Adventure Audio

In today’s episode of the Adventure Audio Podcast Laval speaks with his adventure racing teammate and friend, Ben Kwiatkowski.

Ben has a master’s in sustainable forest management, a B.Sc. in cell biology and genetics, is a professional avalanche forecaster, former ski patroller, medical team supervisor for music festivals and one of North America’s top adventure racers and captain of Team Expedition Canada AR. Ben calls Golden, British Columbia home.

Today’s guest is someone who pushes limits—not just in distance, but in grit, landscape, and life. Meet David Calder.

Dave calls Alberta’s Rocky Mountains home now, but his journey begins on Canada’s east coast. A native of Cape Breton, he’s gone from coastal trails to alpine ridge-lines. On LinkedIn, he describes himself as an ultramarathoner living in the mountains—and occasionally “blowing stuff up” in his work as a driller/blaster at a nearby quarry.

In today’s episode, we’ll dive into how David’s background—his grit forged in two coasts—shapes his approach to ultra distance, resilience, terrain strategy, and life beyond finish lines.

From hydrating alpine summits to pacing in storms, you’ll hear how he thinks in kilometres, miles and meters, and why his path might challenge how you see what's possible.

James Allen is an Australian modern-day explorer, speaker, mentor, and storyteller who fuses adventure with deep wisdom. From high peaks to frozen poles, he’s turned extreme environments into laboratories for leadership, resilience, and personal growth.

By the age of 22 (in 1995), James became the youngest person to summit Mount Everest via the North side. Over his career he has completed the Seven Summits, skied to the South Pole, traversed remote jungles, deserts, oceans, and scuba dived in challenging locations around the world.

James holds degrees in Exploration Geology, Economics, and Polar Studies, and has served in senior roles at global organizations including Shell International, Walmart, PA Consulting, Wilkinsons UK and Woolworths Australia. His life is a blend of expeditionary daring and corporate leadership — lessons from one inform the other.

Through his expeditions and business endeavors, James has crafted a unique voice on pushing boundaries: be it physical, mental, or cultural. James inspires people to see that ordinary individuals can accomplish extraordinary things. He now lives in Avalon Beach, Sydney, Australia, yet continues to mount global expeditions, often inviting others to join in discovering more of what we are all capable of.

Explore:%20https%3A//apps.apple.com/us/app/james-allen-explorer/id6449023665

Welcome back to Adventure Audio after a bit of a summer hiatus that involved a whole lot of time in the mountains of southeastern British Columbia where we have a home.

On the topic of hiatuses, my co-host Pete, continues his, but still managed to do a lot of riding and of course put on his brilliant cycling event - The Crowsnest Pass 100, google it and sign-up for next summer, it’s good one.

In this episode I am joined by Tom Babin—author, journalist, cycling advocate, and storyteller. Tom literally wrote the book on winter cycling with the book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling, and he’s spent his career exploring how bikes fit into our lives—not just as a sport, but as a way to connect with cities, nature, and each other.

Through his writing, speaking, and online presence thru his popular Youtube channel, Shifter, he’s become one of the most thoughtful voices on how two wheels can transform how we live.

We’ll talk about why people are so reluctant to be uncomfortable, how e-bikes are changing the fitness conversation, and where cycling is headed in a world that’s more stressed and distracted than ever.

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.