The Adventure Podcast

Episode 178 of The Adventure Podcast features wildlife pilot, Denise Joi. Denise is one of four pilots for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, where she flies a small Cessna aircraft in rugged terrain conducting wildlife surveys and carrying out fish drops. In this episode, Matt talks to Denise about her life as pilot. She lets us into her past, and explains how she was drawn to flying as a means to escape early trauma. Denise talks about her life outside of work, and her love of trekking to the lakes she’s stocked from the air to actually go and fish them. They also discuss what a wildlife pilot does, and the challenges involved. This is a raw and sometimes difficult conversation to hear, but one that is full of meaning and purpose. It also gives a fascinating insight into a whole different style of adventurous life in the air.You can watch Denise's documentary here: https://www.gnarlybay.com/fight-or-flight.

Episode twelve of our specialist series Explore: How To Plan An Expedition, focuses on communicating scientific discoveries. In this episode, Matt speaks with Dr Heidi Sevestre about why science needs communicators, what science communication can look like, how to select your audience, and ideas for teaming up with other specialist communicators. They also talk about the importance of understanding your own science in order to communicate your findings effectively.Dr Heidi Sevestre is a glaciologist, working at the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme and teaches at The University Centre in Svalbard. She is an avid science communicator and has led numerous field research expeditions from tropical glaciers to the depth of the polar regions. Her focus is on science policy and outreach. Heidi recently featured in the National Geographic series, Arctic Ascent, where she collected crucial climate data whilst on a climbing expedition. You can find out more about the Royal Geographical Society and access advice and support for field research and scientific expeditions by visiting www.rgs.org/in-the-field or follow them on @rgs_ibg on socials.

Episode 177 of The Adventure Podcast features general outdoorsman, climber and skier, Robert Lester. In 2023, Rob canoed 1300 miles down the Columbia River. He had very little knowledge of canoeing prior to leaving for this expedition. He also decided to take his completely inexperienced cousin, Braxton, along for the ride. In this conversation, Matt talks to Rob about the whole process. Why do this? What was the motivation? How did they plan it, and of course what actually happened. They speak about some bigger picture stuff too, like Rob’s fascination with the changing landscape around them, and the fascinating environmental and conservation elements of their expedition. Rob also talks about why Braxton decided to join the expedition, the impact it had on Braxton's mental and physical resilience, and how he hopes he's given a gift to his cousin.

Episode eleven of our specialist series, Explore: How To Plan An Expedition, focuses on storytelling. In this episode, Matt speaks with Leon McCarron about the need for stories, the nuances between journalism and storytelling, and how to get your story out there. They also discuss if everyone has the capacity to be a storyteller. Leon McCarron is an explorer, award-winning author, and a broadcaster. Known for his long-distance expeditions and immersive multimedia storytelling, in the past decade Leon has travelled over 50,000km by human power sharing stories to help us better understand the world.You can find out more about the Royal Geographical Society and access advice and support for field research and scientific expeditions by visiting www.rgs.org/in-the-field or follow them on @rgs_ibg on socials.

Episode 176 of The Adventure Podcast features freediver, speaker, writer and ocean conservationist, Hanli Prinsloo. Hanli is the founder and executive director of I Am Water, an ocean conservation trust dedicated to conserving and protecting the world's oceans through human experience. In this episode, Matt talks with Hanli about her early life growing up on a rural South African farm, how she got into free diving, and what draws her to the ocean. They discuss why she left the competition circuit, motherhood, and conservation. Hanli also teaches us about the physiological effects of freediving, and why you can probably hold your breath for a lot longer than you think.Photo credit: Peter Marshall

Episode ten of our specialist series, Explore: How To Plan An Expedition, continues our Camp Life mini series, where we speak to a single individual about a specific type of expedition environment. In this Mountains episode, our guest is Jon Gupta. We talk about navigation, food and water, coping with altitude sickness, and whether or not to use a guide. We also discuss the value in taking a couple of luxuries onto the peaks - after all, any fool can suffer.Jon Gupta is a mountaineering and climbing instructor, and high altitude expedition guide. He has organised and led over 100+ major expeditions around the world, including to Everest (4 times), K2, a winter ascent of Denali and the seven summits.You can find out more about the Royal Geographical Society and access advice and support for field research and scientific expeditions by visiting www.rgs.org/in-the-field or follow them on @rgs_ibg on socials.

Episode 175 of The Adventure Podcast features journalist and adventurer, Mark Agnew. Mark has recently become well-known for his crossing of the Northwest Passage, as part of a kayak-based team, which we believe is the first recorded crossing of its kind. In this episode, Mark talks to Matt about his early life in Scotland and his decision to move to Hong Kong. They discuss Mark's ancestry and the pressure of living up to his adventurous roots, and intrinsic vs extrinsic motivations. He also speaks about two failed ocean rowing attempts and what that meant to him. This is a broad and far-reaching conversation which explores the psychology and head space of an adventurous mind.

Episode 174 of The Adventure Podcast features alpinist, mountaineer and climber, Fay Manners. Fay is from the UK but is now based in Chamonix and spends all of her time in the mountains. Last year she put up eight first ascents. In this episode, Matt talks to Fay about her route into alpinism, and how it was defined by a lack of mentors, instead focusing on getting better in partnership with others of similar ability. They also talk about how her expedition to Pakistan was devastated by the news of one of her closest friends losing her life in an avalanche. They talk about how that affected Fay, how it changed her, and how she dealt with happened. It’s an honest and open chat, and a brilliant example of how you don’t have to be surrounded by superheroes to get good at the things you love.

Episode nine of our specialist series, Explore: How To Plan An Expedition, focuses on Health and Safety. In this episode, Matt speaks with Megan Hine, Waldo Etherington and Aldo Kane. They demystify the 'risk assessment' process, and go through in detail how to research and write one. They also discuss how to manage risk effectively in the field, medical preparation, emergency evacuation plans, and comms. It's not only an informative episode, but a pretty exciting one too.Megan Hine is a survival consultant, wilderness guide and expedition leader. She has been a health and safety advisor on some of the biggest adventure and survival shows on TV, and has led multiple adventures to remote wilderness environments. She has lived and learned from indigenous communities across the world.Waldo Etherington is a remote location climbing specialist. He has over 15 years of experience in remote-location rigging, and has been a health and safety advisor for countless expeditions and field-research projects. He also features in our Camp Life, Jungles episode. Aldo Kane is a former Royal Marines Commando and TV adventurer. He has been, both on and off screen, in some of the most extreme, high-risk environments on earth. His company, Vertical Planet, provides safety, security medical and risk management services to the film industry.You can find out more about the Royal Geographical Society and access advice and support for field research and scientific expeditions by visiting www.rgs.org/in-the-field or follow them on @rgs_ibg on socials.