Mountain Air

Episode #4 says hello to Kate Worthington. In 2008 Kate and her husband Ross* founded the outdoor activities company RAW Adventures. Based beneath the shadow of Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa they’ve spent the past decade-plus helping people discover the challenges, beauty, and excitement of the North Walian hills.

When not leading clients up Britain’s busiest mountain, orchestrating festival-sized events, or helping people achieve ambitions ranging from the Duke of Edinburgh Award to Winter Mountain Skills courses… Kate likes to relax by running marathon distance races across peaks and through heather and bog. And work on her wilderness medical skills. And raise her daughter. And appear on this podcast. How did she find the time…?

*(subtle hint for “part 2”)

To learn all about RAW Adventures point your browser here… raw-adventures.co.uk

[episode recorded on 24/11/20]

00:00 - Introduction

03:12 - Welcome

06:28 - All about RAW Adventures

12:10 - Outdoor qualifications and all the mountain leaderships

14:30 - A year working for Mountain Training

17:50 - “Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician”… as dramatic as it sounds?

18:28 - An interlude for Nonny the Dog

22:22 - “Lightning strikes… penetrating wounds… chainsaws… car collisions…”

25:00 - “Can you just give her some morphine to shut her up…?”

31:00 - Love blossoms at Plas y Brenin

37:08 - Mountain running, fell running, night races… and the Dragon’s Back

41:14 - “… all in the dark, all waist-high heather and bog… but just a great adventure!”

45:15 - “… a big homogenous lump of experience in my belly”

47:32 - Running off the Ballachulish Horseshoe in B3 winter boots

51:30 - Mountains vs. parenting

57:30 - Greatest Mountain Memory: walking in Wasdale with Dad

59:20 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? A whole summer and winter exploring Scotland

Episode #3 welcomes Nina Schlesener to the podcast. Born and raised in the Berchtesgaden Alps of Bavaria, Nina was until recently the youngest female Mountain Guide in the whole of Germany. She’s written the only summer guidebook to her home region which has been translated into English, can climb The Nose on El Capitan in one go, is used to heading up and down Mont Blanc three days in a row, and even finds time to work as a Rope Access Worker in urban landscapes too. But just in case you feel intimidated, rest assured that she’s also one of the most humble and encouraging people you’ll ever hear on record. Enjoy!

Check out Nina’s homepage at http://www.nina-schlesener.de/

[episode recorded on 23/11/20]

00:00 - Introduction

01:45 - Welcome

02:34 - Adventures on the Watzmann: “I have to say, you saved my life!”

03:48 - Female Mountain Guides: “We are equal, and they can’t say anything about us”

08:05 - Growing up in Berchtesgaden: “I have it in my blood… Lakes like fjords, mountains like Alps… As a mountain girl you have everything you need”

14:00 - What would you have done if you hadn’t been a mountain guide?

17:15 - “The day after I was so full of adrenaline… I conquered my fears”

21:15 - Steep wall climbing around the world: Yosemite’s “Nose” in a day (*normally 3-5 days).

25:30 - Virus chat - “The summer was a blast… now work as a Mountain Guide doesn’t exist”

27:50 - Rope Access Working in the city: “this is so different to being in the mountains! Sitting in a cafe and reading the newspapers… to breathe the air of the big world”

31:15 - Is it easy doing what you love?

32:45 - Guidebooks: “I was so glad to sit in my office for weeks and just write! … and it’s so cool to create something that afterwards you can hold in your hands”

39:03 - “At this moment I feel alive”

41:13 - Greatest Mountain Memory: 01:00 start on The Nose, no backpack, one litre of water, three Clif bars, “such a climbing flow”

43:55 - … and climbing Mont Blanc three days in a row

46:20 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? Spiritual experiences in the American deserts

48:40 - “Do what you love, it’s really important that you follow your path… you don’t have to have success the whole time, this doesn’t bring you further, the failures bring you further”

Episode #2 is here, and it's all about photographer, writer and Mountain Leader Nick Livesey. Nick grew up in the city of Peterborough, a place he has little love for and where - despite carving out a career for himself as a musician - he was "going nowhere, fast". Rather than live a life of "self-medication" and frustration, he escaped to the mountains and now lives a life full of fascination and inspiration in the heart of North Wales. He talks to Dan about embarking on a "deep, meaningful relationship" with a landscape, frosty vigils, learning to speak Welsh, goats, and much more. You can find out about all things Nick Livesey at https://www.nickliveseymountainimages.com

[episode recorded on 17/11/20]

00:00 - Introduction

06:11 - The book: “Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains”

09:15 - Life before Snowdonia: music, “self-medication”, escaping Peterborough

17:15 - Photography as a route to writing, “an egalitarian art form”

21:20 - Moving to Snowdonia, being rude to customers

25:11 - Lockdown 1.0, watching spring from start to finish, “the most idyllic, wonderful time”

27:15 - Nick vs goats

30:28 - Frosty vigils

31:20 - Avoiding “photographic tourism” with a “deep, meaningful relationship”

34:35 - Life as a local in rural Wales

36:35 - Speaking Welsh

40:35 - “Lockdown in Snowdonia” YouTube series

42:15 - Mixing musical genres

44:00 - A Spinal-Tap-inspired swear word

47:53 - “Greatest Mountain Memory”: amphetamines on Harrison Stickle

51:00 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go?

54:38 - “I’m trying to stay sane and enjoy my life in these strange times”

Episode #1 kicks off the podcast with Mountaineering Instructor Rob Johnson. Based in Snowdonia, he’s spent the past 20 years guiding clients across the mountains of Britain, amongst the European Alps, and onto the peaks of Norway, Nepal and Peru. He’s taught outdoor skills and Mountain Leader courses to many hundreds of clients (including your host Dan), and has recently added outdoor drone filming to his skillset. You can find out (even) more about him at www.expeditionguide.com.

[episode recorded on 13/10/20]

00:00 - Introduction

01:55 - A 21st century outdoor guide

08:50 - Crafting a career: “What am I passionate about and how can I make it happen?”

14:30 - Pandemic chat (and forbidden summits)

20:50 - Environmental impact and major life changes

25:40 - Hard work, injuries and Mountain Rescue

32:30 - Pressure, danger and circular walks on the Glyderau

37:30 - Family life, mountain life and balance

41:10 - The many paths to guiding in the mountains

49:00 -“Greatest Mountain Memory”: Skye high

51:30 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go?

54:40 - “What lies ahead? For the first time in 22 years, I don’t know”