In episode 18, I talk to Hugh Keir, a former Parachute regiment sniper, host of the H-Hour podcast and organiser of cool group expeditions that bring people together.

We discuss the importance of community and how group expeditions can widen our personal and professional networks, making the stresses of life more manageable, what ‘Zillennials’ are, and how these things keep us sane when we pass 40.

Around a ton of laughs, there is genuine ideas on how to get out of a rut if you’ve found yourself in one through life pressures.

In this episode, I talk to Sam Sidiqi, now the first Afghan mountaineer to summit Everest!

Motivated by his passion to foster mountain sports in Afghanistan, Sam embarked on his Everest expedition with the aim of raising awareness and generating funds for the development of skiing and mountaineering particularly in the remote highland regions. Through his charitable trust, Afghan Peaks, Sidiqi seeks to unlock the immense potential of Afghanistan's breath-taking mountains.

In the episode recorded in 2021, they tell me about their experience climbing Kilimanjaro, the narrow bosses ridge line on the way to the Mont Blanc summit, the difficulties of finding prosthetics for mountaineering, and how they plan to tackle the challenge of summiting Mount Everest!

In episode 15, I interview Jo Bradshaw, an expedition leader and Everest summiteer who’s one mountain away from completing the Seven Summits challenge to fundraise for ‘Place2Be’, a children’s mental health charity.

Having just got back from a successful summit of Toubkal in Morocco, and Antarctica before that (to strip and repaint Damoy Hut, aka “the world’s most southerly waiting room”!) she shares her story of how she transitioned from a life as a business advisor in Buckinghamshire, halving her salary, selling her fancy 4x4, and renting out her house to move to Wiltshire, to join a small adventure consultancy in midst of the 2007 / 2008 global financial crisis (GFC).

In episode 14, I talk to Wendy Searle, who in January 2020, became the 7th Woman in History to Ski Solo to the South Pole. Now, she’s a polar expedition leader, speechwriter, an inspirational speaker on adventure and mental resilience, and also a mother of four.

In the episode, Wendy highlights she had a relatively ordinary existence until 2015, when she met a team going to Antarctica. Afterwards, she began to wonder if someone with no experience, time, or money, could successfully complete a Polar expedition. An almost impossible challenge.

In episode 13, I talk to Nick Spicer FRGS, a father, disaster response volunteer, and founder of renewable energy company, YourEco, about his personal goal of completing the Yukon 1000, a race held in the remote backcountries of the US and Canada that ends inside the Arctic circle, and is completed in pairs using either sea kayaks, canoes, or stand-up paddle board, in under 10 days.

We discuss his experiences on other big endurance events (such as the Marathon des Sables, Brutal iron-distance triathlon, and ultramarathons), how he balances personal adventure goals whilst having a family and running a business, how to train when you’ve got a busy lifestyle, and what he plans to do to keep his life vibrant as he enters his forties.

In episode 12, I talk to Sam Cox, a Royal Marines Major who will embark on a unique solo and unsupported crossing across Antarctica to set a world record in November 2023.

Starting at the coast of Berkner Island and finishing at the base of the Reedy glacier, via the South Pole, this expedition will see him ski a total distance of 1,950km, in one of the last wildernesses - a pure test of physical and mental endurance.

Sam will be using this expedition to fundraise for Movember and Rock to Recovery charities, build a unique platform to highlight the power of human resilience and mental strength to engage with a global audience, and promote positive mental well-being.

In episode 11, I talk to mountaineering charity Founder, Sam Sidiqi, who’s embarking on a hugely inspiring world-first mountaineering endeavour in 2023.

After unofficially becoming the first Afghan to summit the highest mountain in the US, Mount Denali (subject to official confirmation) in 2021, Sam will try to become the first Afghan to summit Everest in the spring 2023.

The focus of his climb will be to raise awareness and funds for the Afghan Peaks charity to help in its mission of promoting skiing, climbing, and mountain sports in Afghanistan.

He has degrees in economics and political science from MIT, and now shares his experiences growing up in Afghanistan, and how he wants to help grow mountain sports in this often-misunderstood country.

In episode 10, I talk to Alice Morrison, an international author, explorer, and adventurer, known for her writing about her travels to and experiences in remote, challenging, and sandy locations in the Middle East and North Africa (referred to as ‘MENA’).

Often highlighted as the ‘Indiana Jones for girls’, she is the author of "Walking with Nomads", and "Dodging Elephants," which detail her journey through the Sahara Desert (where she stumbled upon dinosaur footprints and discovering a lost city whilst trying to avoid landmines, quicksand and deadly snakes) and her experience cycling across Africa, respectively.

