Today's episode is a little bit different - because our very own Aaron Millar is our guest! This re-released episode is one of the most memorable conversations he's ever had, and we're very excited to share it with you. 

In this interview, which originally aired with the Adventure Sports Podcast in 2020, Aaron shares stories from his years as a travel writer - from doing a ridiculous 100-mile pub crawl in Britain to trekking with Shugendo monks in Japan. He also shares a never-before-shared story about surviving Thailand's devastating 2004 tsunami, which you won't want to miss.

If you've always been curious to learn more about the man behind the show, sit back and get ready for a conversation that is at times silly, at times sentimental, and at all times thoughtful.

FIND MASON AND THE ADVENTURE SPORTS PODCAST 
Listen to the Adventure Sports Podcast everywhere you can find podcasts, or learn more on their website AdventureSportsPodcast.com. You can also find Mason on Instagram  @alive_adventures.

SOCIAL 
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.
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SPECIAL EPISODE: Surviving Thailand's 2004 Tsunami with Aaron Millar (Adventure Sports Podcast)

The world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style and set to music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. 'Best travel podcasts 2020'- The Guardian, 'Thrilling Stuff'-Sunday Times, 'Ear Candy for Listeners' - Washington Post

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Documentary

Growing up in Kenya, Chris Carter fell in love with Africa's 
wilderness -- with forests and grasslands, mountains and waterfalls, lions and 
giraffes. But after spending several years backpacking the long-distance treks of 
the US, he returned to his home country only to realize that Kenya had no 
comparable established backpacking trails. So naturally, he decided to create 
one.

Chris partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service to map, plan, and create the 
country's first long-distance backpacking trail. The location was Aberdare 
National Park, a 4,000 square mile sanctuary of hidden waterfalls, volcanic 
peaks, and tropical forests shrouded in mist and teeming with wildlife. 

The only issue? Mapping the route meant bushwhacking through some insanely 
dense and dangerous wilderness. And Chris would find all sorts of surprises 
hiding in the bush...

CONNECT
Follow along with Chris' adventures on Instagram @Chris.Cart.Er or check out his 
YouTube channel at ChrisCarterMedia. If you're interested in visiting Kenya or 
Aberdare National Park, go to kws.go.ke.

SOCIAL
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel 
tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the 
monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at 
armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this 
episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio 
editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG 
@the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bushwhacking to go Backpacking: Establishing Kenya's First Long-Distance Backpacking Trail with Chris Carter

Welcome to Utah: Life Elevated, the documentary podcast that will 
take you all around Utah on an unforgettable road trip. Today, we're 
diving into some of Utah's unique adventures...because if there's one 
word that defines Utah, it just might be adventure! 

From rappelling down canyon walls to churning up dirt on a mountain bike, 
there are so many ways to get a taste of the outdoors in this great 
state. Join us for some unforgettable experiences, from fly fishing in 
the pristine Flaming Gorge to riding mules through slot canyons to 
braving a 50-foot ski jump...directly into a pool.

Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:

-Fly fisherman Ryan Kelly at Flaming Gorge
-Expert canyoner and guide Micah Mansfield with East Zion Adventures
-Pro mountain biker Eric Porter in Park City
-Trail guide McClain from Meecham Outfitters
-Ski coach Ryan Devine from Park City's Olympic Park
-Two-time Olympic medalist Shannon Bahkre

PLAN YOUR UTAH TRIP
If you want to learn more about experiencing the sights and attractions featured in this episode, go to VisitUtah.com or follow along on social media @VisitUtah. International listeners can also book this itinerary directly as a package, with lots of other bonus experiences too -- just visit AmericanSky.co.uk/Utah-Holidays or learn more about all the incredible destinations around the state at VisitTheUSA.com or on social media @VisitTheUSA.

SOCIAL
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the 
travel industry. Brian Thacker managed pre-production. Jenny Allison was
 the in-field producer. Jason Paton recorded, wrote, mixed, and sound 
designed the episode. Aaron Millar hosted and served as executive 
producer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mule Riding, Canyoneering, and Skiing Into a Pool: Part One of Uniquely Utah Adventures

Writer Tim Moore is no stranger to the unusual and unique. In his 
early days as a travel writer, he rode a container ship to Iceland, 
biked across Italy in a period costume, completed the Camino de Santiago
with a donkey as his only companion, and more. So when Tim got a call 
out of the blue one day from his editor, asking if he'd consider biking 
the length of the newly established Iron Curtain Trail, he had two 
thoughts.

