You've heard of people trying to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, right? It's usually not successful. But here's a guy who seeks new and different adventures. He climbed Niagara Falls. In the winter. Up the ice. Successfully. And legally!  And while the half-day climb was challenging, the two years of seeking permission and arranging logistics was even more so. This guest is not only a world-class ice climber (he wrote the book on the sport), but also an all-around adventurer in unusual sports. Like, have you ever heard of vol-biv? It’s pretty cool. 

When I first met him, this doctor seemed like just a normal guy. It turns out he has climbed the Seven Summits while managing a career, raising a family, and maintaining a fantastic blog. His summiting of the Vinson Massif in Antartica was impressive, but so too were his two seasons on Mt. Everest – especially the first. Hear why, and how he squeezed so much into his life.

An annual Great Norse Run across Iceland. Another across Tajikistan. A bicycle adventure from the UK to India. A charity relay across the U.S.  All with energy posing out at the seams. That's the kind of stuff a Chief Vibe Maker would do, and that's exactly what my guest this episode is - a Chief Vibe Maker. Tune in and hear what that's like. 

Four friends decide to try a new way to explore the Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. They stuff small whitewater rafts in their backpacks and spend a month pack-rafting hundreds of miles through seldom-seen wilderness. Listening to all four of them in this episode, it’s clear they had a great time!

My guest for this episode hiked, paddled, and skied the entire Trans-Canadian Trail connecting three oceans. She created a spectacular documentary film “500 Days in the Wild” from that adventure, naming the film before she realized her journey would actually require 6 years! Listen to this episode to hear why.

Here’s a dynamic, fascinating individual who picked up photography in his 30’s and has now had three National Geographic magazine cover stories. He’s roamed the Arctic and so many other far-flung places, capturing the essence of wildlife, scenery, and the indigenous cultures. If you think it just takes being a guru behind a camera lens to make it big with Nat Geo, listen in to this episode to hear the real story.

I recently returned from my own Antarctic adventure – not of the “roughing it” type since I was aboard a National Geographic icebreaker ship rather than hauling a sled and pitching my tent in the snow. But the staff were an eclectic mix of polar explorers with a fascinating mix of backgrounds and polar experiences. I interview several in this episode. The scenery and wildlife in Antarctica were amazing. You can find some photos on my website https://gocarpediemnow.com/

Ann Bancroft has a lifetime of amazing firsts in the world of polar exploration: first woman to reach the North Pole, first woman to reach both the North and South Pole, first woman to ski across the Antarctic continent, and many other big adventures. She has also accomplished so many other achievements in her life through her curiosity and determination. Hear about them in this episode.

Here is a professional endurance athlete with adventures in 100 countries, including a 500-mile trek across the mountains of Bhutan. She is the author of Dirty Inspirations: Lessons from the Trenches of Extreme Endurance Sports among other books, and the sports psychologist who coached the 4 women in my podcast episode #39 who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. In this episode, she shares her perspective on training your mind to keep up with your body.

Smoke jumping is an adventure disguised as a job. Afterall, who jumps out of airplanes to live a week or two in the wild fighting a forest fire with little more than a pulaski and the clothes on their back? It’s an occupation few of us know much about – until you listen to this episode where my guest explains the lingo, techniques, and experience of smoke jumping.