Summit to Talk About

The National Outdoor Expo is held at the NEC Birmingham. It showcases the best brands and well-known faces from the outdoors community . We went armed with the recorder to meet YOU - the listeners of the podcast and to have a mooch about the stalls and chat with lots of different people who all have a passion for our great outdoors. So, if you couldn't make it, or you're already missing the expo, here's our highlights from the weekend.

Some of the stalls we visited and mention in this episode are:
KitUp Adventures
Slow Ways UK
Yurts for Life
Move2Change
MountainXperience
Valley & Peak
Paqualife

A big thank you to those who chatted to us and for all the awesome speakers on the stages:
@mullionvagrant
@muddy_bootlaces
@paulme55ner
@fellfoodie
@raymears_woodlore
@trigsandtea
@rob.ology
@wildcamping.lifeuk

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 2 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. HiiKER is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with over 25000 trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download and you can now get HiiKER PRO features for FREE - Download maps for offline use - HiiKER believe that safety shouldn't need a subscription! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to HiiKER PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target.

When? 29th April 2023.

This is a great challenge for those wanting to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get pizza and a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - podcast@summittotalkabout

Summit to Talk About on WhatsApp - Please drop me a message or a voicenote on 07368872384 and it may even be featured in the next episode!

Sian Richardson spent years running, competing in triathlons, cyclosportive events, marathons, ultramarathons and swimming events. In 2014, she decided that cold water swimming would make for a great new challenge.
Swimming into the colder months in the Pembrokeshire sea, others began noticing this solo swimmer braving the cold waters and soon started joining in. The Bluetits was born.

Fast forward to 2023 and there are now over 100,000 Bluetits across the world, all braving the cold to take a swim or a dip in their nearest expanse of open water.

Sian tells us how it all began, how cold water swimming benefits us in more ways than you think and how the community of Bluetits has grown into a worldwide inclusive family.

If you've ever considered trying a cold water swim or dip for the first time but have some reservations, Sian has the answers, the infectious personality and an incredible enthusiasm for all things cold water swimming - this is the episode for you!

You can find out more about the Bluetits and get involved with your nearest flock by visiting the Bluetits website HERE

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 2 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. HiiKER is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with over 25000 trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download and you can now get HiiKER PRO features for FREE - Download maps for offline use - HiiKER believe that safety shouldn't need a subscription! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to HiiKER PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target.

When? 29th April 2023.

This is a great challenge for those wanting to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get pizza and a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - podcast@summittotalkabout

Summit to Talk About on WhatsApp - Please drop me a message or a voicenote on 07368872384 and it may even be featured in the next episode!

Martin Little has swapped 'Aggressive Camping' for the more relaxing wild camping experience. In his army days, camping was a necessity and built his resilience. That resilience helped him bounce back from a serious injury after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb which unfortunately killed three of his friends and put Martin out of action for 18 months of recovery before returning to Afghanistan for a second tour. Army life took its toll on Martin's mental health and he soon realised he needed help. This help didn't come as quickly as we'd like to expect and Martin was lucky enough to find healing in the great outdoors.

Getting outside and wild camping soon became more than an escape and he began to share this passion with others and started his own venture in guiding people on wild camping retreats. He has now founded Health, Happiness & Healing, offering wellbeing wilderness retreats including wild camping, breath work and cold water therapy.

You can learn more about it by following on Instagram - @_health_happiness_healing or search Health, Happiness and Healing on Facebook.

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 2 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. HiiKER is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with over 25000 trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download and you can now get HiiKER PRO features for FREE - Download maps for offline use - HiiKER believe that safety shouldn't need a subscription! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to HiiKER PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. When? 29th April. This is a great challenge for those wanting to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get pizza and a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - podcast@summittotalkabout

Summit to Talk About on WhatsApp - Please drop me a message or a voicenote on 07368872384 and it may even be featured in the next episode!

Julianne Noon, like many of us, was hit hard by the pandemic lockdown. She decided to get out walking in her local area to keep active and lose weight. After posting pictures of her walks on social media, John got in touch and they soon began walking together.