Starting his professional career in architecture; Wim shares his story of how he came to end up in marketing for a prestigious British outdoor clothing company, what the future might hold for the outdoor industry, and also practical tips for those aiming to get expeditions funded or supported with equipment or clothing.

In episode 8, I talk to Dr Stephen Fabes - a medical doctor who finally found his way home in 2016 after cycling the length of six continents - a six-year adventure across 75 countries and 53,000 miles.

When Stephen left his job as a junior doctor and set out to cycle around the world, frontline medicine quickly faded from his mind. Of more pressing concern were the daily challenges of life as an unfit rider on an overloaded bike, helplessly in thrall to pastries.

But leaving medicine behind is not as easy as it seems.

In episode 7, I talk to Sally Orange, a holder of multiple Guinness World Records and world firsts! Sally has run over 50 marathons, completed 7 full Ironman triathlons and has completed 22 years’ exemplary service in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physiotherapy Officer. This included an operational tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Sally captained the first British female team to complete the relentless Race Across America, the world’s toughest cycle race and has also ran the toughest footrace on earth, the Marathon des Sables. Add cycling the length of New Zealand, swimming the English Channel relay, climbing several 6000m+ mountains in Nepal and Bolivia and skiing 250km across the largest plateau in the Arctic circle and you will gain an understanding of her zest for life!

W: sallyorange.com

I: @sally0range

In episode 6, we talk to remote explorer, mountaineer, arctic pathfinder, and jungle survivor, Lucy Shepherd.

Lucy explains the personal importance of her term 'don't lose your botheredness’ using epic tales from past expeditions as the vehicle. She shares her perspective on what she thinks are the fundamentals needed to accomplish seemingly impossible goals and dreams.

Made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society at just 23, Lucy is an adventurer in every sense of the word: She has travelled all over the globe scaling gnarly peaks; leading solo and team expeditions to the Arctic and has crossed countries by foot.

With a television background, she films each expedition and uses them to communicate her story as well as highlight the climate emergency that she observes during her expeditions.

In episode 5, I talk to ex-SAS mountain leader, charity founder, and former Gurkha soldier, Krish Thapa about adventure philosophy.

Born in a village near AnnaPurna, Nepal and joining the British Army at a young age, Krish has led and summited expeditions to some of the highest and most challenging peaks in the world, notably: Everest, Dhaulagiri; Makalu; Manaslu and K2!

Founding his own guiding company, HST adventures, and the Sustainable Himalayan Foundation, a not-for-profit that supports and promotes sustainable mountain tourism, leads female empowerment initiatives and works to improve the lives of mountain communities. Krish now focuses his effort on helping veteran amputees get into mountaineering and has successfully led them to the summits of Kilimanjaro, Mera Peak, Mount Kenya and Mont Blanc – with Elbrus and Aconcagua already pencilled in for the not-to-distant future. 

In episode 4, we talk to retired soldier, double amputee, mountaineer, adventurer and keynote speaker: Justin Oliver Davis (aka inspiration through adversity).

In 2011 Justin was serving with 2nd Battalion The Rifles, in Afghanistan. While leading a Quick Reaction Force patrol to intercept a group of enemy insurgents, that had ambushed another British patrol, Justin was providing safe passage by searching for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) when unfortunately he stood on and detonated one resulting in the loss of both of his lower legs.

After eight years of rehabilitation filled with trials, tribulations, surgeries and set-backs Justin is now ready to begin pursuing his personal physical and psychological boundaries, once again. Having recently set his sights on completing the seven summits he now aims to inspire the world in the process.

In episode 4, we talk to the indomitable ocean rower Laura Try (otherwise known as ‘LT’ to her friends!). In her talk at August’s (2019) Tales of Adventure, Laura shared her story of how she went from a shopaholic salon owner to minimalist Atlantic Ocean rower and adventurer in the space of just 4 years.

In this update, Laura uses anecdotes from her time on the Atlantic Ocean with team ‘Row for the Ocean’, and how endeavour has helped make lasting and monumental life changes in this challenging time!

Benjamin 'Bags' Simmons: co-founder of Bare Arms

Hear how Bags' experiences in the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment - and deployments to Afghanistan - helped shape and inspire him to start his own business; 'Bare Arms' - an innovative and forward-thinking organisation teaching extras to use firearms on film and TV sets, safely and authentically.

Toby Cronshaw: owner and designer of Mantis Tools; mountaineer; snowboarder; graphic designer; climber and speed-wing enthusiast.

Hear how Toby’s experiences as a youngster helped shape him, his love of graphic design, 80’s adventure sport branding and the influences that inspired him to create an indoor ice climbing tool and how the demand has kept him on his toes (and in the laboratory!)