One was that he was absolutely not in shape to embark on this journey. First of 
all, nobody had ever done it before. Nobody could tell him whether it was five 
or six thousand miles long. It also wound through some slightly uncertain parts 
of the world which, in Tim's mind -- having grown up during the Cold War -- 
were inextricably tied to nuclear annihilation.

But two...was that he was absolutely going to do it.

Follow along for an adventure that will take you from chaotic Russian streets 
to frigid Finnish backroads, through dive bars and ancient ruins and 
military checkpoints. Along the way, Tim's wit and humor gives a fresh 
perspective on a part of the world that is still struggling to define 
itself and write its next chapter.

CONNECT

Tim's book featured in this episode is called The Cyclist Who Went Out in the 
Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail, and you can find it wherever 
books are sold. Tim has also written several other books, so we recommend 
checking those out too. You can also follow him on X / Twitter @mrtimmoore.

SOCIAL

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel 
tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the 
monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at 
armchair-productions.com.
Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with 
host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and 
sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG 
@the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail with Tim Moore

In Oregon, the natural world doesn't just inspire awe -- it gives a 
touch of the sublime. In the words of one guide, it's 
"timeless...important for the soul of humankind." 

And today, we're immersing ourselves in those sublime experiences along the 
Central Nature Trail in Oregon! Follow along as we snowshoe to the top 
of Watchman Peak, for the best view over Crater Lake in the park – “like
a sapphire embedded in the Earth”, as Aaron describes it. It’s exposed,
it’s hair-raising and it’s worth every shaky step. 

After that we head to Bend, one of Oregon’s premier adventure towns, for some
sunset paddling along the Deschutes River surrounded by thousands of 
swallows, baby ospreys and a surprise visit from Oregon’s state animal. 

Then it’s time to head underground for a spine-chilling 1000-foot descent 
into a lava tube, formed by a “River of Fire” over 7,000 years ago. We 
crawl through 18-inch-wide cracks, turn off our head lamps to experience
true darkness and marvel at the geologic forces that could create this 
uniquely beautiful landscape. 

We finish at the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation for some 
“river therapy” and a fly-fishing lesson from a native guide. We learn about 
conserving native first foods, experience some river therapy and even 
catch a fish.

Through it all, we’re going to explore the wonder and awe of the natural world 
in all its forms, from mile-high views to quiet moments listening to birdsong on 
the river. 

CONNECT
Interested in visiting Oregon and seeing the Central Nature Trail for yourself? 
Find out more at www.traveloregon.com or follow along on Instagram and 
Facebook @TravelOregon.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the 
travel industry. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the top of Crater Lake to the bottom of a Lava Tube: On Location on Oregon's Central Nature Trail, USA

"Paradise: that elusive place where the anxieties, struggles, and burdens of life fall away. Most of us dream of it, but each of us has very different ideas about where it is to be found. For some it can be enjoyed only after death; for others, it’s in our midst—or just across the ocean—if only we can find eyes to see it." 

Thus begins the premise of Pico Iyer's journey in The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise. Pico is one of travel writing's most legendary and prolific authors. He's spent nearly half a century roaming the world, thoughtfully observing the people who live everywhere from the world's busiest cities to its most remote villages. 

And in his latest book -- and today's episode -- he's reflecting on what it means to search for paradise on Earth. Is the very idea of living in paradise an oxymoron? Or is it possible to indeed find heaven, in some way or another, during our own lives? 

From traveling as part of the Dalai Lama's personal convoy to being guided on a private tour of North Korea, Pico's anecdotes and insights into what it means to search for paradise will open your eyes and make you eager to explore this planet of ours.

CONNECT
Pico's book featured in this episode is called The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise, and you can find it wherever book are sold. He's also written dozens of other incredible books and articles, so check those out too on his website at PicoIyerJourneys.com . You can also follow him on X / Twitter @PicoIyer.

SOCIAL
Follow us Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPECIAL EPISODE: Surviving Thailand's 2004 Tsunami with Aaron Millar (Adventure Sports Podcast)

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