-female production team behind Queens, a visually stunning documentary that redefined how we tell stories about animal leadership—through the lens of matriarchal power.
A third-generation fisherwoman from Bristol Bay, Alaska—home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon run—Erin shares how growing up between forests and fisheries gave her a lifelong connection to nature, a strong work ethic, and a deep respect for wildlife.
We talk about:
💥 Her funniest bear encounter (mid-bathroom break in Katmai!)
🐾 Filming adolescent grizzlies and why they’re the real troublemakers
🎓 Switching from veterinary science to ecology thanks to a fly-fishing class
🎥 Getting hooked on photography in Madagascar with a Costco camera
🛥️ Exploring the deep ocean with the Nautilus Live team
🐘 Filming elephants for Queens and navigating heartbreaking animal moments
🎞️ Founding Wildlife Cameramen Community and mentoring through Girls Who Click
🧭 Her passion project retracing her bush pilot grandmother’s remote Alaskan adventures
Plus, we round things off with Erin’s Call to Adventure, Pay It Forward conservation picks, and some quick-fire questions—including the advice she lives by: "Lift as you climb."
🎧 Whether you love wildlife, adventure, conservation, or just great storytelling—this episode has it all.
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Justin Packshaw MBE: Kite Skiing Across Antarctica Adventure (Ultimate Test of Human Potential)
06 Mar 2025
01:10:16
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Adventure Diaries: Justin Packshaw MBE – Pushing Human Limits in the Harshest Environments
In this episode of Adventure Diaries, I sit down with Justin Packshaw MBE—adventurer, entrepreneur, and modern-day explorer. From the frozen extremes of Antarctica to the summit of Everest, from racing around the world to traversing the North and South Poles, Justin has built a life defined by resilience, boldness, and the relentless pursuit of the unknown.
We dive into Justin’s record-breaking Antarctic expedition, Chasing the Light, where he and his teammate, Jamie Facer-Childs, became some of the most highly monitored humans on the planet. With backing from NASA and the European Space Agency, their mission collected vital data on human endurance, mental resilience, and the effects of extreme environments—insights that may one day shape future space travel.
Justin shares how growing up in Malta shaped his adventurous mindset, how the British Army gave him the discipline for extreme expeditions, and why teamwork, leadership, and mindset are everything in high-risk situations. We explore the mental and physical challenges of survival, the importance of calculated risk, and what Antarctica is teaching us about climate change.
Topics Discussed:
✅ The role of curiosity and boldness in shaping a life of adventure ✅ Lessons from historical explorers like Shackleton, Amundsen, and Knox-Johnston ✅ The Antarctic crossing and its contribution to space travel research ✅ How extreme environments reveal hidden depths of human capability ✅ The reality of climate change, witnessed firsthand in the polar regions ✅ Why positive mental attitude and humor are survival tools ✅ What it takes to build and lead elite teams in dangerous conditions ✅ The philosophy of pursuing excellence and making adventure meaningful
Call to Adventure 🚀
Justin challenges you to try something new—big or small, just take the first step. Whether it’s a new sport, an expedition, or a personal challenge, boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.
Pay It Forward 🌍
Justin emphasizes the power of small actions to combat climate change—turning off lights, reducing waste, and making sustainability part of daily life. He also highlights the importance of mentorship and investing in youth to shape the next generation of explorers and change-makers.
🎧 Listen now and get inspired to push beyond your limits!
👉 Subscribe & Review: If this episode fuels your adventurous spirit, leave a review and share with fellow explorers! #AdventureDiaries #JustinPackshaw #Antarctica #Exploration
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Lauren Roerick: Thru Hiking The Hexatrek - France's 3000km Long Distance Backpacking Trail
20 Feb 2025
00:51:35
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In this episode of Adventure Diaries, I sit down with Lauren Roerick, an adventurer, thru-hiker, and content creator who completed the Hexatrek, a 3,034 km long-distance trail across France. As the first North American woman to complete the trek, Lauren shares her experience of navigating rugged mountain landscapes, immersing herself in French culture, and overcoming the mental and physical challenges of solo adventure.
🌍 In This Episode, We Cover: ✔️ Lauren’s unconventional path from music and film set design to adventure travel ✔️ The Hexatrek experience – diverse terrain, wild camping, and cultural encounters ✔️ Solo hiking lessons – navigating challenges, finding community, and unexpected kindness from strangers ✔️ Thru-hiking culture – how the Hexatrek compares to the PCT and other long-distance trails ✔️ Gear, food, and logistics for planning an extended European hiking adventure ✔️ How adventure builds confidence, self-sufficiency, and resilience
🏔️ Key Takeaways: 🔹 The Hexatrek offers a pioneering adventure with fewer crowds than traditional thru-hikes 🔹 Wild camping is permitted in most areas, but national park rules vary 🔹 France’s diverse landscapes – Vosges Mountains, the Alps, and the Pyrenees – offer unique challenges 🔹 Solo travel fosters independence but also invites unexpected generosity from locals 🔹 Adventure is accessible to everyone – no permission needed to tackle big challenges!