A few small walks and big idea led to the birth of Well Mental UK - an opportunity for people in the local area to join others on group walks. The first walk was a success with 30 people showing up. The group quickly gained traction with more and more people joining them to stretch their legs, chat to new people and make new friends. Less than 3 years later ad Well Mental UK is now a Community Interest Company (CIC), setting up walks for the benefits of physical and mental wellbeing.

You can follow Well Mental UK on instagram - @wellmentaluk

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. HiiKER is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with over 25000 trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download and you can now get HiiKER PRO features for FREE - Download maps for offline use - HiiKER believe that safety shouldn't cost a penny! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to HiiKER PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. This is a great challenge for those wanted to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - podcast@summittotalkabout

Love it or loathe it, the weather seems to be one of the most talked about subjects in the UK. For those of us who love spending time outdoors, its an important part of planning our adventures. That's where the Mountain Weather Information Service come to the rescue. Focusing on 10 upland areas of Britain, they produce detailed forecasts specific to mountains, hills and moorlands.

In this episode, I'm joined by Garry Nicholson.  Garry has been working for MWIS since 2013 and is now one of the most active forecasters. He also manages ongoing projects and development for MWIS, and produces the popular video forecasts and social media content.

Garry has an MSc in Applied Meteorology and Climatology and a BA (Hons) in Geography and Broadcast Media.

Born and raised in rural Derbyshire, on the doorstep of the Peak District, Garry has always had an affinity for the great outdoors. His favourite stomping grounds include the rugged gritstone edges of the Dark Peak, the wide-open landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and in more recent years bagging the classic fells of the Lake District, combined with regular trips to the Scottish Highlands.

Garry is a student of weather history, and loves to delve into the archives to uncover the ever-changing nature of the great British weather through the decades, analysing how various cycles and patterns combine to give differences over time.

Garry talks us through the planning stages of producing the forecast and explains how the weather affects us in the mountains. We talk about snow and ice, wind and clouds.

MWIS are running some great educational days in the coming months (early 2023) for you to spend some time with the meteorologists and learn about all things weather. See the MWIS website for lots more information on what they do and to keep up to date with the latest forecasts.

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. HiiKER is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with over 25000 trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download and you can now get HiiKER PRO features for FREE - Download maps for offline use - HiiKER believe that safety shouldn't cost a penny! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to HiiKER PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. This is a great challenge for those wanted to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - podcast@summittotalkabout

Mark aka Mullion Vagrant has lived in Cornwall all of his life and the outdoors has always been a big part of it.

He is now a teacher and plans his adventures around his free time. Last year, he thru-hiked the Hebridean Way across its islands taking in Scotland's true wilderness. He also set off to Europe to trek the well known but stunning Tour du Mont Blanc and he shares his stories of the hiking community coming together to supply him with gas and keeping him entertained in the mountains. Mark also talks about his new love for pack-rafting, the packable canoes you can take anywhere!

You can find out more about pack rafts at -
www,paqualife.co.uk
www.mrsraft.com

Mark is a member of the Valley & Peak family. Valley & Peak are an online outdoors gear company supplying top brand names with excellent customer service, visit Valley & Peak HERE

After the special episode on Wild Camping in Dartmoor, I also give an update on what's happened since the High Court Judgement on 13th January.

Please help by signing THIS PETITION to get our government to bring forward new legislation around wild camping in national parks in England.

More information can be found by following @right.2roam on Instagram or visiting their website HERE or @thestarsareours.uk on Instagram

You can follow mark on Instagram - @mullionvagrant

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. Hiiker is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with thousands of trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to Hiiker PRO or PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. This is a great challenge for those wanted to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - [email protected] 

In this special bonus episode, I'm joined by Mark aka Mullion Vagrant on Instagram to discuss the very important and hot topic of wild camping in Dartmoor since the High Court judgement on 13th January 2023 ruled that wild camping is no longer legal on any Dartmoor land without the permission of the land owner. This has sent shock waves across the hiking and wild camping community and we discuss the impacts of this on everyone who uses Dartmoor land for recreational purposes.

Please help by signing THIS PETITION to get our government to bring forward new legislation around wild camping in national parks in England.

