Picnic Climbers

Join Nate and Mo this week as they share all about their first time camping with their baby! They took their seven-month-old son to Cornwall to camp by a river for 4 nights and got up to all sorts of adventures while they were there. They share their pre-trip concerns, preparations, and strategies for all the basics including sleeping, eating, and daytime activities. They discuss what went well and what they would do differently next time. While definitely more challenging than camping as a couple, it was a successful trip overall.

In this episode, Nate and Mo discuss the ins and out, challenges and joys, successes and failures of introducing their first baby to the great outdoors. They started with easy walks with a baby wrap through hills, then advanced to snowy hikes, sledding included! Finally, they attempted big adventures with a baby hiking backpack that did not go as smoothly as hoped. Join them as they share some of their parenting philosophy, adventures, and more. Next up, camping with a baby!

In this episode, Nate and Mo interview Dan and Mutsa, an adventurous and artistically talented young couple who love getting outdoors, and just make it look darn good. Our conversation meanders its way through Mutsa's creative business to UK camping to outdoor coffee to Dan's craftsmanship to how their story is wrapped up in the outdoors to their wonderful proposal to outdoor cooking and finally to their musical inspiration. Phew! 

Find them on Instagram at @danandmutsa (music) @thekindredworkshop (Mutsa's Earrings).

In this episode Nate and Mo take on the big screen!.. or at least, this is their take on the big screen... No big day of outdoor adventure feels complete until we crash on the sofa at the end of the day to watch a climbing/adventure film with a frozen pizza and a beer. In this episode, we have reviewed our favourite climbing/adventure films to help you decide where to start or what to watch next. There are so many amazing films available today, our pick of the bunch includes Valley Uprising (2014 - dir. Peter Mortimer & Nick Rosen), the Dawn Wall (2017 - dir. Josh Lowell & Peter Mortimer), Free Solo (2018 - dir. Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi), Meru (2015 - dir. Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi), Touching the Void (2003 - dir. Kevin Macdonald), McConkey (2013 - dir. Scott Gaffney, Murray Wais, Steve Winter & Rob Bruce), Into the Mind (2013 - dir. Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop), The Barkley Marathons: The Race that Eats it's Young (2014 - dir. Annika Iltis & James Kane), Wide Boyz (2012 - dir. Paul Diffley & Chris Alstrin), La Dura Dura (2014, seen in Reel Rock 7, available on youtube), Sufferfest: 700 Miles of Pain and Glory (2015 - National Geographic, available on youtube)

We all started new hobbies in lockdown. Except for Nate, that is. Rather than following the sourdough trend, he poured all his energy into the much less exciting, rewarding, or tasty hobby that is running. Join us as Mo interviews Nate about his ultra running accomplishments through the lockdown of Spring-Summer 2020. Nate talks about running 4 self-supported ultras in 4 months and how he stepped his training up from 20 miles a week to 60 miles a week in preparation for his final effort, the 84mile/135km Hadrian's Wall National Trust Path, from one side of England to the other in support of Parkinson's UK.

This week Nate and Mo interview Pete and Em from @littlefloatinghome all about living on a tiny, narrow boat! We talk about motivation and draw of alternative living spaces, the process of turning a little old boat into a stunning, cozy home, and what every day life looks like for them. We discuss the beauty found in the simplicity of daily rhythms, the close-to-nature approach that living tiny demands and the authentic friendships that they’ve found in the boating community. Laugh along at their adventures and learn from their mistakes as we cover all manner of topics from family opinions, to little puppies on board to foraging and art from homemade paints. We’ve loved having this couple on this week!

In this episode, Nate and Mo reflect on their journey to New Zealand to climb, tramp/hike and explore all while living in a van. We share why we loved vanlife, what made it challenging, and what we might do differently next time. We discuss New Zealand's natural beauty and why it's the perfect place to go on an adventure road trip. Finally, we share how we managed to live off of $35/day (each) - travelling on a budget is possible, but we did have to make some sacrifices. 

Do you have any questions about New Zealand? Living in a van? Any experiences you'd like to share? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram at instagram.com/picnicclimbers.

Nate and Mo welcome their very first guest on the podcast - their climbing pal Steve. Join the three of us as we compare the typical* climbing culture of the UK and Canada. We talk about the relative safety of Canadian sport climbing and contrast that with British climbers' refusal to use bolts and to use traditional gear almost exclusively. We go into detail about the bizarre UK Climbing grading system and end by discussing how a British dirtbag may differ from a Canadian one, and where the first stop is post-climbs.

*We can never capture the full culture of both places in a one-hour episode. This is OUR experience in both places, and we suggest it is most typical of an average recreational climber who enjoys getting out on a good weather weekend.

Don't get us wrong, we LOVE the outdoors and all the adventures we can have. We would be lying, however, if we said we have the best time all the time. Everyone has things they hate about the outdoors, join Nate and Mo in this episode as they talk about the situations that they really can't stand: Mo's hatred of liquid falling from the sky, and Nate's abhorrence of icy icy cold. We cover tramping the Travers-Sabine Circuit in Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand and cross country skiing in Saskatchewan, Canada. We end with a brief discussion about gear, and what can make even the most miserable conditions enjoyable.