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The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Deon Barrett: True North Project, Overcoming Adversity & Making Adventure Accessible in Schools
13 Feb 2025
01:10:50
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From a turbulent childhood to nearly facing prison, Deon Barrett found purpose through outdoor adventure, the military, and the True North Project—his initiative to bring outdoor education into schools and make adventure accessible to all. In this episode, Dion shares his powerful journey, the impact of adventure on mental health, and his ambitious plans to summit Everest and ski solo across Antarctica.
We explore: ✔️ How adventure helped Deon overcome trauma and find purpose. ✔️ The True North Project and its mission to transform outdoor education. ✔️ Barriers preventing young people from accessing adventure. ✔️ The mental and physical challenges of preparing for Everest & Antarctica. ✔️ How outdoor learning builds resilience, confidence, and leadership.
Deon’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and paying it forward. If you're passionate about adventure, outdoor education, or personal growth, this episode is for you.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Deon Barrett is the founder of the True North Project, an advocate for youth outdoor education, and an aspiring high-altitude mountaineer. His journey from a troubled youth to a champion for adventure education is as inspiring as it is impactful.
🔹 True North Project – Outdoor education initiative 🔹 Everest & Antarctica Expeditions – Deon’s upcoming challenges 🔹 Youth Outdoor Education Reform – Advocating for adventure in schools 🔹 Black Girls Hike – Encouraging diversity in the outdoors 🔹 National Outdoor Expo – Where Dion and Chris first met
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Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Tom Williams: Surviving the Canadian Wilderness & Creating Desert Island Survival Adventures
23 Jan 2025
00:58:10
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Tom Williams went into the Canadian wilderness with a gill net, a knife, and a handful of survival skills he'd honed on tropical desert islands. He came out 35 days later as the winner of Alone UK — feeling, by his own account, the happiest and healthiest he'd ever felt in his life. His IBS had cleared up. His anxiety had gone. He'd been sleeping 11 hours a night. He was genuinely sad to leave.
That's the thing about Tom's story. It isn't really about a survival competition. It's about a kid from Portsmouth who was bottom of his class, bullied by his teachers, and so uncomfortable in an office cubicle that he signed up for a race to the North Pole after a few beers with a mate. One expedition led to another: coral reef mapping in Honduras, sailing 8,000 miles across the Pacific on a superyacht after a cold email, moving to Chile, losing his mum, and finally finding his purpose in the place he'd always been drawn to — nature, isolation, and the oldest kind of living.
Chapters 00:00 Peak happiness in the wild 01:00 Who is Tom Williams? Adventurer, founder, Alone UK winner 03:30 Portsmouth upbringing: the chip on his shoulder and the cubicle he had to escape 07:00 The North Pole race — a pub bet, 28-hour days, and hallucinating polar bears 13:00 Training, resilience, and the 40 per cent rule 18:00 Fundraising, white-collar boxing, and getting to the start line 23:00 The catalyst year — North Pole, 8,000-mile Pacific crossing, and losing his mother 30:00 Coral reefs in Honduras and the seeds of Desert Island Survival 36:00 How Desert Island Survival works — and the transformation it triggers 41:00 Learning bushcraft from Tom McElroy — one of the world's leading primitive skills experts 46:00 Getting cast for Alone UK — and the mixed feelings about winning after just 35 days 50:00 Inside Alone — the gill net, the duck, and the drop-shock moment 55:00 Peak health, mental clarity, and how long he could realistically have lasted 58:00 Reintegration, health changes, and the book — You Are an Animal 01:01:00 New expeditions — Okavango Delta kayak safari and the Sweden Alone experience 04:30 The machete incident, close calls, and finding his ikigai 58:30 Call to adventure: micro adventures, kayaking, bike touring 59:30 Pay It Forward: GiveDirectly
Today he runs Desert Island Survival, maroooning people on uninhabited tropical islands across Panama, the Philippines, Tonga, Indonesia, and now the Okavango Delta. His next project is a book about evolutionary mismatch — and why the happiest he's ever felt was when he was living exactly like a hunter-gatherer.