More information can be found by following @right.2roam on Instagram or visiting their website HERE or @thestarsareours.uk on Instagram

You can follow mark on Instagram - @mullionvagrant
Also see @muddy_bootlaces and @weekend_hiker 

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. Hiiker is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with thousands of trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to Hiiker PRO or PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. This is a great challenge for those wanted to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - [email protected] 

Amy aka Bookworm Explores is a lover of our great outdoors, from hiking to wild camping, skiing to paddle boarding, she has done it all!

Amy has explored many parts of the world but up until just a few years ago had never ventured north of Birmingham in the UK. She has certainly changed that since and has thrown herself in to the depths of outdoor adventure.  We chat about her love for the outdoors, what it means to be part of the outdoors community and she tells us all about her new podcast - 'Read the Road' a humbling blend of her love for adventure and literature where she shares stories of places she's been, pages she's turned and the conversations she's had with people she's met along the way.

You can follow Amy on instagram by searching for @bookworm_explores

You can also listen to 'Read the Road' by clicking HERE for Spotify and HERE for Apple

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. Hiiker is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with thousands of trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to Hiiker PRO or PRO+ Click HERE

Challenge yourself this year and feel awesome  by joining us on our very first Summit Else Events challenge hike - The Anglezarke Loop challenge - a 40km / 24.8 mile walk around the picturesque moors of Lancashire with a 12 hour target. This is a great challenge for those wanted to test their grit and have a great day day out. Finishers will get a medal too! CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place now.

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - [email protected] 

With over 40 years experience in Mountain Rescue, there's not a lot Mike Margeson hasn't seen with over 1000 rescues under his belt. He is a member of the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) in the Lake District and is also the Operations Director for Mountain Rescue England & Wales - the umbrella body who oversee the 49 volunteer MRT's and 8 regional bodies across England and Wales. Mike has worked in the outdoors most of his life and is also a winter mountaineering and climbing instructor. With his many years of service to mountain rescue, Mike has also been awarded an OBE for his work.

In this episode, Mike tells us what it takes to become a MRT member, the sacrifices and dedication the volunteers make 365 days a year in all weathers and the types of call outs they attend. He also gives his top tips for staying safe in the outdoors.

MRT's are volunteers and we never know when we;ll need them. If you can, please donate to your local MRT to help them help us.

You can find out more about our MRT's HERE
Stay safe in the outdoors - #BeAdventureSmart by clicking HERE

I would like to give special thanks to the following teams for use of their images on the Summit to Talk About platforms -

Mountain Rescue England & Wales
Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association
Langdale Ambleside MRT
Northumberland National Park MRT
Wasdale MRT

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges or 'Summit Else' stickers and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. Hiiker is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with thousands of trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to Hiiker PRO! Click HERE

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - [email protected] 

Lisa grew up with the Yorkshire Moors on her doorstep. She spent a lot of time in the outdoors and loved visiting family in Cumbria too, She got a taste for camping as she rose through the ranks of Brownies and Guides before heading off to University.

A few years later, living in the south and realising that she was surrounded by people living to work she had a change of heart and wanted to travel and have more adventure in her life. Lisa went through a break up with her partner and decided this was it. She went to Cornwall in pursuit of becoming an outdoors instructor. But, Lisa missed the mountains and moved back up north where she is today - intentionally unemployed as she takes stock of her options and enjoys the freedom of being in the outdoors as much as she can through hiking and wild swimming.

You can follow Lisa here -

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa.outdoors/

Blog: https://lisaoutdoors.co.uk/

If you would like to support the podcast, please follow the link where you can choose from 3 supporters tiers and get your hands on cool Summit to Talk About stickers, badges or 'Summit Else' stickers and bonus content as well as access to the supporters only Facebook group. Every penny from supporters goes towards producing the podcast and enables me to continue to bring great content.

You can also follow the podcast and associated pages such as the Summit to Talk About community and all my social media links HERE

Summit to Talk About is brought to you in association with Hiiker. Hiiker is the best app for planning your hiking adventures with thousands of trails mapped out and packed with information for your hike. The app is free to download! To unlock all of the extra cool features, treat yourself to Hiiker PRO! Click HERE

Click HERE for all Summit to Talk About pages and the HERE for the Hiiker app.

Remember to leave 5 STAR review and share the podcast with your friends and family. If you have Summit to Talk About or know someone who does and would be a great guest, please get in touch - [email protected]