In June 2023, writer Dan Rubinstein lashed camping gear to his stand-up paddleboard and embarked on an improbable solo voyage from Ottawa to Montreal, New York City, Toronto, and back to Ottawa along the rivers, lakes, and canals of a landlocked region. A historic and symbolic voyage along the same inland waterways used by Indigenous peoples, settlers, soldiers, and voyageurs for centuries.

Part physical challenge, part historical pilgrimage, and part personal reckoning, Water Borne reflects Dan’s deep curiosity about how water shapes not only our landscapes but also our culture, politics, and personal lives. A former editor at Canadian Geographic and author of Born to Walk, Dan has spent his career exploring the relationship between movement and meaning—on land and now, on water. This episode dives into what he discovered about history, anxiety, midlife, solitude, and what it really means to travel with and through nature's blue and green spaces.

Dave Greene of Greener Adventures and The Night of Adventure Speaking  series, joins Laval to talk about his recent expedition in March with partners  Chris Giard and Lee Fraser where they skied across 500+ km of remote arctic  Quebec’s Ungava Peninsula. 

Dave is already off on another canoe/cycling expedition in Canada’s Yukon  Territory.

In this episode of Adventure Audio, Laval interviews Yousef Al-Refaie, a record-breaking Kuwaiti mountaineer and explorer. Yousef holds the world record as the youngest person to complete the Volcanic Seven Summits, and now he’s taking on the harshest places inhabited by humans in his new documentary series Earth’s Extremes.

We talk exploration, risk, mindset, and what it takes to push into the planet’s most unforgiving environments.

From summits to salt flats — this is a story of grit, curiosity, and going beyond the edge.

Ihor Verys, is a distinguished ultramarathon runner based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Originally from Chornomorsk, Ukraine, he moved to Canada in 2015 at the age of 20 to pursue studies at Assiniboine College in Brandon, Manitoba. Initially taking up running for mental well-being, Verys transitioned from road running to trail and ultramarathon events during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2024, Verys achieved international recognition by completing the Barkley Marathon in Tennessee, a race notorious for its grueling conditions and high failure rate. He finished in 58 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds, becoming the first Canadian(and Ukranian) to complete the race. In January 2025, UltraRunning Magazine named Verys the 10th UltraRunner of the Year for 2024, acknowledging his rapid ascent in the ultrarunning community and his remarkable achievements within a short timeframe.

Balancing his athletic pursuits with a professional career, Verys works as a Commercial Insurance Account Manager at HUB International.

Follow Ihor:

https://www.instagram.com/ihorverys/

Link to Dr.Chris Bertram (Episode 165) mentioned

https://bit.ly/42bvSG

Steve is the founder of Suluk 46, Engineered Backcountry Gear; a design and manufacturing firm focused on outdoor equipment. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and has a passion for sharing his adventures. Steve is licensed by the Professional Engineers of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Certified Technicians and Technologists. He holds a diploma from Sheridan College in Mechanical Engineering and a degree from McMaster University in Manufacturing Engineering. He has an addiction for outdoor activities and often travels using a multi-sport method, typically fast-moving and light, over long distances, often in remote and extreme locations.

Beyond his engineering pursuits, Steve has embarked on numerous expeditions, including solo journeys in Tuktut Nogait National Park and traverses in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island. These adventures highlight his preference for moving fast and light over long distances in remote and extreme locations.

My guest is Dave Greene – an accomplished expedition leader, founder of both Greener Adventures, and the Night of Adventure Speaking Series. Dave has led nine expeditions, most of them by canoe and lasting 30 days or more. Greene is a teacher in Halifax, N.S., and education is at the core of his travels, bringing Canada’s natural world to young people.

Dave is now gearing up for his next challenge – the ambitious Across Ungava Expedition, where he will be joined by Chris Giard and Lee Fraser to ski 500+ km across remote arctic Quebec starting mid-March 2025.

Mitch Hutchcraft is a British adventurer and former Royal Marine known for undertaking some extreme endurance challenges. In September 2024, he embarked on an ambitious expedition aiming to complete what he has dubbed "the world's longest triathlon," which involves swimming across the English Channel, cycling from France to India, and then trekking from the Bay of Bengal to Kathmandu, Nepal and onward to Mount Everest.

Mitch is using his expedition to raise awareness and money for SAVSIM an organization promoting wildlife conservation and unique animal assisted therapy courses to help veterans and first responders in the treatment of mental health issues and PTS. You can learn more and donate at givestar.io/gs/limitless

So, what is Afghanistan like now? St. Germain helps peel back some of the layers of that onion as he travels to Mt. Noshaq, talking and travelling with locals from the capital, Kabul, in the

centre to the north of the country near the Tajikistan border.

As St. Germain confirms, the Taliban deserves its record as having one of the worst human rights

records of any government in the world, largely because of its brutal treatment of women.

Hunger also remains an issue, with one in four people needing food aid, according to the UN. And as St. Germain notes, that is not as dire as many had predicted. We also get into the debate

about the pluses, minuses and dangers of travelling in a pariah state. As much as he's an extreme adventurer, doing amazing things like climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents or rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean, what I love about St. Germain is that he is also a student of history, geography and current events, and he brings all of that to his expeditions.

Buck Miller is a Canadian cyclist and adventurer known for his extensive experience in

road racing and his contributions to fat biking expeditions in Northern Ontario.

Professional Cycling Career:

Miller began racing in 1995 and advanced to the elite level when he joined Canada’s

sole professional cycling team, competing across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Post-Racing Endeavours:

After retiring from professional racing, Miller developed an interest in fat biking on winter

roads along James and Hudson Bay. This passion led to organizing expeditions that

combined adventure with fundraising for northern communities.

Community Involvement:

In 2018, Miller co-founded the Huntsville Mountain Bike Association (HMBA) in

Huntsville, Ontario. The association manages the trail system at Echo Valley and

promotes mountain biking in the region.

Recent Activities:

In 2024, Miller collaborated with Steve Evans on a unique project to ride rail bikes to

James Bay. They designed a rail bike attachment to traverse unused railways through

the wilderness, culminating in a 200 km journey from Fraserdale to James Bay.

Miller continues to inspire through his adventurous spirit and dedication to promoting

cycling and outdoor exploration in Canada.

On Episode 174 of the show, we have the extraordinary Dianne Whelan joining us—a filmmaker, author, adventurer, and storyteller who embodies the spirit of exploration and resilience. Known for her award-winning documentaries like This Land and 40 Days at Base Camp, Dianne’s work takes us to some of the planet’s most remote and awe-inspiring places.

In 2015, she began a solo journey on the Trans Canada Trail, the longest recreational trail in the world, covering an epic 24,000 kilometers. What started as a physical challenge evolved into a deeply personal and spiritual odyssey, culminating in her acclaimed documentary, 500 Days in the Wild. Her stories intertwine adventure, nature, and Indigenous wisdom, shedding light on the human connection to the environment and each other.

Whether she’s trekking through the Arctic, paddling a remote Canadian river, or bushwhacking thru black fly infested muskeg swamps, Dianne Whelan’s unique perspective invites us to see the world—and ourselves—in a new way.

This was remarkable conversation with a remarkable Canadian.

Before we listen to my conversation with Dianne, please take a moment to give us a review…hopefully 5 star, wherever you listen to podcasts.