What You'll Learn: • Why Tom believes the mind always quits before the body — and the mental training method that helped him outlast everyone else in the Canadian wilderness • What it actually tastes like to eat a roast duck you caught accidentally in a gill net after 25 days on nothing but pike • How Tom sent a cold email to a superyacht owner he'd photographed on a dive — and ended up sailing from Vancouver to Chile • The simple bushcraft formula behind Desert Island Survival — and why the most transformative guests are the ones who have never camped before • What evolutionary mismatch is, why most intelligent zoo animals are on antidepressants, and what that means for how we live • The science behind phytoncides — the chemicals trees release that kill cancer cells and make you feel good — and why aromatherapy is, actually, empirically legit
TOM WILLIAMS | Adventurer, Survival Expert & Founder of Desert Island Survival Website: tomwilliams.tv Desert Island Survival: desertislandsurvival.com Instagram: @TomWilliamsAlone (instagram.com/tomwilliamsalone) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/desertislandtom Pay It Forward: GiveDirectly — givedirectly.org — direct cash transfers to the world's poorest communities, prioritising women as recipients
ABOUT TOM WILLIAMS Tom Williams grew up in Portsmouth — bottom of his class, bullied, and seemingly destined for nothing much. At 27, he signed up for a polar race on a whim over beers with a friend, walked 367 miles to the North Pole, and never really went back to normal life. He's since sailed 8,000 miles across the Pacific, mapped coral reefs in Honduras, and spent six months immersed in tropical island survival with one of the world's foremost bushcraft mentors. In 2023 he was crowned winner of Alone UK, surviving 35 days solo in the Canadian wilderness. He is the founder and CEO of Desert Island Survival, which runs immersive survival expeditions across seven countries, and is writing his first book — You Are an Animal — about why living aligned to hunter-gatherer instincts may be the key to modern health and happiness.
For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
Do You Like MAPS? ..I have something special for you
Do you love maps, exploration, adventure, travel, and stories of the natural world? Maybe you’ve got a shelf full of National Geographic, or you find yourself daydreaming about places you’ve never been.
If so, I’ve got something special just for you.
I’m testing a brand-new Adventure Diaries project – and before anyone else gets to see it, I’m inviting listeners like you to help shape it. Here’s the deal:
✨ I’ll mail you 2–3 physical prototypes of this project completely free. 📍 All I ask in return is your honest feedback – what excites you, what could be better, what captures your imagination.
These aren’t digital downloads. They’re tactile, feature-rich, immersive items designed to capture the spirit of adventure, history, exploration, and storytelling.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast – the stories, the guests, the wild places we explore – this is your chance to be part of something new from the very beginning.
👉 Visit adventurediaries.com/yes to join the tester list. It’s free, spots are open, and I’d love your help to refine and launch this project.
Thanks so much for supporting Adventure Diaries – I can’t wait to share this with you.
Call to Action
🔗 Join the tester list now: adventurediaries.com/yes
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
David Haze: From Prison to Paddleboarding World Records (A Nomadic Paddler Journey Of Redemption & Purpose)
16 Jan 2025
00:49:07
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Welcome to another episode of Adventure Diaries! In this inspiring conversation, we sit down with David Haze, also known as the Nomadic Paddler, to uncover his incredible journey from the confines of prison to becoming a world-record-setting paddleboarder and passionate advocate for adventure as a tool for personal transformation.
David shares how his life spiraled after losing his identity in the high-stakes world of finance. He speaks candidly about his struggles with addiction, mental health, and the dark moments that led him to serve two prison sentences. However, it was during this turbulent time that he discovered the profound healing power of nature and adventure.
Paddleboarding became David’s escape and his redemption. What started as a chance encounter on a beach turned into a life mission. Fueled by his mantra, “Through adventure we live,” David broke records by paddleboarding the four longest lakes in the UK and crossing the English Channel. He didn’t stop there, pursuing high-altitude lakes and carbon-neutral expeditions while advocating for sustainable practices.
In this episode, we discuss:
How David turned failure into a catalyst for personal growth.
The role of adventure in mental health and rehabilitation.
His incredible feats, including the English Channel crossing and a 310 km paddle to the NEC.
His charity, Freedom Through Adventure, which supports at-risk youth and young offenders.
The importance of embracing failure and asking for help.
His passion for promoting eco-conscious expeditions and mental health initiatives.
David’s story is a testament to the transformative power of adventure. From planting trees in prisons to organizing carbon-neutral expeditions, he uses his platform to inspire and give back.
Whether you're an adventurer, a seeker of second chances, or someone looking for motivation to overcome life's challenges, this episode is a must-listen.
Call to Action: Listen in and be inspired to create your own adventure. This weekend, take a step outside your comfort zone—whether it’s a paddleboard outing, a hike, or a simple walk in nature. Through adventure, we truly live!
For more inspiring stories, visit AdventureDiaries.com and subscribe to the podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.
Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world
The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering